“I love nuts.
I add them everywhere, because they allow you to easily twist a very simple recipe”, enthuses Émilie Franzo, passionate about cooking, who hides behind the essential Instagram account @plusunemiette.
What does she appreciate in these products?
Their tastes and the possibility of using them in both savory and sweet preparations.
In his casseroles, nuts also provide texture.
“When they are crushed, they put on a touch of crunch.
In puree, they are perfect for bringing smoothness and replacing a fatty substance like butter.
In milks, they are ideal for relaxing a dish by providing extra indulgence.”
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In search of good fat
For Émilie, the difficulty is finding good nuts: “You have to look at where they come from, and buy them in bulk.
It's always better to work with raw products.
Especially since all you have to do is roast almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts… and mix them for a long time to obtain a homemade purée.
Émilie shares this quality intransigence with Tania Ezzedine, CEO of Rifai.
This benchmark brand in Lebanon for dried fruits and nuts has just opened its first French address in Paris.
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"In Lebanon, as in the whole Middle East, nuts are linked to the art of living," explains Tania.
We eat it on all occasions.
In snacks, in spiced rice, which is a great family classic, in pastries, ice creams... This is why we are very concerned about offering products of excellence.
And very attentive to the transformation.
We are experts in dry toasting, which allows fruit to be toasted without adding fat.
A process passed down from generation to generation, only three people in the company know it.
It requires perfect control of the temperature parameters, in order to have a cooking bringing smoky notes.
It is very different from the fried products that can be found on the market.
Our know-how also lies in
seasoning of these nuts.
In France, we have, for example, almonds with lemon, cashew nuts with thyme, pistachios with chilli…”
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chewable superfoods
We do not hesitate to give in to temptation.
Because in addition to their assets in terms of gluttony, nuts are also full of nutritional virtues.
Admittedly, they are quite caloric, so they are consumed in moderation, but regularly.
Indeed, according to Tania Ezzedine, “they are a concentrate of good fats, vitamin E, fiber, calcium and magnesium”.
According to this enthusiast, peanuts are rich in beta-carotene, which contributes to the renewal of tissues such as the skin.
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High in protein, they are also an excellent snack after sport.
As for hazelnuts and pecans, and to a lesser extent pistachios, they are sources of monounsaturated fatty acids, i.e. omega-9s, which help combat the harmful effects of free radicals on cells and therefore their accelerated aging. .
"Among all the dried fruits, continues Tania, the walnut is particularly interesting, full of polyunsaturated fatty acids, including omega-3, considered as good fat for the heart."
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Another benefit often put forward: the positive action of nuts on brain activity.
Studies have shown that they would be good for memory, concentration, speed of understanding.
This is what makes you want to break the shell to have a bite to eat.