Allergy Fact 8 - (Cashew Nut & Pink Peppercorn Allergy)

People who have an allergy to cashew nuts can be allergic to pink peppercorns as they are related. They belong to the Anacardiaceae family. Pink peppercorns are aromatic berries from the cashew family.

Not only pink peppercorns belong to the Anacardiaceae family. Pistachios, mangoes, poison oak, poison ivy and poison sumac belong to this same family!

*It is believed that the allergenic substance in the pink peppercorns could be urushiol, an oily substance present in some of the Anacardiaceae family. In mangoes, urushiol is found in the skin. While in cashews, it is in the shell of the cashew nut. In poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac, urushiol is found in the sap.

*taken from HERE

Click on LINK to read more about cashews.

The World Allergy Organization Journal recorded a rare case of a woman who went into an anaphylactic shock due to consuming pink peppercorns. This woman has had an allergy to cashews since she was 18 years old which resulted in anaphylaxis attacks. To read about this case in detail and to further understand the cause of the anaphylaxis attack when she consumed only pink peppercorns and not cashews, click on LINK.

**Pink peppercorns are not related to the Southeast Asian black pepper family at all! The tree which the pink peppercorns grow on are known by many names: Brazilian pepper, Peruvian pepper, Peruvian mastic tree, Baies Rose, California pepper tree, American pepper tree, Florida Holly, Christmasberry, and peppercorn tree.

**Even the berries are known by many names: Christmas berries, rose berries, false pepper, pink peppercorns, pink pepperberries, pink berries and rose baises.

**taken from HERE

Pink peppercorns have become mainstream in many chefs' gourmet dishes. They are added for their attractive pink colour. They also give a sweet and lighter peppery taste unlike the black peppers. The pink peppercorns are used to flavour ice-cream and even chocolate! Some craft beer brewers add them to their beer to produce unique flavoured beers.

Click on TREE NUT ALLERGY to read more about nut allergies.

Flourless Thermomix Cashew Bread

Ingredients:

1. 385gm cashew flour
2. 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
3. 1/2 teaspoon of salt
4. 3 eggs (yolks and whites separated)
    - egg whites beaten until stiff peaks are formed
5. 120gm plain yoghurt
6. 80gm apple juice

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1. Place salt, baking soda and cashew flour into TMX jug and set 5 seconds and set speed 6.5.

2. Add egg yolks, yoghurt and apple juice to the flour mixture. Knead for 30 seconds.

3. Fold the egg whites into the batter.

4. Bake 150C for an hour. (I added 10 mins at 180C to get the golden brown finishing touch.)

Bon appetit!

Thermomix Cashew Butter Spread

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup of cashew nuts (soaked overnight)
2. Sea-salt (up to how salty you want the butter to be)
3. Sunflower oil (approximately 20gm)

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1. Rinse the cashew nuts. Place all ingredients into jug and set 2 mins/speed 8.

2. If the consistency isn't creamy enough, then add 1min/speed 8 again.

3. You can eat it plain or with bread/biscuits. (YUMMY!)

Bon appetit!

Gluten-Free Apple Crumble

Ingredients:

1. 6 Red Delicious apples (skin removed, cored and sliced into thin wedges)
2. 1 1/2 cups of gluten-free flour (I used brown rice flour)
3. 1 cup of finely chopped cashew nuts
4. 6 tablespoons of butter (softened at room temperature)

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1. Place the apple wedges at the bottom of mini single aluminum muffin tins.

2. Then sprinkle the finely chopped cashew nuts on top of the apple wedges.

3. Preheat the oven to 180C.

4. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour and butter. Mix them until they resemble fine bread crumbs.

5. Spread the crumble all over the apple and cashews.

6. Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

7. Serve warm. (You can freeze the extras and reheat them in the oven just before you eat.)

Bon appétit!

Cashew Milk

Ingredients:

1. 1+ cup of soaked cashews (soak them overnight to get rid of the phytic acid)

I soaked 1kg of cashew nuts. I baked the rest of the nuts.

2. 800ml of filtered water

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1. My soya maker was used to blend this milk. It grounded the cashew nuts and boiled it for about 1/2 hour.

2. You can either choose to sieve the milk or leave it with the fine grounded cashews.

3. Serve it hot.

Cashew Multigrain Titbit

Ingredients:

1. 250gm raw cashew nuts (chopped to fine pieces OR blended roughly)
2. 1 cup of millet
3. 1 cup of quinoa
4. 2 cups of oats
5. 1 cup of puffed canawa
6. 2 large eggs
7. 1/2 cup of sunflower oil
8. Soft brown sugar (how much you use is up to you) (I used 1/4 cup)

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1. Mix all ingredients above in a large bowl.

2. Once everything is combined well, scoop up mixture into mini cupcake liners and place them on a baking tray.

3. Preheat oven at 180C.

4. Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.

5. Allow to cool. You can store in airtight containers which can be kept in the fridge for about a month.

Bon appétit!

Cashew Biscuits

I bought a cooking app for the iPad sometime back. It is called the Photo Cookbook - Quick & Easy. One of the asian recipes is the almond cookies. I amended it and changed some of the ingredients. I made cashew cookies instead.

Ingredients:

1. 675gm of organic unbleached plain flour
2. 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
3. 1/2 teaspoon of sea-salt
4. 100gm of finely grounded cashews
5. 225gm of butter (softened at room temperature)
6. 80gm of soft brown sugar
7. 1 egg (lightly beaten)
8. 50 whole cashews (for decoration)

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1. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together into a large bowl and set this aside.

2. Pulverise 100gm of cashews until they turn into finely grounded cashews.

3. Add the flour and finely grounded cashews into a large bowl.

4. Add the butter and mix with the flour until a crumbly mixture is formed.

5. Add the sugar and egg. Mix well until the dough is soft and pliable but firm.

6. Preheat oven at 160C.

7. Divide the dough into 2.5cm size balls.

8. Place on baking trays which are lined with baking papers.

9. Flatten the balls with the back of a spoon.

10. Press a whole cashew nut onto each biscuit.

11. Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.

12. Once they are done, allow to cool before storing in airtight container.

13. You can store these biscuits in the fridge for about 1 to 2 months.

Bon appétit!

Cashew Nuts Stir Fried Chicken

Ingredients:

1. 1 whole chicken (Chopped into about 12 pieces. Season with sea-salt overnight in fridge)
2. 2 big onion (sliced into thin pieces)
3. 1 garlic clove (Outer layer removed. Bulb sizes)
4. 1 1/2 cups of roasted cashew nuts
5. 1 bunch of chives/spring onion (cut into 3cm long)
6. 1 cup of chicken broth
7. Sea-salt
8. 1 teaspoon of soft brown sugar
9. 1 red capsicum (optional)

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1. Heat a wok on high heat.

2. Pour about 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil. Then add the garlic and stir fry until fragrant on medium heat.

3. Add the chicken pieces, chicken broth, sea-salt and soft brown sugar and allow to simmer on medium low heat until 90% cooked.

4. Then add the big onion slices, spring onion/chives and cashew nuts to the dish.

5. Stir fry until the chicken is throughly cooked.

6. Scoop onto serving plate. Serve with hot, steaming rice.

* If you can tolerate capsicums, add 1 sliced, red capsicum at step 4.

Stir Fried Minced Chicken+Potato+Cashew Nuts

Ingredients:

1. 500gm minced chicken (season with sea-salt)
2. 5 large potatoes (skin removed and cut into slices)
3. 1 cup of roasted cashew nuts (click here for recipe)
4. Sunflower oil
5. Sea-salt

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1. Pour 3 tablespoons of sunflower oil into a heated wok.

2. Add the potatoes and cook until soft.

3. Push the potatoes aside and add the minced chicken and cook until it is throughly cooked.

4. Break the minced chicken into pieces.

5. Mix the potatoes and minced chicken thoroughly.

6. Add the cashews and season with sea-salt to taste.

7. Continue stirring for about 3 minutes.

8. Scoop up onto serving plate and serve with hot rice.

Bon appétit!

100% Home-Baked Cashew Nuts!

Ingredients:

1. 500gms raw cashew nuts

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1. Wash the cashew nuts throughly under running water.

2. Pour them into a pasta drainer and drain all water away.

3. Pour them onto a tray lined with kitchen towels and pat them dry.

4. Preheat oven at 200C.

5. Line baking tray with baking paper.

6. Spread cashew nuts evenly onto baking tray.

7. Bake for about 20 minutes or until cashews turn golden brown.

8. Allow to cool before keeping in an airtight container.

Bon appétit!

PS: Yes, I can FINALLY eat nuts!!!!!!!!!!!! HAHAHA!!