Pistachio Mozzarella Salad and the Health Benefits of Pistachios

We gave one of our bulk boxes of pistachios to Chef Tess. She is a television chef in Arizona. Her actual job title is “Culinary Marketing Specialist,” as she writes food packaging labels, develops large-scale formulations for the mixing plant, and writes all the food blogs for several companies they represent (as well as their blog). On top of these responsibilities, she does run the corporate test kitchen for a large grain manufacturer called Panhandle Milling from Texas with a test kitchen in Arizona. They do bakery-sized recipes daily to help their bakery and tortilla customers with formulations.

Pistachios have long been one of her favorite nuts. She runs a bakery, and online shopping is how business gets done. Anyway, who has time for all that driving and walking into stores?

She has a blog and has shared some of the health benefits of pistachios, along with a straightforward recipe.

The healthiest facts about pistachio

1. According to Thomas and Gebhardt (2006), pistachios contain a lower calorie content of only 160 per ounce compared to other nuts.

2. Pistachios contain more protein than other nuts, such as almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamias, pecans, and walnuts. On balance, the amount of protein found is 6 g per 1 ounce, which is the highest compared to other nuts.

3. The fat content in pistachios is also the lowest compared to other nuts. Statistics collected by Thomas and Gebhardt (2006) show that the fat content is 13 g per 1 ounce.

4. Pistachios are also an excellent source of mono-unsaturated fatty acids such as oleic acid and antioxidants. Taking them regularly is known to be effective in decreasing low-density lipoprotein (LDL), which is known as “bad” cholesterol, and helps to increase the amount of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), commonly known as “good” cholesterol. In the long run, this nut helps with heart health.

5. Trace elements or minerals found in pistachios include calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, zinc, copper, manganese, and selenium. It is important to note that they contain the highest amount of phosphorus, almonds and cashews. Furthermore, they also have the highest amount of potassium concerning all other nuts.

6. There is zero sodium inside, leading to one of the health benefits of pistachios. Yes, we include the lack of something because it differs from other nuts like hazelnuts and pecans. Generally speaking, this is good news for people suffering from hypertension because they constantly have to curb sodium intake in their diet.

Pistachio Mozzarella Salad Recipe

So, here’s Chef Tess’s recipe for a pistachio mozzarella salad for the summer that will blow your ever-loving mind when it comes to healthy and fast! The whole recipe is less than 300 calories and 12 net carbs and gives you 25% of your daily protein. Win! It’s light.

Pistachio Mozzarella on Beefsteak Tomatoes Salad

One Serving

A Ripe Beefsteak Tomato
1 Oz Fresh Mozzarella, sliced
1 Tbsp fresh Chopped Basil
An Optional 1 Tbsp Of Chef Tess Romantic Italian Seasoning
1 Tbsp Fresh chopped purple cabbage (for color, optional)
1/4 cup raw pistachios here
Salt and pepper to Taste
Balsamic Glaze or balsamic vinegar

Directions:

Slice the tomato into four wedges. Slice the fresh mozzarella into four wedges. Season the tomatoes with Chef Tess seasoning and top with the mozzarella. Top with fresh chopped basil and one Tablespoon of pistachio per wedge. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve chilled.

You can find this recipe on The Chef Tess site here. One of Chef Tess’s other favorite Pistachio salad recipes:

London Broiled Mushroom and Pineapple Salad with Pistachios and Citrus Dressing

To summarize, there you go—more pistachio recipes to come this week. From Your Friend, Chef Tess