National Nut Day: 5 Latin recipes that will surprise you

Happy National Nut Day! As someone who tries to eat healthy foods to keep the weight down, for me there is absolutely no better snack than a handful of nuts. However, did you know that there are some truly fantastic Latin recipes using nuts that, I swear, will really surprise you?

In honor of today's food holiday, I'm including some of those recipes below. Whether you want to go with a simple healthy banana-almond bread or a pistachio-topped flan OR you want to get a little more adventurous with an apple-brazil nut breakfast porridge, you're sure to love it. Of course, if you're feeling TRULY adventurous, then I absolutely insist that you go for the tomato chili with taco walnut meat or the pine nut-stuffed roasted dates. All of these are sure to please!

Read more ¿Qué más? National Chocolate Cupcake Day: 5 Delicious recipes with a Latin twist

Brazil Nut: Apple-Nut Breakfast Porridge

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storebukkebruse/flickr

Ingredients: 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped raw nuts, such as almonds, hazelnuts or Brazil nuts, soaked overnight and drained; 1 Granny Smith apple—peeled, cored and coarsely chopped; 2 dried white figs, coarsely chopped; 1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh ginger; 1 teaspoon dried goji berries; 1/2 teaspoon ground flax seeds

Get the full recipe directions from Food & Wine.

Walnuts: Tomato Chili with Taco Nut meat

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aniphyo

Ingredients: 3 cups chopped tomatoes, 1 cup chopped red bell pepper, 1/4 cup chopped celery, 1/4 cup chopped yellow onion, 1/3 cup chopped mushroom, 1/3 cup corn kernels, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 1 – 2 teaspoon chili powder, to taste, 1 teaspoon cumin powder, 3/4 teaspoon oregano, fresh or dry, 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, to taste, 1 cup walnuts, 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon cumin powder, 2 teaspoons coriander powder, 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, to taste

Get the full recipe directions from Ani Phyo.

Almonds: Healthy Banana-Almond Bread

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SanFranAnnie/flickr

Ingredients: 3/4 cup sugar, 1/2 stick of butter (softened), 2 large eggs, 3 bananas (sliced), 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup chopped almonds, 1/4 tsp salt, 1 tsp baking soda

Get the full recipe directions from SparkPeople.com.

Pine Nuts: Stuffed Roasted Dates in Honey

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Thinkstock

Ingredients: 1 cup toasted pine nuts, 1/2 cup white wine, or as needed, 1/4 cup honey, or as needed, 1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese, 2 cups dates – pitted and cut lengthwise to the center, ground black pepper to taste, salt to taste, 1 cup honey, warmed, 1/2 cup slivered, toasted almonds

Get the full recipe directions from AllRecipes.com.

Pistachios: Pistachio-Topped Flan

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jypsygen/flickr

Ingredients: Nonstick vegetable oil spray, 1 cup sugar, 3 tablespoons water, 6 large eggs, 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract, Pinch of salt, 1 1/2 cups whole milk, 1 1/2 cups whipping cream, 1/3 cup chopped pistachios

Get the full recipe directions from epicurious.com.