I Hope You Like Walnuts

     Do you like walnuts?  I do.  In fact, I am extremely fond of every single nut that's out there.  That isn't the case, however with my husband.  Or at least it wasn't always the case.  That's all changed.  When I married my husband (40 years ago...) he wouldn't touch a nut.  He made it very clear that his family didn't like nuts and didn't eat them.  That mindset even rubbed off on our daughters.  They wouldn't eat anything that contained nuts, because... that's just not what our family did (well, except for me).  When I come upon stubbornness (as far as eating is concerned) I take it on as a challenge; a challenge to change what I view as undesirable behavior. 
     It took work -- an unbelievable amount of work, and years; but I can now say that my husband and two daughters eat nuts, and seem to even like nuts.  I constantly drilled the health benefits of walnuts.  They are rich in mono-unsaturated fatty acids and an excellent source of Omega-3, both of which contribute to lowering "bad cholesterol" and raising "good cholesterol" (read about walnuts and their health benefits HERE).
     And aside from the fact that this bread is loaded with chopped walnuts, healthy olive oil and walnut oil are also added to the batter.  Could this Walnut Bread be any better for you?  Serve with flavored butters, cream cheese, or goat cheese and a drizzle of honey.
CORRECTION:  My husband just told me he still hates nuts, but he has no choice in the matter... He should be thanking me!

                               recipe from the New York Times | October 1, 2009

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup buttermilk or plain yogurt
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons walnut oil
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

PREHEAT OVEN to 375˚F
1.  Oil a loaf pan and line with waxed paper, if desired.  In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 
2.  In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk or yogurt, olive oil, and walnut oil.
3.  Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and quickly whisk to combine.  Fold in the chopped walnuts.  Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and bake on the middle of the oven for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. 
4.  Remove the walnut loaf and cool for 10 minutes before unmolding.  Continue to cool on a wire rack.

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