A different idea for Easter is the Cashew Nut Parfait. It is quick and easy to prepare. It can be the dessert for Easter lunch or, if placed in small Tupperware, can be a delightful gift for friends and relatives instead of the already well-known chocolate egg.

Ingredients:

- 1 cup of sugar

- 1 tablespoon of butter

- 1 / 3 cup of chopped cashew nuts

- a packet of chopped biscuits (200 grams)

Margarine for greasing

For the cream:

- 1 can of condensed milk

- 2 cans of milk (use empty condensed milk can to measure)

- 3 egg yolks

- 1 tablespoon of cornstarch

Preparation:

- Put in a pan the sugar, butter and cook over low heat, stirring until it becomes a caramel.

- Add the cashew nuts, stir and remove from heat.

- Pour the mixture into a dry and smooth surface.

- Let it cool.

- Break the crispy pieces and add the chopped cookies.

- Set aside.

- For the cream, heat the condensed milk, milk, egg yolks and cornstarch, stirring until obtain a cream.

- Set aside.

- Line the bottom of a bowl with half of the crunchy biscuit mixing.

- Pour half the cream.

- Repeat, ending with the cream.

- Refrigerate for 4 hours and then can be indulged.

Information is from Guia da Cozinha.

Cashew nuts, Brazil nuts, almonds, walnuts, pistachios, have an important role in diets and can be the difference between making them give good results or not.

Besides delicious and nutritious foods, the fat and fiber from nuts gives a sense of fullness quickly, making diets enjoyable. When a person eats small portions of nuts in a day, doesn´t get very hungry and therefore eat less.

Despite the health benefits, these foods should not be eaten in large quantities. Is recommend eating a small portion a day, because when you add nuts to your diet, you are also adding calories. The ideal is to decrease calories from other foods to avoid weight gain.

Information is from the site WebMD.

Instead of spending money buying chocolate eggs for all family and friends, as thousands do every year, why not give a gift with a personal touch?

Follow the recipe below and prepare a delicious cashew nut candy:

You will need:

- 1 cup of cashew nuts;

- 1 can of condensed milk;

- 1 / 2 cup of seedless raisins;

- 1 tablespoon of butter;

- 300g  of milk chocolate couverture.

The method of preparation is simple:

Beat in a blender the raisins and nuts until obtain a paste. Add the condensed milk and butter and bring it to a low heat.

Stir until loosen the pan (about 10 minutes). Pour the mixture into a greased dish and let it get cold. Make balls and pass the tempered chocolate, rice flakes or other candy of your choice and let it dry.

The recipe is from the website receitinhas.com

Although very healthy and efficient in weight loss, nuts have a lot of calories, so should be consumed in moderation.

According to the American doctor Michael Roizen, author of best sellers and The Real Age and The Real Age Diet, " eating five or six nuts before the meal, you feel full faster and for longer. "

The Brazilian magazine, Boa Forma, offers some tips on how to consume them in day-to-day in a creative and nutritious way.

Breakfast

Mix almonds, walnuts or crushed nuts on yogurt or cereal.

Snacks

They are great for snacking between meals. Don´t exaggerate, put the amount allowed in a little pot and eat during the day.

Meals

Add slivered nuts in salads and soups. Besides nutrients, foods gain flavor and texture.

Appetizers

That way you already know. Pistachios, almonds, peanuts and toasted cashews go well with almost everything. Be careful, grain by grain, don´t exaggerate in the amount.

Nuts are rich in nutrients, have fiber, protein, calcium, iron, potassium, zinc, selenium, vitamin E, folic acid, among others, that are good for health and help maintaining weight.

According to Vanessa Coutinho, coordinator of graduate studies in clinical and sports nutrition at the Universidade Gama Filho, in Rio de Janeiro, a Brazil nut daily supplies the amount of selenium that the body needs. The mineral helps to balance thyroid, avoiding weight changes, prevents tumors, keep the immune system stronger and protects against the action of free radicals.

The zinc present in the cashew-nut and in the Brazil nut helps to assist in the production of white blood cells. Magnesium helps control blood pressure and reduce symptoms of premenstrual syndrome. Potassium helps build muscle and monounsaturated fats present in these foods reduce levels of bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol, HDL, which is responsible for cleaning up the arteries, keeping away heart diseases.

Although nuts are good for health, is important to moderate because it may end up as fat if eaten in excess. The ideal is to eat nuts instead of other food and not just add them to the diet.

Information is from Brazilian magazine Boa Forma.

Do you want to prepare a delicious snack but still keep it healthy? How about making a fast, pratical and tasty cashew nut pate? Follow the recipe from Brazilian nutritionist Ana Paula Fidelis below and then tell us what you think.

Ingredients:

100 grams of nuts or cashews for roughly chopped;

2 teaspoons of olive oil;

1 clove of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped;

1 tablespoon of lemon juice;

Small sauces of Fresh Salsa;

4 tablespoons of cold water.

Preparation:

Process all ingredients until it reaches ideal consistency. Serve with chunks of fresh raw vegetables of your choice or toasts. The pate can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

According to the Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade (Mdic, in portuguese), the main export products that propelled exportation in the state in February are: Footwear, leather and cashew nut. The footwear sector is responsible for more than 30% of international exports and cashew nut by 17%.

The first two months of international sales in Ceara were 7.5% higher than the same period in 2010. In February the state totaled 104.9 million dollars in sales to foreign markets, registering the best score ever achieved for the months of February, according to information released by Mdic.

Information from Diario do Nordeste.

The Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture established the phytosanitary requisites to import raw cashew nut from Ivory Coast to Brazil.

The cashew nut should be treated with gas before boarding to eliminate pests that do not exist in the country. According to the chief of the Analysis Division of Pest Risk in the Ministry of Agriculture, Jefe Ribeiro, this procedure guarantees the safety of imported products and protects Brazilian agriculture. "

For cashew nut to be sent to Brazil, is need a Phytosanitary Certificate issued by theNational Organization of Phytosanitary Protection (ONPF, in portuguese) of the Ivory Coast. The product must have a new package and be free of soil material and plant residues.

The standards were published in the Diario Oficial da União (DOU) last Thursday (10).

Information is from Tribuna do Norte.

According to the nutritionist and orthomolecular doctor Liliane Oppermann some foods help strengthen and protect the hair that gets fragile due to wind, sun, chlorine and high temperatures.

The cashew nut is one of them because it has iron, which is important in the production of red blood cells responsible for circulation of oxygen in the blood.

Lack of this nutrient can cause hair weakness and even fall. Other foods that contain iron are: almond, cinnamon, red meats in general, black beans, liver, eggs and soy.

The information is from Zero Hora.

A professor of chemistry in the UFPI university, in Piaui, Brazil, created an antioxidant for biodiesel produced from cashew nut liquid, providing more durability of fuel making biodiesel evaporates slowly.

According to the Professor Jose Ribeiro dos Santos Junior, the creation is not only important for increasing the durability of fuel, but also by using a regional product, the cashew nut, available in large quantities in the region of Piaui.

"That way we will contribute not only to an optimal use of fuel, but also for preserving the environment, " concluded Jose Ribeiro.

The additive based on the cashew nut liquid has caused interest in private companies. As the teacher believes in its expansion in the industry he has already initiated the patent process.

Information is from the website 180 graus.