Butter Roasted Salted Nuts

 

When I worked at the Manor my boss (the Mrs) always had to have a huge bag of mixed nuts ready for her to snack on at all times.  I could not buy already mixed nuts.  I had to buy separate nuts and then mix them specifically according to her preferences.

 

When I first started working there, she liked filberts, but a few months down the road she decided she didn't want filberts in her nut mix and so I spent a couple hours or so one day picking out all of the filberts in a huge bag of nuts.  I did not really  mind.  If you want to pay me by the hour to pick the doodoo out of the pepper I will pick the doodoo out of the pepper!

 

My parents used to buy a large tin of mixed roasted nuts every Christmas. This was their Christmas treat. Often before any of us could even get a look in my mother would have taken out and eaten all of the cashew nuts. They were her favourite.

 

In a nut mix that was heavy on the peanuts, cashews were a prime commodity!  Sometimes I like to get the roasted nut mix at Costco because there are no peanuts in it, and there is just a nice mix of other nuts.  They are pretty salty however, which I don't like.

 

I have bought bags of just salted cashews . . .  but they are not near as appealing as coming across a cashew or two in a mix of nuts is!  Funny how that works!

  

Readymade mixed salted nuts are also full of things I don't necessarily want to eat as well . . .  like transfats and preservatives, plus I fine they are heavy on the almonds and the rest of the mix is pretty scarce.

 

I like my nutmix generally not to be so salty and to have a nice  mix of all the nuts.  That's why its just nice to make my own mix up.  I get to control all of that!

 

The mix largely depends on what I have in the house. Normally I would add pecans and macadamia nuts, but I didn't have any of those today, so its just almonds, walnuts, broken brazil nuts and of course cashews!

  

They are all pretty balanced as well, perhaps a bit heavier on the almonds, but that's okay.  There is not a peanut to be had in the lot.  I love peanut butter but I don't like peanuts in my nutmix.  We are all individuals with our own unique tastes I guess!

 

I like to roast them in butter.  It gives them a really nice flavour and it is a natural fat. I use unsalted butter because I am adding salt to the mix. I suppose you could add other herbs and seasonings if you wanted to vary them a bit, but I like these just the way they are.

  

Butter Roasted Salted Nuts.  They're a good thing!

Butter Roasted Salted Nuts

Yield: 12

Author: Marie Rayner

Incredibly moreishly delicious and so much better for you than the already salted nuts you pick up in the shops, with no transfats, or chemicals and you control the salt.

Ingredients:

• 400g mixed nuts (I used almonds, cashews, brazil nuts, walnuts) (about 3 cups)
• 2 TBS melted unsalted butter
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt (or to taste)

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.  Line a large baking tray with baking paper.  Toss the nuts together in a bowl with the melted butter then spread them out onto the baking tray in a single layer.  Sprinkle with the salt to taste.
2. Roast in the preheated oven for about 15 - 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes.  Keep a close eye on them so that they don't burn.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.  Taste and adjust the salt as needed. 
3. Store in an airtight container.

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When it comes to snacking nuts are not a bad thing. They might be filled with fat, with some being more fatty than others, but they have quite a number of other impressive health benefits which far outweigh that fact.  They are highly nutritious and contain a lot of anti-oxidents, vitamins and nutrients as well as fibre..  Much better for you to eat a small handful of nuts than a bag of potato chips at any rate!   I really really like my nuts dipped in chocolate, but those are saved for extra special occasions and are considered an indulgence.

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White Chocolate and Cranberry Granola Bars

 

My kids grew up on homemade granola and homemade granola bars.  When you have five children you learn how to do these things yourself! You can't afford the fancy stuff!

 

I credit my next door neighbour Mabel for teaching me how to make granola. It was a tasty way to get my children to eat oatmeal.  They wouldn't touch it cooked, but if I turned it into granola, they didn't mind eating it at all.

 

As mom's we all want our kids to eat things that are healthy for them, including their breakfast cereals, and especially their snacks.

 

I heard on the television yesterday that the government was going to be banning eating food on buses to try to combat childhood obesity.  I was like what the heck?

  

How is that going to combat childhood obesity?  I may not be a really smart woman but I don't think banning eating on buses is going to do a heck of a lot for childhood obesity!!

 

How about making healthy food more affordable?  There is something wrong when you can buy a package containing half a dozen fatty sausage rolls in pastry for less than you can a pack of green beans or a bag of apples.  But that's just my opinion.

 

How about encouraging them to get off their butts and out the door to play?  Too many children spend all of their time in front of a screen.  Playing computer games, or watching television.

 

We liked watching cartoons when I was a child too, but they were only available at certain times of the day and week. Saturday mornings (so our parents could sleep in I guess) and there was a few programs on after school.

 

The general rule in our house was unless it was raining, you had to be outside playing. End of story.  Otherwise you got stuck doing chores and housework. Trust me, we didn't mind being outdoors.

 

We didn't get bored either, because if we did, my mom soon found something for us to do and it wasn't going to be anything fun to do! Being bored was not an option!

  

Anyways, I digress.  These granola bars make a nice snack for kids. They are filled with less fat and sugar than ready made ones and are filled with plenty of fibre and protein.

  

You can skip the white chocolate drizzle if you want to, but I think it adds a nice touch. You can also add nuts to the mix, replacing half the dried fruit with them, which would add even more protein. Delicious any way you choose to do it.

Yield: 16

Author: Marie Rayner

White Chocolate and Cranberry Granola Bars

Making your own granola bars is not that hard and they taste far superior to those you can buy.  I like that I can control what is in them.

ingredients:

For the bars:

• 240g old fashioned large flake Oatmeal (3 cups)
• 2 TBS butter
• 2 TBS soft light brown sugar, packed
• 2 TBS pure maple syrup
• 85g liquid honey (1/4 cup)
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp salt (optional)
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
• 115g dried cranberries (3/4 cup)
• 90g white chocolate chips (1/2 cup)
• 35g mixed sunflower and pumpkin seeds (1/4 cup)

You will also need:

• 75g white chocolate (3 ounces)

instructions:

How to cook White Chocolate and Cranberry Granola Bars

1. Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Spread the oats onto two baking trays. Toast them in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, stirring them several times, until they are light golden brown and smell toasty.
2. Like a 9 inch square pan with some waxed paper or parchment paper. Set aside.
3. Melt the butter in a large saucepan on the stove. Add the brown sugar, maple syrup and honey. Cook, stirring until the sugar is melted and everything is amalgamated. Whisk in the vanilla, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamon. Stir in the toasted oats and combine well. Let cool completely. Stir in the chocolate chips, cranberries and seeds. Mix well together and then press into the lined pan. Place another sheet of wax paper or parchment paper on top and compress the mixture really well, until it is of an even thickness all over. Cover and place in the refrigerator overnight.
4. The next morning, flip them carefully out onto a cutting board and peel off any paper. Cut into quarters with a sharp knife and then cut each quarter into 4 to give you 16 bars. Place them onto a wire rack placed over top of some wax or parchment paper. Break your white chocolate into squares and put into a microwave safe bowl. Melt in the microwave according to package directions. Using a spoon flick the melted chocolate over top of the granola bars. Leave to set before storing in an airtight container. These will keep for about a weeks or so, or you can freeze them tightly covered for longer.

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If you are not a fan of white chocolate you can use dark chocolate and semi sweet chocolate chips.  I just happen to think that white chocolate goes very well with dried cranberries and pumpkin seeds.  These also make for a great breakfast on the go.  Just sayin!

Up tomorrow:  Carrot Cake Drop Scones 

 

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All Dressed Hummus

 

I am a huge fan of hummus.  I often make it to enjoy with crisp crackers or raw vegetables.  It has been my snack of choice for many years. 

 

  It is one of the few ways I can tolerate chick peas due to my diverticulitis.  I used to love to make a vegetarian chili which used tinned chick peas when my children were growing up.  It was really delicious. Sadly those days  of enjoying those types of things in abundance are over for me! 

 

So far I have been able to enjoy hummus however.  Probably because the chick peas are pureed, which makes them easier to digest.

 

I love all kinds of hummus. Perfect Hummus is the recipe I normally use.  But my Roasted Beetroot Hummus is also very good, and a very pretty pink colour.

 

This All Dressed Hummus is also a real favourite around here.  I call it all dressed because it is topped with lots of lovely bits to dress it up. 

 

Its like the Cinderella of Hummus all dressed up and ready to go to the ball, glass slippers and all  . . .

  

I like to top it with a variety of finely chopped vegetables. 

 

Chopping things up really finely isn't really a chore if you have a good set of knives to work with.

For all of my chopping needs  I like to use these lovely knives  from the MyKtchn Premium Black Ceramic Kitchen Knife Set. 

 

 

 

Made of Zirconia ceramic, this six piece set of knives feature longer durability than regular steel while leaving your food free of chemical and metal taste. They are sleek, easy to handle and perfect for your slicing and dicing needs. I love them.  They make short work of slicing or dicing things into bits.

  

Along with the variety of diced veg I used, I topped this Hummus with some Crispy Chickpeas.  If you have never eaten them or made your own, you really need to try.  The oven basically does all the work and they are wonderfully crunchy and crisp, quite addictive as a snack or a garnish.

Yield: Makes about 1 1/2 cupsAuthor: Marie Rayner

Crispy Chickpeas

These are crisp and delicious.  They are fabulous eaten out of hand as a snack, or used as a garnish.

ingredients:

• 1 (400g) tin of chick peas, drained and patted dry (14 oz)
• olive oil to drizzle
• ground cumin, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and coarse black pepper
• (according to your taste, I find about 1/4 tsp of each is ample)

instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6.  Line a baking tray with foil.  Scatter the chick peas over top and then drizzle with a bit of extra virgin olive oil. Only about 1 TBS for the whole tin if that.)  Sprinkle with the spices/seasonings and toss to coat well with the oil and seasonings.  Spread out evenly leaving space between.  Pop into the pre-heated oven and roast for about 25 minutes until crispy.  Cool completely and then store in an airtight jar.

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Almost like popcorn, except they contain a lot more fibre and protein.  I flavour mine with ground cumin, garlic, paprika, onion powder, salt and pepper, but you can use whatever flavours you desire.  As a snack you can also make a sweet variety as I did here with my Gingerbread Roasted Chickpeas. They also make a tasty snack. Again I have to control my consumption of these things because of my tummy. 😓 Getting older is not for sissies for sure. 

 

Today I topped my hummus with chopped tomatoes, red onions, cucumber, coriander leaf, a drizzle of EVO, and some crispy chick peas.

 

We I enjoyed it with some crisp raw vegetable sticks and fresh warm pita bread. (Todd is not a fan of raw vegetables.)  They have started stocking a sour dough pita bread at our local grocers that is fabulous!

  

Altogether this made a really delicious and healthy lunch for me, which I really enjoyed. 

Yield: VariableAuthor: Marie Rayner

All Dressed Hummus

An incredibly tasty and pretty appetiser.  Serve chilled with plenty of warm pita breads and crisp vegetables for dipping.

ingredients:

• 1 (400g) tin of chickpeas, drained (reserve the liquid) (14 oz tin)
• 2 TBS Tahini paste
• 3 TBS extra virgin Olive Oil
• 1 clove of garlic, peeled
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
• 1/4 tsp ground cumin
• 4 TBS water
• 1 TBS packed fresh coriander leaf (cilantro)
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 1/2 tsp coarse ground black pepper, or to taste

Toppings:

• extra virgin olive oil to drizzle (optional)
• 4 TBS chopped cherry tomatoes
• 4 TBS chopped red onion
• 4 TBS chopped unpeeled cucumber
• crispy chickpeas (optional)
• toasted mixed seeds (optional)
• chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)
• crumbled feta cheese (optional)

instructions:

1. Combine all of the hummus ingredients in a food processor and blitz until smooth and to your desired consistency, adding reserved chickpea liquid as desired to give you what you want.  Spread the hummus in a large flat bowl. Cover and chill while you create the toppings.
2. When you are ready to serve, sprinkle your desired toppings over top of the chilled hummus and serve immediately with plenty of crisp vegetables and warmed pita bread cut into pieces.

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This makes a fabulous group appetizer for when you are entertaining, or for picnics (you can top it just before you serve it) and of course its great in the lunch box.  I would pack the hummus and the toppings and the dippers separately in that case.  What a treat!

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