May 25, 2013

Sweet and Spicy Roasted Nuts

I’m in a confessional mood again: I have no self-control when it comes to eating nuts.  That means – I can’t stop munching them if they are in less than a mile radius from me.  They are dangerous!  They’re so dangerous I usually don’t keep them in the house because I would eat them all day, every day, and they’d be gone… They’re what I call the forbidden food in our home.  But then it happens to have company over, which implies the perfect excuse to stock up on as many pounds of nuts as possible and make these crazy irresistible Sweet and Spicy Roasted Nuts and totally impress my guests and show that I’m a great hostess.





I’m a firm believer that the old custom of tipping over some dreary salted peanuts in a colorful bowl and serve them to your guests is overdone and should just go extinct.  And this recipe will help you abandon that boring behavior for good and opt for something more sophisticated and exciting.  Simply put, this unpretentious mixture of crunchy, sweet, salty, a tad spicy, and a smidge unctuous equals the perfect appetizer, snack, gift or… downright addiction!  Your guests will be chomping them by the fistful in no time!   





I dig any recipe that doesn’t require you to slave an entire day in the kitchen.  And this Sweet and Spicy Roasted Nuts recipe is right up there; it’s a breeze to whip up and uses a mere four basic ingredients to create an utterly indulgent result.  On top of that, I love any kind of nuts and chief among them, cashews.  In this recipe, though, I decided to pair them with almonds for some variety.  But feel free to use any kind of nuts you prefer – almonds, cashews, walnuts, pecans, peanuts, and the list goes on.  Then, all you have to do is roast, mix, toss and serve.  No fancy ingredients, no fancy equipment, no fancy procedures but a very fancy and infinitely delicious snack that will keep your guests happily nibbling on until the main players make it to the table.  And now, though with no company around, I’m ready to dive head first into a bowl of these Sweet and Spicy Roasted Nuts.  That’s right!  No guests?  No problem!  The bowl is all yours!





Sweet and Spicy Roasted Nuts
Adapted from Everyday Italian by Giada De Laurentiis

Makes: 2 cups

Ingredients for the Chili-Infused Oil:

·         ½ cup olive oil
·         1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes

Ingredients for the Roasted Nuts:

·         2 Tablespoons Chili-Infused Oil
·         1 cup raw unsalted whole almonds
·         1 cup raw unsalted whole cashews
·         1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
·         1 teaspoon kosher salt




Instructions for the Chili-Infused Oil:

In a small saucepan, heat the olive oil and crushed red pepper flakes over low heat, stirring occasionally, until a thermometer inserted into the oil registers 180°F, about 4-5 minutes.  Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature, about 30-45 minutes.  Transfer the oil and red pepper flakes to a 4-ounce bottle or other small container and seal the lid.  Refrigerate up to 1 month. 




Instructions for the Roasted Nuts:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. 

Place the almonds and cashews on a large baking sheet and roast in the oven for 15 minutes.  Take them out of the oven and allow the nuts to cool completely.   




Transfer the nuts to a medium bowl.  In a small bowl, stir 2 Tablespoons of Chili-Infused Oil, 1 Tablespoon sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt to blend.  Pour the mixture over the nuts and toss to coat.  And serve!  




Poftă Bună! (Bon Appétit!)

35 comments:

  1. I think we are all guilty of devouring snacks and spoiling our dinner.

    These look awesome and I love some heat with my munchies. These would be a great pairing with a good beer (or 6) and a Pirate ballgame!

    Cheers!

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    1. Hi Bryan! Thank you so much for the wonderful comment! I totally agree – these nuts would be a great pairing with a good beer (or more for that matter) and a Pirate ballgame, or a Pens game :)

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  2. Great looking nuts! I love Nigella's and Dorie's recipes as well.

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    1. Thanks so much! I definitely have to try Nigella's and Dorie's. Thank you for the tip :)

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  3. pozele sunt grozave.mi-au facut o pofta grozava.o pun pe adi sa faca si ea .bravo. tata te pupa

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    1. Multumesc, tati! Cred ca o sa va placa! :)

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  4. These look amazing! I would love them sprinkled over a stirfry...mhm!

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    1. Oh... yummy... sprinkled over stir fry; now that sounds delicious! Thanks so much, Alex! :)

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  5. omg who DOES have any self control when there are nuts to snack on??! No one. These look sooo tasty and def. a perfect snack!

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    1. Thank you so much, Kayle! These nuts are indeed the perfect snack :)

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  6. Hi Dana,

    I will be happy feasting these nuts if I'm invited to your house. Can't blame you can't stop munching these munchies :p

    Zoe

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    1. Thanks so much, Zoe! You're always invited to our house! And I would most likely serve these irresistible munchies :)

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  7. Neither do I! Especially around these nuts :D

    Cheers
    CCU

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    1. Thank you so much, Uru! Yes, it's difficult to say No to these nuts :D

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  8. Irristible. Nuts on their own are delicious but with the sweetness and the bit of heat, like I said, IRRISTIBLE!

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    1. Thank you, Hester! You're so right! Nuts are irresistible with a bit of heat and sweetness :)

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  9. I love the look of these nuts. They must be so great to enjoy at the end of the day with a pre-dinner drink xx

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    1. Thank you! These nuts would go beautifully with a pre-dinner drink! :)

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  10. these look so so good - perfect for snacking :)

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    1. Thank you so much, Jenn! These nuts are ideal for snacking :)

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  11. Hi Dana! I tried your sweet and spicy roasted nuts recipe! I used cashews and 2 teaspoons of red pepper flakes :) It was spicy and sooooo delicious! Laura

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    1. Yaaayyy! :) So happy to hear that you enjoyed the recipe! And I bet that the 2 teaspoons of red pepper flakes gave the nuts a nice kick :) Thank you so much, Laura!

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  12. Oh, yeah. These must be irresistible! Love the sweet plus heat plus salt :)

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    1. Thanks so much, Liz! These nuts were truly irresistible :) And the sweet plus heat plus salt is indeed a great trio!

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  13. I know exactly what you mean...it's hard to stop when there is a bowl of nuts nearby. Especially when they look so good like yours! Also, just wanted to let you know that I have nominated you for an award! Congratulations! You can check it out here: http://carlasueeatsweet.wordpress.com/2013/06/01/sisterhood-of-the-world-bloggers-award/

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    1. Oh, Carla! You are so sweet!!! I can't thank you enough for this nomination! I feel truly honored and excited that you thought of me and my blog! You totally made my week :)

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  14. Oh wow... Dana, these nuts look incredible! I definitely agree about the 'forbidden food' status, I've also got an incredible problem when it comes to savoury snack foods in bowls. I keep munching til it's all gone! :) I'll definitely try this recipe when we next have guests though. Then I'll force them to take the leftovers home so I don't resemble a blimp by the weekend! xx

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    1. Thank you so much, Laura! You will love this recipe when you try it and I think that your guests will love it, too :)

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  15. What a lovely recipe. Thanks for sharing your beautiful information.
    Food gifts
    Sugar free products

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  16. Great looking nuts, really looks addictive and i love your photos.

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  17. Thanks for sharing colorful recipe. I love nuts it looks beautiful.
    Dry fruits and nuts

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  18. Philippine pili nuts from the Bicol region in the Philippines is a great Filipino or Philippines food orsnack. Pili nuts are very healthy and nutritious indeed, being a source of energy, potassium and iron.They also have protein, dietary fiber / fibre, and calcium as well as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.  I know they have no cholesterol, no trans fat, and the unsalted ones have no sodium. What is great about the pili nut snack or treat is that they are so crisp, rich, and delicious.

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