Candied Spiced Macadamias

These are one of my all-time favorite snacks... slash glam cheese platter accompaniments, plus a great gift for the holidays. And they're easy to make -- healthy -- AND easy to eat!

I make two versions of these -- one with herbs de Provence. The other with a spicy cayenne-cumin-curry mix.

The spice mix, I feel, goes best with some salted macadamias as a base. The herbs de Provence go well with salted mixed nuts. But the fun here is being creative with making up a combination that suits you!

Here's the basic recipe -- feel free to experiment and try new combinations as you see fit

Spiced Candied Nuts

2 cups salted mixed nuts (if you don't use salted nuts, then add salt to taste, well)
1/2 cup honey, plus more if desired
2-3 tablespoons spice mix (herbs de Provence or 1/3-1/3-1/3 cayenne-cumin-curry)

In a large (10-12") skillet, heat up nuts over medium high heat. Add honey and cook until liquid and nuts are all coated. Add seasonings, distributing well. Stir well and cook 1-2 minutes longer, until honey starts to caramelize. Pour onto silpat or parchment paper, and cool completely.

Serve with an array of cheeses (Fromager D'Affinois and Humboldt Fog), fig jam, and fruit... or with a hearty kale or arugula salad... or snack plain alone!

Summer Rolls with Peanut Sauce

This was one of the highlights of my summer adventures in the kitchen. Being back in a (another?) land-locked state, this time I had access to tons of super-fresh fish flown in daily from AK. And I had a mad hankering for salmon.

One night salmon, the next night leftovers. At 8,550, cold salmon salads don't have the same appeal as they do in hot and steamy NYC. Rather, where it's easily 50 degrees at night on the hottest summer days, this girl needs a little heat (spice?!) in her life. 

Summer rolls are super easy to make, and, when you have a glass of wine at hand, kind of therapeutic to make after a long day in the office. Plus, these are great for a party any day!

Spicy Peanut Sauce

1 tbsp ginger, chopped
2 cloves garlic
2 serrano chiles, chopped
Salt, as needed
Less than ¼ honey
½ teaspoon crush red pepper flakes
2/3 cups unsweetened peanut butter (smooth)
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1/3 cup water, as needed

In a food processor, blend the first four ingredients until finely minced. Scrape down sides and add the remaining ingredients, through sesame oil. Puree well. Season to taste, thinning out the mixture as needed. Feel free to balance out the flavors. Let sit at room temperature for a couple hours for the flavors to blend and mellow.

Easy Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

And... more radio silence from me. It's been a busy month! I returned from an epic summer along the Wasatch Front and decompressed along the South Coast of Massachusetts for a couple of weeks before returning to one of my favorite places in New England: The Upper Valley. 

While the recipes may wane with classes underway, I'll try to post a couple of times a month. First up is one of the wild, new flavors I encountered this summer: Roasted Tomatillo Salsa. I should preface this with a) I've never willingly bought tomatillos and b) never really cooked with them. So when they come my way via a CSA not once, but TWICE, I knew some ingenuity would have to be mustered up.

First up, the one result I DID document digitally, oh and then LOSE: Roasted Tomatillo Salsa. It was a few days before I hosted a bunch of friends for a casual potluck-movie night at 8,550 feet. Roasting anything at that altitude takes some patience and additional moisture. But the thought of just blitzing raw tomatillos in a Cuisinart didn't appeal to me. I've said this a million times over: Everything is better roasted. And with some heat. 

For ease, and to add depth of flavor, I roasted the tomatillos, chiles, and garlic together (bathed in some water to keep them moist while completely roasting through - it's dry at altitude!). This is a mindlessly easy recipe, and delicious -- I think one guest (assisted by another) downed the entire bowl!

Another motivating factor for posting this today: It's a GREAT football Sunday snack!

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa
Makes about 1 1/2 cups

5 medium tomatillos
2-3 serrano chiles
3 cloves garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt

Peel and wash the tomatillos. Split and seed the chiles. Peel garlic. Roast the ingredients together in a foil package at 350 degrees until tender (time depends on altitude; I roasted mine for 45 minutes).

Add the roasted vegetables, cilantro, and salt to a blender. Process until smooth, thinning out with a bit of water if necessary. Season to taste, adding a bit of cilantro, cumin or lime, if you like. Serve with corn chips.

Easy Pinto Bean Hummus

No game day celebration, cocktail party, or even casual gathering with friends is complete without a snack, and I have to say, cheese and crackers aside, nothing quite beats hummus. It's perfect for us gluten-free folk, and equally as fabulous for vegetarians and vegans.

When I discovered a myriad of food sensitivities nearly two years ago, some made sense (Gluten. Oats. Dairy. Shrimp. CORN!). Others didn't, but after eating them again (Lentils. Chickpeas. Quinoa), I realized I couldn't fool my body.

So commenced a hummus dry spell in my life. Quite sad and unfortunate. Until I started experimenting with the two kinds of beans that didn't leave me doubled over in pain and my tummy frozen for days: Pinto Beans and Black Beans.

There are a number of ways of dressing up this blend. I kept it simple, with lots of garlic and ample seasoning, along with some cumin and cayenne for a kick. PERFECT with carrots, and awfully tasty with potato chips (hey, I can't do pita chips anymore) -- and fabulous with melted cheese on rice tortillas or in burritos.

For those of us allergic to chickpeas and sensitive to tahini, now you won't be deprived!

Easy Homemade Pinto Bean Hummus

12 ounces cups dried organic pinto beans (I used Laurel Hill's Heirloom beans) *preferred over canned
3 cloves garlic
Salt, to taste
Cumin, to taste
Cayenne, to taste
Paprika, to taste

Soak beans overnight. Rinse twice, agitating with hands each time. Cover beans with 2x their depth of water. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook until tender and beans can be smushed with a fork easily.

Blitz garlic and 1/2 cup of beans, and 1/4+ of cooking water, in Cuisinart (I had to do mine in batches as all I have is a mini-prep). Place in bowl. Repeat with more beans, water, and seasonings. Repeat until all beans have been blended. Check for seasonings, adding more cumin, salt, or cayenne as desired.

Serve warm with pita chips and/or carrots -- or save as a spread for lunches. The sky is the limit!