Tag: nuts

Posted in appetizers/snacks, Baked goods, Baking, Food

Union Square Cafe Bar Nuts

Posted on by lmc

As the summer garden begins to flourish, I find myself trimming down my rosemary plants a little too quickly these days. You see my family is addicted to this recipe for party nuts. The aroma and flavor of rosemary mixed with the kick of cayenne pepper makes for an irresistible treat. Buy canned mixed nuts when they are on sale because these are gone shortly after they come out of the oven. You’ll find yourself making a new batch quite frequently.

The original recipe developed by The Union Square Cafe’ in New York can be found here.

Union Square Cafe (Big Batch) Bar Nuts

4 cups lightly salted mixed nuts (2-8 oz. cans)
2 Tbsp butter, melted
4 Tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 tsp cayenne pepper
4 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp kosher salt

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Toast nuts on baking sheet until lightly golden, about 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine melted butter, chopped rosemary, cayenne pepper and brown sugar; stir until thoroughly combined.
In a large bowl, toss hot nuts with butter and spice mixture. Season with salt and toss to coat thoroughly.

Posted in appetizers/snacks

Cinnamon Spiced Pecans (Low Carb)

Posted on by lmc



I’m always looking for a crunchy snack that is low in carbs but high in flavor.  This treat fits the bill. The sweet cinnamon flavor and spicy cayenne pepper make for a winning combination. Throw the simple ingredients together and this recipe takes about 5-10 minutes from start to finish.  The aroma of cinnamon and nuts warming over the heat  is simply devine!  Eat them alone or sprinkle them over a bed of lettuce with sliced berries and a light vinaigrette dressing.  YUMMY!

Cinnamon Spiced Pecans (Low Carb)

2 cups pecan halves

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

3 packets of Splenda artificial sweetener (or to suit your taste)

4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

In a large non-stick skillet, melt butter and add cayenne pepper. In a single layer, add pecans to skillet and cook over medium heat. Stir constantly just until they begin to brown.  Be careful to regulate the heat as not to burn the nuts or butter.  Stir in cinnamon, salt, and powdered sweetener.  Remove from pan and cool.  Adjust seasonings to suit your taste.

Posted in appetizers/snacks, Baked goods, Food, Homemade Mixes

Sweet and Spicy Roasted Nuts

Posted on by lmc



As the cool winds blow down the length of Lake Michigan, they usher in autumn showers and chilly temperatures.  This weekend we are experiencing “lake effect rains” and the cooler temperatures have me searching through my files for all of my favorite “comfort food” recipes. 

This irresistible snack is great for a fall tailgate party or family get-together.  Roasted cashews mixed with a blend of sweet and spicy ingredients make this crunchy finger-food hard to resist.  Nearly everyone that has tried these spiced nuts find them irresistible.  Make a couple of batches because they’re usually gobbled up rather quickly.

Sweet and Spicy Roasted Nuts

1 1/2 lbs. cashew nuts

1½ tablespoons butter, melted

2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped

2 teaspoons brown sugar 

½ teaspoons cayenne pepper

2 teaspoons sea salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Spread cashews in a single layer on a jelly roll pan.  Roast the cashews for 8 to 12 minutes, or until lightly toasted and golden brown. 

Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine fresh rosemary, brown sugar, cayenne, and salt; add melted butter, mixing well.Remove the nuts from the oven and carefully add hot cashews to the spice mixture.  With a large spoon or spatula fold in the nuts to completely coat with the spice mixture. Cool cashews in a single layer on a piece of foil or parchment. Serve warm or  transfer to an airtight container and keep at room temperature for a few days.

(adapted from the Food Network)

Posted in appetizers/snacks, Food, Gifts, Kids in the Kitchen

Italian Nut Medley

Posted on by lmc

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When looking for a salty snack, I usually reach for a jar of nuts on the pantry shelf. Recently, I scoured my cookbooks for a recipe that might change up the taste of my everyday snack staple. Most recipes I found included a good dose of sugar which was definitely not the direction I was headed. I stumbled on a recipe in my Best of Country Cooking Cookbook from 1999. I had all of the ingredients on hand so I whipped up the quick recipe. What a yummy, crunchy, surprise! The four ingredient recipe calls for a mixture of Italian spices, a bit of butter and soy sauce mixed in with a few cups of quality nuts. After tasting this flavorful crunchy mix, I’m sure this will become a staple recipe in my snack folder.

Italian Nut Medley

2 tablespoons butter
4 cups quality mixed nuts ( cashews, hazelnuts, walnuts, almonds)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 envelope Italian salad dressing mix

In a skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add nuts; cook and stir constantly for 2 minutes. Stir in soy sauce. Sprinkle with salad dressing mix, stir to coat. Immediately transfer to a baking sheet and spread thinly to cool. Store in an airtight container.
Adapted from The Best of Country Cooking – 1999.

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Posted in appetizers/snacks, Baked goods, breakfast, Brunch, Food, lunch box

Meagan’s Crunchy Homemade Granola

Posted on by lmc

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If you’ve ever bought granola in the grocery store, you know that it can be quite expensive and it may be filled with lots of added fat and sugar. The beauty of making your own granola is that you can add anything you like so that it is tailor made for you and your family. Here is a recipe for the granola that my family loves. Meagan makes it on Sunday evening and packs it into a large airtight container so that it can be sprinkled on top of yogurt, fruit, or to be eaten with milk as a granola cereal. Once you’ve made your own granola, it’s hard to go back to the pre-packaged stuff on the grocery store shelf.

Meagan’s Crunchy Homemade Granola

6 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1/3 cup honey
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup chopped nuts

Mix rolled oats and brown sugar together. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the oil, honey and vanilla. Pour over dry mixture and stir to coat. Add in chopped nuts, and sunflower seeds. (Don’t add raisins until after baking.)
Spread granola on a lightly greased or sprayed cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees, for about 30 minutes. Stir frequently (every 5-10 minutes) to ensure even baking. Add raisins when finished baking. Cool and break into small pieces. Store in airtight container.