Showing posts with label recipe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label recipe. Show all posts

Tuesday, 13 December 2011

Spicy Almonds

Easy, delicious and a wonderful snack for company, these almonds are always a hit at any gathering.

The Method and Ingredients:

in a small bowl mix;
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp hot pepper flakes
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1 1/2 tap salt

Heat 3 tbsp peanut oil a heavy sauce pan over med heat
Add 2 cups blanched almonds and stir often,
After 2 minutes add 1/2 cup of sugar,
Stir and saute until golden brown and the sugar has carmelized - do not over heat
burnt almonds don't taste good, so don't leave the stove while making this and stir constantly.
Remove from heat and put into bowl.
Sprinkle the seasoning mix you made above and mix well.
Spread and separate the almond mix onto a cookie sheet.
They'll harden and be ready to put into containers in about 30 minutes.

I give mason jars of these spicy almonds as gifts during the holidays people just love them!

Enjoy!

Let me know how you liked this recipe, comments are welcome.

Sunday, 20 November 2011

Amazing Green Bean Casserole

This is a favorite recipe my mom made every Thanksgiving and no matter how much she made there were never any leftovers!
I put in together in a large frying pan then I transfer it to the casserole dish for baking.

Ingredients
fresh green beans make this casserole simply delicious

6 cups fresh green beans
1/2 5oz tin water chestnuts
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup butter
1 med onion
1 Ib mushrooms
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk
1 cup cream
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese
1/8 tsp tabasco sauce
2 tsp soya sauce
salt and pepper to taste

The Method

Turn oven on to 350 degrees.

Take fresh green beans and cook them lightly - with some crunch left in them.  When they are done remove them from the heat, drain and put aside.

Meanwhile ... slice the mushrooms, onions, water chestnuts and grate the cheese.

In a large frying pan melt the butter then add the sliced onions. When they are translucent add the sliced mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms are lightly cooked. Scoop the veggies out of the frying pan and set aside.

At a med heat, using a whisk, add the flour to the remaining butter and mix well. As it thickens add small amounts of the milk and mix slowly taking out any lumps as they come along. When all the milk has been added remove from the heat and add the remaining ingredients folding them gently as you do;
the cream, mushroom and onion mixture, the greens beans, water chestnuts, cheddar cheese, tabasco, soya sauce, salt and pepper.

Put the entire mixture into a large casserole dish, then sprinkle the sliced almonds over the top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes until it's bubbling and golden brown ... then Enjoy! 

TIP: You can make this this casserole the day before and don't bake it until you need it. Keep it in the fridge until 20 minutes before it's time to bake it, then pop it in the oven.

Feedback is appreciated.

Tuesday, 15 November 2011

Nuts and Bolts from Scratch


organic multigrain "O"s
Use Your Favorites ...
My mom's been making this at Christmas forever; 
I make it once every couple months after it runs out, it's become a staple in our house and it isn't expensive to make. My daughter loves to help because it's all about mixing and sprinkling. We store it in tins and munch on it for snacks anytime. 
I use the organic equivalent of the ingredients mentioned; the nuts and cereals, but of course mom never did. 
It's quick and easy to mix and it takes 3 hours to bake, so you'll have time to multitask. 

choose your favorite nuts
The recipe is just as good without nuts (I can't eat them anymore); double to triple your cereal amounts to replace them, or add new cereals such as bran buds, and grape nuts. Change up the ingredients and use your favorite cereals (that are not sweetened) and nuts to personalize the snack mix. In our house the favorite nuts are macadamia, cashews, almonds, pistachios and pumpkin seeds; a very eclectic mix, but it's good!

How To …
In a roasting pan (that has a lid)
melt 1Ib of butter, then add & mix well:
this is a classic favorite snack 
2 Ibs of mixed nuts 
1 x 14 oz Shreddies
1 x 10 oz Cherrios
1 x 14 oz pretzel sicks
1 tsp each of garlic salt, celery salt + sprinkle a seasoning salt of your choice over the mixture.
Bake for 2hrs @ 250 degrees with the lid on then take off the lid and bake for 1 hr. Stir occasionally throughout the baking time. Let cool, then store in airtight containers.


Enjoy this healthy snack any time, let the kids help make it and join in the fun!
p.s. 
this snack mix makes a great gift in a decorated jar or tin too! 

Please feel free to leave feedback or comments.