sel et sucre

Tag: nuts

  • Honey Cinnamon Almonds

    honey cinnamon almonds 2

    I’m a big fan of candied nuts – which probably isn’t too surprising coming from someone who loves any combination of salty and sweet. They make a great snack and a great additional to these Cool Gifts if you’re planning to give them to someone. I love the ease of this particular preparation where there’s no separating out and beating egg whites, just a simple whisking together of honey with spices. The resulting nuts are a bit stickier than many candied nuts, but I found I didn’t mind at all and still found them addictively tasty. I used almonds here since they’re one of my favorite nuts (and one of the healthiest too!). Cinnamon provides the spicing, and I also added a little ancho chile powder for some heat and smokiness – you can omit this if you’re not a fan of spice or use smoked salt to get the smokiness without the heat.

    (more…)

    Related Posts:

  • Crustless Mushroom and Greens Quiche

    crustless mushroom and greens quiche

    As I mentioned Friday, the knob to control the oven temperature here isn’t labeled with actual temperatures or even gas marks. So I wanted to try cooking something fairly forgiving to test out the oven. I thought a simple crustless quiche would be a great option – easy, tasty, and healthy. I didn’t have anything to bake it in, but then I realized that the oven-safe sautee pan that we’d brought along (yes, I didn’t just bring a whole lot of spices for my kitchen) was perfect for the task. I like my quiches to be absolutely packed with vegetables, so I put as many mushrooms and greens as I could in here, as well as some chopped walnuts on top for a nice crunch. I also had some leftover black garlic which I tossed in as well – but, of course, this quiche will still be quite tasty without it. It cooked up perfectly fine on medium-high heat in my oven (with some adjustment as it cooked as I tried to guess at what would be closest to the 425 degrees called for in the recipe), and it’s hearty and filling, great for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

    (more…)

    Related Posts:

  • The Perfect Brownies

    the perfect brownies

    Okay, okay, these brownies might not be perfect for everyone. But I’ve been searching for a basic brownie recipe to be my go-to, and this is the one. If, like me, you want your brownies to be rich, dense, super chocolate-y, and so fudgy that they’re best stored in the refrigerator, then these are the brownies for you. Of course, you can easily tweak the recipe to your liking. Because there’s only a little bit of flour in these, I think it could be swapped for cocoa powder for a gluten-free dessert with even more intense chocolate flavor. These brownies would also do well with mix-ins, and although I know this is sacrilegious to many brownie lovers, I think nuts would actually provide a great contrast to the richness of the brownies. Personally, I put my twist on the recipe by adding a sprinkle of fleur de sel on top – I find it adds extra depth to the chocolate.

    (more…)

    Related Posts:

  • Layered Fruit Salad with Whipped Coconut Cream

    layered fruit salad with whipped coconut cream

    I have a history of becoming really passionate about something and then letting it fall by the wayside when a new obsession comes my way. When I was really into knitting, for example, I didn’t just knit scarves and hats; I knit complete sweaters, bookmarked hundreds of patterns, and collected boxes and boxes of yarn. And I still have those dusty sweaters, patterns, and yarn, despite not having knit anything for years. So when I started this blog, I was worried that I might lose interest, stop posting, or get sick of food (okay, I never thought that last one could actually happen). But over the past year, I’ve only found myself becoming more and more passionate about cooking. This blog has become extra motivation to keep expanding my repertoire, and I’ve found that not only has my cooking improved as a result, but so has my photography and writing. Yes, this is my one year anniversary – for an entire year, I’ve been posting three recipes a week (not always an easy feat with a full-time job), and although it’s been difficult and stressful at times, it’s also been really really fun. Nothing too fancy today to celebrate, just a tasty and simple fruit salad with a twist. Whipped coconut cream on top adds the perfect amount of richness to this summer dessert, and sliced almonds add a little crunch. I hope you enjoy the recipe and hope you’ve been enjoying my blog! Thanks to anyone who’s reading this, and here’s to another year.

    (more…)

    Related Posts:

  • Shaved Squash Salad

    shaved squash salad

    Yet another simple summer recipe – only a few ingredients, but it still feels exciting. This was my first time eating raw squash, and I was pleasantly surprised by the taste, crisp and nutty. Combined with a tart lemon dressing, salty cheese, and the crunch of pistachios, the resulting salad is amazingly flavorful. But it’s still light enough to leave you feeling good afterwards. Great for a quick lunch or to bring along on a picnic.

    (more…)

    Related Posts:

  • Raw Kale Salad

    raw kale salad

    In the recent summer heat that has quickly descended over DC, I’ve been finding it increasingly difficult to convince myself to turn on the stove or oven. The prospect of leaving the house to scrounge up a meal is equally unpleasant. So I’ve been eating a lot of simple food – fresh fruit and vegetables, mostly, that require little to no cooking. This raw kale salad has been a great standby, and after having heard so many others rave about raw kale, I finally understand why. The kale has a pleasantly chewy texture here and is packed with nutrients. Add chickpeas, mixed nuts, and avocados, and you have a salad that not only is amazingly flavorful, but also will make you feel truly good after eating it. This recipe is perfect for adaptation. Use your favorite nut variety instead of mixed nuts, add a little dried fruit, use different beans or a different cheese – it’s really hard to go wrong!

    (more…)

    Related Posts:

  • Pomegranate Asparagus Quinoa Salad

    pomegranate asparagus quinoa salad

    Now that it’s spring, I’m weaning myself off of the soups and stews that kept me going all winter. This salad is a perfect match for the transition in seasons. In an homage to all the plants outdoors whose greenery is currently in full swing, this salad is full of green, with asparagus, spring greens, mint, and chives. Quinoa, toasted for maximum nutty flavor, keeps it filling while pomegranate molasses and fresh lime zest and juice add a little tartness and a little sweetness. I love food with a variety of textures, and this salad manages just that – chewy quinoa, crisp-tender asparagus, and crunchy walnuts. This can be served with the quinoa and asparagus still hot or with the whole salad at room temperature or even cold (great for those spring days when the temperature unexpectedly spikes to summer levels) which means it could just as easily be packed for a quick picnic as it could be served as a sophisticated appetizer at a dinner party. Versatile, tasty, and healthy, there’s not really much more I could want this time of year.

    (more…)

    Related Posts:

  • Vietnamese Shrimp Salad

    vietnamese shrimp salad

    We’ve had an exceptionally mild winter in DC this year (which, as someone with a very low tolerance for cold, I’ve actually enjoyed). At the beginning of March, temperatures suddenly shot up in the sixties and seventies, and it’s been feeling like spring ever since. With trees bursting into bloom and tulips out in full force right outside my front door, I just can’t bring myself to keep eating the same hearty soups and stews I’ve been relying on all winter. So when the recipe for this Vietnamese shrimp salad found its way into my inbox, I immediately set about cooking it. Crisp carrot, cucumber, and daikon radish tossed with fresh herbs and a ginger-lime dressing, then topped with shrimp and peanuts makes for the perfect refreshing dish for spring. Most of the work here is with chopping the vegetables and herbs, and once that’s done, the salad comes together really quickly. This made for a great weekend lunch all by itself, but it could also work as an appetizer.

    (more…)

    Related Posts:

  • Blood Orange and Candied Walnut Salad

    blood orange and candied walnut salad

    I was lucky enough to recently receive a nice bottle of grape must as a gift. Having never even heard of this ingredient, I set about doing some research on it (and, of course, taste testing). Grape must, as it turns out, is essentially freshly pressed grape juice before it’s made into wine. Thick and sweet with just a little tartness, the taste is more reminiscent of raisins than your grocery store grape juice. In some countries, grape must is cooked down to form a thick syrup (called saba, pekmez, dibs, or grape molasses), and in fact, I even recall having eaten this before when in Lebanon (as a dessert with a soft mild cheese and whole wheat bread). I’m excited to experiment with my grape must (and will probably be trying my hand at making a small batch of grape molasses to recreate the dessert I had in Lebanon), and this salad was an amazing starting point.

    I like my salads with a good amount of sweetness to them. So here, in addition to grape must, I’ve used blood oranges and candied walnuts to make this salad truly decadent. Having discovered that traditional balsamic vinegar (i.e. “aceto balsamico tradizionale”) is actually fermented and aged grape must, I opted to let the grape must take the place of balsamic. Goat cheese and mixed greens help to balance the dish. The result is fantastic, and I found myself craving more immediately after eating it (and couldn’t keep myself from making it again the next day and then again a few days later).

    (more…)

    Related Posts:

  • Berbere Candied Walnuts

    candied walnuts

    Let me warn you; these candied walnuts are addictive. After they’ve cooled, you will eat one to taste test and then inevitably decide you need to taste test about ten or twenty more, just to be sure. You will set them out for guests and then find yourself hovering next to the bowl to snack on them yourself. You will want to find ways to include them in everything you eat, from yogurt to salads to cookies. And you will feel an undeniable urge to make another batch once the first has run out.

    Berbere adds a hint of spiciness to the caramelized coating on these nuts, but you can also use garam masala or a mixture of cinnamon and cayenne pepper if you don’t have the Ethiopian spice mix on hand. On that note, feel free to use almonds, peanuts, pecans, or hazelnuts instead of walnuts here. You have lots of options for customizing this basic recipe, and it’s really hard to go wrong. These candied nuts are perfect for giving away as a gift, bringing to parties for a snack. or, you know, hoarding at home.

    (more…)

    Related Posts: