Spiced Nuts

Derika and I are getting ready to head to New Orleans for the weekend. Mardi Gras kicks off this weekend, and I cannot wait to see my first Mardi Gras parade. I will have a few travel days by myself since Derika has to work, so stay tuned for an update on my New Orleans Adventures. I am sure that it will include many beignets, hurricanes, beads, and brunching; I AM SO EXCITED!! The last time that both of us visited New Orleans was Memorial Day 2005! We were living in Michigan at the time, and we drove from Detroit to New Orleans.  It is crazy to think about it, but we were there just a few months before Hurricane Katrina hit.  I know that it has been awhile, but I am curious to see how much the city has changed since then.

When we travel, I am in charge of the travel snacks.  I try to bring a few different options, because I don’t want to have to rely on airport food.  I don’t have any problems with eating at the airport; I just like to have a back up option.  I always travel with raw almonds, it is easy and they are healthy and filling.  I was feeling a little sassy, so I decided to spice it up a bit and whipped up some spiced nuts. The final outcome was a bowl of nuts that are packed with flavor and a little bit of spicy heat.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 3 Cups Unsalted Mixed Nuts
• 2 TBS. Olive Oil
• 1/2 Tsp. Salt
• 1 1/2 Tsp. Cumin (this has a strong flavor, if you don’t LOVE it use less)
• 1 Tsp. Freshly Ground Pepper
• 1/2 Tsp. Cayenne Pepper
• 1/2 Tsp. Smoked Paprika
• 1/2 Tsp. Granulated Garlic
• 1/2 Tsp. Onion Powder
• 1/2 Tsp. Mustard Powder

Directions

1. Pre-heat your oven to 300 degrees.

2. Pour 3 cups of nuts into a mixing bowl.

3. Combine all of the dried spices except for the granulated garlic into a small bowl and set aside.

4. Add the 2 TBS of olive oil to your bowl of nuts and stir until all of the nuts are coated.  If you notice excess oil in the bottom of the bowl, add a few more nuts a handful at time until the oil is mostly gone.

5. Top your olive oil nuts with the dry spice mix and stir thoroughly.

6. Spread a single layer of nuts onto a baking sheet and bake at 300 degrees for 20 minutes, stirring the nuts once at the 10 minute mark.

 7. Remove the nuts from the oven and sprinkle them with the granulated garlic. Allow the nuts to cool and then place them into a serving bowl.

The hardest part is not eating all of these nuts before my trip. Enjoy!

Posted by Danielle Heckman & filed under Almonds. This post has 4 comments.