Delicious Nut-Mixes
Strawberry Balsamic Pecan Clusters with Black Pepper
Ingredients:
1/4 cup chopped dried strawberries
1/2 pound pecans
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/3 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon olive oil
227 calories, 21g (healthy) fat, 10.3g carbs, 2.6g protein, 583mg sodium
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with tin foil, and spray with nonstick spray. This step is very important. If you skip it, don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Chop dried strawberries and set aside.
Add pecans to a metal bowl and set aside.
Add the rest of the ingredients to a small sauce pan and cook at medium heat. Allow to simmer for five minutes. The mixture will become thick.
Add the liquid to the pecans and mix. My motherly instincts are surfacing, so hear me when I say: you are working with hot sugar. Do not burn yourself. This is my disclaimer. I will not pay your medical bills if you do.
Add the mixture to the baking sheet and spread out. Bake for 10 minutes. Watch carefully to make sure the mixture doesn’t burn.
Remove from oven and transfer to the metal bowl. Add the strawberries and mix well.
Transfer back to the baking sheet to harden, allowing the pecans and strawberries to form clusters.
Enjoy!
Festive Christmas Nut Mix
Ingredients:
1 egg white
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
3 cups raw pecans
1 cup dried cranberries
3/4 teaspoon coarse ground salt (sea salt or kosher salt)
1. Whisk the egg white, vanilla, and maple syrup in a medium sized bowl.
2. Add the spices and whisk until well combined.
3. Add the pecans and cranberries and mix well until the pecans and cranberries are well coated.
4. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, and pour the nut mixture onto the baking sheet.
5. Evenly sprinkle the coarse salt over the nuts. This is where you can get a little creative. We used a finishing salt flavored with vanilla. There are a ton of flavors out there, and you can find them at your local grocery store, specialty food store, or health food store bulk section. They are gaining popularity, therefore becoming easier to find.
6. Bake at 350 for 17-20 minutes, turning halfway through baking.
7. Let cool before eating.
Vanilla Almond Nut Mix
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons vanilla
1 egg white
3 cups almonds
1/2 cup cranberries
3 tablespoons honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
Black pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1 cup dried apples, apple chips, or freeze dried apples
1. Preheat the oven to 350. Whisk egg white and vanilla in a small bowl.
