I try to eat healthy. Don’t laugh, I really do! I mean, granted I live and breathe burgers and ice cream (and too much other deliciousness) but give a girl a break all right? I also have healthy salads and snacks every day. For example, my in-between-meal snacks generally involve fresh and dried fruit and lots of mixed nuts. The fruits I love, but the nuts can be challenging sometimes, especially when I’ve eaten all the macadamias and cashews. Because they are totally way better than all the other nuts.
Hi, my name is Cat and I’m a nuttist.
I can and will weasel my way to the bottom of a pack of mixed nuts to find the very last morsel of macadamia or cashew and I know this behaviour sounds crazy and absolutely begs the question why don’t I just buy macadamias and cashew only, but that would make life far too dull wouldn’t it? To not have to work for that last delicious piece of nut?
Hi, my name is Cat and I’m a nutty nuttist.
Yep.
Anyway, after I’ve vacuumed out the last minuscule pieces of macadamias and cashews, I’ll give the pack to Panu and be all like, hey look! I bought you a pack of mixed nuts 
This worked for a little while, until he realised that it wasn’t that the manufacturers weren’t filling each pack to the brim, it was that I’d been ferreting around and stealing all the most awesome nuts.
So he suggested that I try and make the other nuts yummy too. Like, maybe roast them? Maybe spice them?
Genius.
So here’s a super easy spiced nuts recipe which is guaranteed to make any boring nut you have far more appealing that it’s ever been. And really, the recipe is a sham because you can add any spice you want, for example here’s how Maria from Scandi Foodie has done hers. She also “activates” her nuts but you know me. Patience? What patience.
Enjoy!
| Spiced nuts |
|---|
| 3 cups unsalted mixed nuts (or whatever nuts you prefer) 2 tablespoons olive oil 4 teaspoons dried mixed herbs (or a mix of dried rosemary and oregano) 2 teaspoons smoked or regular paprika 2 teaspoons ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon salt Optional: sprinkling of chilli flakes to add more zing |
|
| Serve as a snack. |
I loved smoked almonds – but unsmoked almonds = boring town! I saw Maria’s post…I’m with you – no patience at all. What other herbs/spices do you think would work well?
Thsi would be a good partaaay snack. At least you’re makin the sacrifce for all them burgers, ice cream…and more burgers LOL
Haha but buying them straight would be so BORING!
Miss Piggy: Raw almonds are just plain weird hehe. Roasted are pretty nice too, but they got nuthin’ on macadamias and cashews! Hmmm I think I would want to make mine more chilli spicy next time, so more chilli flakes and paprika. Or you could go sweet and use cinnamon?
Adrian: I know! Haha, well I HAVE to make sacrifices with the amount of crap I eat sometimes!
Lorraine: See? I’m glad you agree
Hahaha i feel like a health freak here but i love raw almonds lol i eat them all the time
but then and again these spiced nuts sound great gonna do this to all those peanuts my dad got me 
YUM! I always plonk myself next to the nuts at a party lol. Yup – Im that person
Oh, great recipe. Those spiced nuts are perfect for right now when we’re all going to so many Christmas Parties and having friends over for drinks and going to Carols services etc.
Daisy: Oh really LOL you are a health freak! Anything roasted is better than raw, I say!
Nic: Oh really? I plonk myself next to the cake
Hotly Spiced: Very true! And also a great healthy alternative to serve if you’re hosting the party!
Thanks for the mention dear! I love my nuts spiced too
And activating them releases all their goodness!
I might try that one day, I just need to find where I left my patience
No love for the humble pistachio? They make you work for it!
I am also partial to toasting peanuts in a dry pan & dusting with Chinese 5-spice, so I’ll definitely try yours out.
oh the pistachio! I do love me some pistachio. They rarely have them in mixed packs though.. but yeah my dad always has some at home and whenever I visit we sit around the table cracking them open
I haven’t tried 5-spice, I will do next time! Also keen to try a sweeter version with cinnamon.
Heheh, people always think I spend my time eating in restaurants and rich food etc. Fact is I take my lunch and snacks to work most days and it’s often salads or leftover rice-y Chinese-y stuff.
And…I like nuts too.