LIVE, LOVE, & EAT in SAYULITA- A Recipe for Rosemary Spiced Nuts
I can’t believe that the holiday season is right around the corner! Here in Sayulita, the sun is shining, the weather is really warm, and snow will never happen. Nonetheless, the spirit of Christmas is everywhere around us- from the big firecracker booms that wake us up reminding us to go to church mass, to people getting together to share in the holiday spirit, to kitchens smelling of yummy cookies, cakes & appetizers, and to the drinking eggnog or icey prosecco.
It is great to have a simple appetizer recipe on hand, and these Rosemary Spiced Nuts are so easy to make. Everyone loves a little nibble with their icey prosecco or favorite beverage of choice; at least I sure do!
Here is the recipe that I would like to share with you. Everything is available right here at our Sayulita Friday Market, or Mercado del Pueblo, as well as in the many small tiendas here in town.
INGREDIENTS:
*This recipe can easily be divided in half, but I prefer to have a big batch of these on hand, so I always make the full recipe.
-2 & ½ cups unsalted nuts; raw cashews and pecans are perfect, but I only had raw pistachios in my pantry, so I used those. (*Fresh, raw nuts are sold at the entrance to the Mercado del Pueblo every Friday. I store them in my freezer to keep them fresh.)
-2 Tablespoons fresh rosemary, lightly chopped. (*I buy fresh rosemary plants at our Sayulita vivero (nursery) located just before the Pemex. That way I always have fresh rosemary on hand whenever I need some.)
-½ teaspoon cayenne pepper. (*Sana spices has lovely cayenne, and Oksana is always at our mercado.)
-2 teaspoons dark brown sugar.
-1 teaspoon salt.
-1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, melted.
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. (*I used my toaster oven for this recipe.)
- Toast nuts until lightly golden and fragrant. Please watch carefully as they can go from perfectly golden to overdone very quickly.
- In a large bowl, combine the chopped rosemary, cayenne pepper, salt, brown sugar, and the melted butter.
- Add the warm toasted nuts to the spiced butter, and toss well to thoroughly coat nuts.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
- Store in an airtight container after totally cooled.
These are so yummy and pretty addictive, so be careful! I love to serve these with a glass of icey prosecco. ENJOY!
My next article will be something I have always wanted to try in my kitchen- it is a specialty from France called Croque Monsieur, a fried or grilled ham and swiss-cheese sandwich. I tried making it and I loved it! So stay tuned.
I am available for special orders of appetizers and fancy desserts. If you don’t want to make them yourself, you can reach me through my Sayulita Life Web Page and place an order with just two to three days advance notice. Questions and comments are also always welcome!
*Written by: Karina Shecter
