Faster, Higher, Stronger

Ok, I’ll admit the Olympic motto doesn’t quite fit what I set out to do here. There are no illicit substances in these nuts so they won’t get you higher but they were made faster and taste stronger. I prefer to cook without a recipe in front of me, instead, following my instincts and vague recollections of recipes past. I did a pretty good job of replicating my own version of spiced nuts this time, adding a step of toasting the nuts first for best flavor and using a pre-mixed version of the spices. The only time-saver remaining is making the syrup. I think starting with a more even ratio of water to sugar will help.

Pecans coated with an assortment of spices and sugar.

Sweet and Spicy Nuts

created by Sarah Johnson
inspired by Santa’s Spicy Nuts

• 1c pecans
• ¼c brown sugar
• 2T chinese five spice
• 2t chili powder
• 1t ginger powder

1. Toast pecans in a pan over medium-high heat until slightly browned. Set aside.
2. Sprinkle spice powders over pecans and stir to combine.
3. Combine brown sugar and same amount of water in a pan over medium heat until thick, slow-bursting bubbles form.
4. Pour the sugar mixture over the nuts, stir to combine.
5. Let the sugar harden over the nuts before eating.

Notes and Variations

The sugar mixture needs to be cooked to the "hardball" stage, also known as the "fish eye" stage. I took this picture when my sugar mixture was nearly at the hardball stage. The problem here is that the bubbles were bursting too fast which means that the syrup was too thin still, but the bubbles are a good size.

Brown sugar and water boiling near the hardball stage.

The biggest issue with this dish is getting the sugar to harden on the pecans. I never do it right, don’t want to wait, and so just eat the nuts with a spoon while they’re still sticky. If you want to do this properly, you should spray a baking tray with oil, maybe even cover it with parchment paper then spray with oil, and bake the pecans for a few minutes on low heat so that the sugar hardens. I have not tried this, again, an issue of patience and hunger! It should work in theory though.

One more note about variations: nuts! I used pecans cause they absorb the syrup well, taste good with the spice and sugar, and were on hand. This would also taste good with peanuts, probably cashews, and most other nuts. Perhaps even a mixture of them all!

Less Light – More Color!

The days get short, the light's gone from the sky, we wake up and come home to darkness as wintry weather turns the sky gray. This is not a fun time of year in the Northeast. So to cheer things up, here's a recipe that pulls together a variety of foods and textures in a single healthy dish. And it's so bright! Be sure to serve it in a glass dish so you can see the colorful layers.

Warning: this recipe will take time! It's best prepared with leftovers. So go ahead, cook a whole pumpkin. Make soup, pie, toast the seeds, and leave a little for this recipe. Need an excuse to cook cranberries? Make juice! Greens and tempeh can be cooked easily as needed. The measurements are vague estimates since it can all be prepared to taste or ingredient availability. Overall, this turned out to be a wonderful mix of ingredients on hand – both delicious and pretty!

A mixture of colorful fall foods that are good for your body, your palate and pleasing to the eye!

Colorful Harvest Medley

created by Sarah Johnson

• ½c wild rice
• ½c brown rice
• 1c roast pumpkin cubes
• ½c fresh cranberries
• ¼c sugar
• 4 leaves chard
• 4 slices tempeh
• 4T olive oil

1. Cook the rice. For me this means 1c rice, 2c water, bring to a boil, simmer covered for 40min.
2. If your pumpkin is fresh, cut in half, place face down on a baking sheet, cook at 400F for about 20-40min until just soft.
3. Place cranberries and ½c water in a small pan, bring to a boil, then simmer covered for at least 5min. Cranberries will turn totally red and taste sweet (add more sugar to taste). Strain and save the juice for drinking!
4. Chop tempeh into squares and cook in a pan with 2T oil until tempeh browns on both sides.
5. Layer the ingredients: rice, chard, tempeh, pumpkin, cranberries.
6. Drizzle olive oil over the mixture and enjoy!

Just like muqin made it

Occasionally I get cravings for Chinese takeout. Unfortunately I don’t have the budget or the metabolism for frequent takeout. I’ve tried making some dishes at home but they just don’t cut it. Probably would be a bit better if I used as much sugar and salt and oil as most Chinese takeout places but I don’t think I could bring myself to eat it then.

So, as with most dishes, my fridge was nearly empty. The half head of cabbage looked very lonely but I couldn’t think of anything good to go with it. I had been snacking on the ultra salty smoked tempeh (dubbed “fakin’ bacon”) when I realized that it would add some interest to the cabbage. Since I was short on time and ingredients, I sauteed the cabbage then added the tempeh, some crunch and a sauce. To my pleasant surprise, it tasted just like Chinese takeout! Success! And I hadn’t added a single grain of salt or sugar (although the teriyaki sauce and tempeh compensated). I was so thrilled to have a healthy but tasty alternative to takeout. Now if only I can replicate fried rice without the frying.

Teriyaki Cabbage: cabbage and smoked tempeh

Teriyaki Cabbage

• half a head of cabbage
• half a package of smoked tempeh
• small handful of sunflower seeds
• a few T of sesame oil
• 1T teriyaki sauce
• splash of lemon juice
• 1T rice wine

1. Shred the cabbage into medium size slices with a serated knife.
2. Heat 1-2T sesame oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
3. Add the cabbage and stir until coated with oil and starting to sweat.
4. Add lemon juice and teriyaki sauce to the cabbage and stir to coat.
5. Drop the heat to low, cover and cook about 10min until wilted.
6. Set the cabbage aside.
7. Return the pan to medium-high heat.
8. Toast sunflower seeds in the dry pan.
9. Add 2-3T sesame oil.
10. Chop tempeh into small cubes then add to pan.
11. Stir the tempeh and seeds until they stick to the pan.
12. Add the rice wine to deglaze the pan and scrape the bottom of the pan.
13. Combine the cabbage and tempeh mixture.