Spiced Pecans

I made this snack for several parties during the holidays and they were a huge hit, with a strangely addictive sweet and spicy heat. Thanks to Christmas Gifts from the Kitchen for the recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 pound bag of shelled pecan halves
• 2 teaspoons canola oil
• 5 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread the pecans on a rimmed baking sheet and toast until lightly browned, for about 10 minutes. While baking, combine the dry ingredients in a small bowl.

Remove pecans from the oven and transfer them to a large heavy-duty pot. Add the oil and heat at medium-high heat, stirring to coat the nuts well. Continue stirring and add a bit of the spice mixture at a time so all nuts are evenly coated. Once all spices are added, continue to stir for an additional 2 minutes until the sugar melts and the nuts caramelize. Then return the candied nuts to the baking sheet, spreading them evenly, and let them cool.

Banana Pancakes, Grain Free

My recent ventures onto the paleo diet have opened up a whole new world of cooking without dairy. This pancake makes for a hearty breakfast with no need for maple syrup – my favorite is to defrost a bag of organic berries for the topping. Thank you to Mark’s Daily Apple for the inspiration!

 Ingredients

• 2 ripe bananas
• 1 egg
• 1 heaping tablespoon almond butter (feel free to substitute with your favorite nut butter)
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 170 degrees and place an oven safe plate inside. As you cook each pancake, transfer it to the plate to keep it warm.

In a mixing bowl, mash the bananas and combine the remaining ingredients – mix well. On a skillet heated to medium, lightly “butter” the griddle. Gently ladle the pancake batter onto the griddle. When bubbles begin to set around the edges of the pancake and the griddle-side of the cake is golden, gently flip the pancakes. Continue to cook 2 to 3 minutes or until the pancake is set and then transfer to your warming plate in the oven.

Macadamia Nut Encrusted Tuna

I was fortunate enough to make this after my family came back from a day of fishing. Nothing beats cooking with fresh seafood, especially when it’s only a few hours old. For a house that seems to always have tuna, this was a nice change from just marinating and grilling.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds sushi-grade tuna (approximately 4-6 small steaks)
• 1 cup raw macadamia nuts
• 3 cloves garlic - peeled
• Fresh ground black pepper to taste
• Olive oil

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Combine nuts, garlic and pepper in a food processer – chop until finely sized. Transfer mixture to a shallow bowl or plate. Rub each piece of tuna in light coating of olive oil. Press all sides of the tuna into the nut mixture until coated.  

Then, in an oven-safe sauté pan on medium-high heat, sear the tuna for 2 minutes per side. (If your pan is large enough, you should be able to brown all the pieces at once without overcrowding the pan). Then transfer your tuna (while still in the pan) into the preheated oven to finish cooking - for approximately 5 minutes.