What’s the quickest way to get my husband into the kitchen and asking me, “What are you making?”
Easy.
Roast some nuts.
I’ve never seen someone get so excited over roasted nuts, but he does.
And yes, there are many jokes that could be told with all this nut talk. So go ahead and make your mental jokes and chuckle to yourself every time you see the word nuts. We’re all on the same wavelength but l’ll keep things G-Rated in print.
I get much more excited over these cookies baking, but I have the sweet tooth and he has the savory tooth.
And his savory palate got down with some nuts.
For the recipe I was inspired by Amy of Adventures in Marriage’s recipe after seeing them on her blog. I was assigned her blog for this month’s Secret Recipe Club assignment.
I decided to add chipotle seasoning to the recipe and played with the spice blend a bit. I also used almonds that had already been smoked to add flavor depth.
Plus, I was making these for Scott and he loves a good smoked nut. G-Rated, remember.
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Rosemary Chipotle Roasted Almonds (Vegan; Gluten, Soy, & Dairy Free)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp chipotle seasoning (for a salt-free blend I like Mrs. Dash Southwest Chipotle)
1 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped + pinch more after roasting
pinch cayenne or chili powder, to taste
pinch salt, to taste
pinch black pepper, to taste
1 c almonds (I used smoked but raw, roasted, salted, plain, smoked; use what you have and prefer)
Directions: Preheat oven to 325F. Combine all ingredients except for the almonds in a bowl and mix. Add the almonds to the oil and spice mixture, and toss to combine. Spread almonds in a single layer on a parchment, foil, or Silpat-lined cookie sheet (for easier cleanup) and roast for 15-20 minutes until lightly toasted, or until desired toasting and browning level is reached. Allow to cool slightly and serve. Top with a pinch more of finely chopped rosemary after roasting, if desired. Will keep in an airtight container or jar for week(s).
Double, triple, or quadruple recipe as desired if making for a party or making extra in advance for leftovers, snacks and lunch boxes, for gifts, etc.
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These would make great holiday gifts because they’re easy and inexpensive but I find that most people prefer homemade gifts. Especially homemade gifts of food.
And around the holidays who doesn’t love a good nut?
The malls seem to capitalize on this because when I’m doing my holiday shopping, the aroma of nuts wafting through the air is pretty intoxicating. I am always tempted to drop my Bath & Bodyworks sprays, get out of that ridiculously long Victoria’s Secret line because I really don’t need more flannel pajamas anyway, and race off to the nut roasting stand and get my mitts on some nuts. Either that or a Cinnabon Donut.
If I keep buttering Scott up with the roasted nuts, maybe he’ll buy me a Kitchen Aid stand mixer.
That way I can butter myself up with baking and dessert making. That’s my master plan anyway.
I’ll let you know if it works.
And yes, it was nutter-riffic taking pictures of these roasted nuts. <– Do you like a side of cheeseball with your nuts? I apparently do.
The last nutty shots I took were at Food & Light and taking these pictures brought back really fond memories of that trip and workshop.
Questions:
1. Do you like nuts? What kind and how do you like them?
I love cashews and peanuts. I am so-so about almonds but I’m not picky. I could sit down with a bag of Trader Joe’s mixed nuts, a jar of Planter’s Peanuts, whatever, and go to town.
I love cinnamon and sugar roasted nuts, honey roasted nuts, or spicy nuts like these chili and lime ones. Oh, so good.
But I am not cut out for them so have to really watch the portion size. They really do a number on me but Scott has a cast-iron stomach and inhaled the batch in record time.
2. Do you have more of a sweet tooth or a savory palate?
Sweet tooth all the way for me!
Give me a Nutter Butter Special K Bar (No Bake) any day over roasted nuts.
Have a great week!
So glad that you liked them! The chipotle is a great idea; I’ve been thinking about making these as a Thanksgiving appetizer and will have to try that version.
It adds a nice lil kick! Jazzes things up a bit :)
Photos are amazing, you get better and better every post. I used to love nuts and still like them occasionally, my problem usually is once I start eating them I cant quit. These look wonderful!!
Thanks, Amanda. It’s a passion of mine; thanks for noticing.
These nuts definitely warrant a kitchen aid mixer! The combo sounds amazing and perfect for holiday gifts.
From your lips to Scott’s ears :)
They photos make me want to grab a handful!
ALL your photos are glorious!
What beautiful photos! Your nuts look absolutely delicious. Oh yeah, G-rated. Snicker.
Oh my goodness, rosemary almonds sound amazing! I love them plain + raw, so roasted + seasoned would be so dangerous to have around, haha! =)
These sound wonderful, they remind me of the rosemary almonds I sampled at the FoodBuzz fest. Great plating and props in the pics too.
I’m a huge nut fan, savory and sweet.
I love, love, love nuts, hence also my love for nut butters. My favorites are definitely almonds and cashews. Peanuts are up there too. I am a huge fan of cinnamon and sugar roasted nuts and other sweet kinds. My sweet tooth will always win, I’m definitely more of a sweet lover. Don’t get me wrong, I love me some savory foods every so often, but I’ll always love sweets more.
Cinn & sugar nuts..well low and behold I just may have a recipe for that coming up :)
WOW! Your first photo is so stunning!!! The depth of field is perfect and the pine cone touches are wonderful. You definitely internalized everything from the F&L conference.
I have a hard time digesting nuts so I’m not that into them, but if I feel like a nut, I always go for almonds. And since rosemary is probably my favorite green woodsy herb, this is right up my alley!
Thank you so much for the photo compliments and for being specific about what you liked and what you thought worked. I love specific feedback, thank you!! :)
You’re so welcome! It helps that I’m marrying into a family of photographers!
Mmmm I have yet to try making my own nuts at home…maybe because it’s hard for me to keep my hand out of the bowl, and I get a sore tummy when I eat too many :P But they’re sooo tasty!
I like both sweet and savoury treats, though I think I tend to lean to more sweet. My breakfast often has chocolate in it, and I’m sure my coffee could be classified as a dessert all on its own :P
DEF more of a sweet palate when it comes to certain things, but then gain I also like savory. I am sort of unconventional though because I like things that ‘should’ be savory, sweet and teh other way around for instance I really dont care for ‘savory eggs’ meaning packed with veggies etc. I prefer my eggs with cinnamon, stevia + nutmeg YUM! those roasted almonds look so perfect for a little appetizer at a dinner party, I can tell they would be SO addicting! I am obsessed with your photos!!!
You write the book, I’ll shoot the pics? Deal? Congrats again girl!
Check you out! Your photography is rockin!! looks fab
Great job on staging your photos. Looks awesome. Rosemary-chipotle…nice mix of flavors.
I love nuts but Im terrible at roasting them – they always burn – I think I need to pay closer attention. I am also an even bigger fan of nut butters and can easily call a jar of good almond butter and a spoon dinner (and I do mean a jar!). Only things it he nut butter HAS to be roasted. We learnt in my nutrition course to favour un-roasted but have you tried them!? BEYOND BLAND! your nuts look fabulous though!! xox
yes raw or unroasted nuts are super bland. I use cashews that way for that reason. You can make them work well if you harness the bland power. Try these :)
https://www.loveveggiesandyoga.com/2009/10/raw-vegan-chocolate-chip-cookie-dough.html
or many from this compilation use raw cashews
https://www.loveveggiesandyoga.com/2010/01/ball-recipes.html
But for just straight up eating…bland city!
Roasted nuts are a favorite at our house! These would also make a great food gift during the holidays. Yum!
Yes I mentioned the gift idea in the post too because that’s what I was thinking. Easy DIY gift!