EPISODE 76

Nuts are a staple in my vegetarian household, perfect for quick snacks and great crunch on stews and salads. I recommend buying them in bulk (they tend to be fresher and cheaper) and storing them in airtight jars in a cool dry place. They can go stale or rancid if kept at room temperature for too long, so the fridge and freezer are your best friend for long term nut store. Soaking nuts makes them easier to digest, however I tend to skip that step and head straight to roasting them. 10-15 minutes at 350F or in a toaster oven, or in a pan over medium heat is the perfect way to bring out max flavour. Here are two super easy recipes to take the flavour one step further.

Ingredients

• ½ cup pecans
• ½ cup walnuts
• 2 tablespoon pure maple syrup
• ¼ tsp cayenne

Instructions

Place your nuts in a pan over medium heat and toast for 10 minutes or until fragrant and crispy. Don’t be tempted to turn the heat up, they will burn. Trust me. Add the cayenne and maple syrup and stir vigorously until the maple syrup has been completely absorbed into the nuts (around 30 seconds), and turn onto a plate to cool. If desired, you can just use one kind of nuts, or half the recipe, or double it. Up to you.

Ingredients

• ½ cup sunflower seeds or almonds (don’t mix the two)
• 1 tablespoon soya sauce or tamari

Instructions

Place your nuts in a pan over medium heat and toast for 10 minutes or until fragrant and crispy. Don’t be tempted to turn the heat up, they will burn. Trust me. Add the soya sauce, and stir vigorously until it’s been completely absorbed into the nuts (around 30 seconds), then turn onto a plate to cool.