As the cooling breeze of fall blows through, it’s time to spice things up. Not only do spices add a lovely kick of flavor to fall and winter fare, but spices are filled with phytonutrients; health-enhancing compounds that give us the immune boost we need through the transition to colder months. Adding a little sweet, a little heat and a bit of spice to nuts does a body good energetically this season as well. May this sweet & spicy nuts recipe warm you inside and out. I use these nuts to top warm wilted salads, on soups, or over warm fruit for a nutrient-dense treat. It would also be delicious on top of my Vegan Maple Custard recipe.
This morning I did my seasonal overhaul of cooking ingredients – putting away the cooling flavors of summer and bringing spices and heating ingredients an easier reach from the stove. I went to the grocery to gather spices – cayenne, cinnamon, mace, allspice, nutmeg – the flavors of fall. It’s one way I honor the wheel of the year, ever turning.
Sweet & Spicy Nuts Recipe
Ingredients 
- 2 cups raw nuts and/or seeds – I used pepitas (pumpkin seeds), almonds, cashews and a few Brazil nuts
- 1 1/2 Tbsp grass-fed organic unsalted butter or ghee
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon, ground
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, ground
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg, ground
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
Directions
In a small bowl, stir together the sugar and spices. Place nuts and butter in a skillet over moderate heat, stirring for about 2 minutes until butter is melted and covers the nuts. Add the spice mixture (beware those of you who know two heat settings – high or off – this can burn quickly – I know of what I speak!). Sauté on medium heat until the sugar caramelizes – 5-8 minutes. Transfer nuts to a plate or sheet of foil to cool. Store in an airtight container and use on salads, soups or cooked fruit (like a baked apple) for dessert.
This is, of course, a recipe you can adapt to include your favorite warming spices. Please share your variations, and enjoy the season!
Looking for more recipes? Head over to my collection of Easy Healthy Recipes.
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Here is a simple recipe for a healthy summer breakfast. A quick and balanced breakfast for one.
My excellently smart and organized VA Kate Tilton likes simple recipes. She’d prefer three ingredients, but Kate, this one’s for you and I hope you like it. Four ingredients, ten minutes (with plenty of cut-up cantaloupe to spare), a lovely balance of protein, healthful fat and fruit fiber, and the acid from the lime enhances the absorption of the antioxidants (like vitamin C) to boot.
When choosing a ripe cantaloupe (aka musk) melon at the grocery, find one that smells fresh and oh so slightly gives to the firm touch – you can smell and touch at the stem-end. If the stem area is mushy it may be over-ripe. The outside should be a rosy dusky tan, and a bit of green may mean best if you let it ripen on the counter a couple days before using (which is how I use musk and honeydew melons – let them rest for a bit). If the skin has indentations in it, you are fine until you see dark moldy spots which eventually reach into the meat, then you’ve let it hang around too long or chosen an older specimen than you intended. Fresh cantaloupe will keep in the fridge for 3 or 4 days once you slice it. Cantaloupe is a great source of vitamins A and C. More on recent studies and details of cantaloupe nutrition.
Cantaloupe Walnut and Cilantro with Lime Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup ripe cantaloupe, sliced and cut into pieces
- 1/2 cup raw walnuts
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
- Juice of 1/2 lime
Directions
Place the cut cantaloupe in a serving bowl, add the nuts and cilantro and give a toss with your clean hands or a spoon. Squeeze fresh lime juice over, toss and eat.
The flower topping this breakfast is actually a cilantro flower from my garden. Just the gifts of the garden available at the moment!
Enjoy the day, enjoy the season.
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Summertime!
While we may be having a little taste of what I call winter-summer (it has been freaking freezing this week…I remember we had a summer-winter in the Shire last year), I trust that warm weather is on the way. This is one of my favorite recipes – light, tasty, spicy and perfect for the season. I serve it as a side or main dish, with my current passion – sprouted corn tortillas warmed with a bit of cheese between, quesadilla style.
Summer Black Bean Salsa Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 can (16 oz) black beans (I used Eden brand)
- 1 cup frozen corn
- Juice of 2 limes
- Two or three slices of red onion, chopped, makes about 1/4 cup
- 1/4 red pepper, chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
- 1/2 tsp tobasco sauce
- 1/3 cup cold-pressed EVOO
- Plenty of salt and pepper (to taste)
Directions
Could not be easier. Toss and enjoy (this is a recipe that while delicious, can be better the second day due to marinating).
Enjoy!
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Food fresh from the garden doesn’t need much help to taste great and nourish you deeply. Our fresh peas often don’t make it into the kitchen because we snack away right in the garden. Here’s a simple recipe for snow peas with mint.
Minted Snow Pea Recipe
Ingredients
- Snow peas or fresh spring peas – about 2 cups, cleaned
- Fresh mint, cleaned and chopped
- High-quality olive oil (like CA organic cold-pressed)
- Squeeze of fresh lemon
- Salt and pepper to taste.
Directions
- Grow peas! Or, locate fresh snow or sweet peas at a farmer’s market or grocery. They are an easy grow, and I love that they are best planted just as soon as the earth is thawed enough to work. So, either pick your own or you can get them at a farmer’s market or grocery (…growing your own is cheaper though more time-intensive, but the benefits are manyfold).
- Place a medium skillet over medium-high heat, add olive oil and peas, sauté 2-3 minutes.
- Add chopped mint & a squeeze of fresh lemon. Saute another minute.
- Dress with salt and pepper and enjoy.
Tip: the key is not to overcook the peas…literally sauté for just a minute or two to keep that lovely sweetness and crispness. Enjoy!
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Here’s a nice thick nutrient-packed vegan red lentil stew or soup for a warm winter infusion of tasty goodness. Coconut and tahini make this rich & satisfying.
Vegan Red Lentil Stew Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 5-6 medium carrots, cleaned and chopped
- Small bunch organic celery, chopped
- 1 c dry red lentils
- 2.5 c water
- 1/4 c turmeric
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp coconut manna
- 3-4 thumbs-sized piece of fresh ginger, cleaned and chopped
- 1 large clove garlic, chopped
- 3 Tbsp tahini
- 1/2 c fresh parsley, chopped
Directions
Toss onions, carrot and celery into a large stock pot, add olive oil and sauté until vegetables are soft and there’s a smidgen of browning. Add remaining ingredients except parsley, and simmer on low for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in parsley and enjoy.
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