Spicy and Sweet Nut and Sesame Bars

 This is a fun snack with a bit of a kick.  Feel free to switch up the type of nuts used.  The recipe is modified from one in Food and Drink Holiday 2021.

1/4 cup honey

1 tsp ground chilli spice

2/3 cup roasted unsalted peanuts

2/3 cup roasted unsalted cashews

1/3 cup shelled pistachios

2 tbsp white sesame seeds

1 tbsp black sesame seeds

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1.  line a baking sheet with parchment paper

2.  Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add honey and chilli spice, and stir well.  Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally until  heated through.

3.  Add peanuts, cashews, pistachios and white and black sesame seeds and stir to mix.  Cook, stirring occasionally for 2 minutes or more.  

4.  Pour nut mixture onto baking sheet.  Spread and shape evenly into an 8x6 inch flat rectangle and sprinkle with salt.

5.  Let cool for 5 minutes and then cut into 12 even pieces.  Cool completely before serving.  

Serves 4 to 6.

Snowballs

These are so simple…and delicious

3 cups dry unsalted roasted peanuts
300ml can sweetened condensed milk
icing sugar

Finely chop peanuts.  Put in saucepan on low.  Pour in milk and heat and stir until mixture forms a big ball (approximately 10 to 15 minutes).  Remove from heat.  When cool enough to handle roll into small bite size balls and roll in icing sugar.

Pad Thai

This is a wonderful dish full of flavour.  It is easy to substitute your favourite veggies and meats in this recipe...experiment and enjoy.  The original from Food & Drink 2003

250g broad rice noodles
3 tbsp fish sauce
1/4 cup lime juice
1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tsp chili sauce
1/4 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tbsp chopped garlic
8 oz medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
8 oz boneless, chicken breast, diced
2 eggs, beaten
3 cups bean sprouts
6 green onions, slivered into 1 inch lengths
2 tbsp toasted chopped peanuts

Garnish
Coriander sprigs
1 lime, cut into 8 wedges
1/2 cup bean sprouts
fresh chilies, optional

1. Soak noodles in warm water for 20 minutes, drain and reserve.  Combine fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, oyster sauce, chili sauce and chicken stock.  Reserve.
2. Heat a wok or large skillet on high heat and add oil.  Stir in garlic, cook 10 seconds then add shrimp and chicken.  Stir fry until all ingredients are cooked, about 3 to 4 minutes.  Add eggs and toss together until scrambled.
3. Add noodles to the wok.  Mix well to combine all ingredients.  Pour in reserved sauce.  Cook, stirring constantly until noodles are soft and tender.  If they appear dry, add up to 1/4 cup water.
4. Stir in bean sprouts, green onions, and peanuts and fry for 1 more minute.  Taste for seasoning, adding more lime or chili as needed.  Serve pad thai garnished with coriander, lime wedges, bean sprouts and chilies, if desired.

Serves 2 to 3

African Style Chicken and Squash Curry

I have had mixed results with adding peanuts to African inspired dishes.  This one thankfully worked out.  You could switch the peanuts to almonds or cashews if you desire.  I used butternut squash here but the recipe also can be used for pumpkin (or any squash you prefer).

12 skinless bone in chicken thighs or 6 breasts
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 cinnamon sticks, each about 3 inches long
1 tbsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp whole cloves
2 large onions, chopped
2 tbsp minced ginger root
2 tbsp curry powder
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp hot pepper flakes
salt
3 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup roasted salted peanuts, finely chopped
1 large pie pumpkin or butternut squash peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks, about 6 cups
juice of 1 lime

1. Trim any excess fat from chicken.  If using breasts, cut each in half crosswise to make pieces similar in size to thighs.  Set aside
2. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat until hot but not smoking.  Add cinnamon, mustard seeds and cloves and saute for 1 minute or until toasted and fragrant.  Add onions and saute for about 7 minutes until starting brown.  Add ginger, curry powder, thyme, hot pepper flakes and 1/2 tsp salt and saute for 2 minutes.  
3. Add chicken and stir to coat with spices.  Add stock and 1/3 cup of the peanuts; bring to a simmer, scraping up bits stuck to pot.  Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes
4. Stir in pumpkin, cover and simmer, stirring and turning chicken pieces occasionally, for about 30 minutes or until juices run clear when chicken is pierced and pumpkin is tender.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer chicken and pumpkin to a warmed serving dish and keep warm, leaving about 10 pieces of pumpkin in the sauce.
5. Increase heat to high and boil sauce, stirring often and mashing pumpkin to add body, for about 10 minutes or until slightly thickened.  Discard cloves and cinnamon sticks, if desired.  Stir in lime juice and season to taste with salt.  Pour sauce over chicken and pumpkin and sprinkle with remaining peanuts.

Serves 6

Brownie-Peanut Butter Ice Cream

This is a favourite of mine!  It has a rich flavour and the brownie and peanut butter is divine!  I had to make this in two batches as my ice cream maker is smaller than the one used in this recipe, but that didn't seem to make a difference.  Make sure you cool the mixture well before putting it in the ice cream maker or it won't freeze nicely.

2 cups sugar
2 cups light cream
2 cups whipping cream
6 well beaten eggs
4 cups milk
2 tbsp vanilla
2 cups crumbled brownies
1 cup chopped salted peanuts
1 cup peanut butter

In a heavy large saucepan combine the sugar, light cream, and whipping cream.  Cook and stir over medium heat till the sugar dissolves.  Stir about half the hot mixture into the beaten eggs.  Return all of the mixture to the saucepan.  Cook and stir about 5 minutes more or till the mixture is slightly thickened and coats a metal spoon.  Cool; stir in milk and vanilla.  Cover and chill (chilling the mixture speeds freezing). Pour the mixture into a 5 quart ice cream freezer.  Freeze according to manufacturer's directions.  Remove the dasher; stir in the crumbled brownies, chopped peanuts, and peanut butter before ripening the ice cream.  Makes about 3 1/2 quarts.

Thai Beef Salad

Awesome salad with an Asian flavour - feel free to switch up the beef for chicken, fish or shrimp

2 tbsp each lime juice and vegetable oil
1 tbsp each dark sesame oil and fish sauce
2 tsp granulated sugar
1 tbsp finely minced ginger
1 to 2 tsp very finely minced hot red chili pepper such as a habanero
1/4 tsp salt
4 cups thinly sliced Savoy cabbage
1 mini cucumber thinly sliced diagonally
1 medium carrot, coarsely grated
1 cup bean sprouts
1/3 cup shredded mint leaves
1/4 cup diced red onion
Thinly sliced leftover grilled steak
2 tbsp salted roasted peanuts

1. In a large bowl, whisk lime juice with vegetable oil, sesame oil, fish sauce and sugar until sugar is dissolved.  Stir in ginger, chili and salt.
2. Add cabbage, cucumber, carrot, bean sprouts, mint, red onion and steak. Toss to combine.  Sprinkle with peanuts.