NUTZ

Listening to: Penny Lane - The Beatles

HEY Y'ALL I know you like nuts as much as I do (teehee) and are probably just as devastated as I am that while they're a good source of protein they be PACKIN' DEM CALORIES. I have a container of cashews from Costco in my pantry right now that my mom sent down to Ohio with me -- and if it's from Costco you know that's a lot of cashews. Anyway, 1 oz. equals one serving of cashews, which is ~17 pieces, and every serving contains 160 calories.

Let's take a moment to ask the good Lord why he invented nuts with all their nutty goodness and assigned 17 measly pieces of cashews to equal 160 calories, 8% of what our calorie intake should be per day.

. . .

And now we must accept the fact that we cannot change it. So anyway, I found that roasting/toasting nuts is a great way to enhance the nutty flavor and lets me savor it more so I don't eat as much as I usually do (plus the effort I must go to to roast them also puts me off from constantly roasting more). There are multiple ways you can do this. I used a toaster oven in the kitchen for convenience.

Roasted Cashews

Ingredients:

Raw cashews

Cinnamon (optional)

Directions:

Stove Top: If you want to toast your nuts in a pan, spread a layer of them evenly on the pan, set the stove top to low heat, and continuously stir them/shuffle them in the pan until they are browned. This can be done with or without oil, but if it is done without oil they will not be uniformly cooked (just FYI).

Microwave: I don't know much about this method, but I know you can microwave them and they will still brown. You just have to watch them carefully (online says 3-5 minutes but I'd keep an eye after like 1 and a half hahaha).

Oven: I just used my toaster oven and placed a serving of cashews on a piece of aluminum foil. Set the timer to 5-10 minutes and watch carefully; put on a low heat (the place I'm staying at doesn't have actual degrees, just "bake/roast" and "broil" settings, haha). When you hear the cashews start sizzling or look like they're starting to brown, open up and flip them around or shake them up. Let cook for 3-5 more minutes until satisfied. Add cinnamon to the top just before they're done or right after, if desired.

voila!

Notes:

- Make sure you pay attention to the servings of cashews you are actually roasting

- If you want to make a batch, you can easily use the stove oven (I don't because I am always cooking single serving for myself, and refrain from cooking more than I need right now because I'll eat them all). It's also easier to pan cook them if you're doing more than a couple servings. 

- You can pretty much do this with any nut. I'm going to try almonds next!

Up Next: Apple Chips!