Tag Archives: sriracha

Party Nuts!

24 Tuesday Jun 2014

Posted by in Appetizers, Easy, Entertaining

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Party NutsThese mixed nuts are one of my favorite things to make when we are having guests over…they’ve always gotten rave reviews. A lot of recipes call for roasting nuts in the oven, but I like doing these in a large skillet on the stovetop, it gives me a little more control. Always make sure you start with raw, unsalted nuts. They are quick and easy to make even though you have to keep an eye on them, but they can be made days in advance before your guests come over.Party NutsI typically use almonds, cashews, and pecans because I can buy them in bulk and they lend themselves to many other recipes and snacking for later. Feel free to do walnuts, macadamias, or any other nut you prefer.Party NutsThese nuts usually turn out different every time, but they are always awesome! (as long as you don’t burn them or over-season them). I usually experiment with different hot sauces each time I make them. But for starters, Tabasco or sriracha (or both, in my case) work really well. But if you don’t like hot sauce, you can go for Worcestershire, or what about sweet chili sauce? Really, there are lots of possibilities!Nuts!

Recipe
Party Nuts!
by Baked Northwest
makes about 3 cups, enough for a small crowd

Ingredients

  • 1 cup raw cashews
  • 1 cup raw almonds
  • 1 cup raw pecans
  • 3 tbsp. brown sugar
  • 3 tbsp. butter
  • sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp. Tabasco
  • 2-3 sprigs rosemary and/or parsley (optional)
  • Optional moves – a dash of Sriracha or Worcestershire, sweet chili sauce, dijon, whatever you think sounds good!

Directions

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the brown sugar and stir to get it dissolved a little. Add a little salt to the mixture, then add all of the nuts at once. Roast for several minutes, turning up the heat if necessary. Toss the nuts around, making sure they aren’t burning! When they become nice and browned, remove from heat and add a few dashes of Tabasco or sriracha, any hot sauce works great! Be careful when you do this – the hot sauces may flare up and slap you in the face! I tend to add the hot sauce with the butter and brown sugar, just to get it all incorporated. Just be careful when you put hot sauce in a hot skillet! I like to add some chopped rosemary or parsley, when the nuts are done and off the heat, but it’s totally optional.

To cool, spread nuts out on a plate or sheet pan to in the thinnest layer possible. We don’t want the nuts sticking together! Cool via a quick blast in the freezer, about 20 minutes. Break any big nut chunks apart before serving. These can be made days (even weeks) in advance and stored in an airtight container in the freezer. I usually make them a few days before having people over and store them in the pantry. However, sometimes they disappear before the party even starts…

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Fresh Herb and Tofu Curry

29 Thursday May 2014

Posted by in Seattle, Soups, Vegetarian

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Herb and Tofu CurryOne of my later-in-life food discoveries was yellow curry. I had never really had it, or thought to order it, until my first job out of college. We ordered a lot of takeout…one of the places down the street was the diviest looking joint ever. Like, I would never go in there on a whim. BUT we had a “house account” there where we didn’t even have to use a credit card, they would just send us a bill in the mail…weird, right?Herb and Tofu Curry

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Brown Sugar Wings with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

14 Wednesday Nov 2012

Posted by in Chicken, Easy, Main Dish, Sauces, Uncategorized, Weeknight Meals

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Brown sugar wings with roasted red pepper dipping sauce

Up until now, I’ve only ordered wings from a bar. That’s just what people do. You don’t make wings at home…you eat them in a bar, with lots of beer. Maybe with a gallon of bleu cheese dressing (kidding!). Some carrots and celery too, as an afterthought.

Little wingy’s ready to go into the oven.

But, AS USUAL, homemade is better, and way more satisfying. I was worried these wouldn’t go over well with Jordan since they weren’t super spicy and buffalo-y, but Baked Brown Sugar Wings prevailed.

He did, however, add sriracha to his wings after they came out of the oven. It was surprisingly the most amazing flavor combination. Somehow, all of the spices complimented each other so well. The sriracha didn’t taste nearly as spicy as it usually does. Next time, we will be adding sriracha to the wing coating.

And the sauce! Oh, the sauce. Honestly, it would taste good on anything. Crackers, baguette, veggies, sandwiches…YUM! It tasted great on the wings as well. I didn’t reach for ranch or bleu cheese once.

Baked Brown Sugar Chicken Wings with Roasted Red Pepper Dipping Sauce …adapted from Damn Delicious

Yields 3-4 servings

INGREDIENTS:

  • FOR THE WINGS:
  • 2 pounds chicken wings
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 2 cloves crushed garlic OR 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • FOR THE SAUCE:
  • 1/3 cup roasted red pepper, chopped (I used the roasted red pepper from a jar)
  • 2 ounces goat cheese
  • 2 tablespoons sour cream (I used fat free sour cream)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil (I just sprayed my cooking sheet with pam, things still worked out).

In a large bowl, combine the wings, olive oil, brown sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, paprika, salt and pepper.

Place the wings onto prepared baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes, using metal tongs to turn at halftime.

To make the dipping sauce, combine the roasted red pepper, goat cheese, sour cream and salt in the bowl of a food processor until emulsified.

Serve wings immediately with dipping sauce.

Sweet Potato Hummus

17 Sunday Jun 2012

Posted by in Appetizers, Bloggerific, Easy, Entertaining, Healthy, Side Dish

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After making this, I doubt I will ever buy store bought hummus again. It is far too easy to make your own, and far more satisfying! Spicy Sriracha really takes this recipe up a notch. It doesn’t make the hummus super spicy, but it balances the sweet potato and other flavors in this hummus.

Recipe
Sweet Potato Hummus
(Makes about 4 cups hummus, recipe originally from Power Foods)

  • 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 1 can garbanzo beans (15.5 oz), rinsed until no foam appears and then drained well
  • 1/4 C fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/8 C tahini sauce (can use up to 1/4 cup, I liked it with a little less)
  • 2 T extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling on top of hummus
  • 2 tsp. ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
  • salt, fresh ground black pepper, and SRIRACHA to taste
  • water for thinning, 2-4 T
  • 1/2 tsp. paprika or Sumac for garnish (optional)
Peel sweet potatoes and cut into small cubes.  Place in microwave-safe bowl, cover with vented lid or cling wrap, and microwave on high until sweet potatoes are soft.  (About 10-12 minutes).
While sweet potatoes cook, drain garbanzo beans into a colander placed in the sink and rinse with cold water until no more foam appears.  Let garbanzos drain.
Put cooked sweet potatoes, garbanzo beans, lemon juice, tahini, 2 T olive oil, ground cumin, garlic, salt, and pepper into food processor bowl, with processor fitted with steel blade.  Process until the mixture is fairly smooth, about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of bowl a few times.  If the mixture seems too thick, thin with a few tablespoons of water until it is the consistency you want. Add a squirt of sriracha to spice things up a bit. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and/or pepper if desired.
Serve at room temperature or chilled , with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of paprika if you wish.  Taste great with rice crackers, whole wheat pita triangles, veggie dippers, or whole grain chips.  Hummus will keep in the fridge for at least a week.

Sweet Potato Hummus with rice crackers and veggie dippers

Light Honey Walnut Shrimp

31 Tuesday Jan 2012

Posted by in Easy, Healthy, Main Dish

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I have always had a love/hate relationship with Honey Walnut Shrimp. I go to a restaurant, order it, get so excited, get it, first bite tastes great…then it’s all downhill from there. I find it too heavy, greasy, and rich. They seem to fry the shrimp in something weird and I always end up feeling gross, telling myself it’s not worth the pain involved.

Imagine the joy when I somehow came up with a lighter version. No frying, no heavy grossness. An added kick, while still being slightly sweet. Add some broccoli and brown rice, and you’re set for dinner super quick and easy.

Recipe

Light Honey-Walnut Shrimp

  • 1/4 cup light mayo
  • 1 tsp. reduced sodium soy sauce
  • 1 lb. peeled, deveined large shrimp (26-30 per lb)
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil or cooking spray
  • 3 tbsp honey
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • sprinkle red chili flakes
  • sriracha to taste
  • 1/3 cup toasted walnuts
1. Mix Mayo, chili flakes, soy sauce and sriracha in a bowl, set aside.
2. Preheat broiler with rack set about 5 in from heat. Coat pan w/ oil or cooking spray and lay shrimp evenly on a broiler pan. Broil until pink and firm, about 5 minutes. transfer to a bowl.
3. While shrimp is cooking, lightly toast the walnuts in a pan on low heat.
4. Drizzle Shrimp with honey and sprinkle with salt, tossing to coat. Add the mayo mixture and toasted walnuts to shrimp, sprinkle with chili flakes and add sriracha to taste.
Serve with steamed broccoli and brown rice.