Maple-Orange Sriracha Roasted Cashews

“Snack break,” in this house, is the moment we are mid TV show and pause for everyone to go refill their plates (if we’re eating dinner), get something to drink, or get a—yes, you guessed it - snack.

One of our snack break regulars is roasted nuts. We almost always have nuts in the pantry: Usually one those big tubs of roasted mixed nuts from Costco or Thai Chili Cashews from Trader Joe’s — we LOVE LOVE LOVE those. I once told a cashier there that I mostly go to Trader Joe’s just for those cashews. It’s a passion. 🤣

What’s EVEN BETTER is home-roasted cashews. If you haven’t made my roasted maple chai-spiced cashews, put it on your list, now,  right after “Maple-Orange Sriracha Roasted Cashews.” Go on, write it down.

They are crunchy. They are a little bit spicy (but not too spicy, just Sriracha-spicy). They are sweet, and with a little bit of orange zest, they are fresh. And complex. And just the best.

I originally discovered them when I made this Slaw in 2014 (oh how the blog …and my photography skills… have changed since then). The rest is history. Now, when I find myself at home with a bottle of sriracha, an orange, maple syrup and some cashews, this is what I do. I know that sounds like a rare aligning of the stars, but actually, it happens all the time. (In fact, I could make a fresh batch right now!)

It’s about time I shared this snack with you, too!

Maple-Orange Sriracha Roasted Cashews

Published January 31, 2019 by Caitlin Sherwood

Serves: 4   |    Active Time: 30 minutes

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Ingredients:

Zest of 1 orange

2 tablespoons Sriracha

2 tablespoons maple syrup

2 tablespoons avocado oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups whole raw cashews

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Prep a sheet pan with parchment paper.
2. Whisk together the maple syrup, sriracha, orange zest, avocado oil, and salt in the bottom of a medium sized bowl. Place the cashews in the bowl, and toss until completely covered. Spread the coated cashews out on a baking sheet in a single layer. 
3. Bake for 15-20 minutes, turning them with a spatula halfway through (10 minute mark). Allow cashews to cool.
4. Great as a snack! Can also be served on this Slaw.

Goat Cheese & Chive Scrambled Eggs

Adding goat cheese crumbles to scrambled eggs takes about two additional seconds but adds so much creamy cheesy flavor.

While I normally opt for eggs over easy these days, scrambled eggs were probably the first thing I ever learned to cook myself, and that alone made them one of my favorite foods as a kid. (I would scramble and egg in the microwave on slow weekends when my mom would ask, “Are you going to eat breakfast today?")

That version didn’t call for goat cheese (and I don’t think twenty-years-ago Caitlin would’ve appreciated the addition), but goat cheese adds pockets of creaminess that are out of this world.

Chives and goat cheese are a classic combo. Chives add a delicate onion-garlic flavor that is just zippy enough to give creamy goat cheese some extra life. Chives are one of the first plants in the garden that turns green come spring, making this breakfast a perfect early spring kind of dish.

I happened to also be cooking up a batch of creamy Icelandic Langoustine Soup, and had some extra chives to burn. I hate buying a bunch of herbs and only using half, leaving the other half to wither in the fridge… though, that ends up being the fate of many MANY bunches of herbs in our fridge. Sound familiar? Well, there are LOTS of ways to use up chives, including this recipe! Here are a few more to help you finish off that bunch: Crustless Quiche Lorraine (a reader fave!), Sweet Potato Chive Hash Brown Waffles, or Garlic and Herb Shrimp with Vine Ripe Tomatoes. You could basically build a whole week’s meal plan around a bunch of chives!

We served these eggs with a side of roasted sweet potatoes, but sautéd veggies would also be delish!

Watch now: Goat Cheese & Chive Scrambled Eggs

Goat Cheese & Chive Scrambled Eggs

Published January 17, 2018 by Caitlin Sherwood

Serves: 2   |    Active Time: 20 minutes

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Ingredients:

4 eggs

3 tablespoons goat cheese crumbles, plus more for topping

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper, plus more for topping to taste

1 tablespoon cooking oil, such as coconut or avocado

2 tablespoons minced chives, plus more for garnish 

Directions:

1. Crack all four eggs into a mixing bowl. Whisk together until they are frothy and solid yellow. Add goat cheese, salt, and pepper, and whisk to incorporate.
2. Heat oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Pour egg mixture into skillet. As eggs begin to set (after a few minutes) gently use a spatula to pull eggs across pan, making curds. Add in chives and continue to cook for a few more minutes, occasionally stirring, until all of the egg mixture is set.
3. Divide among serving plates and sprinkle with extra goat cheese and chives, along with extra black pepper to taste.

Chocolate Chip Energy Bites

This is an older recipe from Foraged Dish that I wanted to spruce up with new photos and a video. These energy bites are so darn delicious — they’ve been in my snack draw at work and I SO look forward to snack time each day! 

Last week I went on a hike in the Front Range with nothing in my bag but my camera, my phone, and a ziplock stocked with these Chocolate Chip Energy Bites. I thought I had my car key too, until 30 minutes in when — oh no! - I noticed the pocket where I keep my key was open. Open and empty. 

I immediately turned on my heels and spent the whole hike downhill with my head turned down, eyes constantly scanning the trail. I tried to soothe my inner chatter box, which, by the time I made it back down to the trailhead with no sign of my keys in sight, was freaking out.  In the end, I had to call for a ride to go get a spare key (thanks, Dad!). 

But I digress. Casualties of hiking alone are not what this post is about!

These energy bites call for only six ingredients and they just go into your food processor and you roll them up. That’s it!  Why macadamias and cashews? Macadamia nuts are extra buttery, which lends very well to this recipe, which taste a lot like a healthy version of cookie dough! At the same time, cashews are a bit starchier than most nuts, and their sweet flavor also gives these bites a bit of a “cookie dough” flavor. 

Mini chocolate chips are best in this recipe because they distribute into each energy bite well. Each bite has a bit of chocolate and a bit of nut mixture, which sticks everything together. 

Happy hiking! Take these with you — and don’t lose track of those keys!! 

Chocolate Chip Energy Bites

Published January 15, 2018 by Caitlin Sherwood

Yield: 12   |    Active Time: 20 minutes

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Ingredients:

1/3 cup dates, pitted

1/2 cup macadamia nuts

1/2 cup cashew pieces

Pinch of salt

1 tablespoon honey

3 tablespoons mini chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Add dates, macadamia nuts, cashews, salt, and honey to bowl of food processor. Secure lid on food processor and run until the nuts are ground into a corse meal that begins to clump.
2. Add mini chocolate chips to food processor and pulse, 2-3 times, just until chocolate is evenly distributed.
3. Scoop a heaping tablespoonful of the mixture into your hands and roll into a ball. Repeat until all of the mixture is used.
4. Enjoy immediately or store in an air-tight container in the fridge.