It has been a sad week where the news dominating our church was the sudden death, from a brain haemorrhage, of a much loved friend and fellow Christian. In my time I have attended the funerals of many people, from toddlers to nonagenarians. Some of those who passed away had children the same age as mine, and some of those who passed away were the same age as my children.
Whether it is a good day or a bad day, a sunny day or a rainy day, you will always find me in the kitchen. I have been away and am about to head out to East Asia again, so today’s task is to clear out the fridge and store cupboard.
Post-Christmas, what is leftover are bags of nuts. In the run-up to the festive season I always aim to make Spiced Nuts but when push comes to shove, the snacks get forgotten.
I always maintain that the best thing about being Chinese is that you get a second shot. That is to say, what you failed to do at Christmas you can always do at Chinese New Year, which follows almost immediately after the English New Year.
This year I will serve the Maple Spiced Nuts at a party I will host in early February. The recipe is adapted from one found in Sally Clarke’s Cookbook, and are a little different to the earlier recipe which had Korean pepper flakes and sesame oil, or the sweet and numbing Macadamia Nuts.
Whilst there is a second chance to make festive foods after Christmas, it is sad for me to say (but I will say it) that unless we trust in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and by extension trust that we ourselves will have the same resurrection, then death when it comes really is the end. For those who have had a good life, it is the end of that good life. For those who have had a sad life, it is an end without any hope that there is a future filled with goodness and wholeness.
Every time Christians recite the Apostles’ Creed, they affirm their belief in what will happen to them after death: I believe…in the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. The basis of this belief lies in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who rose in body and spirit three days after his suffering and death. For our friend, after a life of serving God through serving the church family, it is a comfort to know that she is now safe and in God’s eternal care.
For the Nuts:
30 g olive oil
30 g maple syrup
2 teaspoons smoked hot paprika
2 teaspoons crushed garlic
2 teaspoons fine sea salt
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
Around 20 turns of the black pepper mill
500 g unsalted whole nuts, a mixture of any of the following: cashew nuts, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, pecan nuts, pistachio nuts, almonds and walnuts.
How to Make:
(For the regular non-Thermomix method, please scroll to the bottom of the post).
Preheat oven to 180°C / 350 °F.
Line a baking tray with baking paper.
Place the oil, syrup, paprika, garlic, salt, rosemary and pepper in the TM bowl.
Mix 1 minute/ 37°C/ speed Spoon.
Add the nuts and stir 1 minute 30 seconds/ REVERSE speed Spoon.
Spread the nuts out on the prepared baking tray.
Roast for 10-15 minutes.
Leave the nuts to fully cool before storing in an airtight container or bottle.
For the non-Thermomix method:
Preheat oven to 180°C / 350 °F.
Line a baking tray with baking paper.
Place the oil, syrup, paprika, garlic, salt, rosemary and pepper in a pot large enough to fit the nuts, and warm through for around 1 minute.
Add the nuts and stir gently to coat them with the spice mixture.
Spread the nuts out on the prepared baking tray.
Roast for 10-15 minutes.
Leave the nuts to fully cool before storing in an airtight container or bottle.
