Holiday Spiced Nut Mix

This Spiced Nut Mix is completely addictive! I love the sweet maple glaze, kissed with smoky chipotle, a pinch of cayenne, and finished with crunchy flaky sea salt. Salt, heat, smokey, and sweet - what’s not to love?

Holiday Spiced Nut Mix

makes about 1 1/2 quarts

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 5 cups mixed raw nuts, shelled

• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar

• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

• 3/4 teaspoon ground chipotle powder

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• pinch ground cayenne pepper

• 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350F and place rack in center position.

• In a large bowl, combine dark brown sugar, pure maple syrup, melted butter, chipotle powder, cinnamon, pure vanilla extract, and cayenne pepper,; add nuts and stir until evenly coated.

• Pour nut mixture into an even layer on a parchment-lined half sheet pan; sprinkle with sea salt, and bake for 10-15 minutes, tossing halfway through.

• Remove from oven and cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

Simple Fried Okra with Sriracha Mayo

You’re just 6 simple ingredients away from enjoying these addictively crunchy fried okra with spicy sriracha mayo dipping sauce. Pile them high on a platter and watch ‘em disappear!

Start with fresh okra pods. I get mine at the farmer’s market. Try to choose pods that are 3 to 4 inches long. Longer lengths may be too tough - if you have any trouble cutting through one, save it for compost or feed it to the chickens and move on to the next pod.

Wash and dry the okra, then cut into 1/2 to 3/4-inch pieces, discarding the tips and stem ends.

Place the cut okra in a bowl of buttermilk. They don’t need much time - just get them coated.

Immediately transfer the okra to a bowl of cornmeal - any kind of cornmeal is fine, but stoneground is particularly good.

Heat a neutrally-flavored oil to about 350 to 365F. Working in small batches, use a “spider” to transfer the prepared okra into the hot oil and fry for several minutes, stirring gently once or twice, until they’re golden brown.

Transfer the fried okra to a paper towel-lined sheet pan to drain and immediately sprinkle with fine salt - I particularly like unflavored popcorn salt. If you don’t have fine salt, use table salt. Kosher and flaked salt can work in a pinch, but their larger size makes the crystals hard to stick to the okra.

Pile high on a platter and serve with a quick sriracha/mayo dipping sauce (recipe below). Enjoy!

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• spider https://amzn.to/3jozsWT

• stoneground cornmeal https://amzn.to/3d34T6N

• popcorn salt https://amzn.to/33nx8K5

• digital thermometer https://amzn.to/34VQtFv

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Simple Fried Okra with Sriracha Mayo

make as little or as much as you like

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 3 to 4-inch long okra pods, cut into 1/2 to 3/4-inch pieces

• buttermilk

• cornmeal

• fine or popcorn salt

• neutrally flavored oil

Sauce:

• 1 part Sriracha

• 1 part mayonnaise

Directions

To Make the Dipping Sauce:

1. Whisk together equal parts of Sriracha and mayonnaise; refrigerate until needed.

To Make the Okra:

1. Wash and dry 3 to 4-inch long okra pods; cut into 1/2 to 3/4-inch pieces (discard the tips and stem ends).

2. Coat the okra pieces with buttermilk; immediately transfer to a bowl of cornmeal and toss to coat.

3. Heat oil to 350 to 365F.

4. Working in small batches, fry okra for several minutes, gently stirring once or twice, until golden brown.

5. Remove from oil and drain on paper towel-lined sheet pan; immediately sprinkle with fine salt.

6. Serve with Sriracha/mayo dipping sauce.