Foodie Fridays: Herb Roasted Nuts

Ever since I put myself on a low-carb diet I have been eating a lot of nuts.  They are the perfect snack as they have very few carbohydrates and are quite filling, keeping me from craving sugary or starchy snacks.  My husband introduced me to Los Poblanos Herbed Pecans, a savory nut snack that is so good it is positively addictive.  I decided to attempt my own version of savory nuts using a mix of nuts and herbes de Provence.  The latter is an herb blend that I received as a gift last Christmas but have not yet used as I have never cooked with this blend before.

I based my recipe on one from Genius Kitchen, substituting my dried herbs for the fresh ones.  For a first attempt, I think my roasted nut blend came out pretty well.  Next time I will reduce the cooking time as my nuts were already getting overdone after 17 minutes (I have reduced the roasting time from 20-25 minutes to 15-20 minutes in my recipe).  You can use any nuts you like (I used a mix of cashews, pecans, walnuts, and Brazil nuts), but make sure they are raw and unsalted.  My cashews were unsalted but already roasted, which may be why they were ready so quickly, but cashews and pecans burn easily anyway so I would still start checking for doneness after 15 minutes.

I am a wimp when it comes to fiery seasonings so I just used a dash of cayenne, but feel free to add as much as you can stand!  In fact, you can play around with the amounts of all seasonings, adding more or less herbs and/or salt if you like.  I also substituted 1 T. garlic-infused olive oil for 1 T. of the butter (you could also use all olive oil, but I wanted the buttery flavor).  This recipe was so quick and easy that I will certainly be making it again - after all, I have lots of leftover nuts and plenty of herbes de Provence to use up, and I love eating nuts!

Herb Roasted Nuts

3 T. butter
2 T. dried herbes de Provence
1 tsp. salt
cayenne pepper to taste (optional)
4 C. raw unsalted nuts

Combine the butter, herbes de Provence, 3/4 tsp. salt, and cayenne pepper if using in a large microwaveable bowl.  Microwave on HIGH for one minute, until the butter is melted.  Stir to combine all of the ingredients.  Add the nuts and toss until well combined and evenly coated with the butter/herb mixture.

Spread the coated nuts in a single layer in a large rimmed baking sheet, setting the bowl aside for later.  Roast at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes (be careful not to overbake and burn the nuts!).  Remove from the oven and cool slightly on a wire rack.  Spoon the nuts into the reserved bowl and toss with the remaining 1/4 tsp. salt.  Cool completely and serve.  Makes about 4 cups.