Name: Sweet Chili Roasted Nuts
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1 egg white; ¼ tsp Pink Himalayan salt; 2 tbsp dark amber maple syrup; 2 tbsp sambal oelek (draining off as much liquid as possible); 3 cups of mixed nuts (such as almonds, cashews and peanuts)

Girls Night Cooking Class + Vietnamese Summer Rolls

June 19, 2018 Leave a Comment

I had an absolute blast hosting a Girls Night Cooking Class with Yolanda and Marissa! Teaching people some new recipes and sharing a few cooking tips is so much fun! Plus, we all get to eat some yummy food!!!

Yolanda and I planned a personalized three-course menu for the night based upon her food preferences and dietary needs. The menu was: Vietnamese Summer Rolls with Peanut Sauce, Paleo Pad Thai and a Banana Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting!

The Banana Carrot Cake recipe is actually on the blog but this one we made without pecans. After we got the Banana Carrot cake in the oven, it was time to start making the Vietnamese Summer Rolls.

Vietnamese Summer Rolls are kinda like a spring roll that is not fried. Instead of the egg roll wrapper, the skin of the roll is actually a rice paper sheet. The filling usually consists of a protein plus lots of raw vegetables and rice noodles. In restaurants, they often serve the rolls with some type of peanut sauce for extra deliciousness! The summer roll is super fresh and crunchy. It provides a great contrast to the creamy and spicy peanut sauce.

These Summer Rolls are the perfect appetizer. It is totally customizable for what you like and can be made slightly ahead of time, stored in the fridge, then served cold or at room temperature.

Making Summer Rolls can be a little tricky, so here’s a few tips make it a little easier:

Have all your ingredients sliced, prepped and ready to be used: This takes a little time up front, but it will make it so much easier to make a dozen of these delicious rolls. Feel free to choose whatever filling ingredients you like. Some ideas for filling ingredients are lettuce, swiss chard, carrots, cucumber, mango, shrimp, chicken or pork. For a huge boost of flavor, add fresh basil leaves, or cilantro or both.
Dip your rice paper sheet in warm water but don’t get it too wet so that it starts sticking to itself: Once the sheet is pliable, place it on a dampened cutting board then fill it with your fillings ingredients. Keeping your fingers and your cutting board damp will help stop the rice paper sheet from sticking.
Don’t overfill the summer roll: It is very tempting to do this but the roll will be much easier to work with if it is not overstuffed. It may take a few tries to get the amount of filling right
Roll it up tight like a burrito: The easiest way to roll up the summer roll is like a burrito. Make sure to keep the filling ingredients in place, by making sure the roll is super tight.
Cover the summer rolls with a damp paper towel: If you’re prepping these ahead of time, covering the rolls with a damp towel will help prevent the rice paper from drying out.

The trickiest part about this recipe is rolling up the summer rolls. Here’s a step-by-step guide to rolling up the rolls:

Dip the rice paper sheet in warm water, then once pliable, place on a cutting board.
Place a lettuce leaf or swiss chard leaf in the middle of the rice paper sheet. Place your filling ingredients of choice on the lettuce leaf/swiss chard leaf.
Fold in 2 opposite sides of the rice paper sheet to cover the filling.
Take one of the unfolded sides and fold it over the filling.
On the same side, start tightly rolling the rice paper sheet over the filling.
Keep rolling till a log is formed. The rice paper sheet should stick to itself as you roll, keeping the roll closed.

Now for the peanut sauce! This is actually a version of an Indonesian Peanut Sauce. Two key ingredients are the kecap manis and the sambal oelek. Kecap manis is a sweet soy sauce. You can actually find it at some local grocery stores and online. It is usually made with soy sauce, a lot of sugar and garlic. So it tastes really good but a healthier alternative is to use equal parts of reduced sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos, and a liquid sweetener such as honey, maple syrup or agave. Sambal oelek is a spicy paste of chilies, vinegar and salt. It adds a kick of bold heat to the sauce. A little water is used to thin out the sauce to a dippable consistency. The ultimate peanut sauce is a perfect balance of creamy, salty, sweet, savory and spicy.

These Summer rolls were a big hit! They are so versatile and delicious, especially with some delicious peanut sauce.

I hope you give them a try. If you do, take a photo and tag me on Instagram at @nourish_with_renata and #nourishwithrenata on Instagram! I would love to see what you make!

And remember, if you’re in the Houston area and looking for a cooking class, let me know! I’d love to cook with you!

Father’s Day Recipe: Sweet Chili Roasted Nuts

June 12, 2018 1 Comment

This week’s recipe comes from an idea that my dad had: Sweet Chili Roasted Nuts. My mum had made him the Roasted Nuts with Rosemary, Garlic and Ancho Chile, but he wanted them to be spicier. So he said to me, “How about Sweet Chili Roasted Nuts?” I’m always up for creating a new recipe so off I went to the kitchen.

My dad absolutely loves snacking on peanuts. All my life, he has sat down at night and snacked on peanuts while reading, emailing or surfing Facebook. He did this every night. And I mean, every night. It is actually kinda comical at this point, because even my 5 year old says that we need to get him peanuts when he is coming to visit!

One time, my Mum and I got him rice crackers instead of peanuts. Let’s just say my Dad was not happy about that. We got him peanuts the next time we went to the grocery store.

You’re probably familiar with Sweet Chili sauce from your favorite asian restaurant. The contrasting sweet and spicy flavors make it an addictive sauce! The downside of this sauce is that it often contains a lot of sugar, which can be particularly troublesome for those that are watching their sugar intake, like my dad.

To recreate the sweet chili flavor, I used a combination of dark amber maple syrup and sambal oelek. Maple syrup gives that sticky yet subtle sweetness to the dish. There’s also a hint of smokiness too, which pairs nicely with the roasted nuts. Maple syrup has been shown to contain high levels of antioxidants, when compared to that of sugar or corn syrup. Some of these antioxidants can help to fight arthritis and other types of inflammation in the body. Maple syrup also has a low glycemic index, so no need to worry about a sugar crash!

Sambal oelek is spicy Indonesian sauce made of chilies, salt and vinegar. The word “sambal” means sauce or condiment, and “oelek” means ground by stone. Back in the old days, the chilies used to be ground to a paste using a stone – I imagine something similar to a mortar and pestle. The name “sambal oelek” is actually an old Dutch version of the Javanese name for the sauce. I learned all of this info from my dad so, thank you Dad!!!!

Any combination of nuts will work in this recipe. I used almonds, cashews and, of course, peanuts. There is something about the sticky, spicy, crunchy roasted nuts that make this such an addictive snack. The smoky sweetness from the maple syrup is such a great compliment to the bright spiciness of the sambal. I challenge you to eat only one! It’s impossible!

I think my Dad would really like this recipe. It’s basically everything he literally wants, or requested, in a snack, plus it’s refined sugar free and tastes delicious!

This is a great Father’s Day treat too. It is super easy to make, packed with protein and nutrients, and full of bold flavor that most Dads would love. It’s also a perfect snack to go with a beer or soda while he’s watching TV. What Dad wouldn’t love to relax on Father’s Day with an awesome snack?!!

So Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there! Hope you have an awesome day filled with lots of delicious treats!

I hope you give this recipe a try! If you do, take a photo and tag me on Instagram at @nourish_with_renata and #nourishwithrenata on Instagram! I would love to see what you make!

5 from 1 vote

Sweet Chili Roasted Nuts

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

25 mins

Total Time

35 mins

A healthy, spicy twist on a flavorful and addictive snack… roasted nuts!!!

Course: Snack

Servings: 4

Author: Renata

Ingredients

Ingredients:

1 egg white
¼ tsp Pink Himalayan salt
2 tbsp dark amber maple syrup
2 tbsp sambal oelek draining off as much liquid as possible
3 cups of mixed nuts such as almonds, cashews and peanuts

Instructions

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325 deg F. Spray a baking tray with non-stick spray and set aside.
In a large bowl, beat the egg white and salt together with a whisk until it starts looking foamy.
Add in the maple syrup and sambal oelek and whisk together.
Stir in the mixed nuts, ensuring every nut is evenly coated with the seasoning mixture.
Pour the nut mixture onto the greased baking tray and spread it out to an even layer.
Roast the nuts for 20-25 minutes, stirring approximately halfway through cooking time to prevent burning. The nuts are ready when they are golden brown and crunchy.
Cool the nuts on the tray and then transfer to an airtight container.

Recipe Notes

Leftover nuts can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature

Homemade Healthier Thai Tea

June 6, 2018 Leave a Comment

It’s getting hot in Texas! Everyday it’s been over 90 deg F – and the humidity is climbing! One of the best ways to beat the heat, is a tall, refreshing glass of iced tea.

On one of these super hot weekends, my family and I visited my parents-in-law and we decided to get Thai food for dinner. While we were waiting for our food, we ordered a some cold drinks off the menu. I ordered something I had never had before – Thai Tea.

Thai tea is an ice cold, milky, sweet, tea. It is made with very strong black tea, that is sometimes flavored with vanilla or other spices, such as star anise and orange blossom. In particular, the most famous brand of tea used for Thai tea also contains a yellow food coloring, which gives the distinct ochre hue to the drink. Thai tea is sweetened with sugar or condensed milk, and then more milk is poured on top, giving a really cool layered appearance.

Honestly, when I first tasted the Thai tea I was blown away! It was cold, refreshing and sweet, with a hint of vanilla aroma. I was hooked! I had to make a healthier version of this at home.

The first thing I did was raid the pantry for black tea bags. I found a couple of large black tea bags and brewed a super strong batch of tea. Since these tea bags were unflavored, I added a slight vanilla flavor using pure vanilla extract. This provides so much gourmet flavor and really elevates the humble glass of tea.

Instead of using condensed milk to sweeten and make the tea milky, I opted to use two ingredients: honey and coconut milk.

Local raw honey is a great sweetener that also has many health benefits. Firstly, local raw honey will contain bee pollen that has been shown to provide natural allergy relief. Daily doses of raw honey can raise the antioxidant level in the body and boost the immune system. There is even a type of honey called Manuka honey. It is now used to help treat wounds, due to its high antibacterial strength. Of course, if you don’t want to use honey to sweeten your tea, you could use another type of sweetener such as maple syrup, stevia, agave etc.

My second healthy twist on this recipe is using turmeric powder. Turmeric contains curcumin, that has been shown to reduce inflammation and may also help to fight cancer cells. Other scientific studies have shown that turmeric can help to slow down or prevent blood clots, and even reduce pain. In this drink, not only are we using turmeric for its health properties, but we are also getting a slight yellow color, to mimic that yellow food coloring effect in the original Thai tea.

I used coconut milk in this recipe because I love that slight coconutty sweetness and creaminess. Coconut milk is a great alternative to other milks. It can help lower cholesterol, may improve your blood pressure, and doesn’t contain any dairy, soy or grains, so it’s perfect for people that may have to limit these ingredients in their diets.

When making a glass of tea, wait until the brewed tea is luke warm then stir in the honey. It’s a lot easier to stir in the honey and have it dissolve in the tea, when the tea is a little warm. Then add a handful of ice before topping it off with a little coconut milk. Now watch as the colors swirl together as you mix the milk into the tea. So pretty!

I hope you give this recipe a try. It is really so refreshing and a cinch to throw together. If you do, take a photo and tag me at @nourish_with_renata and #nourishwithrenata on Instagram! I would love to see what you make!

Homemade Healthier Thai Tea

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

10 mins

Total Time

15 mins

A homemade version of Thai tea made a little healthier.

Servings: 4

Author: Renata

Ingredients

Ingredients:

2 large black tea bags typically the tea bags used for making iced tea
2 quarts of boiled water
1 tsp vanilla extract

For each glass of tea:

1-2 tsp raw honey
A pinch of turmeric powder
1-2 tbsp coconut milk
1 handful of ice

Instructions

Instructions:

In a large pitcher, add the tea bags and pour over the boiled water.
Allow to steep till the tea is a very dark black color, about 10-15 mins.
Remove the tea bags, add the vanilla extract, stir well and allow the tea to cool.
For each glass of tea, pour lukewarm tea into a glass and add the honey and turmeric. Stir very thoroughly. Add in the ice, leaving enough room at the top of the glass for the coconut milk. Gently pour over the coconut milk.
Stir before tasting to mix the coconut milk into the tea. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Feel free to use another type of sweetener, if desired.

Store leftover tea in the fridge for up to 1 week.

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