Roasted Sweet & Salty Cashews

I have been in such a crazy rut the past... well, year. I seriously have to confess to the fact I have an addiction. But it seems ridiculous saying you’re obsessed with nuts. Cashews, brazil nuts, pistachios, macadamia nuts, almonds, pecans, walnuts, peanuts, hazelnuts. I seriously can’t help myself, they are honestly all I eat, I never crave chips, chocolate, ice cream, lollies; nothing except nuts. Not to mention the fact it took me a couple of weeks to actually get around to taking the photos for this post because every time I would grab my camera, I would find my cashew jar half empty.

Now while there’s obviously a down side of eating too many nuts, there’s also a positive side. Nuts are rich in energy, protein, packed with antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and omega-3 fatty acids. Just as much as a handful a day will be doing more than good for your body and health. They are also very high in fiber which mean even just a small amount will keep you fuller for longer, most people don’t know this but nuts are defiantly recommended to anyone trying to lose a few kilos, they are quite high in calories and fat, but they are natural fats that are doing your body good and keeping you feeling satisfied.

Roasted Sweet & Salty Cashews, just hearing the name makes my mouth drool. This is a recipe I have fiddled around with and made myself, I have tried a few recipes with melting honey and sugar and found them to be sloppy and overpoweringly sweet. Like the saying goes “if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself”. The flavours on these cashews don’t over power the nut but simply add a hint of sweet and saltiness. I also love buying raw cashews and roasting them myself, purely for the fact you can control the amount of salt and oil being slathered on your healthy snack.

 Now I know I’m addicted to nuts but I will never eat this ^^ cashew, it’s enormous, that has to be a world record.

{Roasted Sweet & Salty Cashews}

Serves: 500g (recommended serving size is a 1/4 cup/ handful)

Calories: 200, 1/4 cup

Ingredients:

500g raw cashews

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons salt

2-3 teaspoons raw sugar

Method:

Preheat your oven to 180°c and line a rectangular baking pan with baking paper.

Place your cashews in the pan and coat with oil, sugar and salt.

Roast in the oven for 10 minutes, after the first ten minutes, continue roasting for a further 10 minutes, tossing every 1-2 minutes to prevent burning.

Feel free to remove the cashews earlier for a raw texture or until lightly golden in colour.

Place the pan on a heat proof mat and leave the cashews for an hour or so to come to room temperature, or place in the freezer to chill (I have found that freezing the cashews causes some of the salt and sugar to fall of the nut)

Once cooled, place in a jar or air tight container.