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By Root 337 0

and chiles infuses them with flavor, and a sprinkling of salt and lime juice takes them over the top. These keep for up to a week, stored in a resealable bag or tightly covered container at room temperature. Or you can store them indefinitely in the freezer, sealed in a heavy resealable bag. So keep this in mind, and make an extra batch or two to freeze. Then you’ll always have something impressive to serve your friends for a snack when they drop by on short notice. (They will thaw very quickly at room temperature.)

This recipe is vegan.

¼ cup olive oil

1½ pounds (about 6 cups) hulled pumpkin seeds

1 tablespoon whole cumin seeds

4 or 5 dried chiles de árbol (whole pods), or 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or both

¾ teaspoon salt (possibly more)

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1. Place a large (10-to 12-inch) heavy skillet over medium-low heat, and add the olive oil. Let it heat for about a minute.

2. Add the pumpkin seeds, cumin seeds, and chiles or red pepper flakes. Use a wooden spatula or spoon to slowly stir until everything becomes evenly coated with the oil. Keep cooking, stirring every few minutes, for a good 20 minutes (possibly even a little longer), until the pumpkin seeds give off a strong toasty aroma and most of them are gradually becoming a light golden brown.

3. Continue to cook on medium-low heat just long enough to stir in the salt and then splash in the lime juice, which will sizzle. Turn off the heat, and wait about 5 minutes for the seeds to absorb the lime juice. Taste, and add more salt if you think it’s needed.

4. Remove and discard the whole chiles, put the seeds in a bowl, and serve warm or at room temperature. Or cool completely and transfer to a resealable plastic freezer bag for storage.

CHILES DE ÁRBOL

Dried chiles de árbol (the small, thin red ones) are available in Latin grocery stores, in many supermarkets (often in the Mexican section), or online. They are fairly hot and quite pretty. Because they are left whole in this dish, they don’t give off a huge amount of heat—just enough. Dried chiles keep for months and look very attractive in a bowl on the kitchen counter. If you like their flavor but want milder heat, split them open before using them and discard the seeds.

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GET CREATIVE

Sprinkle on a few dashes of soy sauce when adding the lime juice.

Serve these on their own, or use them as a garnish for Latin-style dishes, including guacamole (store-bought or homemade—see Chapter 8: Party Snacks), Cuban Black Bean Soup (Chapter 1: Soups), Vegetarian Chili (Chapter 4: Vegetarian Entrées), Steak Fajitas (Chapter 6: Chicken, Fish, and Meat), Taco Salad (Chapter 2: Salads), and as many other things as you can think of.

These are also great for livening up a green salad, or sprinkling over cooked rice or beans.

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slightly sweet cajun-spiced nuts

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Serve these wonderfully complex glazed nuts on their own or with cheese, and definitely with drinks of any kind. You can also use them, whole or chopped, as a topping for other dishes. Or wrap them in colorful paper or put them in old-fashioned glass jars, and give them as gifts. I originally made this with walnuts, and then tried pecans and cashews. Then, thinking about cost, I tried peanuts, which sell for about a quarter the price of other nuts. They were all fabulous. The large pan is essential for this, because the nuts need maximum contact with the spices in order to become thoroughly coated. Open a window and turn on the stovetop fan before you begin. When you add the vinegar to the hot pan, there will be fumes! These store for up to 2 weeks in a tightly sealed container at room temperature, or indefinitely when sealed in resealable plastic bags and kept in the freezer.

2 tablespoons canola, soy, or peanut oil

1 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons ground cumin

1 tablespoon powdered ginger

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 pound (about 4 cups) unsalted walnuts, pecans, cashews, or peanuts

½ teaspoon salt (possibly more)

1/3 cup (packed)