Let me share with you all a problem I have been facing the last few years. I have developed an amazing craving for nuts & seeds that is bordering on an obsession. I put nuts in my salads, my rice, I eat them with honey & I put them in pastry bases. My favorite way lately is using funky nut butters like almond or cashew as spreads on anything I can find… the other day I was dipping walnuts in cashew butter! However healthy they may be, they are still on the top of the list for the most fattening foods you can eat.
Example:
100gr of almonds = 600 calories
100gr of sugar = 400 calories
100gr of ice cream = 200 calories.
This explains why I can’t lose any weight when all I eat are “salads”. That being said though, I’m not gaining any either…. and if we’re taking into consideration the type of calories begin consumed, nuts are amongst the healthiest forms of calories you can get. See, it’s all about which is better for you.
This recipe today is an amazing combination of flavors & very healthy in the modified way I present it here…. instead of eating the whole thing myself & just sprinkling some cabbage on top of a bowl full of nuts
– mel
Ingredients:
– 650 gr cabbage
– 150 gr skinned, toasted hazelnuts
– 120 gr sugar
– 1 pear, grated
– 2 tbs lemon juice
– 1 tbs apple cider vinegar
– 6 tbs sesame oil (not toasted)
– 2 tbs olive oil
– 2 drops vanilla essence
– touch cinnamon
– salt and pepper
– 150 gr bacon (optional)
Directions:
1. Rub the 2 drops of vanilla and the cinnamon with the sugar using your hands so it mixes well. Place sugar in a pan on medium heat and spread evenly. Let it liquefy without stirring for about 5 minutes. Keep an eye on it until it turns golden and add the nuts. Stir and spread on baking parchment to allow to cool and solidify. **Be very careful with caramels as they reach very high temperatures**
2. Cut the cabbage very thinly and mix with the pear.
3. Mix all liquids in a bowl and incorporate well preferably with a mixer to help emulsify the dressing & make it creamy.
4. Stir the dressing into the salad and season to your liking with salt & pepper, also adding the cooked & diced bacon if you choose to use it.
5. break the hazelnuts apart & add the hazelnuts to the cabbage right before serving, if added to the salad too soon, the dressing will cause the caramel coating on the nuts to dissolve & they will lose their amazing *crunch*!
……..for a full history of our recipes, check out our archives. For the more sensitive tummies, check out our gluten-free archives….. and if you’re just interested in something pretty, check out our designed page.
