Sweet But Not Too Spicy Candied Pecans

A friend gave me this idea for a homemade gift so I thought I'd cook up a batch and put some in Mason jars with a ribbon. The recipe is easy. The egg white helps the sugar and spices stick to the pecans while the sugars caramelize and harden. You get all of the salty, sweet, and spicy tastes when munching on these delicious pecans.

3 cups pecan halves
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 egg white

Preheat oven to 300. Whisk together the sugars, cinnamon, salt, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl. 

In a larger bowl, whisk the egg white gently then add the pecans. Stir to coat the pecans well with the egg white. Add the sugar mixture to the pecans and stir well. 

Add the pecans to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and flatten them out. Bake for 20 minutes and then remove the pan from the oven and stir them up a bit, and continue to cook for 20 more minutes. Remove from the oven and place on a cooking rack until pecans are cooled down.

Roasted Bell Pepper & Feta Salad

This cold salad is full of flavor and goes well with grilled food. Whether you roast the peppers on the grill or in your broiler, the lovely, smoky, roasted flavor really comes through. Roasting peppers is fun, too. They caramelize, turn soft, and are yummy. It takes about 15 minutes to roast peppers on all sides depending on your broiler and size of the peppers. Use a decent feta cheese and fresh herbs for this one.

2 bell peppers, roasted, peeled, seeded, & chopped
1/4 cup feta cheese, cubed

To taste:

Fresh thyme

Extra virgin olive oil

Apple cider vinegar
Kosher salt
Ground black pepper

Mix all ingredients and chill before serving.

    

                                                         

Fresh Mushroom Risotto

Risotto is comforting on a cold day and it warms the soul. Today was the second time I've made risotto. It's a shorter grain rice known for its creaminess. I found this recipe in a food group on social media and saw it was easily made in the crockpot, so thought I'd give it a try. It was easy, quick, and made a crockpot full of creamy, savory, risotto. The cheese really makes the dish. Italy!

1/2 cup vegetable oil

24 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced

2 1/2 cups arborio rice

48 oz chicken broth
3/4 cup dry white wine
6 oz Parmesano-reggiano cheese, grated, for top

Dried sage leaves

Salt/pepper

Spray oil in a large pot. Pour oil into the pot and saute the mushrooms for about 10 minutes. Pour rice, chicken broth, wine, and mushrooms into the crockpot, stir well, and cook on high for 3 hours and 15 minutes. I checked on the risotto and stirred it a couple of times during the cooking time. But isn't there something about not opening the lid to the crockpot during cooking? 70s flashback.