Savory Roasted Pecans

When people come for dinner, they know to arrive hungry! To stave off hunger before we eat, I put out small dishes of nuts to nibble on as we gather in the kitchen for the first hellos and catch-up conversation.

But so many "party nut" recipes are sugary. Instead, these are totally savory nuts, dark and sultry with just a touch of heat and only slightly addictive – okay that's a lie, they're totally addictive! Even at the last minute, throw roast some pecans in the oven for a quick appetizer or hostess gift.

COMPLIMENTS!
"... quick, easy and turned out great. These will not last long..." ~ Julie

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The holiday season can seem sugar-coated – candy canes, cookies, chocolate, Christmas cakes.

While hardly healthful, these spicy pecans will tickle another part of your palate. If you have pecans leftover from holiday baking, this is a good way to use them up. I’ve made Savory Pecans often – after baking, the brown-black nuts look nice in glass jars for hostess or last-minute holiday gifts. They’re also popular at parties and on buffet tables.

May your spirit of Christmas live on throughout the New Year!

ALANNA's TIPS Fresh nuts really matter here. I have little luck with expensive supermarket pecans, even now (late fall and early winter) when the season is just coming to a close. In the fall, I some times order pecans or pecan meal from Sunnyland Farms in Georgia. Closer to home for both freshness and great prices? Trader Joe's.

SAVORY PECANS

Hands-on time: 10 minutes
Time to table: 45 minutes
Makes 2 cups

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 – 2 tablespoons Worcestershire
• 1/4 teaspoon Tabasco
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups pecan halves

Set oven to 300F/150C.

Combine all ingredients except pecans. Add pecans and stir well to coat, really stirring to completely cover the pecans.

Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 30 – 35 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve warm or at room temperature.

MAKE-AHEAD Make the nuts ahead of time, then just before serving, warm in a 325F/160C oven for 5 – 6 minutes.

NUTRITION INFORMATION Per Quarter Cup: 200 Calories; 20g Tot Fat; 3g Sat Fat; 7mg Cholesterol; 180mg Sodium; 4g Carb; 3g Fiber; 1g Sugar; 2g Protein. WEIGHT WATCHERS POINTS WW Old Points 5 & WW Points Plus 5.

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Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences. Quick Suppers are Kitchen Parade favorites and feature recipes easy on the budget, the clock, the waistline and the dishwasher. Do you have a favorite recipe that other Kitchen Parade readers might like? Just send me a quick e-mail via recipes@kitchen-parade.com. How to print a Kitchen Parade recipe. Never miss a recipe! If you like this recipe, sign up for a free e-mail subscription. If you like Kitchen Parade, you're sure to like my food blog about vegetable recipes, too, A Veggie Venture. Follow Kitchen Parade on Facebook!

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Nuts: Quick, Protein-Packed Nibbles

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