I know, I know, it has been far too long since I posted anything here. I am not going to explain, or apologize, just post!
Tonight we are entertaining old friends. Of course, dinner is not complicated (it’s summer). We are roasting some chickens on the grill and serving them with sweet potatoes and a big, fresh, green salad.
It’s the before-dinner snacks I fret over. A bit of salami, some cheese and some smoked salmon all sounded good, and we had some pistachios, in the shell, bought in bulk a week or so ago. The problem with the nuts is that they were a bit stale.
I’ve toasted pistachios before, so I thought I’d toss them onto a sheet pan and see if a quick toast in the oven would help.
I spread the nuts (shells and all) on a sheet pan, and put them in the oven (which I had set for 350 degrees), while it was still preheating (I know, not a good idea, generally). After less than 10 minutes (and just after the oven had gotten to temperature) I took them out and let them cool.
The sweet smell of pistachios filled the room as I opened the oven. Some of the shells were slightly browned, otherwise they looked as they had before toasting. After the nuts had cooled, we had a taste, and…
…they are fantastic.
A little smoky, a little salty, nice and crunchy. These are some of the best pistachio nuts I have ever eaten.
Give it a try. I think you will be surprised.
knitting a life 