Pantry & Fridge Foraging

 

We are under lock-down orders, but the belly and our appetites are on a different wavelength. The mind wants to wander into areas (junk trail) where there is panic and fear. The idle mind is indeed a Devil’s workshop: this is a workshop where we give in to cravings for sugary indulgences, for deep-fried foods, for processed junk, midnight trips to the refrigerator and other things that are least helpful to boost our immune systems.

I see a lot of posts on “comfort foods” and the recipe calls for tons of sugar. What are you doing with the huge cake that you just baked, or the tons of brownies that you just made? You can’t share this with friends and neighbors, right? So, you and the family must be consuming all this? IMHO, as they say, this is not the time to be giving into foods that will do the opposite of what we want to achieve. Sugars and processed foods will reduce our ability to fight diseases. The best way we can fight the current and all other future pandemics is to keep a healthy body, which will in turn, will help us keep a healthy mind.

Introducing the Fruity-Nutty Trail Mix.

 

KISS (Keep it Simple, Sista!)

 

In today’s recipe, Simplicity is the order of the day. It doesn’t need any hard work. It doesn’t contain any food items that are hard to find – either in your local grocery store or at an online retailer. No one is hoarding these foods, unlike the sold-out aisles of toilet paper, bread flour and yeast, in that order! This trail mix is a snack that I’ve stocked in my pantry for the longest time. This trail mix my go-to when I want to munch on something crunchy, something sweet, something salty, something guilt-free and something that I know will nourish my body.

 

 

Where can I use this Trail Mix?

 

This trail mix is so versatile, that you can use it in plenty of ways!! A few ideas below, but please don’t feel limited to these alone.

Use it as a Salad Topper:

This premixed trail mix comes in handy when you want to throw in nuts to liven up the scene. Prep your delicious salad, serve into individual plates or bowls, and sprinkle this trail mix on top. It will add color and crunch! Here are my favorite salads: Kale-Pear-Turnip-Goat Cheese Salad, Colorfully-Crunchy Strawberry Grape Salad, Tangy-ly Spicy Sweet Jicama Salad.

Use it on your Morning Cereal:

I love to use my homemade Whole Grain Hot Cereal, top it with my All Purpose Uber-Food Blend and this trail mix, along with some berries. This is what lovely and lazy weekend mornings are made of!

Use it over Yogurt:

I am a South Indian, and we have other ways of eating yogurt (think yogurt-rice!), but if you love eating yogurt by itself, enhance the taste and nutrition of your fermented dairy, by adding this trail mix.

Use it over a delicious homemade desserts:

I love to top my Homemade Chia Seed Pudding with this crunchy-sweet mix. Try it – you won’t regret it.

Use it over Ice Cream/Gelato:

Ha! Never thought I’d mention ice cream, did you? We sprinkle this mix over vanilla or chocolate ice cream. Please read the ingredient label before buying ice cream. Most of them are laden with c-r-a-p. One of our favorites is Talenti. We don’t eat much of ice cream, but I am sure you have other recommendations, which you can share in the Comments section.

Eat it as is:

Yeah! Grab a small handful of this as your mid-morning or between meals snack. Eat slowly and mindfully, so your belly gets the right signs to indicate better satiety and digestion.

Add it to your baking:

This is from my foodie friend Yeshwant Muthusamy (find him on Instagram @docykm). He says you can also add this mix to any whole wheat banana bread recipe for extra crunch – with just a few semisweet chocolate chips for sweetness (optional). No extra sugar needed.

 

Can I roast this Trail Mix?

 

Absolutely! Roasting makes the nuts crunchier and does not necessarily affect the heart-healthy monounsaturated fats they contain. However, roasting may alter and damage the polyunsaturated fats that they contain and that makes the nuts more vulnerable to oxidation. Rancidity increases the possibility of the nuts becoming carcinogenic and pro-inflammatory. If you prefer roasted, take a small quantity of this trail mix and place them on a hot pan and warm them quickly over medium heat. You can also stick them in the oven just before using. I’ve gotten to love and enjoy raw nuts, and so rarely bother to roast them.

 

How long will the Trail Mix keep?

 

I buy raw, unsalted nuts and store them in my refrigerator, until I am ready to use them. I store all my nuts in the refrigerator, to prevent them from going rancid. Make only enough of this trail mix to last you for a month or so. Why? Because chopped nuts will go rancid more quickly than whole nuts. You could even freeze the nuts in airtight boxes. Raisins, goji berries and coconut flakes do quite well in the refrigerator and really don’t need to be frozen.

 

I wasn’t able to find all these ingredients!

 

Worry not, my dear reader. You can substitute with any other nuts that you can lay your hands on. Macadamia nuts, cashew nuts, hazel nuts, Brazil nuts, and if push comes to shove, peanuts (personally don’t prefer ground nuts to tree nuts) – are all great additions to this mix. In terms of dried fruits, you can add chopped dried apricots, dried prunes/plums, dried figs, dates, Dehydrated Apples, pineapple or mango pieces. Use your imagination and use whatever nuts and dried fruits you can lay your hands on. I promise you that it will taste just as good! But please watch out for added sugars and read the ingredient labels!!

 

Want to try a few other picker-upper snacks that is healthy for you and the family? Check out…

• Baked Okra
• Pesarattu Kura
• Guacamole
• Stuffed Bell Peppers
• Zesty Carrot Garbanzo Usli
• Balsamic Bruschetta
• Crispy Air Fried Masala Okra
• Cabbage Wada
• Crunchy Baked Plantain Chips
• Delicious Veggie Poha Upma

 

 

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