nuts & seeds

Ideas with nuts and edible seeds.

Almond briouats

Crisp, golden triangles of paper-thin pastry filled with a fragrant almond paste, then dipped in warm orange blossom honey. They are sweet, nutty and lightly floral, and are best eaten the day they are made.

Mwamba (peanut sauce)

A thick, nutty paste made from nothing more than roasted peanuts and water, slow-cooked until the water disappears. Known as mwamba (or muamba), it is the base of moambe-style stews across Central Africa, stirred into fish, shrimp, and chicken dishes or served as a rich sauce on its own.

West African peanut stew (maafe)

Maafe is one of West Africa's great comfort dishes — chicken braised until tender, then finished in a rich, deeply savory sauce built on tomato, peanut butter, and warm spices. This version adds sweet potato, eggplant, and a handful of shrimp, a nod to the coastal cooking traditions found alongside the dish's more common inland versions. Serve it the traditional way, over rice with a fiery pili-pili sauce on the side.

Spinach with toasted almonds

Quick, glossy, and bursting with flavor, this spinach side dish is a lovely reminder that simple greens can steal the spotlight. A warm dressing of rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, honey, garlic, and fresh ginger coats tender spinach until it just wilts, while a shower of toasted flaked almonds adds a nutty crunch. It's a dish that captures the fresh, vibrant spirit of Asian home cooking, a perfect fast, flavorful companion to almost any meal.

Raisin walnut carrot cake

This raisin walnut carrot cake is a generous, old-fashioned cake with warm spices, sweet carrots, tender crumb, and plenty of texture from chopped walnuts and golden raisins. It is the kind of cake that feels right at home at family gatherings, holiday tables, or an afternoon coffee break. Finished with a light dusting of confectioners’ sugar or your favorite cream cheese frosting, it is simple, comforting, and sweet.

Nut and seed trail mix bowl

A nut and seed trail mix bowl is the easiest “snack plate” you’ll ever put out, but it feels intentional and a little bit special. Toasted nuts and seeds bring crunch and warmth, while dried fruit adds just enough chew and gentle sweetness. You can keep it completely simple, just a mix of what you have on hand, or give it a tiny drizzle of honey or maple for a light, glossy coating.

Baked apples

Baked apples are what happens when dessert is cozy instead of complicated. You take whole apples, core them, and let the oven do most of the work, baking them until they slump slightly and turn soft, fragrant, and spoonable.

You can keep them ultra-simple: just apples, a splash of water, maybe a little cinnamon. Or dress them up with an optional nutty filling, chopped walnuts or pecans mixed with a bit of honey or maple syrup, tucked into the center so it melts into a gooey, toasty pocket as they bake.

Roasted squash halves

The definition of effortless cozy food. You just split the squash, scoop out the seeds, rub it with a little oil, salt, and maybe some herbs, then let the oven slowly work its magic. The flesh turns soft and velvety, the edges caramelize, and you end up with golden “boats” you can serve whole or scoop right at the table.

nuts & seeds