The Specific Carbohydrate Diet can be rather heavy on the nuts, what with breads, muffins and cakes being mostly composed of them, it's easy to eat rather more than a sensible portion of nuts in a day. I don't eat that much nut bread myself - not because I don't like it, believe me I do! But because I am slowly weaning myself off filling up with bread and increasing my intake of vegetables in its place.
The high carb diet that we are used to eating gives a certain sense of fullness that it can be really tough to replicate with protein and vegetables. You know you're full but there is a niggling sense that something is missing. Carbs make you feel full, content and comforted - no coincidence that most people think of things like buttery mashed potatoes, thick cut crusty white bread or creamy pasta when they want comfort. Carbs also help release tryptophan and serotonin in the brain (feel good chemicals) adding to that sense of completeness we associate with carbs.
On the SCD those carbs are replaced by vegetables and nuts - with the emphasis on vegetables. This is where all the carbohydrate should come from ideally, packaged in a form that the gut can handle, with both soluble and insoluble fibre to help everything move along just nicely. Squash can replace that buttery mash, white almond toast kick that crusty bread craving to the curb and the mandolin is a very handy tool for imitating those long papery strips of pasta you crave (almost).
During the process of adjustment to a new way of eating, it's good to have things that you can snack on and foods that seem to fill that aching gap left by all those comforting carbs. Nut breads and cakes are fantastic - in moderation, but sometimes you just want something savoury, something to crunch, something that makes you lick your fingers afterwards to get the last salty crumbs.
When that salty, savoury craving comes over me, I make spiced nuts. Often I make them quite hot, so I can't stuff huge handfuls of them in at once! It's definitely a strategy that works with Fin.
These are a great addition to mezze, or as a pre-dinner appetiser. Just don't turn your back for too long if you want any for yourself, because when I made these last we were fighting over the salty garlic crumbs at the bottom of the bowl.....
Spiced Marcona Almonds
You can make these with ordinary blanched almonds, or any other nut you like - but my favourite are marcona almonds, creamy when raw and fabulously crunchy and sweet when toasted. I only make small quantities otherwise I find they are just too easy to eat and you know the rest...
They are not suitable for anyone starting the diet, because whole nuts and ground seeds can be hard to digest. I suggest you wait at least three months before trying these.
4oz Blanched Marcona Almonds
1/4 tsp Ground Turmeric
1 tsp Ground Coriander Seed
1/2 tsp Hot Smoked Paprika or Cayenne Pepper
1/2 tsp Ground Cumin Seed
Large Pinch Salt Flakes
Large Clove of Garlic
1 tbs Vegetable Oil
Preheat the oven to 160C fan assisted (170C without) and roast nuts on a tray until pale gold - they should squeak when you bite into one, but be careful not to burn your tongue!
While the nuts are roasting crush the garlic with the salt to a paste, on a board with a knife - or in a pestle and mortar which is easier. add spices and oil and mix to form a runny paste.
When the nuts are done toss them thoroughly in the spice mix to coat and scrape them back onto the baking tray. Return to the oven for 3-5 minutes giving a shake half way through, until the spice paste has dried.
Leave to cool and pack into a jar to keep them crisp (put it on a high shelf so curious snackers can't find it until you want them to).
The high carb diet that we are used to eating gives a certain sense of fullness that it can be really tough to replicate with protein and vegetables. You know you're full but there is a niggling sense that something is missing. Carbs make you feel full, content and comforted - no coincidence that most people think of things like buttery mashed potatoes, thick cut crusty white bread or creamy pasta when they want comfort. Carbs also help release tryptophan and serotonin in the brain (feel good chemicals) adding to that sense of completeness we associate with carbs.
On the SCD those carbs are replaced by vegetables and nuts - with the emphasis on vegetables. This is where all the carbohydrate should come from ideally, packaged in a form that the gut can handle, with both soluble and insoluble fibre to help everything move along just nicely. Squash can replace that buttery mash, white almond toast kick that crusty bread craving to the curb and the mandolin is a very handy tool for imitating those long papery strips of pasta you crave (almost).
During the process of adjustment to a new way of eating, it's good to have things that you can snack on and foods that seem to fill that aching gap left by all those comforting carbs. Nut breads and cakes are fantastic - in moderation, but sometimes you just want something savoury, something to crunch, something that makes you lick your fingers afterwards to get the last salty crumbs.
When that salty, savoury craving comes over me, I make spiced nuts. Often I make them quite hot, so I can't stuff huge handfuls of them in at once! It's definitely a strategy that works with Fin.
These are a great addition to mezze, or as a pre-dinner appetiser. Just don't turn your back for too long if you want any for yourself, because when I made these last we were fighting over the salty garlic crumbs at the bottom of the bowl.....
Spiced Marcona Almonds
You can make these with ordinary blanched almonds, or any other nut you like - but my favourite are marcona almonds, creamy when raw and fabulously crunchy and sweet when toasted. I only make small quantities otherwise I find they are just too easy to eat and you know the rest...
They are not suitable for anyone starting the diet, because whole nuts and ground seeds can be hard to digest. I suggest you wait at least three months before trying these.
4oz Blanched Marcona Almonds
1/4 tsp Ground Turmeric
1 tsp Ground Coriander Seed
1/2 tsp Hot Smoked Paprika or Cayenne Pepper
1/2 tsp Ground Cumin Seed
Large Pinch Salt Flakes
Large Clove of Garlic
1 tbs Vegetable Oil
Preheat the oven to 160C fan assisted (170C without) and roast nuts on a tray until pale gold - they should squeak when you bite into one, but be careful not to burn your tongue!
While the nuts are roasting crush the garlic with the salt to a paste, on a board with a knife - or in a pestle and mortar which is easier. add spices and oil and mix to form a runny paste.
When the nuts are done toss them thoroughly in the spice mix to coat and scrape them back onto the baking tray. Return to the oven for 3-5 minutes giving a shake half way through, until the spice paste has dried.
Leave to cool and pack into a jar to keep them crisp (put it on a high shelf so curious snackers can't find it until you want them to).
Posts
6 comments:
we'd inhale these in no time flat
which makes the thought of them scary
perfect party food or dinner party nibble with drinks
The nuts sound wonderful, marcona almonds are my favorite as well. They're so expensive though, I keep seeing this container of rosemary, olive oil and sea salt Marcona almonds in the store, but it's $8.99 for a small plastic container.
That's so true about carbs, but there's one part you failed to mention: what happens when you overeat. When I overeat carbs like mashed potatoes and bread, I can feel disgustingly full and lazy for an hour or so. But when I overeat on a huge chopped salad (like last night), I'm really full, but it's not the same kind of full and it goes away in like 10 minutes.
These made my mouth water! Unfortunately, I am too new to the SCD to try them yet:(
I also know what you mean about wanting to replace all the carbs(grains) that I was used to. Even when I followed a gluten free diet, I had plenty to satisfy that carb craving. Now I am trying to eat reasonable amounts of almond products and eat more veggies(ones I can handle). I have had the munchies ALL day today though! Wish I could dig into these nuts!!!
mmm, these sound delicious! i am definitely going to try this recipe!
Thanks so much for sharing your recipes for spiced nuts, Noami. I was just thinking about some sort of snack like this as the holidays roll around.
So true about carbs and seratonin. That is why eating the Atkins way for the past year has made me sane, LOL. Your focus on low carb, healthful foods keeps me coming back!
i've been thinking about these ever since I read the post yesterday. they sound absolutely yummy.
i actually directed a friend with some pretty unhappy stomach issues over to your site just this afternoon. thanks for such delicately written yet all together interesting information on the SCD diet.
Post a Comment