Honey Chipotle Spiced Glazed Almonds

Now that Baby Girl Samuel is half-way baked (as of tomorrow), Robbie and I are busy thinking of things we want to teach her, show her and basically force upon her so she turns into the perfect combination of the two of us.  These things include a love for food, diabetic cats, and most importantly, a love for Duke University.  Particularly a deep and abiding support of its athletics department and specifically its basketball team.  Some of our friends realize this and are showering her with gifts, quickly falling into first place for godparent (just kidding, Alexis). 

Nonetheless, we live and breathe Duke basketball in this apartment.  Robbie, for example, would like to name the baby Jabari-a Parker Samuel.  Unfortunately for him, I am holding the lead in the name race with Mary Jordan Samuel, Jr.   We’ll see who wins out. I hope for her sake, neither of us do.

This weekend is a big game for Duke.  We play that other school down the road (bless their hearts) in what should be an emotional and action-packed game.  We are coming off of a loss and UNC is coming off of a somewhat mediocre season (although they beat Duke in Chapel Hill) and some pretty serious fraudulent academic allegations, which have been an absolute delight to follow in the news.

So Saturday night should be fun.  I imagine a lot of friends back in North Carolina will be watching it and should they be looking for some munchies to enjoy during the game, I recommend these almonds.  They are sweet and spicy (but not too spicy) and incredibly easy to make.  I used to think fancy nuts were something I had to spend $5.00/ounce on but nope, hit up the bulk bin at your local grocery store and make some fancy ones yourself.  At least you can enjoy some good snacks during the game no matter the outcome for your team.   

Honey Chipotle Spiced Glazed Almonds

Adapted slightly from A Southern Fairytale

1 lb raw almonds

3 Tbsp butter

3 Tbsp honey

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp chipotle pepper powder

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp garlic powder

2 Tbsp granulated white sugar

1 Tbsp dark brown sugar

Kosher Salt (optional)

Preheat your oven to 325°F and prepare rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.  In a medium saucepan, heat the honey, butter and salt until melted.  Once the mixture is melted and starts to simmer, remove the saucepan from the heat and add almonds, stirring with a rubber spatula until all almonds have been coated with the mixture.  Dump the almonds onto your prepared baking sheet and spread them evenly.  Bake almonds for 10 minutes then stir them once.  Bake the almonds for another five minutes and stir them once more.  Bake for five more minutes and remove them from the oven.  While the almonds are baking, mix your spices together – the chipotle chili powder, cinnamon, garlic powder and sugars.  Once you’ve removed the almonds from the oven, sprinkle the mixed spices onto the nuts and toss them on the baking sheet with a spatula until fully coated. (NOTE: The original recipe recommends you line a counter or additional baking sheet with parchment to do this step but I was too lazy and didn’t want to dirty another baking sheet.  Also, what New York City apartment has extra counter space?  Certainly not this one.) Sprinkle with kosher salt to add an extra bite of saltiness.  Let them cool on the sheet and periodically stir them to keep them from sticking together.   You may have to do some declumping as they cool but that just gives you an excuse to eat a mixture of hardened butter, honey, salt and spices. 

Thai Red Curry Chicken

I have some explaining to do. My regular posts of the last month or so have masked what has been a pretty crazy end of 2013 and beginning of 2014.   

Robbie re-aggravated a high school back injury in December that led to meetings with surgeons and neurologists and concluded with back surgery two weeks ago.  We’ve had epic amounts of snowfall and very cold temperatures daily so it made traipsing from Robbie’s hospital back to the apartment to his mom’s hotel where he stayed for a few nights  and finally back to the apartment last weekend a bit of an adventure.  Meanwhile, Robbie is on strict orders not to lift anything over 5 pounds or do any repetitive bending.  So I have been carrying his groceries, his overnight bag to/from hospital and dealing with Newt’s needs the past couple weeks (and for the next four) all while managing a body that is 4+-months pregnant. 

Yes, that’s right, we made it ‘official’ last week after we got the additional news that the baby is a girl (at least that’s what two doctors and an ultrasound technologist reported).  We are both in awe that we are bringing a being into this crazy life we live and that we get to introduce one of our favorite cities to this small person who, we hope, will find the magic in it as much as we do.  We find it even more surreal that we are having a daughter.  We were both a little apprehensive at first – ‘Is it better or worse to live in New York City with a baby girl?’ ‘Is the name we are leaning towards going to garner criticism from our New York peers?’  And for me, being a female myself, I remember all the self-esteem struggles of middle-school years (and even those issues that remain today) and wonder if I can be as supportive a mother as my own was and continues to be.   Plus this baby, if it arrives on time, will be a Leo.  Just like me.  Poor Robbie. 

Several things are known for sure though:

·      We are blessed to be experiencing this entire process and how the body just seems to know what it needs to do – with relatively few aches and pains.  I had minimal sickness and have been feeling relatively normal with the exception of some tighter pants.  Talk to me in July though during the throes of a New York City summer.

·      We are so excited to bring a little bit of Samuel-Mullinax blood into this world.  Twenty bucks says she’ll have dimples and a bit of wit.

·      This little girl, who we haven’t even met, is already so loved and obsessed over.  Her pictures already hang on the refrigerator and she is in our thoughts constantly.  I guess this starts the next ‘forever’ of worrying and thinking about her wellbeing.

·      The only odd pregnancy side effect was my aversion to sweets.  For the first couple of months I lost my sweet tooth and craved only salty and comforting things.  Chilis, soups, ramen bowls, etc. were all I wanted. That has since changed, which has greatly helped my daily sodium intake.

Due to this last point, and the fact that it is so cold out, Robbie and I have been exploring with more home-cooked meals.  We anticipate mealtimes will be an important part in rearing this child since, as you now, food is a pleasure for both of us and we hope to share that with her.  All signs at this point suggest Baby Girl Samuel has been enjoying them as well.

We made this dish for two reasons: Valentine’s Day and in honor of the news we will be having a baby girl -- a stretch, I know, but the coloring is more Team Pink than anything else, right?  The dish has gotten even better as each day passes as the flavors meld and merge into something a little more complex.  A fact, according to my mother, that can apply to parenthood.  Each stage of a child’s life is better than the one before it, as he or she grows, learns and develops.   I’ll be sure to report back over the next 18 years and let you know if I agree.

Thai Red Curry Chicken

Adapted slightly from Eat, Live, Run

1 to 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 tbsp coconut oil (I used refined)

3 cups coconut milk

1 1/2 cups water

3 tbsp red curry paste

2 baby bok choy, chopped

1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 inch knob ginger, grated

1 cup snow peas, cut in half

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into thin discs

1 1/2 tsp sugar

2 tsp fish sauce

juice of 1 lime

1 tsp salt

cooked white rice

Heat the coconut oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add the ginger and sauté until fragrant. Add the chicken and stir, cooking until not quite cooked through. Add the curry paste and continue to sauté over high heat for another couple minutes. Pour in the coconut milk and water. Add the bok choy, bell pepper, snow peas and sweet potatoes. Bring curry to a boil (this took us a bit longer than expected.)  Reduce heat and simmer. Stir in the fish sauce, salt, lime juice and sugar. Continue simmering over medium/low heat until veggies are soft, about 8 – 10 minutes.

Serve in bowls over white rice.