Snacks
Sugar Walnuts
About the Pain-in-the-Ass Rating Scale
Each Lazy Chef recipe’s ease-of-preparation is rated on a 5-point scale that indicates how much of a pain in the ass it is to make. Pick something with 1 thumbtack and you’ll be in and out of the kitchen in no time. Select a 5-thumbtack dish and you better not be in a hurry.
Ingredients
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4 cups of walnuts (can substitute pecans)
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Water
½ cup sugar
Vegetable oil
Salt
Directions
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Heat a pot of water to boiling. Add walnuts and cook for 1 minute. Dump into a colander and run under tap water to stop the walnuts from cooking. (Note: I have read elsewhere that it helps to use a digital thermometer to ensure that the water is heated to precisely 242º, or else the walnuts might not taste right. This may not make as much of a difference since the sugaring happens in another step, but I thought I'd pass along the tip.)
In a large bowl, mix walnuts with sugar. Stir with spatula until the sugar dissolves.
Heat vegetable oil that is about 1-inch deep in a frying pan. With a slotted spoon, add half of walnuts to oil. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until they change color.
Scoop walnuts out with slotted spoon and put into colander. Sprinkle with salt. Spread walnuts out on brown paper bag to cool.
Serves many happy people
Hidden Valley Ranch Pretzels
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
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¾ cup vegetable oil
1 envelope (1 oz.) Hidden Valley Ranch original
ranch dressing mix
½ tsp. dill weed
¼ tsp. lemon pepper
¼ tsp. garlic powder
24 oz. hard sourdough pretzels
(2 bags of Wege of Hanover broken pretzels are perfect for this recipe)
Directions
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Whisk the first five ingredients together. Place pretzels on baking sheet. Brush mixture on the pretzels, stirring them around to ensure they’re coated well.
Bake at 275º for 15-20 minutes.
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Serves many happy people
About the Pain-in-the-Ass Rating Scale
Each Lazy Chef recipe’s ease-of-preparation is rated on a 5-point scale that indicates how much of a pain in the ass it is to make. Pick something with 1 thumbtack and you’ll be in and out of the kitchen in no time. Select a 5-thumbtack dish and you better not be in a hurry.
Chili Cheese Puffs
About the Pain-in-the-Ass Rating Scale
Each Lazy Chef recipe’s ease-of-preparation is rated on a 5-point scale that indicates how much of a pain in the ass it is to make. Pick something with 1 thumbtack and you’ll be in and out of the kitchen in no time. Select a 5-thumbtack dish and you better not be in a hurry.
Ingredients
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1 package (17.3 oz.) frozen puff pastry (Pepperidge Farm)
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8 oz. cheddar cheese
4 tsp chili powder
Salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
Directions
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Thaw puff pastry by leaving it on the counter for 30 minutes.
Roll each sheet of puff pastry into a 16-inch by 12-inch rectangle. Sprinkle half the cheese on each pastry sheet. Sprinkle each sheet with chili powder and salt.
Run a knife down the middle of the shorter side of the rectangle to split it into two 16-inch by 6-inch rectangles. Starting with one edge of the long side of the rectangle, roll the dough, jelly-roll fashion, into a long tube. Do the same with the other rectangle. Then repeat the process with the other pastry sheet.
Brush all four pastry tubes with the beaten egg. Chill the pastry tubes in the freezer for 20 minutes.
Slice each tube into half-inch thick slices. Place the slices on baking sheets that have been sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 425º for 15 minutes.
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Yields approximately 60 puffs