Well, I'm calling it struesel... but technically speaking, it's more of a nut topping. Right up there in the little turquoise bowl. The meal was simply roasted veggies and quinoa, but to make it a little more interesting I made a nut topping that was mighty delicious. And super easy. I finely chopped a few handfuls of pecans, toasted them over medium-low heat (don't let them burn!) for a bit, and sprinkled with sea salt and ground cinnamon. Then, after they were nicely toasted, I drizzled them with a few tablespoons of maple syrup. At this point stir frequently and only for half a minute or so, just until caramelized. Remove from the heat and it's ready to eat, warm or let it cool to room temperature. The cooler it is, the drier and less gooey the mixture. Add liberally to whatever is on your plate and enjoy!
I glaze nuts all the time, but I don't generally chop them first. I can't believe what I've been missing out on! The finely chopped nuts (some so fine it was almost flour) made it feel like some sort of delicate, crispy, struesel topping that would normally be enjoyed on top of ice cream (which really makes me miss dairy right now), but why not over roasted veggies and quinoa? I can't think of any reason not to...
And to keep it real... after we ate platefuls of grains and roots, we happily devoured some chocolate cake. I always use the Six Minute Cake recipe from Moosewood. It's committed to memory, vegan, super economical, and trust me, it's the only chocolate cake recipe you'll ever need. I make it as cupcakes, layer cakes all dressed up with frosting, or a simple, unfrosted snack cake as you see above. It's all good.
Thanks for your understanding yesterday, it's good to feel understood, so good.
In case you are visiting via a reader, cannot view my sidebar, and might be interested... I have begun updating my vintage shop again. So many things to be added!
