Oh how I love snacks, zesty, salty and savoury treats that just help get you through the day are the best. Even better when they aren’t loaded with weird additives, MSG and its pseudonyms. Piri piri is the swahili word for pepper pepper, the hot sauce is made from piri piri peppers also known as african birds eye chilis and a combination of spices, garlic and lemon peel. If you never tried it you’re in for a treat, there’s something about the spiciness paired with lemon that just hits the spot.
This paleo snack mix can easily be made milder by omitting the hot sauce and using smoked paprika instead. You’ll still get the richness and flavour without the spice. Perfect for the wee ones to munch, even though I have a theory that if you start them young on the hot peppers they’ll build up a good taste for them.
They do this in Thailand and places where they traditionally eat a lot of spicy foods. They’ll start with one thai chili and increase for every year, or so I hear. I’ve got my baby on mild spices, he loves curry, he absolutely devoured this kale and chicken curry I made one night. I’m sure it has a lot to do with how I ate when I was pregnant, and I certainly didn’t shy away from hot curries and the like. After all, at the time I was cooking in a restaurant for Thai night every week. I created some gorgeously spicy Thai creations that I taste tested until I was full. Get the babes started on immune strengthening foods early and they’re set for life, I’m still trying to coax him into gobbling up sauerkraut. He’s not quite there yet, to be honest it took me awhile to get there too, sauerkraut is intense!
I really didn’t know what to name this snack mix, so munchie mix it is because lets face it, everybody gets the munchies whether you live in Colorado or not.
- 2 Tbs coconut oil (melted) or olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 1 Tbs piri piri hot sauce OR ¼ tsp cayenne with 1 tsp lemon juice
- 3 C large shredded coconut, unsweetened
- 1 C pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
- ½ raw cashews
- Preheat oven to 350F
- In a large bowl combine oil, garlic, hot sauce and salt
- Add coconut, pumpkin seeds and cashews and mix well until thoroughly coated.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment and spread mixture evenly.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes until desired golden brown hue is reached.
- Allow to cool before munching.
