Asian Snack Mix and a Happy New Year!

So the holidays have finally come and gone. Mine were quite enjoyable and actually very relaxing this year. I got to spend time with friends, family, and loved ones, which is really what the holidays are all about.

I rung in the New Year in a very relaxed and quiet way. Some friends of mine had a little get-together and we enjoyed some lovely Vietnamese spring rolls and soup. I brought some edamame to enjoy, but I also wanted to make something to snack on in-between courses. I searched online for Asian snack mix recipes, but couldn't find quite what I wanted, which led me to creating my own.

This is quite an easy recipe to make, and the bulk of the time is spent just baking in the oven. You can kick up the spice as much as you want - the recipe below hits about a 2.5 out of 5 on the hot scale, so feel free to adjust the chili-garlic sauce and cayenne pepper to your own tastes. Also, feel free to change the cereals and other snack ingredients to suit your own tastes.

Happy New Year, ya'll!



Asian Snack Mix

2 c corn Chex cereal
2 c wheat Chex cereal
2 c mini-pretzels
1 c wasabi peas
1 c Cheez-it crackers (or Goldfish crackers)
1 c Chow-mein noodles
6 tbsp butter, melted
2 1/2 tbsp ginger stir-fry sauce (I used a Kikkoman brand)
2 1/2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt (I used Adobo)
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp chili-garlic sauce
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. In a large baking pan, combine cereals, pretzels, peas, crackers, and noodles. In a small bowl, whisk together melted butter and remaining ingredients. Pour over snack mixture and stir well, coating pieces evenly. Place into preheated oven and bake 30-45 minutes, stirring every 10-15 minutes or so, until pieces are crisp. Remove from oven and cool.