Almond and Seed Snack Mix

This is the sort of snack I keep on the counter when I am between jobs in the kitchen and want something in my hand that is not a biscuit. Almonds, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds sit together nicely because they all share that toasty, slightly buttery flavour and a good firm crunch. Nothing here needs cooking, so it is one of the few recipes you can put together while the kettle boils.

A little food fact that I find pleasing: pumpkin seeds, the pepitas, are actually the flat green seed inside the pumpkin, not the cream-coloured ones you scoop out with the stringy bits. Sunflower seeds have a thin shell that you can leave on or spit out, and the kernel inside is the bit that tastes of nut. Almonds are really the seed of a stone fruit, which is why they come in both sweet and bitter varieties. Knowing a little about what you are eating makes a plain handful feel more interesting.

A tip from my own mistakes: if your almonds or seeds smell faintly stale or taste flat, toast them for a few minutes in a dry pan over medium heat, stirring all the time, then let them cool before you mix. The difference is large. Once they are cool, keep the mix in a jar with a tight lid away from heat and light. Seeds go rancid faster than you would think, so buy small amounts you will use within a few weeks, and smell them before you add them to anything.

If you want to build on this, the mix is a good base. A pinch of cinnamon and a few dried cranberries turn it into something closer to Cinnamon Cranberry Crunch Trail Mix for a sweeter tooth. For a bit of heat, Spicy Sweet Seed Snack Mix shows how far the same handful can go. And if you are the sort who likes breakfast to be crunchy too, a spoonful over plain yoghurt works beautifully, or you could take the idea further with Crunchy Nut and Seed Granola.

Serve it in a small bowl next to the kettle, or tuck a portion into a lunchbox. It is not fancy, but it is honest food, and that suits me fine on a busy afternoon.