Spicy Mix - Recipes by Trevor Hopkins

I always seem to end up with various partially-used packets and jars of nuts and seeds of all kinds. This is a handy way of using up this sort of stuff, and it doesn't matter very much if the goods are just a little bit stale.

The sorts of thing I drag out of the back of the cupboards for this include: nuts of all kinds (cashews work well), pumpkin seeds, pine nuts, dried fruit (such as raisins), broken bits of nachos, broken savoury biscuits and even corn flakes!

The key to making all this exciting is chilli-flavoured oil. Put a couple of tablespoons of oil in a heavy saucepan, and add the assorted leftovers.

Warm gently for a few minutes, stiring continuously. Serve warm in a small bowl (on the bar!), with the obligatory paper napkins for guests to wipe their fingers on.