Savory Roasted Almonds

Here is my second nut recipe!  I found this one on Sprouted Kitchen blog.


Ingredients:
3 Cups/16 oz. Raw Almonds
2 Small Egg Whites (OR 1 Extra Large Egg White)
1/3 Cup Fresh Thyme Leaves
2 Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes (I used one tsp)
1 Tbsp. Dried Oregano
1 Tbsp. Garlic Powder
3 Tbsp. Lemon Zest
2 tsp. Black Pepper
1 1/2 Tbsp. Natural Cane Sugar
Sea Salt (I used Kosher Salt)
1/2 Cup Finely Grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions:

Oven to 275′

 Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. In a bowl, add the thyme, red pepper, oregano, garlic powder, black pepper, lemon zest and sugar together.

 If you have a pestle and mortar, grind all of the spices together to break them up a bit. You won’t get much of a paste, but the thyme should break down a bit and the red peppers will get smaller. Otherwise, the back of a heavy spoon will suffice as well.

 Whisk the egg whites until frothy (about 2 minutes).

 Add the almonds, and fold them over to coat. 

Add the spices mixture and mix again until they seem evenly distributed.

 Spread the nuts out on the baking sheet and give them all a very generous grind of sea salt (or kosher salt). Sprinkle half of the parmesan evenly, and toss to coat. (I added the cheese before spreading them on a pan to make it easier).  Make sure the nuts are spread in a single layer, and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the nuts. 

 Bake in the middle rack for 25 minutes. Remove to cool completely before serving. And a final little dusting of parmesan when they are hot out of the oven never hurt anyone either.

These aren't your typical roasted almonds.  These little guys had SO much flavor. A touch of lemon and spice, mixed with a cheesy, herby flavor. Perfect if you have already over indulged on sweet things...cause let's be honest.  Holiday season = justifying giving in to all food temptations. This recipe is a little time consuming, (mostly getting that 1/3 cup of thyme) but its worth it. :]

<3 Saleena

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Brown Sugar and Cinnamon Pecans

When contemplating what to contribute to the Thanksgiving feast at the in-laws, I thought about bringing a dessert, (hence the Pumpkin Pie with Caramel Whip Cream and Oreo Cookie Crust), but typically, that's what most people bring.  I wanted to do something different, so I decided to prepare something for an appetizer.  Just a little something for guests to nibble on before the great feast.  I found two great nut recipes that are sure to be a hit.  The first I found here. 

Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter
2 egg whites
1 lb. of pecans
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions: 

Melt butter and spread on a cookie sheet. Then pour the pecans into a large bowl.

 Mix in all of the other ingredients, then spread in the pan making sure that the pecans are spread out flat. Bake at 250 degrees for one hour or until dry. 

  Stir the pecans every 10 minutes during cooking so that the sugar mixture coats the pecans well. (I only stirred them once...10 minutes before they were done, but they still turned out great!) Be sure not to overcook them or they will taste burned.As soon as they look dry, remove from oven. Cool and store in an air tight container.

And don't they look delicious?  I had Matt try one, and he didn't want to stop!  I almost had to use force.

These are SO simple, and SO tasty.  Perfect for the busy holiday season!

<3 Saleena 

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