Roasted Almonds

No matter how you crack it, almonds are GRRRREAT!

 Matt and I are having both of our families over on Saturday for a get together.  In a perfect world, I would make everything from scratch.  But, in my real world, that won't happen. However, I love all things simple!  I found a very simple honey cinnamon roasted almond recipe that will be my "from scratch" contribution.  

First things first, we all know how great almonds are.  Did you know that almonds have been shown to decrease appetite without increasing body weight?  In all my nutrition studies, almonds are like the holy grail.  They help curb cravings, are a perfect go-to snack, and do not cause people to gain weight (despite the higher calorie/fat content).  It's a natural food- comes right from nature.  I eat almonds daily.  They are FABULOUS for you!!

Anyway, you knew that right?  Good.  

Now, here is a recipe you can try if you are wanting to add a little "sweet" kick to your almond snack.  Great for holiday parties as well!  And the topping does not add much calories as compared to other roasted almond recipes I found.  One other mention: the aroma is to die for.  I almost want to bake these on the day of the party to keep my house smelling like roasted nuts.  Reminds me of the holidays!  If honey and cinnamon is not your thing, you are CRAZY!  Kidding, but if it truly isn't you can also roast your almonds and then top sea salt only.  Still a good snack.  

Honey Cinnamon Roasted Almonds

After the roast!

Ingredients:
2 cups almonds
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Sprinkle of sea salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Foil a cookie sheet and spread out the almonds.  Bake for 10 minutes.
3. Combine water, honey, and cinnamon together in a bowl while almonds are baking.
4. Take the cookie sheet of almonds out of the oven. Place almonds in bowl with the mixture and stir to coat.  Place the almonds back onto the sheet. 
5. Bake for an additional 8 minutes.
6. Let cool and sprinkle with sea salt.

Must give credit where credit is due.  Slightly modified the recipe from Dietitian Debbie who can be found here:  http://dietitiandebbie.com/2013/02/18/honey-roasted-cinnamon-almonds/

Eat well,
Bri

Lady finger

What is green, likes a little southern heat, and is also known as lady finger?  It is often fried in the South, but tastes FABULOUS baked, sautéed, or thrown in soups and stews!

Okra!  It grows best in warm weather, but can be enjoyed all year long.  It is a vegetable with a high content of fiber, vitamin A, folates (great for those ladies who are pregnant), vitamin C, B vitamins, vitamin K, iron, calcium, manganese, and magnesium.  Whoa- that is a mouth full of stuff that does a body good! 

Bake it, don't fry!

No need to fry that okra to get it tasty.  Try baking it!  I like to cut up okra and place on a foil-lined baking sheet, drizzle a little olive oil, & then sprinkle sea salt.  Sometimes I will experiment with other spices too (like lemon pepper).  Then, I stick it in the oven for about 15 minutes at 425 degrees.  I like it slightly crispy so may leave it in longer if it isn't quite there yet.

A few storing tips:

• Do not wash until ready to use (otherwise it will get overly slimy)
• Use within 2 to 3 days
• Store in the warmest part of the fridge in a paper bag

Other quick recipe ideas I found:

• Stewed okra and tomatoes: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/stewed_okra_tomatoes.html
• Hot & sour okra pickles: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/hot_sour_pickled_okra.html
• Grilled okra: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Grilled-Okra/Detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=okra&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page

Eat well,
Bri