Almonds

As I said a while ago, I really like almonds. I had some roasted almonds I bought at Trader Joe's a while back which were roasted in olive oil, salt and rosemary. They had this nice rosemary scent which I really liked a lot. These were some kind of special Spanish almonds but I figured it wouldn't be hard to do with regular ones for a lot less. (I should try it with the fancy Spanish almonds.) There are numerous recipes on the web for this sort of thing but here's what I did:

1 cup raw almonds (blanched is probably best)
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp sea salt
2 tbsp dried rosemary (I didn't grind it but this would have been better)
1 tsp dried rubbed sage

Times are approximate, you'll have to test the almonds and watch to make sure they don't burn!

Put a saucepan on medium-low heat. Toss the almonds, 2 tbsp olive oil and the salt and allow to roast covered for approximately five to seven minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure even roasting. The nuts will get soft during this time. Add the remaining olive oil, rosemary and sage, toss and allow to roast uncovered for an additional three to five minutes. Allow the almonds to harden before serving, though they are best when still warm.

I've developed a substantial taste for almonds. Mostly I eat whole raw almonds, but sometimes whole roasted. They have lots of fiber, protein, mangnaese, a nice profile of fatty acids, etc. I also throw them into food, e.g., couscous, by pan roasting them first. You can make (or buy) almond butter and use almond meal as a substitute for flour in some circumstances.

A long time ago I made this recipe up:

Curried Almonds

1 lb. whole raw almonds (or use slivered almonds instead)
3 tbsp. olive oil
1-2 tbsp. hot curry powder

Roast the almonds in a skillet over medium heat using 2 tbsp. olive oil. You have to be careful when roasting nuts because they burn so make sure to stir them. Go until they start to brown. Add the curry and remaining olive oil, toss thoroughly to combine and allow to cool in the pan. They will be soft because of the cooking---don't worry as they will harden upon cooling.