One of my absolutely favorite snacks is almonds.

I used to be able to eat them by the handful covered in chocolate, preferably from a box of See’s Candies—but not so much anymore.

As I’ve grown older, chocolate covered almonds have become a far and distant memory to be indulged in only once in a while.

I never did give up almonds themselves however, and today, I eat them bare naked—that is, without the chocolate.

Here is a recipe I developed for roasting almonds that everyone in my family loves. While it doesn’t have chocolate in it, it does have those salty, snappy, crunchy flavors that made almonds my favorite from the beginning—without the fat or the preservatives that are hidden in most almonds you buy already bagged from the store:

1) Place as many raw almonds as you wish to prepare in a large bowl and pour in enough Bragg’s Liquid Amino Acids to cover by about one inch. (I used enough raw almonds to spread out on a cookie sheet. I’m guessing it would be about two to three pounds. But you can make as much or as little as you want, it doesn’t matter, so long as you be sure to cover them by about an inch with the liquid amino acids.)

2) Soak the almonds overnight. In the morning, the almonds will have absorbed most of the amino acids.

3) Drain and spread the almonds on a cookie sheet and sprinkle with sea salt and sesame seeds to taste. (Note, I reserve the left over liquid aminos in a container in the refrigerator to use the next time.)

4) Bake in a slow oven (225 degrees) for for four to five hours. (After about four hours, they will release their fragrance and you will be able to smell them. I usually start tasting them at this point to see if they have reached the crispiness/snappiness state that I like and just leave them baking in the oven until they do.)

That’s it. It’s that simple.

I keep the almonds in a cookie jar on the counter in the kitchen for snacking and grazing.

“Eating about 23 almonds a day is an easy way to incorporate many crucial nutrients into your diet. Almonds are rich in vitamin E, calcium, magnesium and potassium. Additionally, almonds are a significant source of protein and fiber, while being naturally low in sugar. One 23-almond serving packs 13 grams of healthy unsaturated fats, 1 gram of saturated fat and no cholesterol or salt. Of all tree nuts, almonds rank highest in protein, fiber, calcium, vitamin E, riboflavin and niacin content by weight. There are 160 calories in 23 almonds. While many of these calories come from fat, it is primarily the healthy unsaturated fats and not the unhealthy saturated kind.”

~ from What are the Benefits of Eating Almonds Daily

Mangia!

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Relephant: 

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Almond Auroras: The Superfood Cookie {Vegan Recipe}

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Author: Carmelene Siani

Editor: Travis May

Photo: Author’s Own