Food “holidays” amaze me. It’s hard to name a food that doesn’t have a day or month devoted to its celebration. February is National Chocolate Lovers Month (of course). And National Potato Lovers Month. And National Cherry Month, Grapefruit Month, Snack Food Month and Hot Breakfast Month, to name a few. But it gets better.
This past weekend was National Margarita Weekend. Did you know? Feb. 2 was National Tater Tot Day. Feb. 5 was World Nutella Day. Feb. 6 was National Chopsticks Day, for cryin’ out loud. Some of us probably needed Monday’s National Drink Wine Day to get over the fact that February is also Return Shopping Carts to the Supermarket Month (foodimentary.com).
In the midst of it all falls Feb. 16, National Almond Day. I love almonds. They contain healthy fats, fiber, protein, magnesium and vitamin E. They can help us work toward better blood sugar levels, blood pressure and lower cholesterol — unless your primary source is Hershey almond chocolate bars, also delicious. But I digress.
Almonds are more than just a snack to keep in the desk drawer at work, or a simple addition to toss in a salad. They can be used in so many other ways that make us feel a bit “gourmet.” Think almond crusted trout, almond ginger biscuits, chocolate almond fondue, peachy almond shortcakes. Buy slivered almonds and store them in the freezer so you always have some on hand. You might use them in some of today’s recipes, like the lemon tart with an almond crust, or crispy almond tilapia. (Use almonds for chicken and pork loin, too). If you’ve never dressed up green beans or asparagus with almonds, simple recipes are below. And see the easy steps for a quick vanilla almond snack.
In honor of National Almond Day, pick a recipe and salute the nut. It might distract us from the fact that Saturday is Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day.
LEMON TART WITH ALMOND CRUST
Prep: 40 minutes; bake 10 minutes, plus cooling
Makes 8 servings
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1/4 cup sugar
6 tablespoons cold butter
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 to 3 tablespoons cold water
For the filling:
3 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
Dash salt
6 tablespoons butter, cubed
(Source: tasteofhome.com/Lois Kinneburg, Phoenix, Arizona)
CRISPY ALMOND TILAPIA
Total time: 30 minutes
Makes 4 servings
1 large egg
1/4 cup Louisiana-style hot sauce
3/4 cup slivered almonds, chopped and toasted
1/3 cup panko (Japanese) bread crumbs
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon seafood seasoning
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
4 tilapia fillets (4 ounces each)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Note: To toast nuts, bake in a shallow pan in a 350 F. oven 5-10 minutes or cook in a skillet over low heat until lightly browned, stirring occasionally.
(Source: tasteofhome.com/Amanda Flinner, Beaver, Pennsylvania)
VANILLA ALMONDS
1 egg white, beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 cups whole almonds
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
(Source: Kelsey Nixon, cookingchanneltv.com)
ALMOND PARMESAN ASPARAGUS
Prep: 2 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Makes 4 servings
2 tablespoons butter
1 pound asparagus, bottoms trimmed
1/3 cup sliced almonds
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
(Source: allrecipes.com)
GREEN BEANS WITH BROWNED BUTTER ALMONDINE
1 pound fresh green beans
3 tablespoons butter, divided
1/2 cup slivered sliced almonds
1-2 tablespoons of water or chicken broth
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Juice of 1 lemon, to taste
(Source: foodiecrush.com)
Jan Swoope is the Lifestyles Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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