August 4, 2017

Honey Almond Granola

I love granola and have been wanting to make a batch. I found this quick and easy recipe for honey almond granola. With only a few ingredients, it’s the perfect introduction to try making homemade granola. I’ve been enjoying it as “cereal” in the morning with sliced bananas. I also like to top yogurt with granola and this one makes for big clumps, so it’s perfect for snacking!

Honey Almond Granola | Join Us, Pull up a Chair
1 cup whole almonds, divided
3 cups old-fashioned oats
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup coconut palm sugar (or brown sugar)
1/3 cup honey
3 Tbsp coconut oil
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper for easy clean up.

Add half of the almonds into a food processor and pulse until they are finely chopped. Transfer to a large bowl. Chop the other half of the almonds until they are pieces, pour into the same bowl. To the bowl, add the oats, salt, sugar and stir to combine.

In a small microwaveable bowl, heat the coconut oil and honey for 40 seconds and stir until the coconut oil has become a liquid. Add in the vanilla extract. Pour over the oats and stir until the mixture is evenly coated. Transfer to your prepared baking sheet and spread out to thin layer. Bake for 10 minutes and then stir. Repeat cooking and stirring until your granola is golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to completely cool. Break granola into clusters and store in an airtight container.

Source: Lovely Little Kitchen

Chewy Almond Vanilla Bars – Simple Sesame Blogger Challenge

I’m excited to share a recipe I created for the Simply Sesame Blogger Recipe 118956612 Challenge!
As part of the challenge, I received three flavors of Simply Sesame to try: Vanilla with Almond Bits, Pistachio Morsels with a hint of Cardamom and Pure Roasted Sesame. I immediately knew I wanted to make experiment and make a recipe for granola bars. My kids are big fans of snacks and these would make great after school snacks for them.I loved that all three were 100% natural, non GMO and low in calories, sugar and salt – and it makes a great alternative to peanut butter or hazelnut spread. It’s also gluten-free and vegan!

I love the vanilla and almond flavor of the bars and hint of sesame. The bars held up well and can be cut into whatever size you’d like. I did rectangles for my oldest and then smaller bite sized pieces for my youngest. The spread was great to use and I loved the flavor. I can’t wait to try the regular variety to make a batch of hummus! There’s so many possibilities with these products and are great substitute for those of us with food allergies.

Visit Simple Sesame over on their website or follow them on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter for more delicious recipes and find out where you can get your own Simple Sesame spreads!

Chewy Almond Vanilla Bars | Join Us, Pull up a Chair
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Posted in Snacks
Tagged almond, granola, recipe challenge, snacks for kids, vanilla
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January 2, 2015

Kale Salad with Warm Cranberry Vinaigrette

Happy New Year! One of my goals for this year is to eliminate as much processed food as possible and this salad is a great start. I made it for lunch on Christmas Day and it was so good! It’s a nice break from all the heavy food usually adorning our dinner table, plus it takes delicious. It’s a quick and easy salad to make. I had everything prepped and ready to take to my mom’s, where I made the dressing.

A tip when you make this salad it to massage the kale helps to take it from bitter and tough to sweet and silky. It’s super easy and takes about five minutes. You’ll notice the texture changes and it becomes darker green.

3 Tbsp olive oil, divided
1 shallot, peeled and thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup dried cranberries
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp honey
half a lemon, zest and juice
1 bunch of kale, very thinly slice
1/4 cup sliced almonds

In a large bowl, massage the kale with one tablespoon of olive oil and salt for a few minutes until it becomes tender. Set aside. In a large saute pan, heat two tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add in the shallots and saute for five minutes or until tender and cooked through. Saute the garlic for one minute and then add in the cranberries, red wine vinegar, honey, lemon juice and zest. Stir to combine and turn off the heat. Season with salt and pepper.

Pour the dressing over the prepared kale and top with the almonds. It would be great to throw in a few crumbles of blue cheese.

Source: Gimme Some Oven

Posted in Salads
Tagged almond, kale, salad
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November 10, 2014

Almond Crusted Chicken Bites – The Secret Recipe Club

It’s time for my reveal for this month’s Secret Recipe Club! This month, I was assigned Sid’s Sea Palm Cooking. I was Sid’s assignment a couple months ago (she made my recipe for crispy edamame) and was impressed with how many dinner parties she throws! I would love to drop in for one of her tapas nights! I was inspired by tapas and chose her recipe for Almond Chicken Fingers. I cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces instead of strips, and made them more kid-friendly. Both my kids gobbled them up…after dipping them in honey-mustard.

I have to apologize for my picture..darn daylight savings time!

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup almond flour

1/3 cup panko bread crumbs

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a wire rack on top.

In a medium bowl, combine the almond flour, bread crumbs, paprika, and salt. Dip the chicken pieces into the melted butter and then coat with the dry mixture. Place on the rack and continue until all pieces have been coated. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the chicken is completely cooked through. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

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