Mango salad

Angela Mendes Salads

Mango Salad

 

mango salad
Inspired by one of my favorite Thai restaurants in the city, I have been playing with this recipe for a while. Some Thai restaurants use green/unripe mangoes for this salad.  I personally prefer the sweet taste of a ripe but firm mango.

This recipe offers a pleasant balance of sweetness, spicy and acidity that is unique to the taste buds. It has a pleasing range of  textures – the softness of the mango contrasts with the crunchiness  from the peppers and the cashew nuts. It is full of aromas and colors. This salad satisfies all our senses.

During the summer, we often prepare grilled shrimp or chicken kabobs to accompany this salad, along with a good glass of a refreshing white or rose wine.

Substitute and/or adjust the amounts of the ingredients to suit your taste, or add your favorites too… such as shallots, grated carrots.

TIP: Fresh ginger root has a limited shelf live at room temperature or when stored it in the refrigerator. This is especially true if you have cut it or grated part of it already. By the time you go to use it again, it has gone bad. To preserve your fresh ginger, try freezing it instead. Freezing ginger keeps it in great shape and it makes it even easier to grate later on a Microplane. I rarely peel ginger even when I use it fresh.

Mango Salad

  • Servings: 2
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

Mango salad with grilled shrimps.

Ingredients

  • 1 mango (a ripe but firm mango)
  • ½ sweet red pepper
  • 3 Tbsp chopped cilantro (if you don’t like cilantro you can use green onions)
  • a handful of cashew nuts
  • 1 Tbsp soy sauce low sodium or tamari sauce
  • 2 Tbsp orange juice
  • 2 Tbsp lime juice
  • 2 tsp fish sauce
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp fresh or frozen ground ginger (packed)
  • ½ tsp Thai red curry paste (or to taste)
  • Mixed baby greens

Directions

Dressing:

  1. Whisk soy sauce, orange juice, fish sauce, sesame oil, ground ginger and Thai red curry paste until all ingredients are incorporated and you can no longer see the red curry paste. Reserve.

Salad:

  1. On a skillet over medium heat, toast your cashew nuts until fragrant and golden (about 5 minutes). Set aside and allow it to cool.
  2. Peel, pit and thinly slice the mango lengthwise.
  3. Seed, core and thinly slice red pepper.
  4. Thinly chop the cilantro.
  5. Combine the above ingredients in a large bowl.
  6. Add salad dressing and cashews (reserving a few for garnishing) and gently toss until mixed.
  7. Serve it on a bed baby greens and garnish with a few sprigs of cilantro and cashews.

 

Curious about mango nutritional value?

AM, foods&foodies, 2017

 

 

 

Mango chia pudding

Angela Mendes Desserts, Snacks

mango chia pudding

Mango Chia Pudding

 

There are so many chia seeds pudding recipes online. Yes, this is another one, but it is so yummy, filling and healthy that I could not stop myself from sharing it. I often have it as an afternoon snack but it can easily make part of a healthy breakfast.

Once you get the ratio of chia seeds to liquid right, you can customize this recipe to your taste using your favorite fruits. The possibilities are endless… I have prepared chia pudding with berries, peaches, and cacao.

If you prefer a smoother version you can blend the chia seeds with the mango, but the unblended version is surprisingly delicious and visually interesting.

Mango chia pudding
 
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Prep time
Total time
 
Recipe type: Snack, breakfast, dessert
Serves: 6 servings
Ingredients
  • 2 cups fresh mango cut in cubes
  • 1 ¼ cups almond, coconut or hemp milk
  • 2 Tbsp of honey (or a sweetener of your choice)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • ⅓ cup chia seeds
Instructions
  1. Blend the mango with all wet ingredients until creamy.
  2. Pour the mixture into a serving container and add the chia seeds. Mix well.
  3. Refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours or until it has achieved a pudding like consistency. Serve chilled.
Notes
Toppings: fresh chopped fruits, chopped mint leaves, chopped nuts, granola

For an extra mango flavor and visual interest, alternate layers of the mango chia pudding with a mango sauce into a serving dish.
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 1 serving, Calories: 121 kCal, Fat: 4 g, Carbohydrates: 21 g, Sodium: 37 mg, Fiber: 5 g, Protein: 2 g

Do you know the benefits of chia and mango for your health. Check it out!

 

Chia Seeds

Angela Mendes Foods

chia seeds

Chia seeds

Chia, aka Salvia hispanica, is a member of the mint family and is primarily grown for its seeds.1 Chia seeds have a mild and nutty flavor and can be found in different colors – black, grey, white, or grey or white spotted with black. This variation in color does not affect the nutritional value of the seeds and is only important aesthetically as some foods may look better when prepared with lighter colored chia seeds.

Differences in the environment, climate changes, availability of nutrients in the soil, the stage of the plant itself and/or year of cultivation can play a crucial role to variations in the nutritional compounds of the chia seeds.1

Chia nutrition:

Chia is packed with alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), an omega-3 fatty acid, which can be converted in our bodies into the eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). EPA and DHA can affect various aspects of cardiovascular function including inflammation, peripheral arterial disease, major coronary events, and anticoagulation.2 EPA and DHA are present in cell membranes and influence their viscosity.2 Both EPA and DHA are critical for proper fetal development and healthy aging. DHA is a key constituent of all cell membranes, the brain and the retina.2

Studies on the metabolism of ALA in the human body indicate that in healthy young men only about 8% of dietary ALA is converted to EPA and 0 to 4% is converted to DHA. In healthy young women, approximately 21% of dietary ALA is converted to EPA and 9% into DHA. This better conversion of ALA to these essential omega-3 fatty acids in women may be associated with the effects of estrogen on women’s bodies. Besides gender differences, genetic variability also plays an important factor on how humans metabolize ALA.3

Chia has all the nine essential amino acids that our bodies either cannot make at all or cannot make in sufficient amounts to meet our needs, making it a high-quality protein.4

Chia is also an excellent source of fiber, containing both soluble and insoluble fiber.5 When soaked into a liquid, these hydrophilic seeds can absorb about ten times their weight in water, forming a mucilaginous gel around the seeds.5 In addition, chia seeds also contain calcium, phosphorus, manganese and antioxidants.4

Chia seeds do not need to be ground for the nutrients to be absorbed.

Curiosity:

Eggs from hens fed with chia have higher ALA content than to hens fed with flaxseed.6 Flaxseeds are often used to feed animals as they are cheaper and are easily available.7

Health benefits:

Emerging evidence suggests that chia may:

  • assist in prolonging satiety 8
  • reduce blood pressure 9
  • attenuate postprandial glycemia 8,10
  • reduce the risk of atherosclerosis, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease due to its high ALA content 11
  • contribute to strong bones with calcium, phosphorus, manganese 4

but, further studies are needed to better clarify the potential benefits of chia to sustain and improve health.

How to incorporate chia to your diet?

  • as healthy topping – toss the seeds to your salad, oatmeal, tomato sauce, yogurt and why not your ice cream. I also add it to homemade bread and granola.
  • the gelling capability of chia seeds makes it a great addition to smoothies
  • use it as the thickening agent for a pudding (either use the whole seeds or grind them in a food processor or blender for a smooth and creamy texture)
  • use it as an egg substitute in vegan baking – the chia gel acts as an excellent binder but unlike eggs will not help a recipe to rise.
  • up to 25% of oil or egg in cake recipes can be replaced with chia gel without affecting weight, volume, or taste of the final product.12
  • add chia into your favorite dishes, such as, cereals, smoothies, yogurt, juices, cakes, soups, sauces, salads, and dressings. The possibilities are endless.


(more…)

Sugar bitter-sweet sugar

Angela Mendes Foods
A selection of sugars: coconut sugar, raw honey, Demerara, maple syrup, white sugar and agave nectar
A selection of sugars: coconut sugar, raw honey, Demerara, maple syrup, white sugar, and agave nectar

Sugar bitter-sweet sugar

It is common to have friends talking about foods with me and willing to pick my brain about nutrition. Yes, they want to learn the facts and learn about the best practices and the current scientific evidence so they can make sense of claims made by so many products, fad diets and the superfood of the day.

A few weeks ago, after reading a brief article on a health newsletter, one of my friends sent me a message inquiring:  “Honey – is it bad? and what is all this fuss about sugar?”.   I had to give him some extra information about sugars so he could make sense of the current sugar debate and why this is an important issue. This was my answer, i.e. my longer answer via a blog post:

Sugars are substances that occur naturally in many foods (fruits, vegetables, milk, grains). Sugars can also be removed from their original sources, transformed into free sugars, which can be added to other foods to promote sweetness or to preserve them.

Foods containing natural sugars such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains and dairy provide carbohydrates and also other important nutrients like protein, vitamins, minerals and fiber. Fibers and proteins offer extra benefits to us as they take longer to be digested and absorbed, provide greater satiety, and promote a steady release of sugar in the blood. In addition, many of these foods also have powerful phytochemicals (more on this topic on another post).

Answering your question, sugars like honey, maple syrup and raw sugar may be considered more ‘natural’, but they are not necessarily healthier than other types of added sugar and are equally caloric gram per gram. When I consume added sugars, I do prefer these more natural sources of sugars as they have some minerals not present in refined white sugar.

The problem is that added sugars (or free sugars) are digested and absorbed very fast and can lead to a myriad of healthy problems if consumed in excess (dental cavities, diabetes, obesity, high triglycerides, heart problems, high blood pressure and some cancers among others). Hidden sources of added sugars are present in many processed foods such as breakfast cereals, condiments, sauces, salad dressings, frozen meals, ketchup, cereal bars, flavored yogurt, baked goods, candies, soft drinks, fruit drinks, sport drinks, energy drinks, coffee drinks, ice cream and so many other foods. Compared with whole foods containing natural sugars, most highly processed foods are often less nutritious or are not nutritious at all, providing only calories and often in excess.

One of the big challenges surrounding the sugar debate is that the Nutrition Facts labels (located at the back of processed and prepackaged foods) do not differentiate whether the sugars are coming from natural or from added sources. So, in order to make healthier choices, we need to check the ingredients’ list when buying these foods. If any of the sugars listed below are among the first cited ingredients, this is a good indication where the majority of the sugar in those food are coming from.

Names used to indicate added sugars included on prepackaged food labels (this is only a subset, there are about 50+ ways of saying sugar on a food label):

agave brown sugar cane juice
corn syrup demerara dextrose or dextrin
fructose (fruit sugar)  fruit juice or concentrate galactose
glucose glucose-fructose high fructose corn syrup
honey icing sugar invert sugar
liquid sugar maltodextrin maltose
malt syrup maple syrup molasses
nectar  raw sugar  sucrose
 treacle white sugar turbinado sugar

The World Health Organization (WHO) has been encouraging a reduction of free sugars to below 5% (about 6 teaspoons) of total energy intake per day, and this is my preferred recommendation when I think about sugar. Current nutrition recommendations in Canada encourage to limit the intake of added sugars to below 10% of total energy intake (the double of the recommendation of the WHO!!!). For instance, if a person consumes an average of 2,000 calories a day, this would translate to a maximum of 200 calories from added sugars a day (approximately 12 teaspoons). This sugar allowance is almost used up by many individuals as they consume a single can of soda (~10 teaspoons of added sugar!!!). For every 1 tablespoon of ketchup we consume, there is 1 teaspoon of added sugar (4 grams of sugar and about 16 calories), and a can of tomato soup can have more than seven teaspoons. There are so many hidden sources of added sugar in highly processed foods. If we choose to consume mostly these  foods the amount of sugar can skyrocket well above the recommendations.

proposed changes on nutrition facts table related to sugars
Image by Government of Canada 
Sources of all added sugar will be listed together inside parentheses.
Image by Government of Canada 

Even though a recent proposal to declare the amount of added sugars in the Nutrition Facts table was popular among Canadian consumers and various health stakeholders (health professionals, non-government organizations s and provincial and territorial governments) the food industry won the battle again.

Changes in the Nutrition Facts label in Canada will display the percent daily value (% DV) for sugars of a given food, and a footnote at the bottom of the table that lets Canadians know that: 5% DV or less is a little and 15% DV or more is a lot. In addition, all ingredients that are sugar-based will be grouped into parentheses after the common name “sugars” (previously this information was scattered throughout the food’s ingredients on the label). The food industry has until 2021 to make these changes and other proposed changes, note that I am only touching on the issue of sugars. Unfortunately consumers will not know how much unnecessary added sugar they are eating as this information will not be clearly discriminated on the Nutrition Facts label. Such information could empower us all to make informed choices that in turn could greatly benefit our health.

To conclude, it is not a matter of being bad or good. Moderation is key as everything in life. While avoiding free sugars would be ideal, if you cannot resist it (and sometimes I need some added sugar too) just use our best judgement, try not to overdo and enjoy it!

Cheers.

AM, 2017

– – – – – – – – –

Sources:

– Added Sugars; Healthy Eating Tips (Dietitians of Canada)

– Proposed food label changes to sugars information (Health Canada)

– Sugar’s on the food label, but you’ll have to guess how much has been ‘added’ (CBC News, Health)

– Sugars Position Statement (Canadian Diabetes Association)

– The Secrets of Sugar (The Fifty Estate, CBC News)

Santiago de Compostela

Angela Mendes Destinations

Santiago de Compostela

 

Santiago de Compostela is the capital of the Galicia Region and located in the North-West of the Iberian Peninsula. Santiago’s historic centre has been designated a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO.

Santiago’s architectonic style is unique (Romanesque, Spanish Baroque and Gothic styles among others) and is considered one of Spain’s most monumental towns. Besides the architectural richness of its monuments and the beauty of its narrow medieval streets, Santiago is full of life not only with its natural inhabitants but also a with large number of universities students who guarantee youthful ambiance in between its historical walls, numerous pilgrims who have completed the ‘Camino de Santiago’ (St. James’s Way), and those who come to visit the city. Santiago was one of our destinations during a trip to the Iberian Peninsula a few years ago. This was an inspiring place to visit that brought special memories and a promise that we would get back.

The region’s cuisine is of great reputation and well-known for its quality seafood and meats among other specialties. We got totally hooked into several dishes from this region.

 

Food culture – freshness at its best:

 

If you enjoy good food like we do, you will not be bored in Santiago de Compostela. Gastronomy is an important part of this city’s identity and way of life. The restaurants, bars and taverns in Santiago offer excellent value for the money. Like other places in Spain, dishes are often made with fresh local produce and you can easily find quality cuisine to suit your pocket. For under € 10, you can enjoy a set menu or a few tapas accompanied by a local drink. For about € 30, delicacies of the region such as Galician beef or an endless list of fresh shellfish can be the stars on your plate.
Various dishes on a banner: gulas tapa, octopus pintxos, Pulpo a Galega,mariscada, pimientos de Padron, tarta de Santiago and queimada
In the heart of the old quarter, almost all the doorways lead to restaurants and bars with windows displaying an amazing variety of typical dishes and produce. Besides tapas, ‘raciones’ (portions) and ‘pinchos’ (tapas on bread), you can also find places offering more elaborate Galician specialities and of course a few international dishes to accommodate picky eaters.

If you are a meat lover you need to plan a meal at a ‘churrasquería’. Most of the ‘churrasquerías’ are located on the outskirts of the older quarter and they serve prime quality flame-grilled Galician meats, including a variety of cuts of meats and steaks and artisanal ‘chorizo’ sausages. These establishments are often busy during the weekends so plan ahead of time and check if reservations are accepted.

For seafood lovers, the ‘Pulpo Gallego’ (Galicia Style Octopus) is a must, but the wide variety of fish and other seafood deserve special mention due to Santiago’s proximity to this segment of cold waters in the Atlantic Ocean. Thus make sure you have a good ‘mariscada’ (seafood plate) before leaving Santiago. ‘Mariscadas’ are craftily piled with catches of the season such as mussels, scallops, clams, prawns/shrimps, a variety of crabs, oysters, and lobster… washed down with local white wines of Galicia such as ‘Albariño’ or ‘Ribeira’ (You can easily find these varietals at the LCBO). The variety presented on these bountiful plates varies from day to day as they will offer whatever is fresh at the market on that day. For a smaller bite, you can order ‘Mariscos a la Plancha’, in which shellfish is simply seared with a bit of olive oil and salt, and served with lemon wedges.

You can also taste other local specialties such as ‘pimientos de Padrón’ (shishito peppers fried in olive oil), ’empanadas’, special cheeses such as ‘Tetilla’, ‘tarta de Santiago’ (almond cake), ‘arroz con mariscos’ (a creamy dish of shellfish, rice and local spices) and so many others. Enjoy a visit to local markets to be overwhelmed with the richness of fresh foods… markets are an excellent place to eat the freshest traditional foods at a good price and to better understand the locals’ way of life. I often ask for advice on our gastronomic trips to local foodies who are savoring local dishes and they have a very positive attitude recommending their favorite dishes… this is a great opportunity to experiment new aromas, flavors, and textures… and who knows, making new friends.

And if you are planning a day trip outside of Santiago de Compostela, small towns all over the Galician region offer amazingly delicious street foods in their plazas on certain days of the week. You can find large copper pots bubbling with purple octopus tentacles. Once cooked the tentacles are cut with scissors into generous bite sized pieces and served onto a wooden plate layered over sliced boiled potatoes and drenched in olive oil and a touch of spicy smoked paprika.

N.B.:
If you are travelling to Santiago during cold months you must try ‘Queimada’, also known as the Galician Fire Drink, after your dinner. ‘Queimada’ is  a hot drink made with a Spanish liquor named Orujo (made of fermented and distilled grapes) with lemon rind, cinnamon, coffee beans and sugar and shared by friends and families. The liquid is set in flames, and slowly burns as more Orujo is added. We enjoyed this drink on a Galician taverna in Madrid.

AM, food&foodies, 2017

Almond Cake (Tarta de Santiago)

Angela Mendes Desserts

Almond cake, also known as Tarta de Santiago

Almond Cake – Tarta de Santiago

 

This almond cake known as ‘tarta de Santiago’ is a traditional recipe from the Galicia region of Spain. You can easily find it in the windows of pastry shops and restaurants in Santiago de Compostela, La Coruña, Pontevedra, Vigo or other Galician cities.

Galicians traditionally decorate the top of their ‘tarta de Santiago’ with dusted confectionary sugar and use a paper template with the shape of the Saint James’ cross (cruz de Santiago) which is removed carefully. The imprint silhouette brings visual interest displaying the golden color of this tasty and aromatic cake.

This cake is a great option for an afternoon tea with family and/or friends served with tea, coffee or a caffè latte, or at the end of a meal with a dessert wine. This is also a great option for individuals with Celiac disease and individuals with gluten sensitivity as none of the components on this recipe contain gluten.

Enjoy!

TIP: If you have leftovers, it freezes quite well so I often freeze a few slices into separate pieces of aluminum paper and defrost it in the fridge the day before or a few hours before consuming it.

Ingredients:

  • 300 g of ground almonds *
  • 250 g of sugar
  • 5 eggs
  • ½ tsp of cinnamon
  • Grated zest of an orange or lemon
  • Confectioners’ sugar for dusting
  • Butter or another fat of your preference to grease the baking pan

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 175º C or 350º F
  2. Grease a springform pan with the fat of your preference
  3. In a bowl mix all of the dry ingredients (ground almonds, sugar, cinnamon and the grated zest of your choice)
  4. Slightly beat the whole eggs then mix the dry ingredients mixture incorporating all ingredients into a cake batter
  5. Pour in the cake batter, and bake into a preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until it feels firm to the touch and the surface is toasted and golden. Let the cake to cool before turning out.
  6. Before serving, lightly dust the top of the cake with confectioners’ sugar.

 

a slice of tarta de Santiago

Variations:

  • Add 1/2 tsp almond extract or 1 tbsp of Amaretto to the beaten eggs for a stronger almond taste
  • Gató d’Ametla, a version of this cake prepared in Majorca, is flavored with a few drops of vanilla extract in addition to lemon zest and cinnamon
  • In Navarre, the cake is covered with apricot jam

* Notes:

Making your own ground almonds greatly reduces the cost of this recipe! Simply add 1 cup of almonds at a time into a food processor or a blender and grind it until it reaches a fluffy flour like consistency. Do not over process it or you will end up with almond butter.

Almond Cookies

Angela Mendes Recipes, Snacks

Almond Cookies

 

Almond Cookies
Almond Cookies

These cookies are really easy to make and are a good option as a healthy sweet snack. It is one of my favorites recipes for cookie swaps, a housewarming treat for friends or to make your house to smell like heaven.

Almond cookies ingredients
Almond cookies ingredients

 

Mixed ingredients
Mixed ingredients

 

Pre-baked cookies
Pre-baked almond cookies

A good way to personalize and/or enhance the taste of this recipe is by adding/substituting a particular ingredient. Depending on the day, I use less sugar than recommended below. I have also prepared it varying the flavor profile by substituting and/or adding a different flavoring agent such as cinnamon, or finely grated orange or lemon rind (similar amount as the vanilla extract). My next trial will be the inclusion of cacao powder and cacao nibs.

Almond cookies
Almond cookies

5.0 from 1 reviews
Almond Cookies
 
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Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Recipe type: Snacks
Serves: 30 cookies
Ingredients
  • 1 egg white
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • ¼ tsp vanilla extact
  • 1 ½ cups sliced almonds
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F or 180°C
  2. In a bowl, mix well the egg white with sugar and your flavouring agent
  3. Add the almonds and mix well ensuring all the slices have been covered
  4. Place a small mound of this mixture on a parchment lined baking sheet by using a small cookie scoop or a with a spoon
  5. Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes or until lightly golden
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 1 unit Calories: 36 kcal, Fat: 2.5 g, Carbohydrates: 2.7 g, Sodium: 3.2 mg, Fiber: 0.5 g, Protein: 1.2 g

 

 

Learn more about the healthy benefits of almonds

Rosemary Roasted Almonds

Angela Mendes Recipes, Snacks

Ingredients for rosemary roasted almond

Rosemary roasted almonds

 

Almonds are an energy dense food, packed with good nutrients but also calories.  This almonds are great as a afternoon snack but hey need to be eaten instead of another snack, not in addition to it. As an added bonus, almonds do not seem to contribute to increased weight gain as they promote satiety. To stick to the recommended serving size, portion out your almonds in small containers or plastic bags, or place them on a small dish prior eating.

 

Rosemary Roasted Almonds
 
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Prep time
Total time
 
Recipe type: Snack
Serves: 2 cups
Ingredients
  • 1 tbsp of finely chopped fresh rosemary
  • 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
  • ¾ tsp of kosher salt
  • 1 tsp of chili powder or hot paprika
  • dash of ground pepper
  • 2 cups of unbleached raw almonds
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 325°F or 165°C
  2. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and toss to coat.
  3. Arrange the nut mixture in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment paper.
  4. Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly toasted.
  5. Cool at room temperature.
  6. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 25 almonds, Calories: 124 kCal, Fat: 11 g, Carbohydrates: 5 g, Sodium: 176 mg, Fiber: 3, Protein: 4 g

individual and party servings

Almonds

Angela Mendes Foods

raw almonds

Almonds

 

Almonds are a good source of protein, fiber, vitamin E, biotin, magnesium and calcium. They also contain vitamins B1, B2, and B6, folate, phosphorus, iron, zinc, copper, and manganese.

Like olives and olive oil, almonds are rich in monounsaturated fats (MUFAs), a type of fat regularly consumed in the Mediterranean diet. Eaten in moderation, MUFAs are well-known for their beneficial effects on heart health.

Two prominent studies that analysed the inclusion of nuts as a component of a healthy diet pointed out a 30% reduction in risk of heart disease and a 52% reduction in risk of diabetes on participants that consumed their daily serving of almonds or mixed nuts (walnuts, hazelnuts and almonds)1 ; and a reduction of 20% or more in LDL cholesterol in 6 months, a reduction in blood pressure and in C-reactive protein2. Participants on both studies consumed about 30 grams of almonds or mixed nuts per day.

It is important to remember that nuts are packed with good nutrients but also calories, thus they need to be eaten instead of another snack, not in addition to it. As an added bonus, almonds do not seem to contribute to increased weight gain as they promote satiety. To stick to the recommended serving size, portion out your almonds in small containers or plastic bags, or place them on a small dish prior eating.

Other associated health benefits of consuming almonds include:

– Unbleached raw almonds contain phytochemicals that are associated with cardiovascular protection and protection against some types of cancer.

– Almonds can be helpful for persons who do not consume dairy products to support bone health as they are a good source of calcium.

– Almonds contain vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant, that can help to protect the skin from damage from free radicals. Fatty acids in almonds can also maintain/improve skin elasticity.

In addition to be eaten raw as one of your snacks, almonds are a tasty addition to a variety of recipes. How to incorporate almonds into your diet:

  • sprinkle chopped almonds on your yogurt, oatmeal, cereal
  • toss almond into salads, stir-fry or rice dish for added crunch
  • spread almond butter to your toast
  • use almond meal or almond flour in place of flour when baking
  • incorporate almond butter to a smoothie
  • add almonds to trail mix
  • coat fish, meats or vegetarian patties with crushed almonds or other nuts
  • eat it in combination with a fruit
  • savor a glass of almond milk or use it as a dairy substitute

Some believe that nutrients in almonds are best absorbed after soaked overnight for 8 to 10 hours before being consumed ‒ a process is known as sprouting. After soaking, drain and rinse them well. Keep sprouted almonds in an airtight in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. This process can be used prior preparing your own almond milk too.

How to make nuts flour, butter and milk

You will need a power blender to transform nuts into a variety of products that can be used for breakfast, baking and beyond.

Flour: 

Almond flour is popular in gluten-free baking and many pastries. Run raw whole almonds on high-speed for about 10 seconds. Use the tamper to move any stubborn nuts if needed.

Hazelnuts and cashews also make delicious flours.

Butter:

Turn peanuts and nuts into smooth butter in minutes. First you need to roast them for maximum flavour. Then, place the nuts into the blender bowl and gradually increase the speed until you reach high. Use the tamper to push them down if necessary. Once the machine goes from a high to a low-pitch sound, it is ready. Store in an airtight jar.

Milk:

You do not need to be vegan or lactose intolerant to enjoy nut milk. They are delicious. Beyond almonds, experiments with cashews, pistachios and hemp seeds.

Soak whole raw nuts (no need to soak hemp seeds) in cold water overnight or for 8 hours. Drain. For every 1 cup (250 mL) of nuts, blend with 4 cups (1 L) of hot water until smooth. Strain through cheesecloth or through nut milk bags (found in healthy food stores). Add a pinch of salt and sweeten to taste.

Do not discard the pulp as it still have nutrients and fiber after the milk has been extracted. add it to breads, cakes, pie crust, and burgers.

You can also dehydrate the pulp by lightly baking pulp until dry. It can be used in any recipe that calls for almond flour. Once dry reprocess the flour to eliminate any lumps. Store in an airtight jar. You may find it has a less intense almond  flavor .

 

Sources:

  1. Nuts, almonds, dried, blanched, unroasted – Canadian Nutrient File
  2. Estruch R, Ros E, Salas-Salvado J, et al. Primary prevention of cardiovascular disease with a Mediterranean diet. New Engl J Med. 2013;368(14):1279–1290.
  3. Jenkins DJA, Jones PJH, Lamarche B, Kendall CWC, et al. Effect of a Dietary Portfolio of cholesterol-lowering foods given at 2 levels of intensity of dietary advice on serum lipids in hyperlipidemia – a randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 2011;306(8):831-839. doi:10.1001/jama.2011.1202

Recipes:

Almond Cake (Tarta de Santiago)

Almond Cookies

Rosemary Roasted Almonds

If you have other suggestions of how to incorporate almonds into a healthy diet or recipes you would like to share, please leave your comment 😉

Cheers.