Volume 12, Issue 074 - April 12, 2007

Greetings Chef,

Almond Usage:

Whole natural almonds: This form is versatile, and is suitable for all-around use.

• Try it in cocktail mixes, such as Sweet ‘N Spicy Almonds. This recipe uses a technique in which egg whites are whisked and combined with seasonings; the almonds are then coated with this mixture, laid out on a baking sheet and baked until crispy. Other techniques include coating the almonds in simple syrup and seasonings, and then baking them; or sautéing them with seasonings in a touch of oil or butter.
• Serve roasted whole natural almonds and dried fruit with cheese as a pre- or post-dinner snack.

Whole blanched almonds: This form works well as an attractive garnish, either as is or roasted to bring out its flavor and color. It's beautiful for color contrast on cakes, cookies and other sweets, or it can easily be ground for pastes or for thickening.

• Grind them in a blender or food processor as part of soups, sauces or vinaigrettes to add body and nutrition.
• Place them on top of sugar cookies just before baking -- either one by itself, or two in the shape of a heart, or five in the shape of a star.

Sliced natural almonds: This form is well-suited for fruit salad, green salad, in hot or cold vegetables, in granola and in soup.

• Try a creamy vegetable soup with a sprinkle of roasted, sliced natural almonds for crunch and flavor.
• Or make a granola by bringing a touch of butter to a simmer and steeping it with some orange zest; then stir in sliced natural almonds, oatmeal, and dried cherries. Spread it on a baking sheet and bake.

Sliced blanched almonds: This form is attractive on decorated frosted desserts or as sprinkled on muffins or other pastries before they're baked.

• Make a spinach salad containing sliced blanched almonds, orange segments and red onion.
• Spread celery sticks with flavored cream cheese, and sprinkle some sliced blanched almonds on top for extra flavor and an additional layer of crunch.

Slivered blanched almonds: For stir-fries and grain dishes, this form holds its shape without breaking, to give some nice crunch and flavor.

• For one-pan meal preparation, try roasting slivered blanched almonds in a dry wok. Then dump them into a saucer, and stir-fry some meat, vegetables and sauce in the wok. Return the almonds to the pan and stir before serving.
• Try slivered blanched almonds in a rice pilaf or in couscous, with small-diced zucchini, red bell pepper and feta cheese.
• Top baked chicken breasts with sautéed mushrooms and a sprinkle of slivered blanched almonds.

Source: Almond Board of California

BulkFoods.com Spices, Nuts, Chocolates, French Sea Salt, Candy, Dried Fruits, Trail Mixes and Baking Ingredients.

Almond Hummus with Vegetable Slaw and Almond Flatbread

Makes 12 servings

Ingredients:

Almond Hummus:
Makes 6 cups

2 pounds, 13 ounces cooked chickpeas
1 1/2 cups roasted almond butter
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 1/2 ounces garlic, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1/2 tablespoon red pepper flakes
3/4 cup water

Vegetable Slaw:
Makes 6 cups

9 ounces broccoli stems, peeled and julienned
9 ounces zucchini, julienned
4 1/2 ounces celery, julienned
4 1/2 ounces red onions, thinly sliced
3 ounces red bell peppers, julienned
3 ounces toasted slivered almonds
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped mint
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
salt and pepper, as needed

Almond Flatbread:
Makes 6 flatbreads

6 ounces all-purpose flour
6 1/2 ounces whole wheat flour
2 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 tablespoon dry yeast
1 1/8 cups lukewarm water
1 1/2 ounces ground toasted almonds

Preparation:

Almond Hummus:

In food processor, purée all ingredients except water until smooth. Add water, process until blended. Refrigerate, covered.

Vegetable Slaw:

In large bowl, toss together broccoli, zucchini, celery, onions, bell peppers and almonds. In small bowl, whisk together oil, lemon juice, parsley, mint and lemon zest. Pour over vegetable mixture; toss gently to coat. Season with salt and pepper.

Almond Flatbread:

In mixer bowl, stir together 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, 3/4 cup whole wheat flour, salt and yeast. Add water; mix at low speed with paddle for 2 minutes. Add remaining whole wheat flour; mix at medium speed until blended. Add remaining all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until soft dough forms. (You may not need to add all the all-purpose flour; dough should be soft but not sticky.)

With dough hook, knead dough at medium speed for about 8 minutes or until elastic. Form dough into ball and place in lightly oiled bowl, turning to coat. Cover with plastic wrap; let rise in warm place until doubled in bulk. Remove plastic; punch down dough with your fist. Cover and let rise 30 minutes more.

Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Divide dough into 6 pieces; form each piece into a ball. Cover with a towel and let rest for 5 minutes. Roll 1 piece of dough as thin as possible. With your hands, lift and stretch dough as thin as you can without tearing, rotating dough as you work, until round is about 8 inches in diameter. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon almonds, pressing them in gently. Repeat with remaining dough to make 6 rounds. Place rounds on baking sheets; bake for about 10 minutes or until brown in spots. Cool on rack.

For each serving, to order:

With 2 large spoons, form 1/2 cup Almond Hummus into egg shape and place on one side of plate. Mound 1/2 cup Vegetable Slaw on opposite side of plate. Break 1/2 Almond Flatbread into 3 pieces; stick pieces into hummus.

Source: Almond Board of California

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More Ideas for Using Almonds:

Diced natural almonds: This form works well for stuffings and coatings. Many bread bakers include it in their whole grain bread dough.

• Coat fish fillets with milk, then with a mixture of diced natural almonds and Italian bread crumbs before baking.
• Stir diced natural almonds into whisked egg before making an omelet, for extra texture and nutrition.

Diced blanched almonds: This form works well for stuffings and coatings when a light, delicate appearance is needed.

• Press diced natural almonds around the sides of a cake, for a homey, crunchy rim.
• Include diced blanched almonds in pancake batter, and serve the pancakes with fruit such as peaches or raspberries.

Ground blanched almonds: This form works well for coatings, too, or to make almond butter or marzipan. Almond cake recipes include this form as "almond flour."

• To make almond butter, place 3/4 cup ground blanched almonds in a blender or food processor, and add 1/8 teaspoon salt; pour in 3 tablespoons almond or vegetable oil in a slow, steady stream, blending until the mixture comes together.

Almond milk: Found in a box near the soymilk at the supermarket, this form is delicious in coffee or in smoothies. Some pastry chefs sweeten it and make almond milk sherbet.

• Blend together almond milk, fruit and ice cubes or frozen yogurt to make a delicious smoothie.
• Make hot chocolate using almond milk instead of plain milk.

Green almonds: Available in limited supply in spring, green almonds are a true delicacy. These young, small, ivory almonds are still inside their fuzzy green hull.

• Cut the almond hull along the seam with a paring knife, and use the fresh, herbaceous-tasting nuts inside as part of a composed salad, or nibbled plain with a bit of sea salt.

Source: Almond Board of California

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Almond-Crusted Pork with Quick Cabbage and Pears

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 (2-ounce) bag ground almonds or 2/3 cup chopped whole natural almonds
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper
4 boneless pork chops (about 1 1/2 pounds total)
3 tablespoons almond or canola oil
2 Anjou pears, cored and sliced
2 cups shredded red cabbage or radicchio
1/4 cup chicken broth, wine white or water

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine almonds with thyme, salt and pepper in a shallow pan or bowl. Roll each pork chop in crumb mixture, coating all over. Heat oil in a large skillet, and add pork chops; fry on medium heat 5 minutes without touching. Turn, using tongs instead of a spatula to avoiding splattering oil. Cook for 5 more minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer to a lined baking sheet and place in oven to finish cooking, 10 to 20 minutes depending on thickness juices should run clear and no pink should remain.

Scrape brown bits from skillet and discard. Add pear slices and brown on medium heat. Lower heat to medium low and add cabbage and broth, wine or water. Cover and cook until cabbage wilts and pork chops are done. Serve pork chops on top of cabbage and pears.

Source: Almond Board of California