A Day of Healthy, Honey Roasted Almond Recipes

This post is sponsored by Blue Diamond Almonds. All opinions are my own!

I thought it would be interesting to take a whole different spin on What I Ate Wednesday this week.

Over the course of the summer, I have been partnering with my friends at Blue Diamond to create new recipes. This month focused on their new Honey Roasted line using Honey Roasted Vanilla and Honey Roasted Chipotle almond flavors.

Let me just preface the recipes by mentioning I could have easily consumed all of the almonds on their own, straight from the jar. In fact, I had to pry one of them away from my husband before he ate too many!

Both flavors came already delicious and rich in flavor, but just for fun I wanted to test them out on a day’s worth of new recipes.

Here is a breakdown of what yesterday’s eats looked like!

>> for breakfast: Honey Roasted Vanilla Granola

Meant to enjoy on it’s own, topped in fresh fruit, and/or drizzled with milk to make granola cereal.

Ingredients

4 cups rolled oats

1 cup sliced honey roasted vanilla almonds

1 cup raw unsalted sunflower seeds

1/4 cup canola oil

1/2 cup coconut flakes

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup honey (or agave nectar)

1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon

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servings: 16 1/2 cup servings

prep + cook time: 35 minutes

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Place almonds in a food processor (or blender) and process until finely ground. Add honey, vanilla, and process until mixture is smooth to pour.

3. Place oats in a large mixing bowl. Add sunflower seeds, coconut flakes, and cinnamon. Pour in almond mixture.

4. Add canola oil and mix well.

5. Spread on a baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring every 10 minutes.

>> for lunch: Berry Almond Chicken Salad

A sweet and fruity spin on the regular chicken salad.

Ingredients

organic romaine lettuce

diced chicken

strawberries

blueberries

sliced honey roasted vanilla almonds

diced red onions

blue cheese crumbles

balsamic vinegar and oil for dressing

>> for a snack: Veggie Almond Snack Plate

A nutritious snack for after school, work, or while you are preparing dinner.

Ingredients

sliced red peppers

sliced green peppers

baby carrots

honey roasted chipotle almonds

hummus

>> for dinner: Honey Roasted Almond Chicken Fingers (via Eating Well)

The healthy alternative to fried chicken! I absolutely loved these.

Ingredients

I altered their ingredient amounts to make more servings.

canola oil cooking spray

3/4 cup sliced honey roasted chipotle almonds

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

2 tsp. paprika

3/4 tsp. garlic powder

3/4 tsp. yellow mustard powder

3/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

3/4 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

6 egg whites

1.5 lbs. chicken tenders

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servings: 4-6

prep + cook time: 40 minutes

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 475°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Set a wire rack on the baking sheet and coat it with cooking spray.

2. Place almonds, flour, paprika, garlic powder, dry mustard, salt, and pepper in a food processor; process until the almonds are finely chopped and the paprika is mixed throughout, about 1 minute. (I used a blender.) With the motor running (if using a processor), drizzle in oil; process until combined. Transfer the mixture to a shallow dish.

3. Whisk egg whites in a second shallow dish. Add chicken tenders and turn to coat. Transfer each tender to the almond mixture; turn to coat evenly. (Discard any remaining egg white and almond mixture.) Place the tenders on the prepared rack and coat with cooking spray. Turn and spray the other side.

4. Bake the chicken until is golden brown, crispy and no longer pink in the center, 20 to 25 minutes.

After sneaking one in while peeking to make sure they were done, I grabbed two more and completed my dinner plate with a couple of servings of colorful veggies.

Hope you enjoy!

Question of the Day

• What is one of your favorite ways to eat or cook with almonds?

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