Almonds

This blog will be dedicated to the wonderful, versatile almond. Think about how many dishes you've had in your life with almonds in it. They are fantastic crunched over salads and fish. They are perfect in your pie crust, or on the outside of your favorite cake. They're even great as a snack! But there is one thing that many, many people don't understand about the almond - it's not a nut. Nope! It's actually a seed from a (you guessed it) almond tree. Besides the fact that it's versatile and it's not a nut, what makes it so healthy?
(picture taken from fitbuff.com)

Mono unsaturated fat: Almonds are known to be high in fat. "High in fat" are such ominous words, but clearly they are taken out of context. Almonds are known to be high in mono unsaturated fat, a.k.a. the good kind of fat. It's the same type of fat found in olive oil and it correlates to reducing the risk of heart disease. Five recent studies ran by the Nurses Health Study, the Iowa Health Study, the Adventist Health Study and the Physicians Health Study found that replacing a certain amount of carbohydrates in your diet with the same amount of almonds showed a reduction to heart disease.

A study in the British Journal of Nutrition found that adding almonds to your diet shows a positive affect in lowering your cholesterol level. The patients showed a signficant change in their cholesterol level after 2 weeks of faithfully incorporating almonds into their diets.
(info taken from: WHFoods)

A recent study in 2005 not only also showed a significant decrease in cholesterol levels, but it aided in blocking the body's absorption of fats and carbohydrates. This has many benefits in the prevention of diabetes and obesity. They believe almonds get this ability from their fiber structure, which reduces their numbers in calories, slows the body of absorbing carbohydrates, and aids in a slower rise of blood sugar.

(info taken from: SuperMarketGuru)

Vitamins and minerals: Almonds are heavy in Vitamin E and Vitamin B2 (also known as riboflavin). These both have antioxidant properties. Vitamin E has also been linked to help prevent prostate cancer, but that's an entirely different blog.

Just one quarter cup of almonds (about a handful) will give you nearly 25% of your daily value for magnesium. Magnesium works to help blood flow go smoothly. It breaks down oxygen and lets the body "breath" more efficiently. When your body is defficient in magnesium, the arteries will get clogged which leads to strokes and heart attacks. Getting the right amount of magnesium every day is pretty important.

Within that one quarter cup of almonds, you also get 275 mg of potassium. Potassium is an electrolyte that deal with nerve transmission and the contraction of muscles. (Whenever my eye twitches, I always say I need more potassium but I was just quoting a movie. Now I know why I say it...) These two benefits from potassium help maintain a normal blood pressure and heart function. It also helps that almonds have 0.3 mg of sodium.

Even the skin has healthful benefits. Research has identified 20 different flavonoids in the skin that react with Vitamin E, which basically doubles its antioxidant power. Jeffrey Blumberg, Ph.D., senior scientist and director of the Antioxidants Research Laboratory at Tufts University conducted an experiment where he measured cholesterol levels in his subjects. They ate almond skins and their level went down 18%, but eating the entire almond (incorporating the Vitamin E), their level dropped 52.5%. This shows the major impact of the double-teaming from the flavonoids and Vitamin E. (Info taken from WHFoods) This supports something I've always said, and I know I put it in this blog: The more natural it is, the better it is for you.

So, what interesting ways are almonds used?

- Massage therapists use it as an oil. The unsaturated fat in almonds are easily absorbed into the skin. Because of this, some say it brings a certain glow to the skin.
- Much like peanutbutter, there is an almond butter. Replace peanutbutter for almonds in the recipe, and there you have it! It's a good change for people who are allergic, or who enjoy a less salty taste.

- Another allergen plus with almonds is almond milk. It's not dairy and there is no soy.

- There is also almond syrup to replace maple syrup. Drizzle some over your pancakes! (I've never had this before.. I wonder if it's any good?)

A lot of cultures use almonds in their desserts more than anything else. I'll give you a dessert recipe, but I'll also give you a dinner recipe. Make a night out of almonds!

Almond Cake

Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup chopped sliced almonds, toasted and divided (about 2 ounces)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup fat-free milk
1/4 cup butter or stick margarine, melted
1/4 cup amaretto (almond-flavored liqueur)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
Cooking spray
Preparation: Preheat oven to 350°.
Lightly spoon the flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine flour, sugar, 1/4 cup almonds, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl; stir well with a whisk. Combine milk, butter, amaretto, and eggs; add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.
Spoon the batter into a 9-inch round cake pan coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle batter with remaining almonds. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cake 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack. Remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.
Note: The Almond Cake freezes well. Bake it ahead, cool completely, and store in a freezer bag. To serve, thaw at room temperature.
Nutritional Information: Calories: 286 (35% from fat)
Fat: 11.1g (sat 4.4g,mono 4.6g,poly 1.3g)
Protein: 5.8g
Carbohydrate: 42g
Fiber: 1.4g
Cholesterol: 71mg
Iron: 1.7mg
Sodium: 349mg
Calcium: 108mg

[Cooking Light: December 2000]

Mexican Chicken with Almond-Chile Cream
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons sliced almonds
2 teaspoons ground ancho chile pepper
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons butter
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons crema Mexicana
Fresh cilantro sprigs (optional)
Preparation: Combine almonds and chile pepper in a blender or food processor; process until mixture resembles coarse meal.
Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/2-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon salt and black pepper.
Heat butter and oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add chicken; cook 6 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm.
Add garlic to pan; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add almond mixture, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and broth; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook until broth mixture is reduced to 1/2 cup (about 3 minutes). Remove from heat. Stir in crema Mexicana. Serve sauce over chicken. Garnish with cilantro, if desired.
Nutritional Information: Calories: 269 (30% from fat)
Fat: 8.9g (sat 2.8g,mono 3.1g,poly 1.4g)
Protein: 41.3g
Carbohydrate: 2.8g
Fiber: 1.2g
Cholesterol: 109mg
Iron: 1.4mg
Sodium: 387mg
Calcium: 35mg

[Cooking Light: January 2005]