Lots of almonds dress up crackers and spread
For many of us, the new year is a time to make a fresh start. We’re wiping the slate clean with a renewed sense of optimism for the year ahead, and we’re trying to eat more healthful foods — which means you won’t find a macaroni-and-cheese recipe at the end of this article.
When it comes to reformulating our eating habits, it’s a little bit easier to menu-plan breakfast, lunch and dinner. The real struggle, both in preparation and will power, comes when we start thinking about that midafternoon snack.
No matter the time, the reason or the season, the best kind of snack to fill you up (and keep you that way) is one that is filled with protein. Nuts are especially handy as a snack food because they are protein-rich, portable and give us a daily dose of heart-healthy unsaturated fatty acids.
The downside to nuts is that they can get, dare we say it, a little bit boring. We can toast them, give them a light sprinkle of salt, and, well, that’s about it before we start heading into border territories of healthful snacking. Raise your hand if you’ve ever tried to pass off a toffee-coated cashew as a hearthealthy snack.
If you’re fed up with your 3 p.m. handful of almonds and find yourself eyeballing the office’s snack machine, this Almond and Flax Crackers with Smoked Almond Spread recipe from The Culinary Institute of America is very much what you need. We made it a little fancy (more on that later), but at its core, this is “cheese” and crackers.
The crackers have only five ingredients, and they are vegan and gluten-free. They’re spread on a baking sheet and dehydrated in your oven (so, lowand-slow baking), which means no fussy rolling and cutting. You’ll love the bold flavor from a heavy dose of coriander seed, but you can mix and match any of your favorite seasonings, such as fennel seed, curry blends or even Korean-style chili paste.
The same is true for the almond spread we’ve made for a topper. This version relies on the flavor of smoked almonds, and substituting plain almonds would make it pretty bland. That is, of course, unless you add roasted garlic, fresh herbs, citrus zest or horseradish. You can even add a sprinkle of nutritional yeast, which is a deactivated yeast product that has a cheesy flavor.
Of course, you can spread these crackers with virtually anything. They’re perfect for your favorite hummus and butters, or alongside leftover roasted chicken and fresh fruits and veggies.
And they aren’t just for office or after-school snacks. We piped the almond spread on the top of the crackers and garnished with some of our favorite microgreens and edible flowers. Not only do they add a flavor you just can’t get from potato chips, but they make for a beautiful presentation at a brunch or cocktail party. Now, that’s how you dress up a snack.