I stumbled upon this recipe for Mediterranean Roasted Almonds by Rahaf Al Bochi of CNN. This is a perfect snack to serve at your holiday party or even bring as a gift (add a scoop to a mason jar, tie a rustic looking rope around the mouth with a little tag and voila!). It’s a delicious, easy gift for any occasion or to keep around the house to snack on.
What You Need:
1 tablespoon sumac
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1/2 tablespoon dried thyme
½ tablespoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon salt
2 cups raw almonds
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
How To Make:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
2. Make the za'atar: In a small bowl, combine the sumac, sesame seeds, thyme, oregano and salt. (Alternatively, if you have a za’atar blend, you can omit this step and just add 3 tablespoons).
3. In a medium bowl, combine almonds with olive oil, rosemary and za'atar blend and toss until well coated.
4. Spread the almonds on prepared baking sheet. Be sure to spread the almonds evenly.
5. Roast in oven for 10 minutes. Remove sheet from oven and give almonds a quick stir. Return sheet to oven and roast until almonds are golden, about 10 minutes more.
Let cool and enjoy. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.