Last weekend I bought a bag of almonds to start pre-gaming Christmas gifts. I thought that spiced almonds might be a fun thing to put in our friend’s food baskets. But I was out straight the last 2 days and I didn’t have a chance to practice with them. Then this evening I went out for a bottle of wine and when I was standing in line at the store, something caught my eye.
It was a bag of some barely-food-group-item in a bag called “Pretzo’s” or “Chip-er-oonies” or something like that – but they were lime and chili powder “flavored.”
And that gave me an idea.
Guess who had a lime and a container of chili powder kicking around the kitchen? This lady.
And after one batch of these chili-lime almonds, we might declare them their own food group.
Addictive doesn’t begin to cover it.
Chili-Lime Almonds
- 4 oz. almonds
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 teaspoon paprika
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Pour the almonds on a rimmed sheet pan and dry roast them for 10 minutes. In a small bowl combine the olive oil, lime juice, chili powder, salt, cayenne and paprika together. Pull the almonds out of the oven and toss with the lime mixture while they’re still hot. Mix well to combine. Don’t turn the oven off. Let the almonds sit on the hot stove for ½ an hour, to absorb the lime mixture. Place in an airtight container…if they last that long.
Serves 2.
(Note: When I originally published this recipe on Wednesday, I had a couple of people ask me if the nuts stay hard after mixing with the lime mixture. They do. By letting them sit on the hot stove for a bit, the lime soaks in, but the nuts stay crunchy, citrusy and spicy. )
