almonds – Page 4 – The Pajama Chef

So, are you snowed or iced in today? Or were you yesterday? Something like 30+ states have been affected by this massive winter snow/ice storm. Indiana is one of them. As a precaution, I ran 8 miles on Monday knowing that I probably wouldn’t be able to get out and run for at least a couple days this week. Some people buy bread and milk, others run. What? 🙂 I am marathon-training after all…

As such… I’ve been sitting at home since Monday night relaxing, baking some delicious lemon-blueberry bread, and doing massive amounts of homework. Oh, and thinking about these delicious Bacon-Wrapped Feta & Almond Stuffed Dates and how great they would be on Super Bowl Sunday. Mmmm I can almost taste them already!

We all know that bacon makes everything better, but let’s be honest here–these stuffed dates would be just as good on their own. [Vegetarian friends, rejoice!] Salty almonds paired with tangy feta stuffed inside a sweet date… what’s not to love? Plus, they’re an appetizer you can make in 5 minutes flat then bake and serve… all while making your guests or your husband think you slaved away in the kitchen. Perfect-o! Now, if only the storm would break so I can get to the store…

Bacon-Wrapped Feta & Almond Stuffed Dates

Servings: 16
Time: 20 minutes
Print

from Kraft

Ingredients:

16 large, dried, pitted dates
about 1 ounce crumbled feta cheese
16 sea-salt & olive oil toasted almonds
8 slices bacon, cut in half [I used turkey bacon]

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place wire cooling rack on top of jelly roll pan [or any large baking dish/sheet with sides]. Then, cut a slit in the side of each date and stuff cheese and an almond inside. Wrap one slice of bacon around each date, sealing the cheese and almond inside. Place on wire rack and bake for 13-15 minutes, or until bacon is crisp. Cool for a few minutes on rack before transferring to a paper towel-lined plate to degrease. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes:

These can be made with fresh dates, but those will require pitting and likely more cheese and almonds to fill them.

Question of the Day: What’s the weather for you today?

I love snack food. Especially at the holidays or times when I have long breaks. Sometimes it’s more fun to eat little bits of a wide variety of many things… or is it a lot of a wide variety of many things? I’m not sure. Anyways… I was home a few weeks ago visiting my family while my husband was hanging out with his brothers for the weekend, and as usual, my mom, sister, and I spent some time cooking. My sis and I whipped up this quick, easy, and tasty snack mix… and I have to admit that I probably ate more of the mixture before it was baked than after, but that’s beside the point. What IS the point is how delicious this [appropriately named] sweet and spicy snack mix is, and how easy it was to make. The crunch is so satisfying too. This would be a great addition to your Christmas meal or party spread… but I know I’ll be making it other times of the year too! Deeelicious!

Sweet-Spicy Pretzel Mix [from Everyday Food, September 2008]

Ingredients:

2 cups thin pretzel sticks
1 cup whole almonds
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, mix pretzels and almonds. In a medium saucepan, combine butter, sugar, and cayenne pepper over medium heat. Stirring constantly, bring mixture to a boil. Remove from heat and pour over pretzels and almonds. Stir to coat. Spread on baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for 20 minutes or until mixture caramelizes; flipping every 3-5 minutes to prevent burning. Recipe can be doubled.

Click here for the printable: Sweet-Spicy Pretzel Mix

Question of the Day: What’s your favorite snack mix?