Jessie Price - The Simple Art of EatingWell

HFHH

MAKES: 3 cups

ACTIVE TIME: 10 minutes | TOTAL: 1 hours

TO MAKE AHEAD: Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Salty, sweet and laced with smokethe perfect kind of almond for a party. If any remain the next day, savor them over a salad topped with sliced ripe pears and shaved Manchego cheese.Shopping Tip:Spanish Marcona almonds have recently become more popular and more available. Theyre flatter than ordinary almonds, with a richer flavor. Always skinned, most Marcona almonds have already been sauted in oil and lightly salted when you get them. For this recipe, select unsalted and oil-free nuts if you can, though either will work well. Find them at specialty stores or online at tienda.com.

cup light brown sugar

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon hot paprika

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon kosher salt

teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 large egg white

1 tablespoon water

1 pound (about 3 cups) Marcona or raw whole almonds (see )

Preheat oven to 275F. Coat a large rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.

Whisk brown sugar, cumin, paprika, thyme, salt and cayenne in a large bowl. Whisk egg white and water in a medium bowl until foamy. Add almonds and stir to coat; pour through a sieve to drain off excess egg white. Transfer the almonds to the bowl of spices; stir well to coat. Spread evenly on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake the almonds for 30 minutes. Stir, reduce the oven temperature to 200 and bake until the almonds are dry and golden, about 30 minutes more. Let cool before serving, about 20 minutes.

PER 1/4-CUP SERVING: 245 calories; 19 g fat (1 g sat, 12 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 12 g carbohydrate; 4 g added sugars; 8 g protein; 5 g fiber; 99 mg sodium; 5 mg potassium.

EatingWell Tip

Keep almonds on hand and store them in the freezer to keep them fresh. Spice them up for an appetizer, toss them in a salad or eat a handful for a snack. Almonds have been shown to reduce cholesterol levels.

MAKES: 12 toasts

ACTIVE TIME: 15 minutes | TOTAL: 30 minutes

TO MAKE AHEAD: Cover and refrigerate the sardine mixture (Step 2) for up to 2 days.

This recipe was developed for EATINGWELL by Washington, D.C.-based chef Barton Seaver, who is a passionate advocate for the health of the oceans. Seaver wanted to create a recipe featuring the humble sardine because its wild population is healthy and stable. We think he has truly elevated the canned sardine with this fresh-tasting and simple appetizer.

1 4-ounce can boneless, skinless sardines packed in olive oil, preferably smoked

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

teaspoon salt

3 slices multigrain bread or 12 slices baguette, preferably whole-grain

medium ripe tomato

1 tablespoon very thinly sliced yellow onion

Preheat oven to 350F.

Flake sardines with a fork into a mixing bowl. (The pieces should not be mashed, but should be no bigger than a dime.) Add mint, oil and salt; toss gently to combine.

If using whole slices of bread, cut off the crusts and cut each into four triangles. Place the triangles or baguette slices on a baking sheet and bake until crispy and golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes. As soon as you remove them from the oven, rub each slice with the cut side of the tomato. As you progress, the tomato will break down until only the skin remains.

Top each toast with about 1 teaspoons of the sardine mixture. Top the sardine mixture with a couple of onion slices and serve immediately.

PER TOAST: 41 calories; 2 g fat (0 g sat, 1 g mono); 5 mg cholesterol; 3 g carbohydrate; 0 g added sugars; 3 g protein; 1 g fiber; 113 mg sodium; 63 mg potassium.

EatingWell Tip

Take a lesson from Spain and try rubbing toasty bread with a tomato half rather than oil or butter. Youll save calories and fat but still get plenty of flavor.

MAKES: 20 crackers

ACTIVE TIME: 15 minutes | TOTAL: 15 minutes

A simple lemon-dill mayonnaise adds a touch of sophistication to smoked trout on crackers.

cup low-fat mayonnaise

1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon minced fresh dill

teaspoon freshly ground pepper

20 thin whole-grain crackers

4 ounces thinly sliced smoked trout

Combine mayonnaise, lemon zest, lemon juice, dill and pepper in a small bowl. Top crackers with a spoonful of the lemon-dill mayonnaise; divide trout among the crackers.

PER CRACKER: 22 calories; 1 g fat (0 g sat, 0 g mono); 4 mg cholesterol; 2 g carbohydrate; 0 g added sugars; 2 g protein; 0 g fiber; 40 mg sodium; 42 mg potassium.

EatingWell Tip

Read the label when youre shopping for crackers and pick ones with fiber-rich whole grains, as few ingredients as possible and no hydrogenated oils, a source of trans fats. We like a number of the crackers imported from Scandinavia, especially Finn Crisps.

MAKES: 24 bruschetta

ACTIVE TIME: 50 minutes | TOTAL: 1 hour 20 minutes

TO MAKE AHEAD: Prepare through Step 3, cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Bring the spread to room temperature before assembling.

Caramelized onions and golden raisins add sweet balance to shrimp in this easy bruschetta. It can be assembled in just a few minutes if you make the onion spread ahead of time. For a vegetarian option, top with crumbled feta.

cup golden raisins

2 tablespoons canola oil

4 cups chopped yellow onions

2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and chopped

2 tablespoons minced fresh dill