Sunday, May 15, 2016

Honey and Cayenne Pepper Roasted Almonds



Honey and Cayenne Pepper Roasted Almonds. Highly addictive! Handful of almonds that are roasted on medium heat, later mixed with pepper and honey with hint of salt is a perfect nibble or a companion for any drink.

Recently folks from Ugly Drinks sent me a box of soft drinks. Say no to sugar and sweeteners this year and refresh your hydration habits with Ugly Sparkling Water, a brand new range of unsweet, naturally infused sparkling waters that are set to take the country by storm.  Ugly drink is made with sparkling water infused with natural fruit flavours; you'll find no sugar, no sweeteners, no calories and nothing artificial in these guilt free, beautifully different waters.


There are two flavours in the Ugly family, each offering a great, natural taste:
  • Lemon & Lime – a great alternative to sugary sweet lemonades. Drink ice cold for maximum refreshment.
  • Grapefruit & Pineapple – awesome tropical refreshment. Like a disco in a can.



I haven’t tasted grapefruit and pineapple yet but Lemon and Lime was amazing. Perfect balance of taste, flavour and fizz. I hate those sodas that are so called diet drinks but are actually loaded with sugar. This is an honest soft drink, a guilt free refreshing experience. Why to have extra sugar, when you are sweet already ;)


I paired it with these roasted almonds- which are also a healthy alternative from deep fried snacks. You can roast the almonds on pan (hob method), microwave it or even oven roast-the choice is yours. I used the pan method as I find it easy and quick. I have used cayenne pepper, but feel free to use red chilli powder instead. That's it no rules, just use your own flavours like chaat massala, garam massala or even simple salted ones.

Ingredients:
1 cup almonds
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt to taste
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon olive oil or butter



Method:
Line a baking tray or plate with foil. Grease the foil with oil. Keep aside.
Take a pan add oil or butter. When oil gets hot add almonds and reduce the flame/heat to medium low. Roast the almonds till you hear crackling sound and the skin or almonds turn dark in colour. Mine took 2 minutes.
Next, mix in, cayenne pepper, salt, honey and lemon juice. Mix quickly before honey caramelizes. Make sure that almonds are well coated with spices.
Spread the roasted almonds on greased foil and let it cool. Once cooled store it air tight container.

Notes:
Please make sure to use them within one week.
You can do same with any nuts like cashews or walnuts.



The full Ugly Sparkling Water range launches into Selfridges, Whole Foods Market and other leading independents next month. RRP £0.99, 330mls. Go grab yours. #glugugly

Disclaimer: I was not paid or told to write positive review. The post is based on my experience and is unbiased. Thanking Ugly Drinks for sending to review.