Italian peeled shelled almonds

Almonds: pearls of health and goodness

Almonds are the seeds of Prunus Amygdalus (Almond), a plant of Asian origin (in particular from Central Asia), subsequently widespread in Europe, starting from Greece and then from Italy, Spain and France.

Currently the largest producers are California, followed by Spain and Italy.

Almonds are a fruit rich in triglycerides, with a very strong presence of monounsaturated fatty acids. Inside the seeds of the almond tree also abound some vitamins (especially riboflavin and vit. E), along with numerous mineral salts (manganese, magnesium, calcium, copper and phosphorus). The high protein intake also contributes to making almond a top-notch food.

In the Middle Ages almonds were served at the end of a meal to facilitate digestion. Recent studies have shown that their regular consumption (at least 25 g a day, 5 times a week) lowers cholesterol levels, reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. Almonds contain Omega 3 and Omega 6 unsaturated fatty acids that help, among other benefits, to control inflammatory processes; while fiber, facilitate intestinal transit. Finally, they are rich in minerals such as calcium, magnesium, potassium and contain a lot of vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant.

Almonds: Properties and Benefits 

• They help reduce bad cholesterol;
• They prevent osteoporosis and anemia. The good content of Iron makes almonds good allies in case of iron deficiency anemia;
• They regularize the intestines;
• Improve blood glucose levels;
• Rich in Omega-3, they are healthy for the heart;
• Anti-inflammatory;
• Antioxidants: vitamin E helps to counteract the activity of free radicals;
• They give a sense of satiety (many recommend them as a snack). They are an excellent source of vegetable protein;
• They contain folic acid useful in pregnancy.

Almonds in the kitchen: CHICKEN WITH ALMONDS

Ingredients:

• Chicken breast 500 g
• Peeled almonds 130 g
• Fresh ginger to grate 15 g
• Flour 00 
• Fine salt 
• Onions 60 g
• Seed oil 25 g
• Soy sauce 60 g
• Garlic 1 clove
• Water 20 g

Procedure

To prepare the almond chicken, start by preparing the aromas; peel the clove of garlic and slice it thinly, then peel the ginger and grate it finally peel and slice the onion.

Deprive the chicken breasts of the most obvious parts of fat with a small knife. Then cut the chest into morsels of 1-2 centimeters. Place a colander over a bowl, pour the chicken nuggets inside and flour them, shake the colander to remove excess flour. In a Wok pan, or a non-stick pan with high edges, heat the seed oil, then  add the garlic, grated ginger and sliced onion.

Let the ingredients brown for a few minutes over medium heat, stirring often. Add the floured chicken morsels to the sauté, then brown them too, stirring often. Only when they have a slight crust, pour the soy sauce and stir. In the same jug that you used for soy, pour 20 g of water, to sprinkle the chicken (in this way you will not dirty two containers) and mix with a spoon to mix everything. If the chicken tends to stick, lower into heat and add a little more hot water.

Cook the chicken for about 10 minutes, at the end of cooking salt the chicken to taste, taking into account that the soy sauce is already quite savory. While the chicken is cooking, place the peeled almonds in a non-stick pan and toast them for 2-3 minutes. Alternatively, you can toast the almonds in the oven: distribute them on a baking sheet lined with baking paper and toast them for a few minutes at 180 ° to brown them.

At this point, add the toasted almonds to the chicken and mix gently with a wooden spoon for a few moments. Then turn off the heat and your almond chicken will be ready to be served hot.

Recipe: Giallozafferano.it!