Power-packed vegetables with roasted almonds

Power-packed vegetables with roasted almonds. This easy-to-make dish offers the crunchy taste of almonds and vegetables. Photo Courtesy/ALMONDBOARD.COM

1 small red bell pepper

1 small orange or yellow bell pepper

1 head bok choy

1/4 cup sliced almonds

3 tsp olive oil, divided

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp lemon juice

Trim bell peppers, remove seeds, and slice thinly. Trim both ends of bok choy, slice thinly and place in a large bowl of cold water for a few minutes to remove any grit. Remove by handfuls and immerse again in a fresh bowl of cold water. Drain in a colander.

Heat oven to 350 F. Place almonds on a baking sheet and roast for 10 minutes, tossing once or twice.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tsp olive oil in a large saute pan or wok. Add pepper and saute on medium-high heat for three minutes. Stir in garlic and continue to saute for three more minutes. Remove and set aside in a medium-sized bowl.

Heat remaining 1 tsp olive oil in pan. Add washed bok choy and saute for a minute. Add lemon juice and cover pan, letting bok choy wilt. Return peppers to pan, add roasted almonds and stir gently before serving.

Roasted zucchini with almonds and olives

Roasted ribbons of fresh zucchini, savory olives, flavourful garlic, sweet basil and crunchy almonds as a heart-healthy side dish, or atop pasta or rice.

3 small zucchini, sliced thin

2 tsp salt

2 tbsp olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tbsp green olives, chopped roughly

1/4 cup almonds, chopped roughly

2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped roughly

Heat oven to 400 F.

Using a vegetable peeler, slice zucchini lengthwise into long, thin strips and put in a medium-sized bowl. Add salt and allow zucchini to sit for five minutes. Add all remaining ingredients and toss lightly. Arrange in a single layer in an ungreased baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Serve as a side dish or atop pasta with marinara sauce.

~ Recipe courtesy of www.AlmondBoard.com and www.newscanada.com