Alright, here's the deal. Peanuts are not a nut. Yes, they have NUT in the name. No they are not a nut. I'm a science teacher, trust me on this one. They are a legume. What's a legume you ask? WELL. I could go into the long history of classification, genetics, and the evolution of plants, but to keep it short (and some of my readers from leaving now)... A legume is any of the thousands of plant species having seed pods that, when ripe, split along both sides. Beans, lentils, peanuts, peas, and soybeans are some common legumes. Generally they come from the ground, not from a tree. Not enough? Then look it up yourself. And don't even try to point out that technically trees come from the ground too. I am not in the mood.
According to Mark Sisson (primal guru) and many others, legumes are on the "eat with care" list when going primal. This means there are better options out there for high protein intake and low carbs. You can eat them, but they are not as efficient for your body and create more stored fat than other "nut" options. Most of you just read that and thought blah blah blah... enter almonds. Sure, there are other nuts I love (pistachios being top on the list), but almonds were my first love. They have a pleasant taste, travel well, and go great with chocolate (mmmm chocolate).
While on the search for breads, cakes, and other items that I could make using primal alternatives I came across almonds, but not whole almonds. Almond flour. You have no idea how amazing this stuff is until you try it. The first time Eric and I bought it we were skeptical. Would it be a sponge like coconut flour? Have a strange aftertaste like gluten free mixes? Be grainy and sandy in your mouth? Nevermind the fact that I almost returned it when I realized that almond flour = almond meal = finely ground almonds. That's it. Finely. Ground. Almonds. How can a nut be a flour? I still don't know, but it is proving to be both versatile, delicious, and guilt free (imagine gorging yourself on biscuits that are purely made of omegas and proteins).
Alright, time for the recipe, Almond Flour Biscuits. Don't worry, there are more coming related to almond flour, but the biscuits must come first. I recommend eating these with our primal salad. Or for breakfast with jam. Or honey. Or cinnamon and butter. The possibilities are endless and these take approximately 5 minutes to mix up and pop in the oven. I usually halve this recipe for just Eric and I, but we each eat two with dinner because they are so good... Eric never complains when these are in the oven!
Almond Flour Biscuits
(makes about 8)
- 2 1/2 cups blanched almond flour
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 cup melted butter
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Preheat oven to 350. Grease a cookie sheet well, or line with wax paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together butter, eggs, and lemon. Add to wet ingredients the almond flour, salt, and baking soda and stir until well combined.
Drop biscuits on prepared baking sheet in whatever size you want them to be when you eat them... they don't rise or spread out very much. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle of one. Technically you should let them cool, but I slice them and butter them right away!
recipe modified from http://edibleventures.blogspot.com
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