Easy Entertaining

The holiday season is here and that means all sorts of entertaining, including the unexpected sort. A great snack to offer guests - whether you're expecting them or not - is a warm bowl of Marcona almonds from Spain roasted with rosemary. They're simple to make, guests gobble them up at every event I do, and best of all you can keep them in the freezer ready to go.

I buy the large can of marcona almonds that they sell at Costco because they are cheaper and I tend to entertain for crowds, but you can also buy them in smaller quantities at Whole Foods.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spread out a single layer of marcona almonds. Drizzle lightly with extra virgin olive oil then toss together with about 1 tablespoon of minced fresh rosemary (keep a plant growing in your kitchen during the winter - it looks and smells great!). Roast almonds until they start to turn a slightly darker brown color. Remove from the oven and toss generously with coarsely ground or flaky sea salt. Serve warm.

Store leftovers back in the freezer in a covered container. To serve again, just reheat in the microwave and add a little more salt.