I binge watched The Great British Baking Show for the past few days on Netflix. This is a PBS show but the first season now is on Netflix. I walked around everywhere with my Ipad because I couldn’t stop watching it. I folded clothes, washed dishes, bathed, and cooked while watching the competition. It is that good. I absolutely loved every minute of it. The two hosts are funny and the judges are great.

I am not a baker by any means. I have failed in my endeavors to bake many times. Until I watched this show, I didn’t understand how technical baking could be. I knew the recipe needed to be followed precisely but a lot of other factors have to be taken into consideration like humidity and temperature of the environment where you bake. I was so inspired by these people and I think I might start learning how to make pastries, cakes, scones, biscuits, breads, and so much more. I can’t believe how much I have missed out on by not baking. It’s not all about cakes and cookies; there are so many savory foods to bake as well. I learned a lot while watching this show. I couldn’t believe all of the different types of dough you can make. I had never heard about dough having to prove. They each had something called a proofer or a proving oven. I might need one of those. I am not sure.

The people on this show were amazing. They are all amateur bakers and they created the most amazing food. What I especially loved about the show was that, although it’s an intense competition, the people were so nice to each other. Right to the very end, they cared about each other and helped their fellow contestants in whatever way possible. It was very emotional. I laughed and I cried. You have to watch this series. I think you can watch it straight from the PBS website too. I looked into this because I need to see season two now. I can’t wait.

Once I completed the final episode of season one, I went online to see all of the recipes I could find from the show. I really wanted to make something for my article. The problem was that I didn’t have the proper equipment for the recipes I wanted to try. So, I will have to do a little bit of shopping before I can attempt to bake any these amazing recipes. I think in a week or two, I will give it a try.

This week, I did bake a little. This was in no way even similar to anything on the show. It was more of a coincidence that a little bit of baking is involved in this recipe. I just baked some almonds. However, the addition of these honey-roasted almonds to this salad is really what makes it so delicious. I made this the other day and it was so good. It is the perfect springtime salad. The sweet crunchy almonds along with the soft tasty mandarin oranges taste so delicious with the tangy Dijon vinaigrette dressing. The almonds are easy to bake too. I am telling you, it is worth it to add this layer to the salad. You won’t regret it. Then, you can eat it while you watch the Great British Baking Show. Enjoy.

Honey Roasted Almonds:

Time: 30 Minutes

Serves: 4

1 cup almonds

1/8 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 tablespoons honey

1 1/2 tablespoons water

1/2 tablespoon almond oil

Spread almonds in a single layer on a baking sheet and place in a cold oven. Turn on oven to 350 degrees. Bake almonds, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. In a small bowl, mix sugar and salt together. Place 1 tablespoon of this mixture into a large bowl. In a saucepan, mix honey water and oil together and bring to a boil. Add almonds and cook another five minutes. Place almonds into the bowl with the sugar mixture. Add remaining sugar and toss to coat evenly. Once they have cooled, slice the almonds with a knife.

Spring Salad:

Time: ten minutes

Serves: 4

1 head romaine lettuce, torn into bite sized pieces

2 cups mandarin oranges

1 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup vinaigrette

1 cup honey roasted almonds

vinaigrette

Place all of the ingredients into a large bowl and pour the vinaigrette over this mixture. Gently toss and serve in smaller bowls.

Vinaigrette:

Time: 5 minutes

Yield: 1 cup

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon garlic, minced

3 tablespoons champagne vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup olive oil

In a small bowl, add mustard, garlic, vinegar, salt and pepper. Whisk together. As you whisk, slowly add the olive oil to emulsify.