Add almonds to a ziplock bag. Using a meat mallet, the back of a spoon, or a glass, lightly crush almonds. They don't need to be pulverized - just break up the majority of the almonds so you get a good crunch. Add the olive oil to the bag, toss to combine.

Turn out almonds on to a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake at 300 degrees for about 10 minutes, or until fragrant (not burnt!).

Meanwhile, prepare the rice. Rinse 1 cup of basmati rice. Skipping this step will impact how the rice cooks - don't overlook! Combine rice with 1 1/2 cups of water in a medium sized saucepan. Add lemon zest. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover. Cook for 10 minutes, or until water is absorbed and rice fluffs easily with a fork. Discard lemon zest.

Transer rice to a large bowl. Add dried apricots, parsley, lemon juice. Drizzle with olive oil if desired, and top with salt and pepper. Toss to combine.