DIY: Toasted Pepitas
July 19, 2012 § 1 Comment
Many store-bought, pre-toasted and -salted nuts and seeds are processed and coated with starches to help salt/spices adhere to the nuts/seeds. If you are steering away from added starches in your diet, or if you simply would like to have more control over the ingredients in the food that you eat, try buying the raw materials and then dressing them up yourself — it’s a resourceful, creative alternative to what’s commonly available in a standard supermarket.
I like to roast/salt/season big batches of nuts and seeds at a time. They’re wonderfully shelf-stable and then I have them at-the-ready. Included below is the simplest recipe for roasting pepitas (pumpkin seeds), but feel free to dabble. You can try roasting them with a little tamari (or soy sauce) or toss them with dill and nutritional yeast. I enjoy pepitas out-of-hand, a-top mammoth leafy salads, soups and pasta or brown rice dishes.
Ingredients:
raw pepitas
sea salt, to taste
a few teaspoons olive oil
spices, to taste (optional)
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a sheet pan, toss pepitas with a little olive oil – just enough to cover all the surfaces. Sprinkle with salt (and spices) to taste.
2. Bake for 15 minutes; stop and stir half-way. Cool completely before packaging.
Diet Notes: Gluten-free, SCD-safe, nut-free, vegan
Comfort Food Granola
March 7, 2009 § 1 Comment
I haven’t posted all of my granola experiments, but I’ve been buzzing around the kitchen trying to create my favorite type. In the past I’ve made sesame granola, agave granola and peanut butter granola. But I keep coming back to this blend of ingredients.
Please tweak to taste. You might like it with other things: maple syrup instead of honey, coconut flakes, sunflower seeds instead of pepitas, more quick oats, less quick oats, chocolate (heck yeah!), cashew butter instead of peanut butter…
Ingredients:
4 cups rolled oats
1 cup quick oats
1/8 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup raw pepitas (squash seeds)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup chopped almonds
1/3 cup chunky peanut butter, natural
1/3 cup honey*
pinch sea salt
*If following a strict vegan diet, substitute maple syrup.
Methods:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Chop nuts and mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl.
2. In a saucepan on the stove, mix peanut butter, sea salt and honey. Heat on medium-low until melted. Pour liquid over dry ingredients and mix until incorporated.
3. Spread oats on two rimmed baking sheets. Put on two different levels in the oven and cook for 8-9 minutes. Swap sheets and cook for another 8-9 minutes until golden-brown. Leave on counter for at least an hour to crisp-up and cool down. Store in an air-tight container; will keep for up to a month.
Diet Notes: vegan (see asterisk), gluten-free
Sweet Potato, Apple, Cilantro, and Bean Salad
February 26, 2009 § Leave a Comment
I know you might be thinking, “HUH!? Sweet potatoes and apples plus lime and cilantro? What kind of recipe IS this!?” I know it sounds a tad wacky, but it is a really lovely switch from my usual summer bean salad (recipe to come when the ingredients get harvested around here)! This recipe is quite lime-y, so if that’s not a flavor you’re a big fan of, you might want to use balsamic vinegar, white wine vinegar, or even lemon. This recipe was inspired by last month’s Veg Times Magazine!
Ingredients:
1/2 avocado
1 organic apple
1 organic sweet potato
2 cups black beans, pre-cooked*
6 scallions, chopped
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
1 lime
1 pinch sea salt
1 teaspoon honey**
few shakes pepper
few glugs olive oil
peanuts (or pepitas, if not following SCD)
*If on the SCD-diet and symptom-free for 1 month, soak beans for 24 hours before cooking.
**If following a strict vegan diet, substitute maple syrup.
Methods:
1. Scrub sweet potato and cut into bite-sized chunks. Place in a small pot of water and heat until boiling. Lower heat and simmer about 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, cut apple, avocado, scallions and cilantro. Mix in a large bowl with black beans. Once sweet potatoes are cooked, drain and rinse with cold water to stop cooking. Add to salad.
3. In a separate bowl, mix dressing: lime juice, honey, salt, pepper, and olive oil to taste. Dress salad and serve warm. Garnish with toasted peanuts.
Diet Notes: Gluten-free, SCD-safe (see asterisk), vegan (see asterisk)
Sesame Granola
January 17, 2009 § 2 Comments
This recipe was tweaked from and inspired by Vimala Rodger’s “Killer Granola” in her book, Vegetarian Meals for People-On-The-Go. My favorite way to eat this granola is with fresh berries + plain yogurt mixed with good maple syrup. I also eat it like cereal with a few splashes of rice milk.
Ingredients:
4 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup unsweetened, organic coconut slivers
1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/4 cup raw sesame seeds
1/4 cup raw pepitas
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup raw slivered almonds
1/4 cup raw pecan pieces
1/2 cup raw walnut pieces
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1/4 cup toasted sesame oil
1/2 cup honey*
2 tablespoons vanilla
After baking, add:
1 cup favorite dried fruit (Medjool dates are especially good)
*If following a strict vegan diet, use a low grade maple syrup instead.
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Mix all dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
3. Combine liquid ingredients and whisk for a few seconds. Pour over dry ingredients. Mix with a large spoon until all the oats, seeds, and nuts get covered with the “sauce.”
4. Spread oats on two large pans all the way to the edges. The granola will cook faster if all the oats are nicely spaced out and not piled up.
5. Cook until oats become golden-brown. The oats may feel a little damp to the touch when you take them out of the oven. Leave them in the baking sheet for about 7 minutes and they will dry out. Top with your favorite dried fruit, eat for breakfast and store the rest! This recipe makes a large batch that lasts me a few weeks.
Diet Notes: Vegan (see asterisk)
