Five Pumpkin Seed Recipes

So you may have thought about making your own roasted pumpkin seeds and just let the moment pass but the following go to guide and very yummy spice tosses may change your mind this year while carving out that pumpkin – Enjoy!

Directions

1.     Seed the pumpkin: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Using a spoon, scrape the pulp and seeds out of your pumpkin into a bowl.

2.     Clean the seeds: Separate the seeds from the stringy pulp, rinse the seeds in a colander under cold water, then shake dry. Don't blot with paper towels; the seeds will stick.

3.     Dry them: Spread the seeds in a single layer on an oiled baking sheet and roast 30 minutes to dry them out.

4.     Add spices: Toss the seeds with olive oil, salt and your choice of spices (see below). Return to the oven and bake until crisp and golden, about 20 more minutes.

Sweet Toss with cinnamon and sugar (do not use salt in step 4).

Indian Toss with garam masala; mix with currants after roasting.

Spanish Toss with smoked paprika; mix with slivered almonds after roasting.

Italian Toss with grated parmesan and dried oregano.

Barbecue Toss with brown sugar, chipotle chile powder and ground cumin.

Thanks to our new Community Manager, Melanie for sharing these awesome pumpkin seed recipes!

Hearty Fall Soup

I make this soup all the time in the fall and winter months.  It's kid friendly - its great to watch them gobble it up!  It's also a hearty soup that keeps you full, freezes well and is pretty much a meal in itself.  This recipe is easy to make (goes in the crockpot!) and is a great meal to bring over for a new mom or anyone needing a hand with meals.

Hamburger Soup (modified from The Big Cook recipe)

1 lb lean ground beef
3/4 cup barley
1 onion, chopped
1/2 pack chopped frozen spinach
2 bay leaves
2 cups sliced carrots
1 cup frozen peas
10 oz can of condensed tomato soup
28 oz can diced tomatoes
1 cup celery
1 tsp dried thyme
3 garlic cloves, minced
30 oz (about 3 and a half cups) of beef stock
1 1/2 cups of water

Photo credit

I have added corn and kale to this recipe before as well.  You can throw in your family favourites for added veggies.

Put all ingredients into a slow cooker and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 5-7 hours.  This recipe makes enough to feed my family and put half in the freezer for another meal.  As you make this recipe on a regular basis, you can adjust the amount of water you add if you want it more soup or stew like.

Add some fresh bread and you've got a delicious, comforting meal on the table.

Thanksgiving Appetizers

There's been lots of attention this week on how to cook the perfect turkey, Thanksgiving side dishes and desserts, but I need appetizer recipes!  I'm in charge of appetizers for Thanksgiving dinner at my brother's house on Saturday and so I thought I'd share some ideas for others who have been delegated to appetizer duty for a Thanksgiving feast.

While veggies and dip and cheese and crackers are always a welcomed addition, I wanted something a bit more involved than that and something heartier and comforting.  I'm deciding between the following options:

Brushchetta A Few Ways

Photo from momstown.ca

I love bruschetta as an appetizer whether is traditional with tomatoes and parmesan or one that's a little more spruced up with pesto and bocconcini cheese.  For a bit more of a Fall twist, I may try one with cranberry chutney over goat cheese sprinkled with diced pear.

Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese Spread

Rumour has it that this spread disappears so fast you can't even leave the room to get more crackers - by the time you get back, its gone!  This would be delicious over slices of fresh baguette or you could spread it on tortillas and roll it and then cut it into pinwheels.

So far the recipe leading the way is Orange and Rosemary Cornbread bites courtesy of Martha Stewart. They sound delicious and easy to make.  I modified the recipe a little bit, read on for directions on how to make these cute one bite appetizers.

Ingredients

1 cup flour
1 cup coarse yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup olive oil

Orange-Rosemary

1/4 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1/4 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly butter a 12-cup mini-muffin tin or coat with cooking spray. Whisk together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Combine buttermilk, egg, and oil. Stir buttermilk mixture into flour mixture until combined then stir in the orange, rosemary flavouring.

Fill cups of mini muffin tin three-quarters full. Bake until tops are golden and a toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool for 5 minutes. Turn out muffins from tin. Serve warm or at room temperature. Muffins can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Whether you decide on sharing one of these appetizers or are in charge of bringing a salad, I hope you enjoy a wonderful meal with those you love and take a minute to give thanks for all your fortunes.

Cooking with Kids: Easy Peach Cobbler

Ontario peach season is upon us!  I love taking my kids to the Farmer's Markets so they can see all the wonderful fresh fruits and vegetables and pick what catches their eye.  This time it was peaches and while we have been enjoying them 'au natural' I always make this peach cobbler recipe during peach season.  This time, I had a Junior Chef to assist me!


What you need:

6 large peaches, cut into thin slices
3 tbsp white sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp cornstarch

For biscuit topping
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 + 2 tbsp white sugar
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup boiling water


How to put it all together:

Preheat oven to 425 F.

Toss thinly sliced peaches with sugar, lemon juice and cornstarch in a 2 qt, non reactive baking dish in the middle of the oven for 10 minutes.

You can make the topping while the peaches bake.  I had my helper assist with measuring and stirring together the flour, sugar and baking powder.  Blend in small pieces of butter with your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal.  My son liked putting in all the small chunks of butter but was not a big fan of mixing in the butter with his hands - "too slimey" is what I heard!

Stir in water just until combined.

Remove peaches from the oven and drop spoonfuls of the topping over them.  Bake in the middle of the oven until topping is golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.  Topping will spread as it bakes.

Serve warm all on its own or dress it up with a dollop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.  The perfect dessert for a warm summer night.

Delicious Orzo with Roasted Veggies Recipe

I discovered this  orzo recipe a few years ago while watching the Food Network.  I have made a few changes based on my family's preferences, the original recipe comes from the cookbook Barefoot Contessa Parties.  This recipe is colourful and keeps well over several days, in fact it only gets tastier!  I have served this both as a main dish or a side dish.  It's great at potlucks too.

It's a perfect summer dish and you can even just use leftover grilled veggies from the BBQ if you have that on hand.  Feel free to swap out the veggies I've suggested and add your families favourites instead.

What you need:

1 small eggplant, peeled and 3/4 inch diced (I just guess the right size!)
1 red pepper, 1 inch diced
1 yellow pepper, 1 inch diced
1 red onion, peeled and 1 inch diced
2 garlic cloves minced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tsp sea salt (you can use regular salt)
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 pound of orzo pasta (about a cup)

Dressing:
1/3 lemon juice (2 lemons squeezed)
1/8 to 1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp pepper

Toppings:
4 scallions, minced
Diced feta cheese (not crumbled) - as much as you'd like!
8 basil leaves, cut into strips

What you do:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Toss the eggplant, peppers, onion and garlic with the olive oil, salt and pepper on a large sheet pan.  Roast for 30 minutes, until browned, turning vegetables once at the halfway point with a spatula.

Meanwhile, cook the orzo for 7 to 9 minutes, until tender.  Drain and transfer to a large serving bowl.  Add the roasted vegetables to the pasta, scraping all the liquid and seasonings from the roasting pan into the bowl.

For the dressing, combine the ingredients and pour on the pasta and veggies.  Let cool to room temperature then add the toppings.  Serve at room temperature.

How to make your own granola

I love eating greek yogurt and granola for breakfast.  There are tons of granola options in the grocery stores but some of them are full of sugar, some of them actually don't taste all that good, and a lot of them contain nuts.  My son is allergic to some nuts so I figured it would just be easier to try and make my own granola. And I was right!  This recipe is easy to make and inexpensive in comparison to buying a box from the store each week.  I also love that I can customize it and change it up depending on what I have around the house.  I adapted this recipe from Rose Reisman's Family Favourites cookbook.  I usually double this recipe as it's very popular in my house and doesn't last long.  You can freeze the granola for up to 2 months.

What you need:

2 cups large rolled oats
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 and 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
3 tbsp canola oil
1/4 apple juice
3 tbsp pure maple syrup
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup dried cranberries, chopped

What you do:

Preheat oven to 300F, line a baking sheet with foil and spray it lightly with cooking spray.
Combine all except the last two ingredients, stirring well to combine.
Spread mixture on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes, tossing once to prevent burning.
Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature. Add the raisins and cranberries and stir. Store in an air tight container.

I have used dried apricots, dates and dried strawberries before and they all tasted delicious too! If you did want to add nuts to this recipe, add 1/2 cup of whichever nut you like and mix it in the the bulk of the ingredients so they toast up in the oven.

As mentioned, I love this granola with greek yogurt but my kids love it with milk. Also makes a great snack when you are out and about, tastes great all on its own!

The best steak marinade

Who's excited for BBQ season?  Me!  Do you have favourite recipes that you make time and time again?  When we got a new BBQ a few years ago, we also got a recipe book as part of the purchase.  It has really great tips on cooking time and how to get the nice criss-crosses on the meat or chicken you are grilling (my husband always likes to try for perfect criss crosses!) but also has some amazing recipes.  Our favourite recipe has to be the steak marinade.  We've made it for guests several times and it always gets rave reviews.

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoons minced garlic
Salt and pepper to taste

This makes enough marinade for 4 small steaks, but the recipe can easily be doubled. Combine all ingredients into a large ziploc bag or container and add steaks.  Marinade for at least 2 hours, up to a maximum of 24 hours.

The marinade is really flavourful but not overpowering and would pair well with any of your favourite side dishes.  Complete the meal with a glass of red wine - may I suggest the 2009 Mapema Malbec.  Sounds like a perfect meal to me...in fact writing this post has inspired me - I'm off to call a few friends to come over for a BBQ feast!