pumpkin seeds Archives -

December 4, 2014

Chocolate Hazelnut Toaster Pastries

I have faint memories of being a child and envying the kids that packed pop tarts as their on-the-go breakfast for the bus ride. At least in my mind, those looked like the best breakfast treats ever. While my parents were not extreme health enthusiasts during my childhood, they did strive to provide healthy meals and snacks for us and thus pop tarts were not part of the family diet. In my own mission for my children to have a healthy and wholesome way of eating, I try to limit the amount of processed food and sugars that they eat, but I also try to provide a reasonable amount of treats so that they aren’t left feeling deprived. These Chocolate Hazelnut Toaster Pastries are one of our latest treats and are my healthier version of pop tarts. Of course, they are wonderful straight out of the oven, but they conveniently reheat well in the toaster.

Rather than making my own chocolate hazelnut butter this time, I decided to keep things simple and used my favorite store-bought version, Justin’s. It worked beautifully and helped with being able to finish these off fairly quickly. To make this a bit healthier than a traditional pie pastry, I used spelt flour along with ground sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds. The seeds add an element of nuttiness to the crust and the oils from the seeds decrease the usual amount of butter necessary for a crust pastry.

I had planned on adding a drizzle of melted chocolate on top, but in the end I decided a simple sprinkle of coarse salt and turbinado sugar was enough for me. Do not skip this step- it makes a surprisingly big difference! Go ahead and add a drizzle of melted chocolate though if you want to be extra fancy. Enjoy!

Chocolate Hazelnut Toaster Pastries

Serves: about 10 pastries

Ingredients

2 cups spelt flour
¼ cup raw unsalted pumpkin seeds
¼ cup raw unsalted sunflower seeds
¼ cup coconut sugar
½ teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
about ½ cup chocolate hazelnut butter
coarse finishing salt and turbinado sugar for sprinkling on top

Instructions

In the bowl of a food processor, add the pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds. Process until seeds are finely ground. Add the flour, sugar, and salt and pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse again until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
In a small bowl, combine vinegar and 6 tablespoons of ice water. With the food processor running, gradually add the vinegar and water. Process just until mixture begins to clump together. Transfer mixture to a lightly floured surface and finish kneading together by hand. Form dough into a disk and wrap with plastic wrap. Chill about 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to make a rectangle approximately 16- inches x 11-inches. Use a sharp knife to cut the dough into 3-inch x 2½-inch rectangles. You should have 20 rectangles.
Take one rectangle and spread 2 teaspoons chocolate hazelnut butter in the middle, leaving a border around the edges. Top with another rectangle and use a fork to crimp the edges together. Repeat with the remaining 18 rectangles.
Sprinkle tops with a generous pinch coarse salt and turbinado sugar.
Bake for 11-13 minutes, until edges start to turn light golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes on tray and then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Notes

[i]pastry crust adapted from Whole Grains Every Day Every Way[/i]

November 10, 2014

Fennel Celery Salad {with Pomegranate and Pumpkin Seeds}

We finally got around to carving our pumpkins this past weekend. I am a firm believer in better late than never. After we carefully washed all of the seeds, we transferred them to the salad spinner to dry. My sweet 5-year old girl enthusiastically volunteered to do the spinning. She spun the spinner with all of her might and then, for whatever reason, she decided to take the lid off of the spinner while it was rapidly spinning and… pumpkin seeds went flying EVERYWHERE. Literally hundreds of seeds scattered over the entire kitchen and even into the connecting foyer. It was a sight to behold. I wanted to scream and make her pick up every one of those hundreds of seeds by herself, but instead I managed a heavy sigh and started helping her pick them up. My son offered to help as well and pretty soon all four of us were on our hands and knees picking up pumpkin seeds. Gotta love those unexpected family bonding experiences.

Even though pumpkin seeds, also known as pepitas, are sold throughout the year, I especially like adding them to my salads in the fall. They add a hint of crunch and a bit of extra protein. This Fennel Celery Salad seemed perfect for the addition of pumpkin seeds. Together with the pomegranate, they add another layer of color and texture. My favorite salads are green salads, but sometimes I enjoy the simple beauty of a white salad such as this one. The lemon dressing mellows out the licorice flavor of the fennel and the results are a bright, crisp, and refreshing salad.

Fennel Celery Salad {with Pomegranate and Pumpkin Seeds}

Serves: 4 small side portions

Ingredients

1 large fennel bulb
2 stalks celery
3 tablespoons shelled pumpkin seeds
3 tablespoons pomegranate seeds
1½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ teaspoon white wine vinegar
¼ teaspoon sea salt
freshly ground pepper

Instructions

Trim the long stalks off of the fennel and save some of the thin leaves for garnish. Slice the fennel in half lengthwise and use a sharp knife to cut both halves into thin slices.
Thinly slice the celery on a diagonal.
In a medium sized bowl, combine the fennel, celery, and pumpkin seeds.
In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, and salt. Pour dressing over salad and toss together. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper.
Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle pomegranate seeds and fennel leaves on top.

Notes

adapted from Alice Water's The Art of Simple Food

September 18, 2014

Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash

Rough morning today because I woke up grumpy and crabby for no apparent reason. How does this happen to me?! Even in the midst of having an infinity number of reasons to be thankful, my heart was not focusing on them. I really wanted to curl up and go back to bed, but I was determined to finish preparing dinner in the morning so that I could move on to some work that had been piling up on me later in the afternoon. After I threw the acorn squash in the oven and quickly put together this quinoa pilaf, I made a cup of hot tea and spent a few quiet moments with God. The sweet autumn smell of roasted acorn squash began to fill the house and my heart began to soften and slowly fill up with gratitude once again.

This quinoa stuffed acorn squash has an abundance of flavors and textures. Crunchy hazelnuts and pumpkin seeds, earthy oregano and swiss chard, and sweet dried cherries are all mixed together with quinoa and piled in a golden roasted squash. And guess what? I have the best tip ever for cutting raw squash. Microwave the whole squash for 30 seconds to 1 minute, depending on the size of the squash and strength of the microwave. The squash will soften ever so slightly and it will now be much easier to cut in half. No more struggling trying to get that knife through a rock hard squash ever again. The best squash tip ever, right? You are welcome.

This makes double the amount of quinoa pilaf needed to fill one squash so you can either use it for another squash or it is also excellent on its own. Even though I made this ahead of time in the morning, the hazelnuts and pumpkin seeds lose a bit of their crunch after a few hours, so I think it is best served immediately after it is prepared. Stuffed squash can be a festive side dish (hello Thanksgiving!) or it can be a nice lighter vegetarian main course. Hope you enjoy!

Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash

Ingredients

1 acorn squash
2 teaspoons olive oil, plus more for brushing on squash and oiling pan
½ cup quinoa, uncooked (I used half red, half white quinoa)
1 cup finely chopped yellow onion, about 1 medium
3 cups lightly packed chopped swiss chard
1 tablespoon fresh oregano
¼ cup toasted hazelnuts, chopped
½ cup roasted pumpkin seeds
¼ cup dried tart cherries, chopped
¼ teaspoon sea salt
⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
additional chopped hazelnuts and oregano for garnish
additional salt and pepper for seasoning squash

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly oil a large baking sheet with olive oil. Cut acorn squash in half lengthwise and remove seeds. Brush olive oil on both cut sides of the squash and season with salt and pepper. Place halves face down on the baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes. Turn halves cut side up and bake for another 10-15 minutes, until squash is tender.
In a medium pot, boil 3-4 cups of water over high heat. Rinse the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer. When the water is boiling, slowly add the quinoa and boil uncovered for 11-14 minutes. After 10 minutes, start checking the quinoa for doneness. The quinoa is done when the "dot" in the middle of the quinoa starts to disappear and when some of the white filaments start to come off the seeds. Drain the quinoa over a fine mesh strainer.
In a saute pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until onions start to become translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add the oregano and swiss chard and continue to cook for another minute. Add the cooked quinoa, hazelnuts, pumpkin seeds, cherries, salt, and pepper and continue to cook until the mixture is warmed through. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper.
Spoon quinoa mixture into the acorn squash and garnish with some additional oregano and chopped hazelnuts.

Notes

adapted from The Spicy RD