Chile Spiced Pumpkin Seeds

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I try so very hard to eat non-processed, healthy, nutrient dense food. But one daily food craving in particular is making this healthy living business difficult for me! The problem – I love plain tortilla chips. I love them with salsa, hummus, guacamole or just with a squeeze of fresh lime juice. Yummmm! It’s become quite the vice lately though. I always crave them right after work + tend to binge a bit on them when I get home. I suppose there are worse things to crave, but I also know tortilla chips can be quite high in calories + fat. 
 
I normally prefer to only eat homemade snacks if possible – homemade snacks that are more nutrient dense than a few handfuls of tortilla chips. Fresh fruit + veggies are always great for snacking, but sometime you just need something salty/savoury. So, in order to overcome this tortilla chip “addiction”, I’ve decided to start testing out some healthier, salty/savoury snacks to have after work. 
 
First up, these fantastic, yummy Chile Spiced Pumpkin Seeds. The seeds are toasted and tossed with some fantastic, earthy spices. A light sprinkling of salt finishes them off and makes them perfect for curbing a salty-snack craving. The chile powder I used has a mild heat that is quite addictive! Since the spice mix is quite rich, however, there is no need to have more than a tablespoon or two.
I think these Chile Spiced Pumpkin Seeds would be fantastic sprinkled on top a Latin-inspired salad. They would be a great addition to this lime cilantro black bean salad by my friend Destini at The Healthy Wife. Or on top of a tortilla soup or enchiladas. I think I’ll add them to my black bean burgers the next time I make them! They’ll add a fantastic spicy crunch to the burgers.
 
Do you have any food you consistently crave? 
 
Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon of chile powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
  • 1 and 1/2 cup of unsalted shelled pumpkin seeds
  • salt to taste
Method
 
1. Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Stir in the cumin, chile powder and garlic. Heat through for about 1 minute, stirring to combine.
 
2. Add pumpkin seeds and salt. Stir to coat the seeds with the spices. Stir seeds constantly until the seeds are a nice golden brown (about 7 minutes). 
 
3. To retain their crunch, transfer seeds to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper until cooled. Once cooled, you can serve the pumpkin seeds or store them in a closed-jar at room temperature. 
 
Source: Veggie Life Magazine
 
Also, I would like to thank my friend Willow from Will Cook For Friends for the “One Lovely Blog Award” nomination! I was thrilled to receive the nomination from such a talented blogger! Willow is one awesome lady. I adore her writing style and am in awe of her fantastic food styling + photography skills. Please be sure to check out her wonderful blog! 
 
Upon receiving a nomination, one is supposed to do two things: (1) write up 5 things about oneself that other bloggers may not know or would find interesting and (2) nominate other inspiring bloggers for the  “One Lovely Blog Award”.
 
Things About Me 
 
1. I love to watch Criminal Minds. But then I can never sleep afterward! I’m a huge wuss sometimes.
 
2. I love, love, love afternoon naps. I don’t get to nap often, but when I do, it’s blissful and so relaxing.
 
3. Every single summer, I watch Big Brother. It’s my guilty pleasure. My winter guilty pleasure is The Vampire Diaries. My sister and I always watch it together.
 
4. Cooked greens gross me out. I’m trying so hard to like them! I love raw greens in salads and such. But I cannot handle cooked spinach in particular. Popeye would be disappointed! *hehe*


5. Cherries are my very favourite fruit. Love them! Looking forward to cherry season. I’ll eat so many that I’ll give myself a stomach ache! *hah* 
 
And I nominate the following bloggers for the “One Lovely Blog” award:
 
Please check out these inspiring, creative bloggers + send them some love :)

Cocoa Chai Granola

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Here is a delicious way to start your week! A quick-to-make granola inspired by my favourite tea from David’s Tea – the delicious, slightly spicy Cocoa Chai. Hints of chocolate, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and cardamom make this granola taste like pure heaven. Especially when mixed into some yogurt with some fresh raspberries. The cocoa flavour is nice + subtle, but combines so nicely with the chai flavour. If you’d like a bit more spice, add a pinch of cayenne into the mix.
Hope you all had a great weekend! Mine was very nice! I finally got to have my first picnic of the summer on Saturday. And then Jesse and I decided to continue our date night and go see Men In Black 3. Totally made me feel like a teenager again to see Will Smith in action. *hah*
Wishing you all a fantastic week! I’ll be back in a few day with a new snack recipe. I love salty snacks, but am trying not to have any processed snack foods. So, I’ve come up with a new recipe to please the afternoon snacker in me. Looking forward to sharing it with you. :)
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Cocoa Chai Granola

Ingredients

  • 3 cups of organic rolled oats (not instant)
  • 1 cup of sliced almonds
  • 1/2 cup of sweetened/unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 4 tablespoons of canola oil
  • 1/4 cup of honey or agave syrup
  • 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon of salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon of ground cardamom
  • 1/8 teaspoon of ground cloves
  • 1/8 teaspoon of ground ginger
  • 3/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

Method

  1. Pre heat the oven to 350'F. Mix together the rolled oats, sliced almonds and shredded coconut in a medium bowl.
  2. In a small saucepan, heat the oil + honey over low-medium heat. Once heated through, add the vanilla.
  3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the cocoa powder, salt, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, ground cardamom and ground ginger. Note: if you'd like a stronger chai flavour, add 1/4 teaspoon of cardamon + ginger.
  4. Add the cocoa/spice mixture to the oil/honey mixture. Stir until well combined.
  5. Pour the wet mixture on top of the oats/nut mixture. Mix well so that all of the oats and nuts are thoroughly moistened.
  6. Pour the granola onto a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spread the granola into an even layer on the baking sheet. Bake the granola for 15 minutes. Turn the granola mixture over and then bake for another 5 to 10 minutes (or until the granola is lightly browned and a bit crunchy).
  7. Allow the granola to cool on the pan for at least 15 minutes. Break up the cooled granola with your fingers creating nice sized clusters. Granola can be stored in an air tight container at room temperature for 2 weeks.
  8. Once you've made some cocoa chai granola, try this parfait. Simply top some vanilla yogurt (dairy or non-dairy) with some cocoa chai granola and fresh raspberries. A great change-up to your morning routine!
Source: Courtney original

Summertime Quinoa Salad

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For those of you lovely people who have followed The Fig Tree for a while, you’ve probably noticed that I love quinoa. In particular, I love making salads with quinoa. Using quinoa as a base, you can experiment with different dressings and add-ins, and you’ll end up with a different, unique salad every time. This past week, I decided to try a quinoa salad with a savoury garlic dressing. For the add-ins, I used medium Gouda cheese, toasted pumpkin seeds and chopped dried apricot. The combination was fantastic. I loved the sharp cheese along with the sweet apricots. The pumpkin seeds were slightly salty and added the right amount of texture to the salad. The dressing was very simple, but added a nice savoury touch to the quinoa. Quinoa is so great in salads, because as the salad sits, the quinoa absorbs the flavours of the dressing. The end result – delicious! 

I highly recommend this salad as an accompaniment to dinner, a light lunch, or as the perfect dish to bring to a summer BBQ, potluck or picnic.

If you are interested in trying out other recipes with quinoa, please check out the some of my favourites:

Wishing you all a happy Friday + a fantastic weekend! 
Ingredients
  • 1 cup of uncooked quinoa, well rinsed
  • 2 cups of water
  • 1 clove of garlic, finely minced
  • 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar
  • 4 teaspoons of dijon mustard
  • 3/4 teaspoon of salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon of pepper
  • 1/4 cup of extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup of diced medium gouda cheese
  • 1/2 cup of diced dried apricots
  • 1/2 cup of salted pumpkin seeds, roasted

Method

1. In a medium sauce pan, combine the rinsed quinoa and 2 cups of water. Bring the quinoa and water to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook quinoa on low for 15 minutes then remove from heat and allow quinoa to stand for 5 minutes. Remove lid and fluff with a fork. Rinse cooked quinoa under cold water and drain well.

2. In a small jar, combine the garlic, vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper and olive oil. Shake well.

3. Mix cooked quinoa, dried apricots, and gouda cheese in a large bowl. Add 1/2 the salad dressing. Taste and decide if more dressing is needed. Cover and refrigerate the salad for at least 20 minutes before serving to allow the flavours to set. 

4. Before serving the salad, add the pumpkin seeds and toss. Enjoy!
Source: Canadian Living Magazine June 2012