I’m potato chip (crisp, whatever you want to call it) addict, so I love anything that equals or even trumps the savoury hit that chips offer, but without all the crappy additives and preservatives. Having said that – check out the wildly different ingredients lists on a bag of ready salted chips compared to anything flavoured (roast lamb in a chip, anyone? And I’ll bet there’s nothing remotely related to lamb in there). While I could never admit that salt and vinegar is anything but the king of chips, ready salted can stand proud with its mere three or so ingredients.

I digress. I’m here to tell you about a delicious little snack I’ve been making. All you do is toast whatever nuts and seeds you like, in a hot heavy pan, with a little olive oil and paprika – I use both smoked and sweet. When everything’s nicely golden, take off the heat, sprinkle over some flaky sea salt and devour. Well, wait a wee bit or you’ll burn your tongue into numbness. In the pic above I used blanched almonds and sunflower seeds, which, combined with the paprika, had me feeling all Spanish. Perfect with a crisp cerveza.

I also like to toast seeds (a good mix is sunflower, sesame, pumpkin, linseed) with a little soy sauce, and once cool, store in a jar either for snacking on or throwing into salads.

Best place to buy nuts and seeds? Bulk Savings in Eden Valley has a great range with a lot of organic options, and you can’t beat the several Indian grocers’ in Sandrigham for price.

Chipolatas
Salad
Roasted butternut squash
Sauté fennel
Nando’s garlic piri piri sauce

Today I give you a simple recipe for brussels sprout coleslaw. Inspired by a contestant on Top Chef Canada I threw together this slaw to accompany our ribs for dinner.

Whenever we make coleslaw we always end with a tonne of leftovers because cabbage heads are huge, but this recipe lets you tailor the amount specific to how many people you are feeding.  The brussels sprouts are also generally more nutritious than cabbage, containing more vitamins and minerals (such as vitamin A and C, folic acid and potassium), as well as containing more sulforaphane, which exhibits anti-cancer properties.

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It’s a simple recipe:

Brussels Sprout Coleslaw (for 2 people)
Halve and thinly slice desired amount of brussels sprouts (we used about 6 large ones).
Grate in 1 carrot.
Slice in 2 green onions.
Toss to coat with coleslaw dressing (about 1 part apple cider vinegar, 2 parts mayonnaise, a dash of celery seed and some freshly ground black pepper).
Top with toasted sunflower and pumpkin seeds.

The toasted seeds make all the difference. I never make a coleslaw without them! Purchase plain seeds and toast quickly in your oven or in a pan on the stovetop. Watch them carefully and shake once in a while so they won’t burn.

You can also add other veggies like red cabbage or radicchio, or even fruits, such as grated or diced apples (a sweet variety like McIntosh is best) to add a punch of sweet flavour — we just didn’t have any on hand.

I love coleslaw because it’s basically all vegetables so there’s a low calorie and high vitamin content.  The only part you need to worry about if you’re watching what you eat is the dressing, especially if you’re using real mayonnaise, which you definitely should (nothing beats that flavour).  However, it’s a bonus that you don’t need much dressing to add flavour and so you can have extra helpings worry free!

But I realised I don’t feel as light and healthy as I did during my vegan pledge month, and when eating dairy and eggs I found it easier to eat less vegetables so that’s why I want to carry on discovering and trying more healthy and tasty (and environmentally friendly) vegan dishes.

Seeds are very healthy snacks thanks to their healthy fats, protein, vitamin and mineral content, and I found a lovely list of each seed’s individual health property that you might find interesting (sesame seeds contain calcium, perfect for a vegan diet).

I like seeds and love to add them to food: porridge, salads, vegan bars that I previously tried, soups…they add a lovely flavour and crunch to anything.

When I snack on them on their own or add them to something as a healthy topping I like to toast them first: this brings out more of their flavour and they become really lovely and crunchy, delicious!

The seeds I use the most are pumpkin, sunflower and sesame seeds (often sold together as omega 3 mix) and I like to add cashew nuts as they are irresistible when they are toasted.

Put the desired amount of seeds into a clean non-stick pan without adding any oil or anything;

Omega 3 Sprinkle to Toast

Keep them on a medium heat for a few minutes, keeping an eye on them so they don’t burn, until they turn golden and look nice and toasted;

Toasted Seeds

As you can see you can really tell when the green pumpkin seeds are toasted, they crack and pop in the pan and become super crunchy.

Once they are ready turn the heat off and leave to cool. I usually toast quite a lot of seeds and once they are cool I put them in a sealed plastic box so I can use some whenever I fancy!

These are really lovely with a salad, they add protein to it, crunch, colour…

The other day I made a salad that was a bit different to the one I had on Valentine’s day:

Seedy Salad

I made this one using crunchy iceberg lettuce leaves torn by hand, cherry tomatoes, black olives, roasted pepper hoummous (hidden under the leaves); pickled chilli for a bit of heat and of course my toasted seeds and cashews.

It was really nice and refreshing and as I knew it probably wouldn’t be filling enough for me I took some healthy rye crackers and rice cakes to go with it.

Rye Crackers and Rice Cakes

It was a great lunch for work, hope it inspired you to try toasty seeds as a healthy topping

What do you usually eat when you’re at work? How do you like to eat seeds?

Whoah. That can prettty much describe how I felt about three minutes into cooking my first JO meal. He was serious when he suggested I read through the recipe first! This meal is listed in the 20 minute or less chapter and is described as something you’d order at a posh noodle-bar. 20 minutes? Technically, yes. A better description may be, 20 hectic, iron-chef style, sweat-inducing minutes.

Asian Chicken Noodle Broth

To be fair to Jamie, if I would have done what he said and fully stocked my pantry first and read the recipe over (more than once), it would have most likely induced less sweat. I found my produce at the local stand (Windmill Farms) and my chicken & dry goods at Fresh & Easy.

I shopped for the items with both kids in tow. Both kids fell asleep on the way to the produce stand. Maxwell wakes up well from naps, but Dallas…oh, Dallas. If there is not a saying that goes, “Let sleeping 4 year olds lie,” there really should be. I prepared to wake him by picking up a burger at In & Out and crossed my fingers. As planned, Max woke up and was ready to go, while Dallas acted like I had slapped him awake with an iron glove. Why am I telling you this? I am hoping you’ll understand why I didn’t want to make the trek to a third store (Trader Joe’s) to pick up the required Chinese Five Spice or thin asparagus and baby corn.

Back to the kitchen…

First, the seed combo needs to be toasted. Why did I not know how EASY it is to toast nuts & seeds? It really brings out the flavor! I always thought it needed to be done in the oven, but apparently that is roasting, not toasting.

While the toasting happens, heat a large saucepan on high and pour in 4 cups (I learned that 4 cups = 1 quart) of chicken broth. Don’t comment on my lack of metric conversion knowledge, it’s a weakness, I know. The broth boils quickly and is truly where the magic of this recipe happens!

Before adding anything to the broth, I removed the seeds and cashews from my extra hot pan and tossed in some olive oil and chicken strips. The strips should have been doused in Five Spice, but…you know why they weren’t. Instead, I gave them a sprinkle of salt, pepper, garlic powder, cumin and cinnamon. I then proceeded to overcook the suckers, just like Jamie warned me not to.

Back to the broth. Now that the chicken is on its way, I dropped some fresh ginger in the broth. JO never says just how to cut the ginger, he only calls for it to be the size of your thumb. A good note in his book might have mentioned smaller is better! The big chunks of ginger are a do not repeat for this recipe! Next, drop in a few small handful of veggies. In this house, we had frozen peas, green beans and corn, so that’s what went in. Soy sauce, lime juice and then the my favorite new food, RICE NOODLES!

The recipe offers the choice of vermicelli if you do not have rice noodles, but I am so glad Fresh & Easy had them! The package was a little over a dollar and I only needed a third of it. Rice noodles have the same texture as traditional pasta, but without the heft. They cook quickly, too!

Just as the chicken finishes cooking, or in my house overcooking, the meal is complete! I ladeled the noodles, veg and broth over a handful of spinach in my big, fat bowl. Laid the rubbery chicken on top, sprinkled with toasted poppy seeds, sesame seeds and cashews and chose to eat, rather than pass out!

What did I learn from this recipe? I learned that flavor enhanced broth is easy to make! I also conquered my fear of rice noodles! Most of all, I am more confident in the kitchen! I didn’t expect the last one. I am actually a little sad that my next JO recipe (Baked Camembert Pasta) is so easy!

A savory pumpkin treat

Want a tasty snack without having to go to the store, making a huge mess, or exerting great effort?  Look no further than that pumpkin sitting peacefully on your evil neighbor’s porch!  (Or the pie pumpkins you have in preparation for making a pie.)  Wouldn’t you prefer to see that pumpkin put to good use, rather than smashed by some local hooligans?  Really, you’re doing your neighbor a favor.

The thought came to me a few years ago: the pumpkin is to me like the buffalo once was to the Native American… no part should go to waste.  Except for the pumpkin skin.  And the stem.  Those really don’t serve any purpose, do they?  Anyway, the general idea is that you can really use not just the outside, but the seeds inside as well.  And when you carve a pumpkin or cook one, you know that there is a plethora of seeds.  So I set out to find tasty treatments.

My first attempt was not successful at all.  In fact, they didn’t even make it into the pan.  Would you like to know why?  Because I laid them on a paper towel.  Once they dried, little parts of paper towel still clung desperately to my seeds.  With hundreds of seeds, I couldn’t go through them all and pick off the paper.  And those of you close to me know how much I hate the idea of wet paper or paper in my food.  So that attempt was foiled.

Second attempt was marginally better, yet still not a resounding success as a result of the addition of sugar to the mix.  The seeds clumped together and didn’t want to leave my cloth towel.  I was very disappointed.

Third try was a charm.  This is the recipe I’ve written today.  I have since tried other methods, like roasting and even a toasty/roasty combo, but this once dirties fewer dishes and might be quicker.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Filling up the Corners does not advocate or support pumpkin thievery.

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

Prep Time: 10-15 minutes

Cook Time: 15-20 minutes

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

• 1 TBSP butter
• 1 ½ C pumpkin seeds
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• ¼ tsp salt

Equipment:

• Small bowl for soaking seeds
• 12-inch skillet

Directions:

• Lay out a large paper or cloth towel on which to let your seeds dry
• Assuming your pumpkin seeds are still attached to the strings and meat (from the scooping process), fill the small bowl with water and add seeds, allowing to soak for a few minutes
• As seeds soak, mix them around with your hands, gently pulling seeds away from strings
• Once seeds are fairly clean, pour off water then spread seeds onto the towel, allowing to dry for about 1 hour (seeds may still be slightly damp, you just don’t want them soaking wet)
• Melt butter in skillet over medium heat
• Add seeds and stir thoroughly to coat seeds evenly with melted butter
• Stir frequently over the next 15-20 minutes so that the seeds don’t get too dark on any one side; stirring frequently will ensure even golden color
• Once they look golden, test a couple seeds; if light and crunchy, you’re DONE.  If they’re still slightly chewy, continue cooking for 3-5 more minutes
• Once desired color is attained, turn off the burner and add salt and garlic powder, tossing well to coat seeds
• Served warm or room temperature

JOHN FACTOR: I think I ate them all before he had a chance to try them.

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds Copyright Nicole McPhetridge 2010