Appetizers/Snacks

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin seeds are one of my favorite healthy snacks, and since it was time to throw out my Halloween pumpkins, I salvaged the seeds  and roasted them. If you can get past digging through the slimy pumpkin guts, the rest of the process is easy. I keep the flavor of the seeds simple, with just some salt, black pepper, and garlic powder, but the options are limitless: cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, dried chipotle seasoning, onion powder, dried Ranch dressing mix, or even pumpkin pie spice.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
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Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
15 min
Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
15 min
Ingredients
  1. 2 cups raw pumpkin seeds (about 2 medium-size pumpkins)
  2. 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  3. 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  4. 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  5. Pinch of ground black pepper
Instructions
  1. Cut pumpkins in half and pull out the seeds.
  2. Place seeds in a colander and rinse thoroughly with cold water.
  3. Spread seeds on a kitchen towel and let dry for about 15 minutes.
  4. While the seeds are drying, preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  5. Spread seeds on a large rimmed baking sheet and toss with olive oil and seasonings.
  6. Roast for 15 minutes, stirring once halfway through.
  7. Remove from oven, let cool on the baking sheet, and then store in an airtight container.
Seasoned to Impress https://seasonedtoimpress.com/

Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

 Since cauliflower seems to be the unofficial super food of the year, recipes for it have been all over Pinterest, including this one for buffalo-wing-style cauliflower. In my mind, you can’t go wrong with anything “buffalo” flavor, and this recipe satisfies my cravings for wings in a much healthier way. 

Buffalo Cauliflower Bites
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Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
25 min
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
25 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 head of cauliflower, chopped into bite-size florets
  2. ½ cup all-purpose flour
  3. ½ cup milk
  4. 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  5. Pinch of kosher salt
  6. 1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
  7. Non-stick cooking spray
Sauce
  1. 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
  2. ½ cup Frank’s Red Hot sauce
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, milk, garlic powder, and salt.
  3. Add the cauliflower pieces to the bowl, and stir to coat evenly with the batter.
  4. Add the panko bread crumbs to a separate bowl. Place the cauliflower several pieces at a time into the bread crumbs and coat evenly, and then place on a lightly greased nonstick baking sheet.
  5. When all of the cauliflower is on the baking sheet, spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
  6. Bake for about 10 minutes until the breading is golden brown, and then flip with a spatula and bake for another 10 minutes.
  7. Whisk together the Frank’s Red Hot sauce and melted butter in a small bowl.
  8. Drizzle the hot sauce mixture over the cauliflower, and return it to the oven for an additional 5 minutes.
  9. Remove from oven, and serve with ranch or blue cheese dressing.
Adapted from The Lean Clean Eating Machine
Adapted from The Lean Clean Eating Machine
Seasoned to Impress https://seasonedtoimpress.com/