Seasonal Food
When I was a kid, my parents and I carved pumpkins to decorate the house for the trick-or-treaters. It was usually a messy affair, involving lots of newspaper spread all over the kitchen floor. Dad usually carved the most interesting face, and Mom always picked a pumpkin that was oddly shaped, or not the traditional orange color.
It wasn’t until a few years ago while spending time with my extended family around Hallowe’en time, that I learned all those pumpkin innards need not go to waste. The pumpkin-carving contest was fun, but the amazing snack my cousin’s eldest daughter made with the seeds is what I remember the most. What a wonderful super-food treat!
Seasonal Nutrition
Vitamins
- Vitamin A – necessary for proper growth and development;
- Vitamin B1/Thiamin – essential for carbohydrate metabolism;
- Vitamin B2/Riboflavin – important for energy production;
- Vitamin B3/Niacin – used in fat, carbohydrate and cholesterol metabolism;
- Vitamin E – antioxidant protecting cellular membranes
- Phosphorus – component of healthy bones, important for energy metabolism;
- Magnesium – great for heart health;
- Manganese – used in blood sugar control;
- Copper – body uses for collagen production and manufacture of hemoglobin;
- Zinc – necessary for good vision heath, maintenance of taste and smell senses;
- Iron – important for oxygenating blood, removing CO2 from body.
- Phytosterols – enable reduction in blood cholesterol levels;
- Antioxidants – scavenge damaging free-radicals from body;
- Fiber – aids intestinal health.
Seasonal Recipes
Pumpkin Seeds are a great snack and salad topping. You can make savory pumpkin seeds, or sweet ones – whatever you like, and whatever fits best for your recipe. I like savory pumpkin seeds on earthy beet salad, and sweet ones for a post-dinner snack.
Although available year-round, roasted beets are a great way to herald in autumn. They are a hearty food with a wonderful earthy taste. Many people are a bit scared to try cooking with fresh beets, wondering: “Don’t they dye everything red?”, “Which parts can I eat?”, “Aren’t the leaves poisonous?” I recently visited my dear friend Karley, and she had some of these questions, but lucky for me, was willing to give cooking fresh beets a try. I am happy to report, after our kitchen time together, she no longer had any doubts about beets, and soon made fresh beets for a gathering of her extended family. Her husband (beet lover) was so happy to have his own special bowl of ‘just beets,’ and everyone else enjoyed freshly roasted beet salad with arugula (recipe below).
- Pumpkin seeds
- Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) -or- Extra virgin coconut oil
- Herbs and spices
If you are using raw store-bought whole seeds, raw shelled seeds (pepitas), or roasted whole or shelled seeds, skip to Step 3.
1. Rinse the seeds.
If you are using the ‘guts’ from your Jack-o’-lanterns, separate the seeds from the squash strings. (Let nothing go to waste - add squash strings to your bone broth, soups, smoothies, or muffins.) (Kids will have fun playing with the slimy stuff, and are more likely to enjoy a snack they helped create.)
If you have more time, you can sprout the seeds before roasting them – simply cover the seeds with water in a bowl and soak the seeds overnight. Sprouted seeds provide even more nutrients than non-sprouted ones. (In this use, “sprouted” does not mean wait until the the seeds sprout new squash plants).
2. Dehydrate the seeds.
Place the seeds in a single layer on an oiled baking sheet. Roast seeds in a 300’F oven for 30 minutes.
3. Toast and season the seeds.
- Heat EVOO in a skillet, over a medium flame. Use just enough to lightly coat the dried seeds. Start with a tablespoon and add more if you are toasting a lot of seeds.
- Add seeds, stirring to coat with oil.
- Add spices, stirring constantly. A little goes a long way, so start with a small amount. Dried herbs are about 3 times more ‘potent’ than fresh ones. If you are using fresh herbs, mince them and don’t be afraid to add more to your culinary delight.
- Continue to toast the roasted seeds until they begin to brown. They might make a ‘pop!’ or ‘snap!’ sound – that’s okay, and part of the fun.
If your children are good kitchen helpers, they can be the official stirrers…or oversee sprinkling the herbs and/or spices.
Nutrition Notes
Herbs and spices are also super-foods – lots of nutrition packed into a small amount of food. Different spices and herbs provide different nutrient profiles, so mix it up, try something new.
Alterations & Additions
- Skip the oil and use a little sugar when toasting the seeds over a low flame. Constantly stirring, the seeds will be coated as the sugar melts and caramelizes. Add cinnamon for a sweet snack, a topping for ice cream, or a crunch addition to a spinach salad.
- I like to use EVOO for savory seeds and coconut oil for sweeter snacks.
Make your own healthy snacks throughout the year
Even though pumpkins and other winter squashes are not readily available throughout the year, you can use store-bought raw or roasted shelled or un-shelled seeds. Working with already-cleaned and dried seeds takes less time, but, I think, not quite as fun as playing around with all those squashy innards.
You can eat all parts of a beet – the root, the skin, the small leaves (add to your salad), and the large leaves (sauté, or add to your smoothie or bone broth). When roasting beets, I roast them whole, and cut them after they have cooked (cooked beets are easier to cut than raw ones).
- Beets
- Olive Oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- Arugula
- Goat Cheese
- Blood Orange
- Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
1. Toast pumpkin seeds.
Using the recipe above, toast pumpkin seeds with EVOO and thyme. For other ideas about what herbs and spices to use, check out One Green Planet’s list.
2. Prepare the beets.
- Wash the beets.
- Remove the greens (just snip them off about an inch from the root itself).
- Coat beets with a fine layer of EVOO. I pour a little oil into my hands and massage the whole beet. Your hands will get a little pink, but this rinses off easily. (This might be a fun thing for young helpers to do).
- Sprinkle freshly ground pepper and salt (iodized, not iodized, sea, kosher – whatever you like) on the beets, making sure to get all the sides.
3. Roast the beets.
Roasting times depend on the size of beet (large or small; cut up or not). Here’s what I do:
- Place the whole beets in a casserole, and cover them.
- Roast them at 400’ for 40 minutes, then check them every 10 minutes until they are fork-tender. If I am short on time, I cut the raw beets before coating in oil and spices.
4. Make the salad.
- Cut beets into cubes, and add to salad of arugula.
- Garnish with blood orange sections, goat cheese, and your toasted pumpkin seeds.
- Dress with balsamic vinegar.
Nutrition Notes
Beets are excellent for liver health, and provide folic acid, fiber, manganese, and potassium. Beet greens provide calcium, iron, Vitamin A, and Vitamin C.
I always tell people about beeturia when serving fresh (red) beets. Beeturia is the passing of red or pink urine after eating fresh beets. It can be alarming, but is normal, and doesn’t happen to everyone. The first time I ever had fresh beets, both my urine and stool were tinged with red. Boy was I quick to call my mom (both the beet-preparer and a nurse)!
Make roasted beets a staple throughout the year
Beets are available year-round. Roasted beets are not only great in salads, but are a lovely side dish. They can easily be roasted while you are using your oven for another meal (just increase roasting time when using a slower oven), and keep them on hand in the refrigerator. Add to soups and smoothies.
News & Notes
New You Nutrition Newsletter.
A BIG THANK YOU!! to the attendees of my Happy Healthy Holidays talk at the West Portal Branch of the San Francisco Public Library. As always, I had a great time! We shared good healthy foods and great ideas.