Recipe ReDux: Seasonal Seeds

Recipe ReDux: Seasonal Seeds

It's the 21st so you know what that means - another Recipe ReDux post! I was pretty jazzed when I read this month's theme. It's all about using seeds to pump up the flavor, texture and nutrition profile of a dish. I love seeds, and since finding out they have such a great nutritional value (even better for you than nuts), I feel like I've been using them all over the place lately.

Salad is quite the obvious one for this girl. If you've been reading for a while, you know I eat big salads multiple times a week, and a girl needs a little crunch on her greens. Raw or toasted sunflower seeds make a perfect topper.

I've also been making my own trail mix lately by buying raw nuts in bulk at Trader Joe's, then making up a batch at home. This way I can control the oil, salt and sugar content, and I can use organic nuts and fruits without it costing a fortune.

I love adding pumpkin seeds to my mixes since they add a great saltiness and texture. My usual mix includes:

- 1 part walnuts or pecans
- 1 part almonds
- 1 part macadamia nuts or brazil nuts
- 1 part pumpkin seeds

If the nuts are raw, I'll often toast them dry in the oven or on the stove at a low heat until they become fragrant. Let them cool before adding them to a bowl and tossing them with the pumpkin seeds and any fruit. For fruit, I choose dried, unsulfured organic fruits with no added sugar (I find them in the health food aisle or at TJ's):

- 1 part dried cranberries
- 1 part golden raisins

This is such a great snack. I keep huge Tupperware containers of it in the cabinet so we can grab handfuls when needed, or take little snack bags of it to work so I have something crunchy and satisfying to nibble on when the afternoon tiredness and snack urges set in.

I also eat a fair amount of stir frys, and have been incorporating black and white sesame seeds for a little extra texture and nutrition value - and because they look pretty. I keep a jar of each in my spice drawer, and just sprinkle a pinch on top of my veggie bowls before serving.

But my favorite new way to use seeds has to be in my Sunflower Seed Pesto. I adored this pesto as it had such a unique flavor. I like to use it on zucchini noodles, but obviously it would go well on any kind of pasta or even as a spread for crostini.

Speaking of, maybe I'll make a batch of this goodness for dinner tonight.