Lisa is in the kitchen this month:
With the wildly fluctuating temperatures and uncertainty of a final frost in the last few weeks of May, planting our vegetable garden was something of a guessing game. But for better or worse, it has all been planted, and now it’s largely up to nature to do her magic.
I planted a few medieval perennial vegetable seeds this year, sent to us by my stepson: scorzonera (black salsify), skirret and Good King Henry (I had never heard of them either!). It’s fun to plant some outliers like that and expand our veggie palate. I’ll let you know how that goes.
Meanwhile, I experimented in the kitchen with using pepita pumpkin seeds as the basis for sweet treats this month. The pepita is the type of pumpkin seed that you generally find in the grocery or health food store. They are thin-skinned, green seeds that don’t have an outer shell and only grow in certain types of pumpkins (Styrian or oilseed). Pumpkin seeds are a very good source of protein, and when you grind them, it makes it easier for the body to absorb the protein.
Besides being a great source of protein, pumpkin seeds also contain omega-3 fatty acids, iron, magnesium and potassium. Roasting the seeds increases the amount of antioxidants available and also makes them easier to digest, in addition to enhancing their flavor. Just be careful not to roast them in an oven hotter than about 325 degrees Fahrenheit, or you will risk destroying the beneficial fats in the seeds.
Pepita Cookie Bites Makes 12 cookies
Note: Do not over-blend these cookies! Pepita seeds can turn from a coarse, mealy consistency to a nut butter if blended for too long, so be sure to test the mixture every 5 seconds or so; the dough should look mealy. If you want a chewier cookie texture, akin to a Fig Newton, blend a tiny bit longer.
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted pepita seeds
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- A few teaspoons of apricot jam
Directions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Spread pepita seeds in a single layer onto a baking sheet; bake for 15 minutes.
- Remove seeds from oven; raise oven temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Place roasted pepitas, maple syrup, cardamom and vanilla extract into a food processor or high-speed blender; blend for 15 seconds, then scrape sides.
- Add 1 tablespoon of water to the mixture and blend for another 10 to 15 seconds, scraping sides at 5-second increments.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; use a teaspoon to scoop out dough to form 12 balls. Make a thumbprint in each ball to form a depression (oil finger to prevent sticking to dough).
- Scoop a small amount of jam onto each cookie.
- Bake for 12 minutes, until edges are slightly browned.
Pepita Bark
Ingredients
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup unsalted pepitas
- 1/4 cup sesame tahini
- 1/4 cup shelled, unsalted pistachio nuts
Directions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Spread pepita seeds in a single layer onto a baking sheet; bake for 15 minutes.
- Place chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave for 2 minutes, then stir. Microwave for additional 20-second increments until chocolate is just melted.
- Place roasted pepitas, sesame tahini and pistachio nuts in a food processor or high-speed blender; blend for 8 to 10 seconds. Mixture should be coarsely ground (not too fine).
- Add pepita mixture into the bowl of melted chocolate; stir to incorporate.
- Spread mixture onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper; spread mixture evenly with the back of a spoon into a large circle, about 1/4 inch thick.
- Put cookie sheet in refrigerator for 45 minutes.
- Remove cookie sheet from refrigerator, and gently peel pepita bark off parchment paper; break into pieces, and store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
The pepita bark and cookie bites are great to have on hand when you need guilt-free treats that pack an added protein punch!
For more information on how your food choices affect the planet and your health, go to: harriscenter.org/rhp.
