Spaghetti Squash baked seeds

After cutting open the spaghetti squash I realized how similar this inside was to a pumpkin.  The recipe I was using to prepare the spaghetti squash said to scoop out the seeds and discard, but like a long tradition of using every corner of a napkin before you get a new one, I thought there had to be something interesting i could do with the seeds.

When we were younger while we were carving our jack-o-lanterns we’d take the seeds from inside the pumpkin, lay them flat on a cookie sheet, rub them in olive oil, sprinkle with lawry’s salt, bake for 20 minutes then enjoy.  We’d keep them in a cup on the counter and between my sisters and my mom they didn’t last long.

When you go to the store there’s always bags of pumpkin seeds baked, salted and sold $3 for 5 oz’s but you never see any squash seeds. The recipe I used for the spaghetti squash told me to throw the seeds away, but I couldn’t bring myself to do that.

What a pleasant surprise.

I coated them in olive oil, sprinkled them with dried chipotle & smoked salt seasoning, baked for 20 minutes and ate them while they were tying to cool on the cookie sheet.  For what I can tell these taste just like pumpkin seeds.  So if you do find yourself using the spaghetti squash PLEASE don’t throw away the seeds.  Just bake them and eat them for a delicious snack! You could always turn them into a pesto if you really wanted…

INGREDIENTS
spaghetti squash seeds
lawry’s or other seasoning salt to taste
olive oil (or your preferred oil) to evenly coat seeds

Coat the seeds evenly with oil and seasoning. Bake for 25 min at 350. Try to let them chill but you’ll most likely eat them straight from the cookie sheet.

Roasted Garlic

Our summer came a little late this year. We had an amazing June, July, and first half of August. But the humidity is out now and the air is thick. It makes for very inconsistent running. Because I can’t always pick and choose the days and times I run, I have to just suck it up and run. When its this hot out, I do have to take some precautions and plan accordingly. Here are my tips for running in the heat:

1. Choose routes with the most shade

2. Wear sunscreen and a visor

3. Keep runs to about 30 minutes. If running longer, make sure you take a water bottle with you

4. Have a cold water bottle ready for when you’re finished

When its this hot, I also don’t like turning on the oven. I do, however, make an exception when I run out of my roasted garlic. I make this stuff in batches because I’m not a fan of my fingers smelling like garlic anytime I want to add some flavor to my meals. Plus, I don’t have the time to go through all that chopping and mincing every time I cook. I first came across this recipe from Rachel Ray. I was working and B was watching some Rachel Ray. She was making Roasted Garlic Chicken. I roasted the garlic and he made the chicken, but I ended up loving the roasted garlic recipe and I only have to make it once every couple of months!

Roasted Garlic

Ingredients:

As many garlic heads as you’d like

olive oil

salt

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F

2. Cut off the tops of your heads of garlic

3. Wrap each head  in a square of aluminium foil and drizzle with a bit of olive oil. Salt if desired.

4. Place all of the garlic “pockets” in a pan or directly in the oven.

5. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes or until tender. Enjoy the smells!

6. When garlic is tender, take out of oven and let cool. Squeeze the garlic out of its skin.

7. Use a fork to mash the garlic into a paste.

8. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator and use when needed!

 

 

I love adding this to my sauteed veggies or into pasta sauces. It is also delicious just spread on some bread and drizzled with olive oil and warmed in the oven…

Enjoy!

F