Pumpkin Pie Spice Roasted Pepitas

It's amazing how fast the time has just flown by lately. It's the middle of October already, and Fall is in full swing. If there's one thing I love about this time of year it's taking walks through the forest or at the park. I love the fresh fall air and sweet smell of fallen leaves. After a crisp long walk it's nice to come home to warm up with something comforting and warm. A cup of hot apple cider would do the trick. These roasted pumpkin pie spiced pepitas would be the perfect healthy little snack to go along with it

Pepitas are actually just pumpkin seeds that are shelled. They look flat and light to dark green in colour.

The healthy benefits of these little seeds are out of this world. They are a very good source of omega 3 essential fatty acids, quality protein, fibre, vitamin E, potassium, magnesium and manganese, iron, zinc, and copper. How's that for nutrition? You'll want to start adding these to your clean diet right away.

There are alot of different recipes out there for roasting pumpkin seeds. Some roast them at high temperatures for a short amount of time and others at lower temps for a longer amout of time. In this recipe I roasted the seeds at a lower temperature, 325 degrees, and they came out perfect. I think roasting them at a lower temperature is key to getting the pumpkin seeds perfectly crunchy without any burning. Just remember though that all ovens are slightly different.

I promise you won't regret making these. They make your whole house smell like fall. They also make great additions to salads or quinoa and are perfect for snacking just the way they are. I calculated the nutrition based on a 2 tablespoon serving.

Pumpkin Pie Spice Roasted Pepitas gluten free (makes 8, 2 tbsp servings)

Print or email this recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 cup raw pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds)
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoons ginger
• 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoons sea salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325˚. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, toss all of the ingredients together until the seeds are well coated. Spread the seeds out in an even layer and roast, stirring occasionally, until golden, 13-15 minutes.
3. Let cool for 10 minutes, then transfer to a small serving dish or store in an air tight container at room temperature.

Nutrition Information:

Serving size: 2 tbsp Calories: 93 Fat: 7.6g Saturated Fat: 1g Cholesterol: 0mg Carbohydrates: 3.9g Sugar: 1.5g Sodium: 59mg Fiber: 1g Protein: 4.5g

Rise n' Shine Smoothie

This tastes like a milkshake!

It has the perfect consistency and thickness, and just the right amount of sweetness from the fruit.

The almond butter and chocolate protein powder work really well together in this shake to make it nice and creamy...just like a milkshake.

I love that the protein powder leaves no trace of chalkiness in the smoothie. Some powders are unfortunately like that.

This is the first time I've added matcha green tea powder to a smoothie. You really can't taste it and it adds a very healthy punch to the mix. Green tea in any form is a source of antioxidants, but matcha is one of the most powerful sources of antioxidants, minerals (calcium), and vitamins. There's more antioxidants in matcha green tea than there are in blueberries, it's 100 times more potent than Vitamin C, and has over 9 times the beta carotene of spinach. I really enjoyed using this as a supplement in my smoothie. It gives a whole new meaning to the name green smoothie!

If you're not used to the matcha green tea you may want to start with a 1/4 tsp instead of a 1/2 or more. It has some pretty powerful detoxing qualities.

This really is a simple fast breakfast shake that can be ready in minutes. With lot's of fiber and healthy fats to keep you satisfied and energized. Of course there's nothing wrong with enjoying it for lunch instead.

I have missed you summer! 

...Now where's the coffee!

Rise n' Shine Smoothie (serves 1) Gluten Free, Vegan

Print or email this recipe

Ingredients:

• 1/2 large banana, frozen
• 1/2 cup frozen strawberries
• 1/2 tsp matcha green tea powder
• 1/2 scoop chocolate Sunwarrior Protein
• 2 tbsp almond butter
• 1 cup almond milk (or milk of your choice)

Directions:

1. Place the frozen fruit, green tea, protein powder and almond butter into the blender. Pour the almond milk over everything. 
2. Blend and enjoy!

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 342 Fat: 21g  Sat Fat:2 g  Carbohydrates: 29g  Sugar: 12g  Sodium: 176mg  Fiber:7g Protein: 15g