I originally published this one in 2012, but with pumpkin on my mind 24/7, I thought it was time to update with more photos and more thorough instructions. So excited for pumpkin (and pumpkin seed!) season!

This Saturday is family pumpkin carving day. I adore pumpkin carving day. Anything that makes me feel like I’m back in school, happily lost in creating my own little spin on the latest art project, is a-ok by me.

Another thing to love about pumpkin carving? The snacks we get out of it. The snacks we literally get out of it – right out of the pumpkin. Grab those seeds you hollowed out of your pumpkin, season them just right, and you can roast pumpkin seeds right in your oven. They’ll get all perfectly crunchy and toasty brown while you’re working on your jack-o-masterpiece.

Ready to toast? Here’s how to roast pumpkin seeds in your oven (plus, scroll down for three tasty ways to season ’em!)

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The post How to Roast Pumpkin Seeds (plus three tasty variations) appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.

I’d been trying to come up with a quinoa-based veggie patty to share with you today, and was failing. Stupid falling apart veggie burgers! So I decided to put my remaining quinoa to better use: this protein-rich, veggie-packed, party of a salad.

I used vibrant sugar snap peas along with crunchy grated carrot and a double onion-y (but not overpowering!) one-two punch: some finely chopped red onion, and a nice handful of spring chives.  In fact, if this salad wasn’t so dang colorful, I would have gone with its original name, “spring quinoa salad.” But “confetti” won out. Confetti should always win out, actually. Even if you’re vacuuming it up for years (actual confetti, not this salad).

Both my slightly vegan-averse guy and myself believe that the lightly toasted pepitas make this simple salad sing. That added little crunch adds the perfect amount of texture to each and every bite.

It takes just a few minutes to toast the pepitas in a saute pan. Definitely worth it.

This quinoa vegetable salad is terrific right after it’s tossed together, but next-day portions are even better. Totally the bee’s knees. Lunch leftover recipes = the best kinds of recipes.

More Easy Quinoa Salad Recipes

• Quinoa Tabbouleh
• Tabbouleh Hummus Mason Jar Salads
• Lemony Quinoa Chickpea Salad with Fresh Dill
• Quinoa Berry Salad

If you try and love this recipe for quinoa chickpea salad, please leave a review! Even if you don’t absolutely love it, I welcome any and all feedback and I share all legit reviews. I test my recipes multiple times in my home kitchen, but I really appreciate knowing how they’re working for others; your reviews help me make tweaks until my recipes are just right! And they’re so valuable for other readers, too. Thank you! ❤️

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Quinoa Vegetable Salad Recipe

This light, veggie-packed, and protein-rich salad is equally perfect for potlucks, packed lunches, or super-easy dinners.

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 4 -6 servings

Author Kare

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup dried quinoa about 1 1/2 cup cooked
• 2 cups sugar snap peas
• 1/2 cup raw pepitas pumpkin seeds
• 1/2 cup grated carrots about 2 small carrots
• 1/4 cup finely diced red onion about 1/4 small onion
• 1/4 cup minced chives
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

• Cook the quinoa according to package directions. Set aside and allow to cool.
• Fill a medium saucepan half full with water and bring to a boil. Add the sugar snap peas and boil for one minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer peas to a few layers of paper towels to dry and cool. When cool enough to handle, cut into 1-inch long pieces.
• Place a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the pepitas and cook, stirring constantly, until toasted and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Set aside and allow to cool.
• Add quinoa, peas, and pepitas to a large bowl along with the carrots, onion, and chives. Toss to combine.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Pour dressing over salad and toss again to coat.
• Taste and add additional salt and pepper if desired.
• To store, cover tightly with plastic wrap or transfer to an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to two days.

The post Quinoa Vegetable Salad Recipe appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.

All I know is: 1. It’s darn tasty, and 2. Oats, nuts and seeds have great-for-me stuff in them. So as long as I don’t eat five cups of homemade granola at a time (tempting as it may be), I think I’m good.

All the better if you make your granola at home. The ingredients are relatively inexpensive, you know exactly what goes into it, and it tastes fantastic.

Plus, it looks really cute in a mason jar tied up with a simple tag and some jute.

So whip some up with me. And then go get bangs with me. Or am I the only one who is actually going to get a haircut with bangs, yet again, only to remember why I hate having hairstyles with bangs? Yeah? (And wait … have they actually gone back out of style already?)

Ah well. At least there’s granola.

More Granola Recipes

• Cinnamon Almond Butter Granola
• How to Make Granola (base recipe)
• Cherry Hazelnut Granola
• Honey Almond Quinoa Granola
• Muesli – not actual granola, but very granola-like!

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Mango Cashew (Almond Flaxseed Pepita Whatever-You-Want) Granola

Crunchy, hearty and full of flavor, this homemade granola recipe is easy and oh-so yummy. Adjust the seeds, nuts and dried fruit to make it your own. Sprinkle a little on some greek yogurt for a filling breakfast, throw some in a bag for an easy (and satisfying) snack or fill up a mason jar and give it away as a gift … if you can bring yourself to part with any, that is.

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 10 cups

Author Kare

Ingredients

• 1 cup honey
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 5 cups five-grain rolled grain cereal or 5 cups rolled oats or a combination of both equaling 5 cups
• 4 cups nuts and seeds
• 1 cup of dried fruit

My current fave combo or nuts and fruit is:

• 3/4 cup flaxseeds
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
• 1 cup pepitas pumpkin seeds
• 1 cup sliced or roughly chopped almonds
• 3/4 cup cashews roughly chopped
• 1 cup dried mango coarsely chopped

Instructions

• Heat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two rimmed cookie sheets with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, mix the rolled grains and/or oats, nuts, and seeds. (The dried fruit is added after it’s baked).
• In a saucepan over low heat, combine the honey, butter, and vegetable oil, stirring occasionally, until butter is melted and ingredients are well-combined.
• Pour the honey/butter/oil mixture over the grain/nut/seed mixture, and stir with a wooden spoon until evenly coated.
• Bake for 30-40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until the granola turns golden brown.
• Let cool, then stir in the chopped dried mango (or other dried fruit).
• Store in an airtight container (it should keep for up to a month at room temp).

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