Tag Archives: pumpkin seeds

How to Make: Orange Spiced Pepitas from Spicebox Kitchen

Posted by spicebox travels in cookbook, Dr. Linda Shiue, healthy, Mexican, plant-based, plantbased, quick, snack, spicebox kitchen, spices, The Doctor's Spicebox, Thrive Kitchen, vegan, video and tagged with , , , , , , ,

Here’s another recipe from Spicebox Kitchen, for Orange Spiced Pepitas. These make an excellent snack on their own, as a salad topper, added to granola or trail mix, or anywhere else you’d like a little crunch. Enjoy in good health!

Orange Spiced Pepitas

Makes 1 cup pepitas

1 teaspoon canola oil
1 cup raw hulled pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
Grated zest of 1 orange
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Heat oil in a small skillet over moderately low heat, then add pumpkin seeds. Toast in heated oil, stirring constantly, until puffed and golden, 8 to 10 minutes.
Combine orange zest, salt, sugar, cayenne, and cinnamon. Toss toasted seeds with spice mixture.

CREDIT: Excerpted from SPICEBOX KITCHEN: Eat Well and Be Healthy with Globally Inspired, Vegetable-Forward Recipes by Linda Shiue, MD. Copyright © 2021. Available from Hachette Go, an imprint of Hachette Book Group, Inc.

Health highlights:

-Pepitas, like other seeds and nuts, are a source of fiber and protein, zinc for immunity, and magnesium for heart health and mood. Toasting them makes them crunchy and released their aromatic oils.
-Cinnamon adds a touch of sweetness and has been shown to lower both blood sugar and blood pressure
-Cayenne, ground chile pepper, contributes antioxidants
-Orange zest more fiber and vitamin C than pulp, and plant compounds like polyphenols, which are protective against many chronic diseases including DM2 and AD, and essential oil limonene, which may protect against skin cancer

For more information about Spicebox Kitchen, see “press” and “publications” in the side bar. And for more up to the minute posts, please follow me on Twitter and Instagram @spiceboxtravels and on YouTube and Facebook @theDoctorsSpicebox. And you can now cook with me, virtually! The next Thrive Kitchen at Home class is a week from today, on 6/16, with a Mediterranean Picnic Menu. More information here: https://thrive.kaiserpermanente.org/care-near-you/northern-california/sanfrancisco/departments/health-education/lifestyle-medicine/healthy-cooking/ Thanks for coming by!