Maple Glazed Pumpkin Seeds

One of the best things about fall, for me, is squash and pumpkin. I love eating them, and carving them, and one of the great things about pumpkin carving is the seeds. This is a recipe that one of my brother's friends made after a pumpkin carving party that was pretty amazing. 

Maple Glazed Pumpkin Seeds

1/4 cup butter
2 cups raw pumpkin seeds
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons maple syrup


Melt Butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the seeds and cook 10 minutes or until slightly brown. Stir in spices then transfer to a baking sheet, then cook in a 300 degree oven for 30-40 minutes. Yum.

Greek Lemon Chicken

This is one of my favorite recipes. It's pretty easy and comes out so tender and delicious. I usually serve with a boxed rice pilaf (the Far East brand is the best) and a Greek salad, and a side of pita. Yum.

Greek Lemon Chicken

2 tablespoons EVOO
1 pound chicken, cut into 1" squares. I use a mix of breast and thigh fillets
4-6 cloves garlic
Juice of one lemon
3 cups water
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon black pepper

Peel and crush garlic and set aside. Add the lemon juice to water. Heat the oil in a large skillet and add the chicken pieces. Brown the chicken on all sides (about 10 minutes). Add the garlic, oregano, and pepper, and stir. Pour the lemon-water mixture and stir. Reduce the heat and simmer until most of the liquid has reduced and you're left with a thick, garlicy soupy wonderfulness.


Homemade Greek Salad Dressing

Forgive the wacky measurements. The original yield of the recipe was for a restaurant, so getting it down ended up in some weird results. However, it's so good I don't mess with it.

3/4 cup and 2 teaspoons EVOO
2.25 teaspoons garlic powder
2.25 teaspoons dried oregano
2.25 teaspoons dried basil
1.5  teaspoons pepper
1.5 teaspoons salt
1.5 teaspoons onion powder
1.5 teaspoons dijon mustard
1 cup and 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Mix all ingredients but oil, then whisk in oil in a slow stream. Serve on salad, or with chicken, rice, and lettuce in a pita.

 

Turkey Sliders with Carmelized Onions

My mom makes these pan-fried turkey burgers all the time. They're pretty low fat, and are simple to make. Here, they are served with a side of simple roasted asparagus (EVOO, salt, pepper, 350 oven for like 15 mins).

Turkey Burgers

1 lb. ground turkey
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 red pepper, finely chopped
1 egg
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
6 oz. shredded low fat cheddar
1/4 cup Panko bread crumbs
Salt and Pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together and shape into patties. If the mixture is too moist, add more Panko to thicken. Pan fry in hot olive oil, 7 minutes each side.

Carmelized Onions

Slice onion and place in a hot non-stick skillet over medium heat. Leave the onions  alone until they turn a rich brown on one side, then turn and stir very little until done.