With the season of thanks and spooks fastly approaching, we wanted to give you both a trick and a treat that will be saved in your festive recipe book for years to come.
The zero waste trick may be obvious: when carving pumpkins, save the pumpkin seeds! All they need is a quick rinse and you have yourself an incredibly nutrient dense addition to your thanksgiving dinner recipes. We used this hack to add some crunch to the Thanksgiving treat that we are making today: a creamy, savoury and sweet oven roasted brussel sprout recipe.
Although this recipe is totally plant-based, the tang from the coconut aminos and Natural Peanut Butter add the same delicious flavour profile that has made adding bacon to brussel sprouts so popular. This version is so so SO delicious! Our additive-free and natural peanut butter melts perfectly into the maple syrup, and the vinegar completes this sauces name, as we like to call it a sweet peanut butter vinaigrette, making these the best roasted brussel sprouts we have ever tasted.
How to Cook Pumpkin Seeds
If you are using store bought roasted (or raw) pumpkin seeds, you can scroll down to the beginning of the recipe. If you want to learn how to roast pumpkin seeds for this recipe – keep reading! Our recipe pictures our brussel sprouts with some shelled pumpkin seeds we already had in our pantry, but we also love making this recipe with whole pumpkin seeds (which you can shell if you have the patience).
In fact, eating them whole offers twice the amount of fiber as the shelled ones! This roasted brussel sprout recipe is the perfect way to use up a portion of pumpkin seeds from your halloween pumpkin carving adventures.
- After scooping out the seeds from your pumpin, put them (and any attached pumpkin fillings) in a bowl of cold water. Stir them around. You should see any loose seeds float to the top, to collect those with a slotted spoon.
- In the bowl, seperate the rest of the pumpkin seeds from the rest of the pulp, composting the pulp as you go. It’s okay if you do not get the seeds completely clean. You can also boil the seeds for 10 minutes in salted water to help remove the pulp.
- Rinse the seeds in a colander under cold water and shake off.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F while your pumpkin seeds dry off in the colander, or opt to cook them in an airfryer.
Oven roasted pumpkin seeds:
- Scatter the seeds on a baking sheet and coat them in 1 tbsp olive oil. Sprinkle with 2 tsp sea salt and/or garlic powder for seasoning.
- Bake in the oven for 10 to 25 minutes, stirring at least once.
- They are done when they appear golden around the edges, and take longer to look the larger they are.
Cooking pumpkin seeds in the airfryer:
- In a bowl, coat your dry pumpkin seeds with1 tbsp olive oil. Sprinkle with 2 tsp sea salt and/or garlic powder for seasoning. Mix until evenly seasoned.
- Spread them into your air fryer evenly.
- Cook at 360F for 10 to 15 minutes, or until they are at your desired crispness.
The Recipe – The Best Brussel Sprouts with Roasted Pumpkin Seeds and Maple Peanut Butter Sauce
Prep time: 10 min, Cook Time: 20 min, Total Time: 30 min
Serves:
Ingredients
- 2 cups brussel sprouts
- 1/2 cup raw or roasted pumpkin seeds
- 4 teaspoons rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons nudemarkt natural smooth or crunchy peanut butter
- 1 clove fresh garlic
- 1 tsp soy sauce, tamari or coconut aminos
- 4 tbsp Natural Peanut Butter (Smooth or Crunchy)
Directions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. If using full sized brussel sprouts, cut them in half. I am working with these cute baby brussels, so I’m keeping them whole!
- In a cast iron skillet or pan on medium heat, add freshly minced garlic and a generous drizzle of olive oil. Add brussel sprouts into the skillet and saute for 7-8 minutes – or until they start to brown. Place the skillet (or move ingredients into an oven-safe dish) into the oven for 10-12 minutes. Give it a little mix half way through!
- When your brussel sprouts are roasting, get a small bowl and mix together the rice vinegar, maple syrup, Natural Peanut Butter, soy sauce (tamari or coconut aminos) and seasoning.
- When your brussel sprouts are to your liking (golden and a bit crisp is my fave), take out of the oven and evenly smother them in your delicious peanut vinaigrette. Top with roasted pumpkin seeds, your fave herbs, chopped peanuts or serve as is and dig in!
FAQ’s
Do you have to use natural peanut butter for this recipe?
Although we haven’t tried other peanut butters, so we can’t say if it will alter the taste or texture, there are some reasons we specified natural. We wanted to be mindful about added oils, since peanuts have a lot of natural fats, we don’t need more to dilute our peanut butter! For preservation, some peanut butters have these added oils (like palm oil), which this recipe is definitely healthier without.
Plus, now is the time to support smaller businesses! If you want to check out our line of natural peanut butters, you can get them online, or in stores. Our classic smooth and crunchy natural peanut butters are delicious in the recipe, but we think that coconut would be incredibly yummy in this spicy sauce as well!
What are the health benefits of pumpkin seeds?
Pumpkin seeds are full of nutrients we need to live a healthy life! A 1 ounce serving of shell-free pumpkin seeds contains:
1.7 grams of fibre
These little seeds are packed with big fibre – and even more when they aren’t shelled! This natural source of fibre can promote digestive health, and high fibre diets have been associated with reduced risk in heart disease, type 2 diabetes and obesity.
7 grams of protein
Pumpkin seeds are one of the stars of plant based protein (along with peanuts!) This source of protein comes with no cholesterol, making it a heart healthy alternative.
37% recommended daily value of magnesium
Magnesium is a vital mineral that western diets can often lack. It is necessary for blood pressure control, heart disease risk reduction, healthy bone formation and blood sugar level regulation.
Other beneficial nutrients pumpkin seeds are high in:
• Copper (19% recommended daily value)
• Omega-6s (6 grams)
• Iron (23% recommended daily value)
• Vitamin K (23% recommended daily value)
• Phosphorus (33% recommended daily value)
• Manganese (42% recommended daily value)
• Zinc (14% recommended daily value)
Can you pan fry brussel sprouts?
Absolutely! Although this may not make them as soft all the way through, this is another way to cook your brussel sprouts without having to use your oven. It is recommended that you cut them in half, so they are easier to cook. Once halved, follow the instructions below to plan fry your brussel sprouts:
Stir and continue cooking for about 6 to 8 minutes until they are brown all over
• Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large cast iron skillet or pan over medium heat
• Add the halved brussel sprouts with the flat side down on the pan
• Fry for 5-8 minutes until they are golden brown
• Stir and continue cooking for about 6 to 8 minutes until they are brown all over
We love that Thanksgiving is a time that we can cook delicious food and have a reminder to take time to reflect on the things that we are grateful for. Along with a lot of thanks, we also hope this holiday continues to evolve into a deeper reflection about privilege and reconciliation.
We also want to bring light to the origin of Thanksgiving, the celebration of seasonal food from the harvest, which many of us may feel so disconnected from as there is often a lengthy journey between food producer and consumer. We hope to raise awareness about our food system so we can further support more local and sustainable farmers, and in turn expand access so everyone can thrive on natural and nutrient dense foods!
