Spiced Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

First throw all the seeds into a large bowl and fill it up with water. Sift through the seeds and pull out any chunks or strings of pumpkin flesh. Once all the non-seed material is removed, drain the seeds through a strainer and pour them onto a baking sheet. Use paper towel to dry them off.

Set the oven to 350F. Drizzle some olive oil onto the seeds, along with a generous helping of salt, pepper, 1 tsp of ground cinnamon, and a dash of paprika (do not use smoky paprika!). Mix well and then redistribute into an even layer on the baking sheet. Place in the oven and bake for 35 minutes, until golden brown. Allow to come to room temperature before serving.

This recipe does not call for any nuts, peanuts, dairy, wheat gluten, soy, and is suitable for vegans.

Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Ingredients
5 cups white bread flour + some for dusting
2 tsp quick rise dry yeast
2.5 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
2 cups warm water
2 tsp sunflower oil
1 tbsp. ground cinnamon

Method
Add the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt to a large bowl and mix well.

Make a well in the center and add the oil and water at one time. Begin stirring slowly until all the dry ingredients are incorporated and the dough has come together in a ball.

Dust some flour onto a clean surface and begin kneading the dough for several minutes until it's smooth and elastic.

Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rise for 1.5 hours. It should double in size.

Preheat oven to 425F.

Remove the plastic wrap and punch the dough in the center. Then transfer it onto a clean surface dusted with flour. Cut into 3 equal portions and roll each one into a rectangle that's about 1/4 inch thick. Dust the cinnamon over the dough evenly and then roll each one into a loaf.

Place the loaves a few inches apart on a large baking sheet and let stand for a half hour.

Place tray in preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes. Then turn the oven down to 400F and bake for another 10 - 15 minutes.

The cooked loaves should be light brown on the outside and sound hollow when tapped.
Top the sliced bread with a smear of coconut oil, a dusting of cinnamon, and a sprinkle of raw sugar.

*You can freeze any unbroken bread in a freezer strength plastic bag. It will last for up to 3 weeks.

20-Minute Salmon and Salad

Free from dairy, nuts, peanuts, oats, mustard, egg, soy, wheat.

In the heat of summer the thought of being behind a hot stove is the last thing you want to do. But who wants to compromise on eating good food? Here's my recipe for crispy Atlantic salmon with a cucumber salad and avocado mayo. My brother and I are eating it right now! And I made it in under 20 minutes. Here's how...

Salmon

You'll need 1 portion of salmon (about the size of your fist) per person. Pat both sides of the fish dry with a paper towel and then season generously with salt and pepper. Heat up 1 tbsp. of good olive oil in a non-stick pan and place the salmon fillet in skin-size down. Cover with a splash guard if you have one because it will sizzle! Sear for about 5 minutes, or until crispy, then flip over and sear on the flesh side for another 7 minutes on medium-high heat.

Salad

Full disclosure here, I didn't come up with this recipe, I got it from Bran's mom. You can prep the salad while the salmon is cooking. Slice up 1 cucumber, mince one clove of garlic, and chop up about 1 tbsp. of dill. Add them all to a bowl and toss with salt, a drizzle of olive oil, and a drizzle of red wine vinegar. Mix well and set aside.

Avocado Mayo

Add 1 avocado, the juice of 1 lime, and some more chopped dill (about 1 tsp) to a blender or Magic Bullet and blend until creamy and smooth.

Serve 1 fillet of salmon, a scoop of salad, and a dollop of the mayo per person. Enjoy with a glass of white wine or lemonade. Yum!

Mands.

3-Ingredient Kale Chips

Lately I'm on a kick of cooking foods that require minimal ingredients and just letting the star flavors shine. Kale chips are a perfect example of this. All you need is a head of kale, a couple tbsp of olive or sunflower seed oil, and a good sprinkle of sea salt. They're suitable for vegans, celiacs, and are free from dairy, nuts, peanuts, citrus, soy, shellfish, and egg. I also love how healthy they are!

Ingredients
1 head of kale
2 tbsp olive or sunflower oil
sea salt to taste

Method
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set the oven to 400F. Wash the kale and separate the leafy bits from the hard stems. The stems will stay pretty fibrous and woody after roasting which will compromise the light texture of the crisps. Break the leaves into smaller pieces and lay them out evenly on the tray. It's fine if they overlap but avoid whole chunks being covered as they'll steam under there. Drizzle the oil over the kale and then sprinkle with salt. Place the tray on the middle rack of the oven and set the timer for 15 minutes. The leaves should be crispy and browned. Add more salt to taste and then serve immediately.

Egg Muffins

Perfect for any meal of the day, these egg muffins are light, fluffy, healthy, and packed with protein and flavor.

Free from dairy, nuts, peanuts, shellfish, citrus, legumes, soy

Ingredients
6 large eggs (I use omega-3 eggs)
1 zucchini
a handful of button mushrooms
1 clove of garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup cooked, chilled quinoa
salt and pepper to taste

Method
1. Give the zucchini, mushrooms, and garlic a rough fine chop and set aside.
2. Heat the olive oil in a non-stick pan and add the garlic. Let it brown on medium heat for a minute, then add the zucchini and mushroom and allow to brown on medium-high heat. Season with salt and pepper. When the veggies are browned transfer to a large mixing bowl.
3. Add the quinoa and eggs to the mixing bowl all at once and season with salt and pepper. Mix well.
4. Preheat oven to 375F and line a muffin tray with parchment paper muffin cups (9 cups). The parchment cups will not stick to the batter and will give the muffins a nice scalloped edge.
5. Spoon the batter into the cups equally. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes. You'll know they're done when they've risen slightly and are nicely browned. When you jiggle the pan the batter should remain firm.

Serve warm. Makes 9 muffins

Roasted Sweet Yams

Yams are the more delicious cousin of the potato. I hate to say that (having Irish in my blood) but it's true. Sometimes a potato just doesn't cut it in the flavor department. And baking up these sweet yams is incredibly simple. Add an inexpensive and flavorful starch to your meal with this recipe.

1 yam per person
1 piece of aluminum foil per yam
1 tbsp of maple syrup per yam
salt and pepper to taste

Method
1. Wash and scrub the yams.
2. Cut a slit in the top of each one to let the steam release while baking.
3. Wrap each yam in foil and place directly on the middle rack of a 350F oven. You can add a pan to the lower rack to catch any drips if it makes you more comfortable.
4. Leave them to bake for 2 hours
5. Remove from the oven after baking is complete and slice in half or in rounds. Drizzle with maple syrup, salt, and black pepper to taste. You can throw them back in the foil and bake for 15 minutes more if you want them to be seriously syrupy, or you can just drizzle and serve hot without re-baking.