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.

Warm Farro Salad

Farro is an italian grain similar in shape and color to brown rice but richer in taste and texture. In recent years it has become much easier to find in grocery stores and is less expensive than 'fancy' wild rices. So I've been buying it like crazy! In fact, it's hard to go back to regular rice. So here is a warm farro salad that's makes a great accompaniment for roasted beef, chicken, or pork.

Free from dairy, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, egg, and shellfish.

Ingredients
6 cooked servings of farro
1 red bell pepper
1 large zucchini
Several handfuls of fresh basil
1 tsp each of salt and pepper
1/2 cup good olive oil plus 1 tbsp for coating the veggies to roast
the juice of half a lemon
5 sun dried tomatoes
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Method
1. Chop the bell pepper and zucchini into 1cm cubes and toss lightly in olive oil. Roast on a sheet pan covered in parchment paper at 425F for about 15 - 20 minutes or until nicely browned on the edges.
2. Prepare the farro according to package directions. It generally takes under 20 minutes to cook
3. While the farro and veggies are cooking you can prepare the dressing. Add the olive oil, salt and pepper, basil, lemon juice, mustard, balsamic vinegar, and sun dried tomatoes to a blender. Pulse until smooth.
4. While the veggies and farro are still hot, add them both to a large mixing bowl and pour the dressing over top. Toss well.
Serves 6

Sniffle-Healing Chicken Soup

Something dark was lurking on Saturday morning... I woke up stuffed up, hot, shivering, and sniffling. A cold was on the horizon and I was very unhappy about it. So naturally I got a lot of rest and made a big pot of nutrient-rich chicken soup. No boxed stock here, this was all natural. And here's how I did it...

This recipe is free from dairy, nuts, peanuts, egg, soy, fish, shellfish

Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 bag baby carrots, chopped
3 stems of celery (leaves on)
1 red onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, smashed
2 zucchini, diced
3 yukon gold potatoes, diced
10 button mushrooms, sliced
1 red bell pepper, diced
a handful of flat leaf parsley, chopped
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper to taste
a handful of pastina made from 100$ durum wheat semolina (small cut pasta such as bow ties or straight noodles)

Method
Saute the onion and garlic in olive oil until it becomes fragrant. Season well with salt and pepper. Then add in the carrots, celery, and red pepper and continue to cook until they become translucent and browned. Season again.

Add the potatoes, zucchini, mushrooms, and parsley and mix well. Drop the chicken breasts (whole) on top. Fill the pot with water until there are about 3 inches of liquid above the chicken, then bring to a boil on high heat.

Reduce to medium heat and let simmer with the lid askew for an hour. Remove the lid and let simmer on medium-low heat for at least another hour. It should have reduced quite a bit. Stir often.

About 20 minutes before serving remove the chicken and shred using 2 forks. Add it back to the pot along with the pastina. Stir well.

Serve as soon as pasta is cooked. It should yield 6 - 8 hearty bowls