Baked Acorn Squash Seeds

I was messing around with different squash recipes and came across one using acorn squash. Never having eaten or even seen this type of squash before, I dove in and boiled some squash. Here is a picture of an acorn squash for those like me who had no idea what it was.

This is an acorn squash. It is very firm with a thin outer skin.
Ranging from greenish yellow to orangish brown in color,
the flesh of this squash will soften when boiled.

My boyfriend loved the mashed squash over pasta, although I did not care for it. I will post the recipe soon for those interested. As I was seeding the squash, I noticed they looked very much like pumpkin seeds. Baked pumpkin seeds are the way to my heart, so I quickly googled "baked acorn squash seeds" and found many positive results! I instantly preheated the oven, threw the seeds together, and MUNCHED! Here is how it works:

• Preheat the oven to 275°F
• Separate the stringy innards from the squash seeds and rinse thoroughly
• Pat dry on a cloth towel
• Place in a bowl with 1 tbsp. olive oil and 1 tsp. garlic salt and mix
• Spread the seeds evenly on a baking sheet with aluminum foil over it
• Bake for 15 minutes or until the seeds start turning brown
• If any seeds start to pop then they are fully baked
• Let cool and CHOW DOWN

Dry the seeds well so the oil and salt will stick better.

Garlic salt must be constantly coursing through my veins
but feel free to use regular salt or other seasoning of your choice.
Try it with red pepper flakes, oregano, or cinnamon-sugar
for a sweeter crunch!

These acorn squash seeds are smaller than pumpkin seeds
but I feel they have a naturally saltier taste.
They also bake quicker and are crispier than pumpkin seeds.

This seed has popped and some seeds are crispy golden brown!
YUM!

FALL is here! Celebrate with a crispy snack of baked squash seeds!

Couscous Concoction

I have recently discovered and fell in love with couscous, especially Israeli couscous. This pasta-like wheat product is as delicious as it is fun to say! Here is a quick, easy, filling, and hearty dinner idea. 

Ingredients:

• 1 box Israeli couscous          ($1.99)
• 2 yellow squash                     ($1.52)
• 2 zucchini squash                  ($1.52)
• 1 large can of black beans    ($1.75)
• 1 tsp. garlic powder

Israeli Couscous with black beans, squash, and zucchini 

Preparation:

For the proportions on cooking the couscous, refer to the box. Brown the couscous in (vegan) butter for 5 minutes. Add the water and a dash of salt and bring to a boil. When rolling, turn the heat to medium low and cover for 10 minutes. While the couscous is cooking, heat the contents of of the can of black beans on medium low. Slice the squash and zucchini lengthwise to get thin circles. Sauté in oil or (vegan) butter until tender. When the squash and zucchini are done, drain the beans and sprinkle the garlic powder on top. Serves 4.  

What a colorful couscous concoction! 

Did you know?

WARNING! The following contains mildly graphic content. It is so important to me that I am including this in my recipe blog, but I do not wish to disturb anyone with blood and guts. The images have light blood and that is all. RESUME.

Growing up, the typical quick-and-easy go-to dinner dish was chicken of some sort with [insert frozen or canned vegetable here]. Fast food was another option that was inexpensive, quick, and effort free! I used to love eating chicken nuggets with ketchup, mustard, honey, and even hot sauce! My brother and I had a plan to go to every fast food "restaurant" and order 50 chicken nuggets and devour them ALL! This means 25 little nuggets of chicken "flesh" decomposing in our stomachs. When I think about how much meat I used to eat I cringe. If I had only known the harm I was doing to my body and to the poor animals, I would never have picked up my first "nugget". 

Speaking of nuggets, current standards on chicken nuggets are horrifying. This article from VegNews suggests that there is only 50% actual meat in chicken nuggets, leaving the other 50% for fat, connective tissue, bone shards, and blood vessels. These "nuggets" are consumed daily by young children and adults alike. 

This is just the finished product. The source of these "nuggets" is even worse. Most people like to think the chickens are free to graze about and wander as they please; they eat the best corn meal and have free, unlimited access to the chicken gym, bird pool, and entertainment room. 

"How big is the area where the chickens are able to roam free?"

As referenced in Portlandia, people want their chickens to have led happy, friend-filled, organic lives in a utopian farm setting; with a diet of local hazelnuts, the chickens seem to be enjoying life until it is time to be slaughtered. This is far from the truth. From birth to death, none of the humans in charge of the chickens care about its health or well-being; they even turn a blind eye to unsanitary conditions. If transport is needed, chickens face long, cramped hours on a truck exposed to extreme weather conditions. 

Some cages have 3 chickens, some have 13.

When the chickens get to the farm, if it can even be considered a farm, they are placed in even smaller cages, with chickens literally standing on top of other chickens; they defecate and urinate on each other. 

Factory farming of chickens

If a chicken gets scared it will claw and peck its cage mates, sometimes even to death. This chicken may be left in the cage for days upon weeks. Little attention is given to the horrid conditions; the chickens are just thought of as $$$$$$.

Sometimes, dead chickens are STILL used and processed as "meat"
The workers just throw the dead carcass into the grinder

The slaughtering process is very cruel. Every factory farm performs the murder differently, but common kill methods include submersion in boiling water, decapitation while hanging upside down, and a quick piston shot through the brain. Blood and guts are literally splattered everywhere in these farms and I reiterate that no care is paid to sanitation. 

Assembly line in a factory farm for chickens
Is this what you think of when you eat McDonald's Chicken McNuggets?
Remember that nuggets are only required to be 50% chicken meat

After educating myself with numerous documentaries like Vegucated, Forks over Knives, Food Inc., and Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead, I realized that I must push for change; my body is degrading and chickens are being mistreated and contaminated in the "food" we consume. 

If you are interested in any of the topics discussed here or anything relating to veganism, recipes, health, or life in general, feel free to comment and I will gladly have a nice conversation with you! Thank you for reading.

*photo credits* - Chicken Farm Nugget Truck Factory Farm Chickens Dead Chicken Chickens on a Wire 

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Twitter: @ImpoverishedVeg 

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Spiced Pomegranate-Apple Cider

As fall approaches, temperatures drop, leaves fall, and days shorten. Warm up with this tasty apple cider recipe! 

Ingredients:

• 4 Granny Smith apples        ($3.16)
• 4 pomegranates                  ($2.76)
• 2 tsp. brown sugar
• a dash of cinnamon              

Preparation:

You can use store bought pomegranate juice and apple juice, but making the juice yourself adds to the feeling of fall. Juicing pomegranates is very time consuming, but delicious enough to warrant the effort. Here is a quick explanation on how to juice a pomegranate. Slice a circle around the top of the pomegranate and remove the top pulp. WARNING: Pomegranate juice STAINS! Wear an apron and be careful and gentle while deseeding.

Slice halfway through the pomegranate along the white pulp lines and peel in half with your hands.

Gently separate the seeds from the pulp and place them in a large bowl. Keep breaking small sections apart.

When all of the seeds are extracted, fill the bowl with water. The excess pulp will float on the top along with any seeds attached to the pulp. The rest of the seeds will sink to the bottom. This makes it easier to sift through the seeds and completely remove all of the pulp. 

Strain the seeds. Place them into a blender and pulse a couple of times, just enough to jostle the seeds, releasing the juice. Blending the seeds too much will result in shards of hard, inner seed in your juice. 

Place a mesh strainer over a large bowl and strain the juice from the inner seeds. Push around the pulp and seeds to force the juice into the bowl. Squeeze small clusters of inner seeds to extract the most possible juice.

This lengthy process yields a small amount of juice, so it is best to juice pomegranates in bulk. Set the bowl of pomegranate juice aside.

Core and slice the apples into strips. Juice the apple slices in a blender or juicer. 

Combine the juices in a small saucepan and set it on medium low heat. Stir in the brown sugar and a dash of cinnamon when the juice starts to steam. After the sugar is dissolved, the cider is ready! This delicious fall treat will add some spice to your morning routine and kickstart any gathering or party. 

Did you know?

Pomegranate season is usually from September through February. This seasonal fruit has deep roots in Jewish culture and also appears in the Bible, Quran, and numerous other ancient texts. On the second night of Rosh Hashanah, pomegranates are eaten as the "new fruit". Pomegranates supposedly have 613 seeds, each symbolizing one of the 613 mitzvoth. Mitzvoth are the commandments laid out in the Torah. By eating the seeds, Jews demonstrate their desire to fulfill all 613 mitzvoth, symbolically welcoming the new year.

The etymology lies in medieval latin. Pōmum, meaning apple, and grānātum, meaning seeded, combine to suggest a seeded apple. Greek mythology refers to the pomegranate as the "fruit of the dead," said to have come from the blood of Adonis. In the 6th century AD, Hera is portrayed in a sculpture with a scepter in one hand and a pomegranate in the other, symbolizing a "royal orb". Pomegranates are engraved on a coin in the ancient city of Side in Pamphylia. Pomegranates are one of the Seven Species of fruits and grains listed in the Hebrew Bible (Deuteronomy 8:8) as being special products of the Land of Israel. Theory suggests that the scouts brought Moses pomegranates to show the fertility of the Promised Land. In the Quran, pomegranates are said to grow plentifully in the gardens of paradise. 

In other words, if there is an afterlife, heaven, nirvana, or Summerland, at least there will be pomegranates! 

Pomegranate seeds are referred to as arils. Most of the nutrition in pomegranates is in the inner seed. These contain Vitamin C, K, and dietary fiber. Studies have shown that consuming pomegranate juice for two weeks tends to lower systolic blood pressure in people with hypertension. According to this article, pomegranates are said to protect against prostate cancer, slow cartilage loss in arthritis, and even help diabetics. It is widely believed that pomegranates are very high in antioxidants that lower free-radical levels in the body. 

Enjoy your fall with pomegranate-apple cider or try adding your favorite fruits to this cider!