Sizzlin’ Sides Winner Announced

Congratulations to Nicole Filizetti from Michigan who’s “Cool and Spicy Vegetable Salad, ”(see below) took top honor in our Sizzlin’ Sides recipe contest. Nicole will receive $150.00 in cash plus $25.00 in Red Monkey Foods product and an official Red Monkey Foods tee-shirt. We also want to thank everyone that entered the contest. It was certainly not an easy decision.

Our Fall Flavors recipe and video contest is open until November 16th. Check out our website for all the details and official rules. We look forward to trying all wonderful creations. We also have our Facebook exclusive Generation Z contest that will run until December 15th for ages 13-19. Just go to Red Monkey Foods for all the details and official rules.

Cool and Spicy Vegetable Salad

8 oz. Fusilli, rotini or bowtie pasta

2 cups very coarsely chopped broccoli florets

2 cups shelled peas or sugar-snap pea pods, trimmed and cut in half diagonally

1 large red bell pepper, diced

1 cup coarsely shredded zucchini

4 Tablespoons rice vinegar

4 Tablespoons peanut oil

4 Tamari or soy sauce

2 Tablespoons toasted sesame oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp minced fresh ginger

1 teaspoon freshly ground Red Monkey Hot Pepper Blend

1teaspoon Red Monkey ground black pepper

2 Tablespoons rice vinegar and

2 Tablespoons peanut oil for serving , if desired

Cook pasta in salted boiling water until just barely tender. Drain, rinse well under cold water, and drain well. Transfer to a large serving bowl. Add the broccoli, peas, red pepper and zucchini and stir to combine. In a small bowl, mix the rice vinegar, peanut oil, tamari, sesame oil, garlic, ginger and spices. Add to the pasta mixture and toss to coat. Serve immediately, or refrigerate overnight.

If refrigerating overnight, toss with the additional 2 Tablespoons rice vinegar and peanut oil before serving.

Foodie Friday!: Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

We’re getting in the Halloween spirit here at Red Monkey and we’re offering an extra treat for this week’s Foodie Friday – three recipes in one!

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds are a great party snack and they're super simple to make in large or small batches. We’ve included a few variations on the seasoning blends but all start with the insides of a pumpkin. After harvesting my seeds from the clutches of the pumpkin stuff (see tips below), I yielded about 1 ¼ cup of seeds.

Classic Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

1 teaspoon Red Monkey Sea Salt Grinder (or more to taste)

1 teaspoon Red Monkey Pepper Medley Grinder

Tropic Heat Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

4 teaspoons Red Monkey Mango Habanera Rub

½ teaspoon Red Monkey Raspberry Chipotle Rub

Red Black and White Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

2 teaspoons Red Monkey Garlic Powder

1 teaspoon Red Monkey Sea Salt Grinder

1 teaspoon Red Monkey Crushed Red Pepper

½ teaspoon Red Monkey Pepper Medley Grinder

½ teaspoon Red Monkey Southwest Mesquite Rub

Remove the seeds and extra stuff from the inside the pumpkin and place in a large bowl or stock pot. Set the pumpkin aside for carving later.

Preheat your oven to 350.

Separate the seeds from the “stuff.” I like to fill the bowl/stock pot with water and gently stir the mix. The seeds will naturally float to the top and be very easy to scoop off. I’ve heard of people using their sinks; however, I find that’s not fun to clean. This way the mix is ready to be drained and tossed into your compost pile.

After separating the seeds from the stuff, rinse, and pat the seeds dry with a paper towel or tea towel.

The seeds are now ready for seasoning and heat! Spread the pumpkin seeds on a parchment lined baking sheet in a single layer. Combine the seasonings into a bowl and sprinkle over the seeds.

Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes or until the seeds are crispy and look slightly toasted.

We encourage you to experiment with the seasoning blend – we’ve had them in sweet, savory, spicy, and plain. Mix it up and have some fun! Oh, and don’t forget to carve that pumpkin.

These seeds can be stored in an air tight container for one week. It is very easy to multiply this recipe for a crowd or to do many small batches.

Party Idea: Have a pumpkin carving party and ask everyone to bring their own pumpkin. Let everyone be in charge of removing their seeds and seasoning them. Keep some zip top bags handy so if there are any left your guests can take them home with them. It makes a great interactive party where people can show off their creativity – especially if it’s warm and you can keep the mess outside!