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!

Foodie Friday: Ramen Beef Stir Fry

Hey Monkey Fans,
We've found this great chef who is shakin' things up in the kitchen!
Check out his wicked recipe and video!!

Ramen Noodle Stir Fry with Beef, Carrots, and Green Onions
1 pkg Beef Flavored Ramen Noodles
5 green onions, julienned
1/2 c. mushrooms, sliced
1 large carrot, julienned
1 bell pepper, julienned
1 lb flank steak, julienned
1 Tbsp. garlic
olive oil
sesame oil
splash of soy sauce

Prepare Ramen noodles as directed, stopping cooking them halfway through the cook time.

Add a bit of olive oil to a saute pan and sear the steak. Use soy sauce to deglaze the pan.

In another saute pan, toast the garlic a bit with 2 tbsp olive oil and a tablespoon of sesame oil. After roasting the garlic, add all veggies and saute.

Add the steak to the vegetables and toss. Add the noodles to the mix with a little bit of the cooking liquid.

Serve in bowls and enjoy!

Recipe video can be found below. It is taken from nathanlippy.com.

Foodie Friday! - Smoked Chicken

Sorry for missing last week's Foodie Friday, I was experiencing the American Royal BBQ Competition in Kansas City! Lots of fun, lots of new friends, and lots of delicious food.

In honor of the American Royal Barbecue and the INCREDIBLE food we found there – yeah, that’s you Buzz and Neds, Smokin’ Yankees, and Always Rubbin’ Something – thanks for feeding the Monkeys!

We had some delicious beef, pork, and chicken. My favorite was easily the smoked chicken! And if you’ve never tried a smoked chicken, you’re missing the delight of juicy roasted chicken that has a great layer of smoke that is so tender it melts over your taste buds engulfing your senses in an explosion of flavor that is enhanced by the sweet scent of smoke and roasted chicken.

And before you run off to get some of your own, here are some tips and a recipe for your own smoked chicken!

Always start with good meat! Avoid chicken that is packed in solution, it’s a chemical brine that’s meant to make it look good, it doesn’t help the taste. I think brine can be great, I just like to do it myself. Start with a fresh bird that’s about 4 lbs, this will feed 5-6 people depending on your crowd.


Smoked Chicken
1 Chicken
4 cups apple juice
4 TBSP Red Monkey Mango Habanera Rub


Before smoking the chicken, wash it well, remove the giblets, and trim off loose fat and skin. Prep your smoker to be around 220.

Rub the chicken down with the Mango Habanera Rub being sure to get in all the crevices, use more if needed based on the size of the chicken.

In a small metal bowl, add 3 cups of apple juice and place in the smoker with the chicken to help give extra moisture and more flavorful smoke. Reserve one cup to add to a squirt bottle for spray basting.

Smoke at about 220 until the chicken breast reaches 180-185 (around 4 hours) And before you say ‘wait, chicken’s done at 165’ I know, but it’s better to overcook when smoking. The juices should run clear, the skin should have a warm brown color, and above the meat should have the right temperature.


This makes a slightly sweet, spicy chicken with an amazing smoked flavor that goes great in sandwiches, appetizers, or just on its own! Roll out the grill/smoker this weekend and enjoy!

Foodie Friday! Blissful Blueberry Muffins

With the weather cooling down, this monkey plans to have an indulgent Sunday brunch on the patio with a few family and friends. This is a favorite muffin recipe that is best when using fresh blueberries. The lemon gives them a brightness and the cinnamon and nutmeg add warmth and depth.

They make a great care package for students off at college or friends who are far away. But I promise you won't see any objections from coworkers, friends or family if you drop a few of these on their desks/doorsteps either.

I enjoy these muffins most when I need to slow down and unwind. They make a great traditional addition to brunches or breakfasts. But I also enjoy grabbing a mug of tea, a good book, one of these muffins and curling up in a comfy chair to make for a great afternoon/evening relaxer.

Blissful Blueberry Muffins
Ingredients
Muffin:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 tsp Red Monkey organic ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1 cup fresh blueberries

Topping:
1/2 cup sugar (White will do, but we like brown sugar)
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter, cubed, room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons Red Monkey organic ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners. Makes 8 regular sized muffins, or 5-6 jumbo muffins.

Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt, baking powder, lemon zest and nutmeg in a bowl. Place vegetable oil into a 1 cup measuring cup; add the egg and enough milk to fill the cup.

Mix into flour mixture, taking care to not over mix. Fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups right to the top, and sprinkle with crumb topping mixture (see below for topping directions).

To Make Crumb Topping:
Mix together 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 cup butter, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix with fork, and sprinkle over muffins before baking.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until done.



Try a batch this weekend and enjoy a simple, comforting pleasure. Once you get comfortable with this recipe, see what other fruits and berries you can add/substitute. We like strawberry, blueberry/raspberry, blueberry/strawberry, and the occasional peach muffin. Try some of your favorites!

Enjoy.

Foodie Friday! Good Thyme Garlic Pepper Steak

Hey Monkey Fans, we're launching Foodie Fridays, an offering of a great recipe EVERY Friday! The recipes will be entrees, side dishes, drinks, soups whatever our taste buds are lovin'. Some will be seasonal, some will be exotic, some will just be good down home favorites. We'd love to have suggestions or original recipes, we will certainly give you credit if you submit something.

In honor of Labor Day Weekend and Football Season kicking off, we thought it only appropriate to honor the grill! Here is a great, simple recipe for a New York steak with a garlic, thyme, and pepper marinade. If you want to make it a great grilled meal, pair this steak with a side dish recipes from Red Monkey Foods!

Good Thyme Garlic Pepper Steak

You’ll need:

4 tablespoons of olive oil. Two for the steak, two for the grill grates.
5 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon Red Monkey Organic Thyme
Red Monkey Organic Hot Pepper Grinder
2 pounds of steak
Red Monkey Organic Pepper Medley Grinder
Red Monkey All Natural Sea Salt Grinder

Combine the oil, garlic, thyme, and a few grinds from the Hot Pepper Grinder in a zip top bag. Add steak, seal the bag, and gently roll the bag around to coat. Leave steaks to marinate for at least two hours but it’s great when made the day before and left to marinate overnight. Turn the steaks occasionally while they marinate.

Heat grill to med-high and use the rest of the oil to oil the grates. Once grill is preheated, remove the steaks from the zip top bag and discard any excess marinade. Before grilling, grind some salt and pepper over the steaks for extra flavor. Cook steaks in a covered grill, turning only once. For medium rare, you will need about 7 minutes on each side. Enjoy!