Sans Oven Success

Not having an oven continues to be a bummer, but the other night I triumphed in a double S.O.S. (Sans Oven Success): roasty caramelized Brussels sprouts and roasted pumpkin seeds. I sauted and then slowly roasted the Brussels sprouts in balsamic vinegar in a pan on my stove-top, then added almonds at the end for a crunch. They turned out great, just as though they came fresh out of the Fain B oven! (And alas they were so good, I have no photo to show...)

Then, after making a slightly modified version of Beth's pumpkin and apple bisque, I had pumpkin (or potimarron, rather) seeds that I just couldn't bear to throw away, so I figured I'd try to roast those much the same way as the Brussels sprouts: just tossed them in the pan with a liberal dose of black pepper and cumin for flavor and let them get toasty. I added some olive oil when they were about half done so they would get really crispy, and they, too, turned out great (as was the soup!)!

Toasting pumpkin seeds

Pumpkin Apple Soup and Salad with Toasted Pumpkin Seeds