Trail mix is an easy and healthy way to have a snack that is not only nutritious but also very flavorful. The seeds, dried fruits, and chocolate may be what you expect; the red chile powder adds a spicy kick that complements the sweetness of the fruit and chocolate.
Pumpkin Seed Trail Mix
Ingredients
- 1 cup hulled raw sunflower seeds
- 1 cup hulled raw pumpkin seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon sunflower oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons New Mexico red chile powder , mild
- 3/4 cup dried tart cherries
- 3/4 cup dried apricots , quartered
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a large bowl, toss together the sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower oil, and kosher salt. In a large cast-iron or heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat, toast the seeds until they are golden brown and crispy (about 15 minutes), stirring frequently to ensure they cook evenly and don’t burn.
- Transfer seeds back to the large bowl and allow to cool completely at room temperature.
- Gently stir in the red chile powder, cherries, apricots, and chocolate chips. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
Excerpted from Seed to Plate, Soil to Sky: Modern Plant-Based Recipes Using Native American Ingredients by Lois Ellen Frank. Copyright © 2023. Available from Hachette Go, an imprint of Hachette Book Group, Inc. Reprinted with permission of the author and Hachette Books.
Lois Ellen Frank
Lois Ellen Frank, PhD, is a Santa Fe–based chef, author, Native foods historian, culinary anthropologist, educator, photographer, and organic gardener. Her cookbook Foods of the Southwest Indian Nations won a James Beard Award, and she has spent over thirty years documenting and working with the foods and lifeways of Native American communities in the Southwest. Dr. Frank is the chef and owner of Red Mesa Cuisine, a catering company specializing in Indigenous cuisine and cultural education with a modern twist, where she cooks alongside Native American chef Walter Whitewater.
