Pumpkin Seeds

Roasted pumpkin seeds seemed like an obvious answer to the “what do I do with these pumpkin seeds?” issue. Of course, you can always roast them unseasoned, remove the shell, and use them to top chocolate bark with.

But I was in the mood for something salty, and maybe a little spicy. So I decided to go with seeds. The first step is to separate the seeds from the guts, but don’t get rid of the guts, either!

They’re totally delicious and edible, despite their gruesome name. I used them to make a really delicious pumpkin bread, give it a try!

Pumpkin Bread made with guts! (pumpkin guts…)

Next, you’ll want to give those seeds a good rinse to remove any other pumpkin bits. Give them a good shake in the colander, and layer them to dry on a clean dish towel. I wrapped the dish towel up into a tight ball with the seeds inside to help dry it faster.

I wanted to try a few different toppings. The first was with nutritional yeast, which did not work out. The yeast burned before the seeds cooked. If I tried this again, I would sprinkle on the yeast after cooking.

The next batch just used oil, salt, and my powderized habaneros that I dehydrated last week and food processed until it was a fine, orange powder that doubles as a weapon. Trust me, do not get this stuff in your eyes.

I sprinkled it on and baked the seeds on a parchment paper lined baking sheet for 12 minutes.

I was disappointed to see that the habanero seed bits burned on the pumpkin seeds, but it tasted totally fine, not burnt at all. It had a pretty spicy kick, too! Especially considering I only used about 1/2 teaspoon of habanero powder. See? Weapon.

Of course you can omit the pepper if you don’t want it spicy. You can also do a mixture of cinnamon and sugar, or even a little nutmeg and pumpkin spice to make it even more festive.

Ingredients:

• All the pumpkin seeds from a medium carving pumpkin, rinsed and dried
• 1 teaspoon light tasting oil (I used avocado, but canola or whatever is fine, too)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon habanero powder (or your favorite chili powder)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400F

1. Place a sheet of parchment paper on a baking sheet and layer the pumpkin seeds so that they aren’t grouped together and cook evenly.
2. Drizzle the oil over the seeds and mix to coat evenly.
3. Sprinkle on salt and habanero powder, or whatever seasonings you prefer
4. Baking for 12 minutes or until toasty. Dont burn them!