For a simple snack, roasted pumpkin seeds are fun, simple and cheap way to embrace the spirit of fall. Mix and match spice combinations to find your favorite, or stick with our favorite spicy variety with cumin, coriander and cardamom.
One of the fun things about being a grown up is that you can do all of the fun things you did as a kid, but with a more sophisticated twist. Picnics in the park can mean sandwiches, but also fancy cheeses and your favorite sparkling wine. Movie and pizza nights mean fresh fig, blue cheese and caramelized onion pizza and in the Fall, pumpkin carving parties mean sparkling apple cider sangria and spicy roasted pumpkin seeds.
The upside to roasted pumpkin seeds is that they’re cheap, easy and healthy for quick snacks or even adding crunch to autumn salads. The downside is that you have to scoop them out from the stringy flesh inside of the pumpkin, which smells not great. Once you rinse and season them, they have a completely neutral scent, so if you don’t mind getting your hands dirty, it’s worth it in the end.
There are dozens – probably hundreds, but let’s not get dramatic here – of ways to season these, but I like sticking with a simple spice blend that not only adds a nice kick, but is reminiscent of fall and generally a crowd-pleaser.
Now go ahead and have cookies and milk for dinner. No one is stopping you.
- 1 medium pumpkin (about 2 cups of pumpkin seeds)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon garlic salt
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon coriander
- ½ teaspoon cardamom
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Slice the top 3-4 inches of the pumpkin and scoop out seeds onto a clean work surface. Discard stringy fiber from seeds and then transfer to a strainer and rinse well, discarding any seeds that are cracked or split open. You should have about 2 cups of seeds, more or less depending on the size of your pumpkin.
- Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add seeds, lower heat and boil gently for 10 minutes. Drain well then transfer to a paper towel-lined tray and pat dry.
- Transfer seeds to a medium bowl, toss with oil and spices. Spread seeds out on a baking sheet in a single layer and roast, stirring to toss every 10 minutes or so as the seeds become crisp and golden brown. in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Roast seeds, stirring every 10 minutes or so, until just crisp and golden brown, about 45 minutes total. Set aside to let cool completely and eat whole. Store in an airtight container up to 5 days.
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February 11, 2017 at 2:13 am[…] take the plunge and opt for fresh pumpkin this year, make the most of it and scoop the seeds for a salty and savory snack. A little spice goes a long way and these are great on their own or as an addition to salads or […]