Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

As part of my on-going series of stuff to do with pumpkin, I would be remiss if I didn't mention pumpkin seeds.

I love these things. They are one of the great seasonal snacks of Fall. And they're good for you, too:

A 1/4 cup of seeds contains almost half the recommended daily amount of magnesium and they are a great source of zinc, plant-based omega 3 acids, anti-oxidants, fiber, and may also help improve insulin regulation in the body and increase the good HDL cholesterol we need. 

OK, they're healthy when they are raw, or toasted without anything else added to them. This recipe uses brown sugar and a little salt, but it's not a huge amount, so they're still pretty healthy. It's better than eating a ton of tortilla chips from that roasted tomatillo salsa recipe I posted a while back. 

And around Halloween, they are the perfect thing to snack on once all the jack-o-lantern carving is done. 

I've been craving these things since the beginning of October, but because I still have about 7 cups of pumpkin puree taking up space in the freezer, I havent had the space available to get this year's pumpkin and go to town munching on the seeds. 

But my girlfriend showed pity on my addiction and brought home two cups of organic hulled pumpkin seeds from the store for me to play with. God I love that woman. 

Normally I use the seeds without bothering to shell them. It's too much work and too little payoff and when you toast them right, they get nice and crunchy and easy to chew. But since these were already shelled, I decided to give these a go. This recipe should work with either shelled or un-shelled seeds.

These are a great snack, but just be careful that you don't eat them all in one sitting. 

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups of pumpkin seeds 

1 tbs olive oil

2 tbs brown sugar

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/2 tsp salt

First, preheat the oven to 300 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil

This is two cups of shelled organic seeds. 

Add all the ingredients into a bowl.

Mix them together thoroughly. That's kind of a psychedelic looking image, but that's what I get for trying to get an action shot. of the mixing process.

This is what it should look like mixed. 

Spread them onto the baking sheet in a single layer, or as close to a single layer as you can. 

Bake in the over at 300 degrees for 10 minutes, stir the seeds lovingly, allowing the aroma of pumpkin pie spice to fill the house, and bake for another 10 minutes.

Let them cool a little before tossing them into a bowl and serving. 

Enjoy!