Written By: Amanda Sullivan ~ At the Red Table
Oh hi! Hey, I’m here – it’s me. Oh, wait. I see everyone is already here…am I late to the party?
Oh dear. I am, aren’t I? The party started a while ago, didn’t it? And here I am, behind the times as usual. Dang it! And I even brought a snack!
Spicy Pumpkin Seeds. You know, from a pumpkin that you might have carved back in October? For a jack-o-lantern…at Halloween. Yes, yes I know it’s almost Thanksgiving, but pumpkins are still cool now, aren’t they? I bet they are.
Even if you don’t have any pumpkins anymore, you can go ahead and pin or save this recipe for next year, when the pumpkins are bursting out of the grocery stores and on sale for 23 cents apiece.
I promise it will be worth it – all the pumpkin guts you’ll have to pull out of the pumpkin and pick the seeds out of. Gutting a pumpkin might even be cathartic for you, you know? Just make sure you rinse the seeds really well and let them dry thoroughly. And you can even be a little lazy and leave a few pumpkin-gut remnants on the seeds, so don’t get all crazy picking out the little sticky tendrils.
These happen to be spicy pumpkin seeds with a little cumin, coriander, garlic salt and cayenne, but you can use whatever spices and herbs you want. It’s really more of a method than a recipe, so be creative! Rachel from Rachel Cooks has a ridiculous amount of ways to make your pumpkin seeds (well, 8 ways anyway). Now go and gut some pumpkins…next year.
Spicy Pumpkin Seeds
1 medium sized pumpkin
1-2 T Olive Oil
Coriander
Cumin
Cayenne Pepper
Garlic Salt
Remove the top from the pumpkin and scrape out the innards, separating the seeds from the guts as best you can. Soak the seeds overnight a large bowl. Drain well and let dry thoroughly. Seeds may still be a little sticky.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Toss the seeds with a tablespoon or two of olive oil. Add about a teaspoon each of coriander and cumin. Then add a dash of cayenne pepper, or more to desired spiciness.
Finally, season generously with garlic salt – a couple of teaspoon’s worth. Place on a cookie sheet in a single layer and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the seeds are fragrant and golden brown.