Candy overload? Try this healthy respite, updated from the TasteFood archives.
Looking for a healthy diversion from all of the Halloween candy in your house? Pumpkins are not just good for decoration and their sweet nutrient-rich flesh. Their seeds are high in iron, fiber and protein, rich in amino acids and zinc. So when you are carving up pumpkins or squash for decoration or baking, be sure to save your seeds. Clean and dry them before roasting for best results. Then, when you find yourself peeking into your kids’ Halloween stash, reach instead this healthy, savory snack.
Spice-Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
2 cups pumpkin seeds
2 teaspoon cumin seed
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne, or more to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
Clean and dry seeds:
Rinse the seeds. Arrange in one layer on a baking tray and leave seeds out to dry at least 3-4 hours or overnight.
Roast the seeds:
Preheat oven to 375 F. (190 C.) Toast the cumin seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant, one minute. Grind cumin to a fine powder in a mortar with pestle. Whisk cumin, paprika, salt, cayenne and oil together in a medium bowl. Add dried pumpkins seeds and toss to coat well. Arrange in one layer on baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Cool and store in air-tight container.
After Halloween “de-tox” is right! I was really getting bored with all the pictures of food made to look like eyeballs, cupcakes made to look like skulls and on and on.
Now, let’s turn to the “real holidays” and get busy with the best foods of the year.