Foodist Approved: Toasted Turmeric Pumpkin Seeds

by Darya Rose | Oct 29, 2014

turmeric pumpkin seeds

Boo!

It’s finally time to carve that giant pumpkin that’s been hanging out on your front steps for the last couple of weeks. I know I’ve been anxiously awaiting this moment, not because I can’t wait to carve a scary face (my carving skills are seriously lackluster), but because I can’t wait to get my hands on those slimy seeds.

The best part about carving pumpkins has gotta be the seeds. They’re a gooey, stringy mess coming out, but with a little love they can be transformed into a crunchy, crave-worthy salty snack. If you overdo it with sugar on Halloween night, they’ll provide some much-needed balance.

And here’s one more reason to not toss your seeds: pumpkin seeds are high in zinc, a mineral we could all use a little extra boost of this time of year. Zinc helps your body fight off nasty cold and flu viruses.

Happy carving!

Toasted Turmeric Pumpkin Seeds

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups raw pumpkin seeds
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
parchment paper (for easy cleanup)

Preparation

Roll-up your sleeves as things are about to get messy. Follow Oh She Glows’ technique for cleaning and prepping the seeds. To make the seeds more digestible, be sure to blanch them in boiling salted water for 10 minutes, as recommended.

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Thoroughly dry the pumpkin seeds with a towel then toss them in a mixing bowl with the olive oil, turmeric, cayenne and sea salt.

Spread the seeds out in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Toast in the center of the oven for 10 minutes. Stir and toast for 5 to 10 more minutes or until seeds are lightly golden. Keep a close eye on them to prevent burning.

Store leftovers in a mason jar (that is if there are any leftovers) and sprinkle on top of salads for a healthy kick.

Elyse Kopecky is a social media and digital technology consultant based in Portland, OR. After 10 years working for NIKE and EA SPORTS in Portland, Amsterdam and Geneva she briefly left her desk job for the chance to study culinary nutrition at the Natural Gourmet Institute in NYC. Follow her adventures in the kitchen and on the trail at freshabits.com and @ElyseKopecky.