Congratulations to all the parents out there who survived another Halloween. I’m so happy that the costumes are stored, the extra candy has been donated, and hopefully, my neighbor will take down the creepy, blood covered clown with a sign that says, YOU ARE NEXT. Can’t wait to what she has in store for Christmas.
One seasonal item from Halloween that lives on in my kitchen all year is pepitas. Pepitas are pumpkin seeds. When I was a little girl in Wisconsin, my mom used to scrape the seeds from our pumpkins and roast them until they golden and crisp. These crunchy, salty treats were one of my favorite seasonal treats and super special since we only got them once a year.
I got the idea for keeping roasted pepitas in the house from one of my favorite restaurants in Los Angeles. Brentwood Restaurant & Lounge serves a beautiful Caesar Salad with a little twist: they finish it off with a perfect sprinkling of roasted pepitas. I know it’s not traditional but it happens to be totally delicious. It hits the right note of a light creamy dressing contrasted with the salty crunch of the pepitas. Kind of perfect, right?
It’s no secret I am always on the hunt for new and interesting snacks for my kids. I love this one for school snack because we have a strict NO NUT policy at school. It’s the perfect replacement for the almonds I used to send to school before the nut ban. It’s also a great study snack. When the kids are doing homework, I put a little bowl of these roasted pepitas on the table and they are always gone by the end of the session.
These seeds are the perfect snack and a great addition to salads and soups. The seeds I use are sold in packages as raw pepitas. No need to be carving pumpkins for the great treat.
Enjoy!
- 1 cup raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
- 1-2 tsp. oil
- kosher salt
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Toss seeds with oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Spread seeds in a single layer on half sheet pan.
- Roast seeds about 13 minutes until golden.
- Remove pan and and adjust seasoning if needed.