Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Admittedly, pumpkins are a bit of a nuisance to clean. The seeds must be separated from the goo, and paring the skin from the flesh is a task I would hand over to my sous chef if I had one. But it is not a thankless task. Oh, not at all. There is no finer treat perhaps than homemade roasted pumpkin seeds. This recipe is a variation on my standard recipe for roasted pumpkin seeds. I soaked the seeds with some tamari and sea salt and sprinkled them with some cayenne before roasting. Warning: these are addictive.

Double, triple or even quadruple the recipe if you have more seeds on hand.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

1 1/3 cups of water
2 tablespoons of tamari sauce
1 tablespoon of sea salt
1 2/3 cups of pumpkin seeds
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne

Bring the water to a boil and pour the water over the seeds. Stir in the sea salt and tamari. Cover the seeds and leave to stand for 12 - 24 hours.

Drain the water from the seeds, spread them evenly on a ungreased baking sheet, sprinkle with cayenne and bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 - 35 minutes or until the seeds are dry and puffy. Stir the seeds frequently - approximately every 10 minutes or so.

When the seeds are done, leave them to cool on the baking sheet, and stir occasionally. Store in an air-tight container.