Roasted Squash Seeds

Sometimes I wonder how I miss things that are so obvious. I have been eating an abundance of winter squash lately and I have been scooping the seeds into the trash each time. Now, the added interesting fact is that each time I walk by a pumpkin in the store I complain that pumpkins don't seem to have seeds anymore and I love roasting pumpkin seeds. At the farm stand near my house I even asked if their pumpkins have a lot of seeds. Around this time of year I become almost pumpkin seed obsessed.

I picked up a golden acorn squash at the store over the weekend and after a good sniff, Zoey starting licking her chops. I thought this was a funny picture of her.


After I cut the squash in half and scooped half of the seeds into the trash I realized that this squash had a lot of seeds in it and that was sort of annoying from a seed-scooping perspective. And then it dawned on me- those seeds look like pumpkin seeds!

A little research on the internet showed me that it is common to roast winter squash seeds so I decided to give it a try.

Roasted Squash Seeds:

Ingredients:
1 winter squash (I used this golden acorn squash but from now on I will be using all my winter squash- so pick your favorite)

Directions:

1. Cut the squash in half and scoop the seeds into a bowl.
2. Rinse the seeds well to remove the goop.
3. Dry the seeds a bit with a paper towel (or clean kitchen towel)
4. I lined a cookie sheet with parchment paper but you could also use some non-stick spray.
5. Place the seeds on the cookie sheet and sprinkle with salt or seasonings if desired.
6. Roast at 275 degrees for about 15 minutes.

These were not quite as good as roasted pumpkin seeds, but they were a close second. We almost ate them all before I remembered to take a picture. Since it seems I may be living in a world without pumpkin seeds, these will satisfy my cravings. I may try a spice blend with them next time just to keep things interesting.