Kid-friendly Toasted Savory Pepitas Sprinkles Recipe - Sticky Fingers Cooking
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Recipe: Toasted Savory Pepitas Sprinkles

Recipe: Toasted Savory Pepitas Sprinkles

Toasted Savory Pepitas Sprinkles

by Dylan Sabuco
Photo by Brent Hofacker/Shutterstock.com
prep time
2 minutes
cook time
5 minutes
makes
4-6 servings

Fun Food Story

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Toasted Savory Pepitas Sprinkles

Pumpkin seeds are where it's at! They're great for adding texture, flavor, and all-around razzmatazz to soups and salads.

Happy & Healthy Cooking,

Chef Erin, Food-Geek-in-Chief

Fun-Da-Mentals Kitchen Skills

  • measure :

    to calculate the specific amount of an ingredient required using a measuring tool (like measuring cups or spoons).

  • toast :

    to brown and crisp food in a heated skillet or oven, or in a toaster.

Equipment Checklist

  • Mixing bowl
  • Dry measuring cup
  • Measuring spoons
  • Small saucepan
  • Wooden spoon
scale
1X
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7X

Ingredients

Toasted Savory Pepitas Sprinkles

  • 1/2 C pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp coriander powder
  • 2 T vegetable oil
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 pinch black pepper

Instructions

Toasted Savory Pepitas Sprinkles

1.
measure + toast

In a mixing bowl, combine 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon coriander powder, 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, 1 pinch of salt, and 1 pinch of black pepper. Stir to combine before pouring the mixture in a small saucepan over low heat for 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the pan and place in a bowl. These seeds make a great snack for a hike or the perfect topping for Nearly Norwegian Gresskarsuppe Pumpkin Soup (see recipe)!

History of Roasted Pumpkin Seeds!

Photo by Brent Hofacker/Shutterstock.com
  • We don't know when and where people started roasting pumpkin seeds, but Mesoamericans may have been the first since they began growing pumpkins and other squash about 8,000 years ago. 
  • Lightly-roasted, unhulled pumpkin seeds are called "πασατέμπο" ("pasatémbo" or "pastime") in Greece, and in Central and Eastern Europe, they press roasted pumpkin seeds to make pumpkin oil. 
  • Roasting pumpkin seeds is a great way to teach your kids about not wasting food; plus, they are easy to make and yummy to eat. 
  • To roast the seeds after they are removed with the pulp when making pumpkin pie or creating jack-o'-lanterns for Halloween, first rinse any leftover pulp from the seeds in a colander (it's okay if a little pulp remains). Next, pat the seeds dry with a kitchen or paper towel before placing them in a bowl to toss with olive oil and a little salt. You can also add pepper (black or cayenne), garlic powder, or cumin. Have fun experimenting with different spices. 
  • Next, spread the seasoned seeds on a baking sheet and roast in a 250 F degree oven for about 45 minutes or until golden brown, tossing the seeds about every 10 minutes so they can brown evenly. If you cover your baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly-greased aluminum foil, cleanup will be easy!
  • Roasted pumpkin seeds will supply you with lots of fiber, protein, manganese, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, zinc, and fun!

Let's Learn About Mesoamerica!

Photo by WitR/Shutterstock.com
  • Avocado, tomato, and chocolate. Your kids are likely familiar with at least some of these food items. But do they know that they originally came from Mexico and are based on words from the Nahua people? Nahuatl words "ahuacatl," "tomatl," and "chocolatl" were eventually adapted and adopted into English.
  • The Nahua people were an ethnic group found in Mexico with deep cultural roots, and members of one Nahua group were the Aztecs.
  • The Olmec were the first major Mesoamerican people and culture. They settled on a river city that archaeologists refer to as San Lorenzo. Historians consider the Olmecs to be one of the greatest civilizations in history. They advanced as artists, architects, engineers, traders, and sculptors without the benefits of migration or influence from other civilizations. Today, much of their culture has been lost, and some of the few artifacts that remain are stone carvings, wooden artifacts, and ruined cities.
  • Civilizations that came after the Olmecs were influenced by them and borrowed ideas from them, including the Aztecs, Veracruz, Maya, and Toltec. 
  • Mesoamerican cultures had a 260-day calendar for rituals and a 365-day calendar for agriculture.
  • People across Mesoamerica played a ritual sport called "ballgame" (in English). Courts were situated in the sacred precinct of a city. Players passed solid rubber balls to each other (no hands allowed!), and the object was to hit them between markers.
  • The people relied heavily on corn, beans, and squash for food. They referred to them as the Three Sisters.
  • Mesoamericans spoke more than 125 different languages.
  • Mesoamericans used pictographic, ideographic, or picture writing. For example, for "I love apple," they would draw an eye, a heart, and an apple.

THYME for a Laugh

Who helps the little pumpkins cross the road to school?

The Crossing Gourd!

The Yolk's On You

What do you use to mend a jack-o-lantern?

A pumpkin patch!

The Yolk's On You

Why was Cinderella not very good at softball?

Because her coach was a pumpkin!

THYME for a Laugh

What is a pumpkin's favorite sport? 

Squash! (like racquetball)

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