Video:Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

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Transcript:Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Hi, I'm Keith Dunlop and welcome to About.com. Today I'm going to show you how to make a tasty snack while you're carving up your Halloween Jack-O-Lanterns. Roasted pumpkin seeds are, as you'll see, very easy to make and are a surprisingly rich source of iron, copper, zinc, and protein. A quarter cup of seeds contains at least 15 percent of the minimum daily requirement of all these nutrients.

Ingredients for Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

To make roasted pumpkin seeds, you'll need:

• 1 Pumpkin
• 1 tbsp. of olive oil
• 2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper

Open the Pumpkin

Obviously, the first thing you need to do to make roasted pumpkin seeds is to get at the seeds. So grab your pumpkin and a sharp, yet maneuverable knife -- its best to use one with a short blade -- and cut a hole around the stem at the top that's roughly as wide as your hand. For bigger pumpkins you can make a bigger hole. You'll want to angle the blade, so you can lift the top off.

Scoop Out Pumpkin Seeds

Lift off the top and grab a sturdy spoon and a mixing bowl. You want to scoop out all the stringy, seedy insides and plop them in the bowl. When the stringy stuff is all out of the pumpkin, set the pumpkin aside. Preheat your oven at this point, to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Prepare Pumpkin Seeds for Baking

Separate the seeds from the pith and place them into a colander. When you have all your seeds, rinse them off under cold water and drain. Now, measure your spices into a bowl and stir to combine. Throw in your seeds and toss until they're coated.

Brush a shallow baking dish with your olive oil and scatter your seeds in the dish. Place your dish in the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, until the seeds are golden brown.

Enjoy Your Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

When they're done, remove your seeds from the oven and let them cool. And that's all there is to it - a tasty snack to accompany your Jack-O-Lantern cutting festivities.

Thanks for watching. To learn more, visit us on the web at About.com.