Super Snack Time

These little spicy crunch of yumminess are one of the simplest things to make. Granted if you were using fresh pepitas from a pumpkin/squash and had to open the fruit, then get all the seeds out etc it would be more effort, but well worth it! Supplying minerals such as phosphorus, magnesium, iron, zinc (which is great for us girlies) and a great source of Vit A, B1, B2, B3 and protein. Let just say, this is one snack that we shouldn't be without!

I use dried pumpkin seeds here but like I said, fresh ones are just as good and offer a different flavour. You can utterly decide what flavour you like on your pepitas. I chose cinnamon to give me a little bit of the sugary sweetness I'm craving without eating sugar and some cayenne, cos I need a little spice.

At Ballymaloe Cookery School, Darina loved to talk about cinnamon and especially the difference between that and cassia. Cinanamon has a huge amount of beneficial properties, but the one I want to talk about mostly is it's ability to help with regulating insulin and helping with stabilising blood sugar levels. Something else for us girls with PCOS or people with diabetes to think about.

To make:

Pepitas, as many or as little as you want
your spice(s) of choice (in Mexico they use chilli powder and lime juice or zest!)
some unscented, unflavoured oil or spray oil

Drizzle a little bit of oil over, be careful as you don't want to much. Spray oil is best as you hardly ever use too much. Then sprinkle spices over, mix all together till all pepitas are covered in oil and spices then spread out on a baking sheet in the oven on a low temp. I put it to 130C for roughly 15minutes. You want them to be more green than golden as they will turn bitter! So set a timer for 10mins and then check.

Happy snacking!