Toasted Pumpkin Sesame Seed Sprinkle – Ten Minutes to Glory

Sprinkle Healthy Crunchy Seed Studded Topping on Most Everything

Today you get a recipe. Little to no commentary. A few photos. Over seven weeks of sheltering-at-home has seemingly silenced my writing voice. Today, though, I am grateful to once again connect with you through food. An easy-to-make—and delicious enough to eat straight from a spoon—recipe for Toasted Pumpkin Sesame Seed Sprinkle.

Love the synchronicity

Just as I was writing the first paragraph, an email extolling the power of cooking arrived in my inbox.

“We cook during these times because it gives this senseless time meaning. It connects us to a past we are afraid we may never recover. But the food of those days, the dishes I reach for today, is also a reminder of how even during the scariest times, we can find a sense of connection with others, a sense of meaning and purpose, and sometimes, even if only for a fluttering moment, that feels enough.”  Reem Kassis in the LA Times

Inspiration

Perhaps you’ve also seen and even read some recent articles recommending ways to strengthen your immune system and overall health. Many, if not most of these articles tout the benefits of zinc.

When looking at the lists of foods containing zinc, both pumpkin and sesame seeds spoke to me. Inspired, I dry toasted them in a pan on the stove, then tossed them in a wee amount of oil and a dusting of salt. Voila. In only 10 minutes a condiment to add texture, taste and zinc (plus other nutrients) to sprinkle on most everything.

Enjoy Toasted Pumpkin Sesame Seed Sprinkle liberally as a topping on salads, soups, stews, vegetables, avocado toasts, grains and grain bowls. A delicious addition of taste and texture.

Another plus, both pumpkin and sesame seeds have been safe from hoarders, so you can easily find them in the bulk section of your local grocers. Or, even better, in a forgotten corner in your freezer. No pumpkin or sesame seeds? Zinc-rich sunflower seeds could replace some or all of them.

Toasted Pumpkin Sesame Seed Sprinkle

• For a delicious addition of taste and texture enjoy Toasted Pumpkin Sesame Seed Sprinkle as a healthy, crunchy topping on salads, soups, stews, vegetables, grains and grain bowls.
• Toast the seeds in a skillet with sloping sides. Those sides let you easily shake the pan with the jump-flip-flick-of-the-wrist maneuver—the most efficient way to redistribute and evenly cook the food in the pan. Of course, you can also use a silicone spatula to stir and toss the seeds.
• Raw sunflower seeds could replace some or all of the pumpkin seeds or half to all of the sesame seeds. Add sunflower seeds to the pan in the beginning, along with the pumpkin seeds.
• To double the recipe, use a 12-inch skillet.

Makes 1 cup                                                Printer-Friendly Recipe
Total time 10 minutes including cooling time

Ingredients

• ¾ cup raw pumpkin seeds
• ¼ cup sesame seeds with or without hulls
• 2 light squirts olive or avocado oil spray
• 4 twists (¼ teaspoon) Himalayan or sea salt

Instructions

1. Place a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the pumpkin seeds. Every 30 seconds or so, use the flick of your wrist to toss the seeds (or stir them with a silicone spatula) to evenly toast them.
2. When the pumpkin seeds are hot, fragrant and beginning to color (about 3 minutes), add the sesame seeds. Again, using the flick of your wrist, toss the seeds together every 30 seconds or so (or use a silicone spatula).
3. After about 2 minutes, you’ll begin to hear a popping sound as the seeds toast. Continue the tossing (or stirring) for another minute or two until the seeds are lightly browned and puffed.
4. Turn off the heat though keep the pan on the burner. Lightly spray the toasted seeds with either olive or avocado oil. Then sprinkle them with a few twists of Himalayan or sea salt, about ¼ teaspoon. With the flick of the wrist maneuver, or a spatula toss and coat all the seeds with the oil and the salt.
5. Remove the seeds to a paper towel lined dinner plate to cool and to remove any excess oil.
6. When cool, place them in a small jar with a lid. Store Toasted Pumpkin Sesame Seed Sprinkle in the freezer for weeks or at room temperature for days.

Printer-Friendly Recipe.