Brace for Impact

Posted on

by Hannah (BitterSweet)
Jump to Recipe

Nerves fraying more severely than the sleeves on my favorite old sweater, our newest friend Sandy has us all running scared around here. Although we still have yet to meet the old gal, she’s already hurling wind and a few scattered raindrops our way, no doubt a mere hint of what’s to come. Even the most dire forecast can usually be ignored or at least rationalized, but when officials say that it will likely be worse than Irene, and can cause “life-threatening devastation,” well, that’s not so easy to brush off. After losing last Halloween in that brutal beating and having my very first car accident due to the road conditions, I for one am pretty nervous.

It’s a good thing that before even learning of this Frankenstorm, it turned out that I was already preparing food for it. Of course, food and electricity are at the top of the list of concerns for this vegan blogger, so thank goodness that at least the edibles are covered.

Devilishly spicy but not unbearably so, these crunchy roasted pumpkin seeds are dosed in tongue-tingling sriracha. Lightly salted and easy to munch, they were intended to be an ideal Halloween party snack, but instead are also perfectly suited to become emergency rations. Shelf-stable in an air-tight container for up to a month, this nutty blend of pumpkin and sesame seeds will prove ideal to munch on should the power go out.

There’s a million and a half ways to roast pumpkin seeds, but it never hurts to have a new flavor concept. Even if you’re not concerned about massive flooding or the potential for a week or more without electricity, I have a feeling these would still be just as enjoyable.

No matter where you are, stay safe everyone! Here’s hoping that Halloween festivities are the most frightening events in coming days, and not the aftermath of Sandy.

Yield: Makes About 2 Cups

Sriracha Seeds

Sriracha Seeds

Devilishly spicy but not unbearably so, these crunchy roasted pumpkin seeds are dosed in tongue-tingling sriracha. Lightly salted and easy to munch, they were intended to be an ideal Halloween party snack, but instead are also perfectly suited to become emergency rations.

Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 Cups Raw, Fresh Pumpkin Seeds (From 1 Medium Sugar Pumpkin)
  • 2 Tablespoons White Sesame Seeds
  • 2 Tablespoons Black Sesame Seeds
  • 2 Tablespoons Sriracha
  • 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
  • Coarse Sea Salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 300 degrees and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or a silicone baking mat; set aside.
  2. Toss all the seeds into a medium-sized bowl along with the sriracha and olive oil. Stir well to combine and thoroughly coat the dry goods with the liquid seasoning. Pour everything out onto your prepared sheets, and spread the seeds into a single even layer. Sprinkle lightly with coarse salt before popping them into the oven.
  3. Bake for 35 – 45 minutes until golden brown, stirring every 20 minutes or as needed. Let cool completely before eating or storing in an air-tight container.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 115Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 180mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 4gSugar: 1gProtein: 4g

All nutritional information presented within this site are intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on BitterSweetBlog.com should only be used as a general guideline. This information is provided as a courtesy and there is no guarantee that the information will be completely accurate. Even though I try to provide accurate nutritional information to the best of my ability, these figures should still be considered estimates.

© Hannah Kaminsky
Cuisine: American / Category: Starters and Snacks

32 thoughts on “Brace for Impact”

  1. I come from tornado country, so I am a little new to all this hurricane mess. At first I was pretty nonchalant about it, but now I am starting to get really nervous. I hope everything goes well.

  3. Excellent idea for snacking during a power outage! I have not yet cooked or used sriracha, although I seem to be seeing it in recipes everywhere. Gonna’ give this a try! Stay safe and warm Hannah!

  5. Take care! Being from Saskatchewan, the worst we have to deal with weather-wise is the fact that it’s really cold already. Can’t imagine going through a hurricane! Hopefully it doesn’t end up being as bad as they say!

  6. Take care Hannah…we get cyclones here (apparently reverse hurricanes, a bit like water going the other way down the plug ;) ) but not down this far. They tend to thrash the daylights out of the tropics and we don’t get anything aside from some bitterly cold southerlies in winter. Might be an idea to hunker down well and make sure to lash the parrot/dog/cat/garden to something unlikely to be uprooted. I will be thinking about you as we watch the progress of Sandy. It must be a doozie because even here on the other side of the world we are getting regular updates. Hugs from Tassie :)

    1. Thank you so much for your encouraging words. The update is that we’re all safe and sound here, but won’t have electricity back for another few days at least. We have a gas stove though so we can still make hot food, and it’s not too cold out yet, so we’re hanging in there. :)

      1. We actually get paid when our power goes out for more than a day! How is that? We got a check for $80 not so long back from the electricity company because a storm blew a power line down and they left our little hamlet on the hill till last (less people to pay ;) ). I am so glad that you guys are all ok! We followed old frankenstorm all the way over here and it was the top story on OUR news so it must have been a doozie! Nothing like camping in your own home to make you feel like a kid again ;). Enjoy the processes :)

  8. oh no.. hope you and the car are fine.
    these spicy seeds are right up my alley. with a load of sriracha.. i will eat anything!
    take care and hope sandy passes by smoothly

  10. oh gosh, Hannah… I usually just roast my pumpkin seeds with Earth Balance and salt – Sriracha seeds sound super intense and super yummy!

    Be safe, I’ll be thinking of you!

  12. Stay safe, my darling darling one. And know that I am thinking of you and sending you hugs and strength and comfort (though, apparently, not quite an email yet… I”m sorry! Have been feeling a bit topsy turvy myself xoxo). Wish I could be there to make a blanket fort under the table and eat this snack with you.

  13. You had me at sriracha!! Love that stuff. I have a bowl of seeds on my counter right now from pumpkin carving yesterday, so now I know what I’m doing with some of them. Stay safe!

  14. Never would have thought to add such interesting flavors to pumpkin seeds. I’m lucky to just remember to save the seeds and not throw them out. They look awesome, love the color. Stay safe and take care. :-)

  15. We’ve been hearing some pretty scary news concerning Sandy over here and the weather we’re having at the moment seems to be a spinoff from Sandy herself, or so I am told. I am always surprised at the impact a storm can have even on the other side of the world. I hope you are safe!

  17. Been thinking of you! Hope the flooding and high winds haven’t affected where you are.

    As for the seeds, mmm, Sriracha seeds sound perfect!

  18. Oh Hannah, just looking at your sriracha seeds makes my mouth water…they look so flavorful…I sure will enjoy munching on these seeds.
    Thanks for this great recipe…have a wonderful week and stay safe :)

  19. I hope you still have your power today, Hannah! Here in Seattle all we had to worry about was the brief tsunami warning from the BC earthquakes and that didn’t come to anything, fortunately. Our family is going to carve pumpkins tonight and I’ll roast the seeds, as I always do– in the microwave (zapping in 30 second bursts and stirring in between, until they are as crunchy as I like). I like your new idea of spicing them up a little!

    1. Nope, unfortunately, no power at home and probably not for the rest of the week. Love your idea about using the microwave to cook the pumpkin seeds though… It’s so smart and simple! As soon as ours will turn on again, I’ll have to try it out.

  25. […] Bittersweet‘s Sriracha Pumpkin Seeds are a spicy treat to enjoy when you get tired of indulging in chocolates and other sweet Halloween treats – and you can use the seeds leftover from carving jack o’lanterns to make a batch! The raw pumpkin seeds are tossed with black and white sesame seeds, sriracha, olive oil and salt before being baked until they’re toasty. You can adjust the heat level by adding a bit more or a bit less of the sriracha to make sure that the seeds suit your tastes, too. […]

  26. These sound awesome! I’ve never thought about adding sesame seeds to pumpkin seeds but I don’t think you can go wrong with that combination! I hope that you have power back on soon and that you’re doing well!

  28. This is a pretty good recipe and especially after the Halloween, we can get the seeds and turn them into a more edible snack. I usually just cook them in salt and dry them. For this recipe I will be removing the sesame seeds, doe it affect the flavor when removed?

    1. Removing the sesame seeds will alter the flavor and texture, but if you were really set on making the recipe without them, I would recommend substituting sesame oil for the olive oil to retain some of that nutty flavor.

Leave a Reply