Recipe: Spicy Chilli Lime Pepitas (that's pumpkin seeds to us Irish)

Back to work, back to school, back to routine!! All of this calls for quick and easy to reach for snacks to stave off hunger until meal times. I am a big fan of raw nuts and seeds for this purpose but they can get a little boring. These spicey pepitas are a good option for popping in a jar or lunch box to put a little bit of a pep in your step when the hunger pangs hit. They also work really well sprinkled over salads for added texture and flavour. Spicey pepitas are a fancy name for hulled pumpkin seeds tossed in lime juice or oil with spices and roasted in the oven. For this recipe, I am going for lime juice instead of oil and my spice of choice is chilli. I am also going to add a little sea salt as I love salty snacks. Dare I say these are perfect with a glass of wine ;)

Pumpkin seeds are a good source of plant based protein and healthy fats. They also contain iron, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium and zinc.

Ingredients:

1 cup of pumpkin seeds

Juice of one lime

1 teaspooon of chilli powder

1/2 teaspoon of sea salt

Method:

1. Place all of the ingredients in a bowl and toss well to coat the pumpkin seeds with the lime, chilli and sea salt.

2. Place on a baking tray in the oven at 180 degrees celsius / gas mark 4 for about eight minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for about a week.

#recipes #snacksdips