Cajun Spiced Pumpkin Seeds

Happy Halloween!  We did our pumpkin carving last night (kudos to Mr. Foodie for his Ninjago pumpkin) and like everyone should, we roasted the seeds.  Foodie Jr. isn’t a big fan of the pumpkin seeds, so Mr. Foodie and I agreed that it would be a yummy twist to do Cajun spiced seeds for us, since we like a little heat.  I didn’t so much use a recipe for this, as much as I eyeballed it, but I did put in some basic amounts.  I suggest you just play with yours –  to your liking.  Wishing all of you a happy and safe Halloween night – lots of treats and not so many tricks!

CAJUN SPICED PUMPKIN SEEDS

Ingredients:

-Seeds from one pumpkin, cleaned and dried (They say a regular sized pumpkin will yield about a cup to a cup and half of seeds, we got about a cup out of ours.)

~ 1-2 Tsp of your favorite Cajun Seasoning Blend

~ 1-2 Tsp Paprika (per your taste, mostly for color)

~1 Tsp Worcestershire Sauce

~1 -2 TBS Olive Oil

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

2.  In a small bowl, combine all your ingredients and toss well, making sure the seeds are evenly coated with olive oil and seasonings.

3.  On a foil lined cookie sheet (you can also spray with cooking spray, but not needed) spread seeds in an even, single layer.

4.  Bake for about 45-55 minutes, turning seeds once about half way through cooking time.

Grilled Grilled Cheese

Fall is here and grilling season is coming to an end.  So, I thought I’d squeeze in just one more grill recipe before we head toward all things pumpkin and soup!  A friend hit the tomato jackpot in her garden and I got to inherit a whole lotta tomatoes!  We were grilling so I decided to do a little open face grilled cheese appetizer for us to chomp on while the meat cooked.  They are kind of funny looking but, they were tasty!

GRILLED GRILLED CHEESE

Ingredients:

16 Cherry Tomatoes, halved

4 Ciabatta Rolls, halved

8 Slices Havarti Cheese

1-2 Fresh Garlic Cloves

Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper

Directions:

1.  Fire up the grill and get those coals ready to cook!

2.  Scrape each piece of bread with the garlic clove and sprinkle with salt and pepper for flavoring.

3.  Brush top side of bread with olive oil and place top side down on the grill for a few minutes to brown and get some nice grill marks going.

4.  Flip bread pieces over and top with tomato halves (about 4 on each piece depending on the size of your tomatoes.)

5.  Top tomatoes with a slice of cheese.

6.  Heat until cheese is melted to your liking.