House full of pumpkin seeds? Winnipeg chefs crack open the cookbook

After you've carved your masterpiece, you might be tempted to toss a jack-o'-lantern's sticky innards right into the compost bin, but don't.

Pumpkin seeds can be easily transformed into a tasty, reasonably healthy snack or cooking ingredient. 

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The seeds taste great gently roasted in the oven with a little vegetable oil and salt. Leave on a few of orange strings on the seeds and it can add a toasted, burnt-caramel flavour. There's no need to fiddle with cracking the pods open, pumpkin seeds can be enjoyed shells and all. 

Three Winnipeg chefs prove that:

1. Spiced-up pumpkin seed crunch

The owner and executive chef at The Tallest Poppy, Talia Syrie says pumpkin seeds are best served up with a little extra heat. "[They] have a beautiful nutty taste to them," said Syrie, "The salt brings that out. The cayenne pepper really brightens it up."

Ingredients:

• 2 cups pumpkin seeds (washed and dried)
• 2 tbsp of softened butter
• ¼ tsp of brown sugar
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 pinch of cayenne (to taste)
• Squeeze of fresh lemon when cooked (optional)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 175 C or 350 Fahrenheit. Mix together all ingredients, except lemon, in a bowl and lay out evenly on a baking sheet. Place in oven for approximately 15 minutes, watching closely. Do not leave them unattended as they burn quickly. When out of the oven, add a fresh squeeze of lemon if desired.

2. Mexican pumpkin seed dip (sikil p'ak) 

Mandel Hitzer, owner and chef at deer + almond on Princess Street, said he loves cooking with seeds, especially pumpkin. 

"My favourite thing to do when you have a bunch of them is making a yucatan dip called sikil p'ak. It's the freaking bomb and if you have vegan friends, they are going to be your new [best friends]."

Ingredients:

• 4 cups raw, un-hulled pumpkin seeds
• 2 plum tomatoes, cored
• 4 hot serrano chili peppers, stemmed
• 1 bunch finely chopped cilantro
• 5 tbsps finely chopped chives
• 250 ml fresh lime juice with zest (very important it is fresh)
• 1 tbsp ground toasted cumin
• 1 bulb of garlic, peeled, chopped
• 200-300 ml extra virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt (to taste)

Preparation:

Toast pumpkin seeds in the oven and let cool. Put seeds in food processor along with all other ingredients except the oil. Blend and slowly add oil until you have the right consistency for a dip. Finally season with salt and enjoy!

3. Pumpkin cheesecake with pumpkin seeds and caramel sauce

Cam Tran is the chef and owner of Café Ce Soir on Portage Avenue. When he thinks pumpkin his mind immediately goes to dessert. This recipe can use both the pumpkin flesh and the seeds as a garnish. It is "classic and simple," he said, but definitely requires some baking skills. 

Ingredients: 

For crust:

• 1 ½ cup graham cracker crumbs
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon powder
• ⅓ cup melted butter

For filling:

• 1 ½ lbs (750 g) cream cheese
• 1 cup sugar ½ cup sour cream
• 1 can pumpkin pie filling (if using fresh see note below)
• 6 eggs
• ½ cup roasted pumpkin seeds chopped (cooled)

For topping:

• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 cups whole pumpkin seeds (cooled)

If you are using fresh pumpkin, Tran says peal the skin off the pumpkin. Warp five cups of the pumpkin flesh in aluminum foil. Roast on a pan in a 205 C or 400 Fahrenheit oven for 20-30 minutes until soft, let cool, then puree in a food processor and add 1 tbsp pumpkin spice (or to taste).

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 175 C or 350 Fahrenheit. In a medium bowl mix all the crust ingredients together and press into springform pan. In an electric mixer (such as a Kitchenaid), combine cream cheese and sugar. Mix in pumpkin (fresh or canned), sour cream, and chopped pumpkin seeds. Slowly add six eggs, one at a time, to the mix.

Pour over crust in springform pan and bake for 30 minutes. Let cool and refrigerate before adding topping. 

For topping, once the cake has had time to set in the fridge, heat whipping cream over medium heat. In another large pot heat sugar over medium heat and stir with whisk until sugar starts to caramelize, turning brown in colour. Slowly add the warm whipping cream to the caramel sugar, whisk until it bubbles. Whisk for one more minute, then add butter. Whisk until butter dissolves.

Sprinkle pumpkin seeds on cake and then drizzle caramel sauce over the cold cheesecake and serve.