Pumpkin Cauliflower Dip + How to Roast the Perfect Pumpkin Seeds

If you know me at all you know that Halloween is my favorite holiday.


I absolutely love dressing up, handing out candy, and, most of all, I LOVE pumpkin things.

This year, I dressed up as Khaleesi from Game of Thrones :)

I even won a costume contest! Woo hoo!! Thanks Burnside Brewing :)

Colin dressed up as Luigi (another of our friends went as Mario!)


BUT - let's get to the reason you are here: the food :)

I would have absolutely loved to make a whole plethora of pumpkin-based things but as I was functioning with limited time, I only made a couple things this year :(

Fortunately! Those couple things were really really good.

First up! Pumpkin-Cauliflower Dip!

The inspiration for this recipe came from Kathy at Happy, Healthy Life but of course I modified it slightly :)

So this dip is a roasted cauliflower dip on the bottom, swirled with a pumpkin dip (I used chickpeas in both so it had a similar consistency to hummus. Baked hummus) and then baked briefly so it has a nice crispy layer atop.

Cauliflower Dip

• 1 medium head cauliflower
• 1 medium purple onion (or sweet onion if you have that on hand)
• 3-4 cloves garlic (I loooove garlic but if you're less inclined, scale it back)
• 1 tbsp oil
• Salt + Pepper, to taste
• 1/3 can of chickpeas
• 3-6 Tbsp plain non-dairy milk

Preheat the oven to 425.

Chop up the cauliflower, dice the onion and arrange on a large baking sheet. Add the garlic cloves whole (you'll be food processing the whole thing later anyway so don't worry about getting everything perfect looking).

Drizzle with olive oil and salt + pepper and allow to roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until onion is yummy and caramelized tasting.

Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes and then transfer to a food processor. Add chickpeas and non-dairy milk of choice and process until the mixture resembles hummus.

While the veggies are roasting, I recommend you make your pumpkin dip, although you could easily prep it before hand as well :)

Pumpkin Dip

• 1 can pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie mix)
• 2/3 can chickpeas
• 1-2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp vanilla non-dairy milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp each of: nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves (or, alternately, 3 tbsp pumpkin pie seasoning) 
• Salt, to taste

Place all ingredients in your food processor and blend until smooth!

To prepare the dip: Spoon cauliflower mixture onto bottom of an oven-safe tray. Then place half or so of the pumpkin mixture on top of it.

Use a toothpick to make a "swirl" design.

Place the mixture in the oven and bake for 5-10 minutes or until there is a nice cripsy layer on top :)

Serve with veggies and crackers!

We also served ours with some excellent pumpkin beer.

This stuff is world-class, I'm tellin ya.

Rogue's First Growth, Pumpkin Patch

Crooked Line's Oak Jacked Imperial Pumpkin Ale

Not pictured but also DELICIOUS: Southern Tier's Pumking Imperial Pumpkin

I love love love pumpkin beer!!

 
Also in pumpkin mode: Mr. Wyatt.

He also loves Halloween. And pumpkins!













And Pumpkin SEEDS!

His momma loves pumpkin seeds, too, and she is now on Halloween cycle 3: mission to perfect the roasted pumpkin seed.

And by George I think I finally got it.

It's a process, but I have discovered the method to roasting the perfect pumpkin seed.

Are you ready?

OK!

To roast the perfect pumpkin seed you must take the following steps:

1. Extract seeds from pumpkin.
2. Remove as much pumpkin "goo" as possible from said seeds.
3. Place the seeds in a bowl with warm salt water (use LOTS of salt for this - it will help you later down the line)
4. Soak the seeds overnight
5. Boil the seeds in the salt water bath for 10-15 minutes
6. Transfer the boiled seeds onto a lightly greased cookie sheet (I do mine with coconut oil)
7. Bake pumpkin seeds at 425 degrees for 15-25 minutes (depending on how many you do!) turning occasionally with a spoon or spatula
8. Turn the oven to "broil" and broil the pumpkin seeds (with the oven door open so you can watch them) for an additional 5-10 minutes or until just beginning to brown and crisp up.


Voila! You have the uber-intensive but totally-worth-it fool-proof method to roasting the perfect pumpkin seed!

I hope your Halloween was as delicious and pumpkin-filled as mine!


Live long and prosper Hallovegans!