Pumpkin Seeds

Or any kind of winter squash seeds, actually. I've used pumpkin, spaghetti squash, and delicata squash, and have read that other kinds (acorn, butternut, buttercup, hubbard, etc.) work, too. 

Put the seeds in a bowl of warm water and rub them thoroughly to get rid of the slimy stuff. Most of the seeds should be pretty clean anyway, but some will be stuck in the strings. If you squeeze the end that’s stuck in the strings the seeds should squirt right out. (It’s kind of fun, actually!) When the seeds are clean (don’t forget to save the water and the slime and strings for the compost pile), put them in some salted water, bring to a boil, and simmer them for 10 minutes. Drain, and spread them out in a baking sheet that you greased with a tablespoon or so of oil or drippings. Bake on the top shelf of the oven at 400 for about 20 minutes, or until they start to brown. Smaller seeds, like from delicata squash, may be done in as little as 5 minutes, so check them frequently. 

What I like about this way of fixing the seeds is that you eat the whole thing, shell and all. No fussing around trying to shell them, though of course you can if you want to. I was very doubtful about that when I read it and expected to shell the seeds whatever the recipe said, but it turned out that they were right and I was wrong.

They're free, except for the salt and the oil, since you got the pumpkin for Halloween or the squash for the squash-ness of it.

Variations:

1.      Sprinkle a bit of any of the following over the roasted pumpkin seeds (http://www.chow.com/galleries/38/10-ways-to-spice-up-pumpkin-seeds#!562/old-bay-pumpkin-seeds ): cinnamon and sugar, seasoned salt, jerk seasoning (add before roasting the seeds), Old Bay Seasoning, Creole seasoning, wasabi powder and ground coriander, barbeque seasoning (add to seeds before roasting), or jalapeno powder.

2.      Or try these (http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/10/roasted-pumpkin-seeds-spicy-sweet-salty-recipes.html ): Ginger-Orange Zest Roasted Pumpkin Seeds, Cheesy Roasted Pumpkin Seeds, or Spicy Roasted Pumpkin Seeds.

3.      Or try your favorite spice blend, either sweet or spicy. I wonder how they’d be with a bit of pumpkin pie spice and sweetener?