I dearly miss munching on potato fries, but my food allergies will not allow it. So, for the past two weeks I have been thinking about making myself some pumpkin fries. I thought about it last year, but I guess I was somewhat skeptical, or, just plain lazy.
Several days ago I bought my very first pumpkin. I never knew how many seeds those things consist of, let alone- how much food you can make with just ONE pumpkin (and, it is under $4.00 for one). So, here goes:
I really don’t have a method or proper advice on how one might cut a pumpkin open. And, honestly, I think I will be taking a different approach on my next pumpkin adventure. So, I’d say, cut the top of the pumpkin off, then thoroughly spoon out its “guts.”
Once you have that covered, start slicing 3″-4″ vertically, from top to bottom. As you are cutting these slices, you can just bend them towards you to break them off. Next, peel them. Now, take a piece- slice it in half, then each one in three. Now turn all six pieces to the side, and slice them each in two or three more pieces (whichever you prefer). If you have a lot of pumpkin left over, dice it up and freeze it. You can use it for many, many things.
So, once you have all your “fries” cut up, you can put them in a big ZipLoc, or a large mixing bowl. I seasoned mine with sea salt, black pepper, oregano, and Extra Virgin olive oil. Season it to your preferred taste. Shake it up, or mix it up until it is evenly mixed.
Place them on a baking sheet (inside of a pan), or bake them in a non-stick pan. Bake them in the oven at 375 degrees. Leave them in there for at least 25-45 minutes. If you want them crispy, just leave them in longer. Be sure to check on them every so often- as, not all ovens are the same.
