Pepita, the pumpkin seed, is one of my favorite things to eat.  I have them daily as part of my breakfast.  The crunch, the flavor, even the color is something I find satisfying in a good meal.  When I came across a Yucatan dip made with pumpkin seeds as one of the main flavors, I just had to try it.  When I didn’t have some of the ingredients it needed, I did what I always do….I improvised.  And came up with a dip I like so much I may never make it the way it was supposed to be prepared.  This is a recurring issue in my kitchen.  Why change it now?

The dip takes about 15 minutes or so to prepare and, like most dips, tastes better after given some time for the flavors to “bloom”.  It starts with “dry” grilling some yellow onion slices.  After that its just a case of throwing all of it into your food processor.

This has some great  citrus flavors from lime juice and clementines.  Because I didn’t want to open a can of tomatoes and then use less than 1/2 the can, I used salsa verde made from green tomatoes.  Tomatillo would also work well.

The heat factor can be adjusted to suit you.  Anything from habaneros to jalapeno to poblano.  I used some pickled jalapeno and a bit of Tabasco to get both the pepper flavor as well as the heat.

You’ll need:

1 small yellow onion, peeled and sliced into 1/2 inch thick rounds

2 cups roasted unsalted pepitos

1/2 cup (your favorite here) salsa verde

2 peeled and segmented clementines or 1/2 cup orange juice

1/4 cup lime juice

3 Tbs tahini (sesame seed paste)

3 tsp pickled jalapenos, chopped or slices

3 Tbs fresh cilantro

salt to taste

Place a layer of aluminum foil into your skillet, press it flat.  Heat over medium heat while you peel and slice the onion.  Place the onion slices onto the foil and cook for several minutes until the slices soften and are browning well.  Flip over and brown the other side.  Each side should take about 5 minutes.

Remove the onions and the foil and allow to cool.  The onions will release easier from the foil after cooling for just a few minutes.  Add the slices to your food processor.  Pulse to roughly chop the onion.

Add the remaining ingredients and process until somewhat smooth.  Taste and adjust seasonings.  Refrigerate to allow flavors to blend.  Serve with raw vegetables and tortilla chips.  Enjoy!