Don’t know what to cook for Halloween dinner? Our quick and easy Halloween recipes won’t let you down.

We recommend Spooky Spaghetti Heads and Banana Ghosts for the kids. Adults will love our crunchy, orange-infused Greeny Grins Salad – guaranteed to put a smile on everyone’s face.

TIP: If you’re preparing all three dishes, prepare the salad first, followed by Banana Ghosts and then Spooky Spaghetti – to serve the pasta warm.

Greeny Grins

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Ready in: 15 minutes
Serves: 6 adults as a side dish

Ingredients:

• 3 large oranges
• Cashew or other nuts (eg. walnuts)
• Pumpkin or other seeds
• Mesclun salad
• Baby spinach
• Alfalfa sprouts
• 1 tsp olive oil (extra virgin)
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• Salt & pepper

Instructions:

1. Slice the upper fifth off the oranges then carve out the flesh with a jagged knife.
   
2. Wash, tear and mix the salad leaves, and place on a serving dish.
   
3. Prepare the dressing by mixing the olive oil, vinegar and 2 tsp of orange juice.
   
4. Add the dressing to the salad leaves and sprinkle with nuts and seeds.
   
5. Toss the alfalfa sprouts into the oranges and place the salad on top.
   
6. Place in a freezer for maximum of 30 minutes (15 minutes will do).
7. Serve with a smirk.

If you’d like to make the dish more filling, serve with wholemeal bread and hummus.

Tip: Place the scooped out fruit flesh and any juice in a separate container – this makes great popsicles, and the juice can be used to make Banana Ghosts.

Spooky Spaghetti

Boo! Have you ever tasted the spooky brains of a bell pepper? This recipe is sure to give a bit of a shiver to little guests, whilst satisfying their hunger. To make a hearty meal, add minced meat or (precooked) beans to the sauce – especially if you are expecting very hungry Halloween-ers. 

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Ready in: 20 minutes
Serves: 8 kids

Ingredients:

• 3 large bell peppers
• 200 grams of wholemeal spaghetti
• 1/2 large onion
• Ready tomato-based pasta sauce
• Butter or olive oil
• Salt, pepper
• Parmesan cheese

Optional: herbs such as basil and oregano, 200 grams of minced meat or (precooked) beans from the can

Instructions:

1. Cook the spaghetti al dente according to package instructions.
   
2. Slice off the upper fifth of the bell pepper (the stem end), and remove the white inner parts.
   
3. Chop the onion finely and fry it in a pan with heated oil, until golden yellow.
   Optional: add the minced beef
4. Add the tomato sauce and bring to boil.
   Optional: add precooked beans
5. Add a pinch of salt, pepper and herbs to taste.
6. Mix the spaghetti into the sauce.
   
7. Fill the bell peppers with spaghetti and place the rest on a serving dish, bell peppers on top.
   
8. To serve, just quarter the bell peppers and serve with the spaghetti and parmesan cheese.

Banana Ghosts

Instead of candy, serve kids with these fancy frozen banana ghosts and peeled mandarins – which look just like pumpkins!

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Ready in: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• Bananas
• Mandarins

Instructions:

1. If using large bananas, cut them in half. For small bananas, cut one end to flatter.
   
2. Dip bananas first into the orange juice bowl.
   
3. Then roll in coconut bowl.
   
4. Insert stick into flat end of banana.
   
5. Stick on two chocolate nibs, or small raisins (for eyes).
   
6. Place in a freezer for maximum of 30 minutes (15 minutes will do).
7. Serve with peeled mandarins.

All recipe presented are by Nutritionist Liza Rowan of Health & Vitality

Visit YourFamily Kitchen page to find out more about Susanna’s work.

 _{This post was first published on YourFamily Kitchen blog and has been reposted on Executive Lifestyle with the permission of the author.}

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