If the scariest thing about your Halloween is the prospect of all that junk food (well, someone has to finish off the sweets when the trick or treaters have gone…), take a look at our healthy alternatives.
Terrifying (ly good for you) Tacos
Ingredients
For the guacamole
2 limes, juiced
2 small avocados, peeled and chopped
1 bunch coriander, finely chopped
For the sweetcorn salsa
Half a 160g can sweetcorn
200g cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 red pepper, finely chopped
2 spring onions, sliced
3 sundried tomatoes, chopped
400g can black beans
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp coriander
½ tsp smoked paprika
For the nachos
4 wholewheat tortillas
1 ½ tsp oil
4 purple carrots, cut into sticks
Method
Make the guacamole by pouring the lime juice into a bowl, adding the avocado and mashing until mixed but still chunky. Add half the coriander, season to taste and pop into a bowl.
Mix all the salsa ingredients together along with the rest of the coriander and season with salt and pepper. Arrange chunks of salsa on top of the guacamole, cover and chill for 30 mins.
Lay a tortilla wrap on a chopping board and brush with oil. Cut out spooky shapes using a cookie cutter or scissors, keeping them close together. Heat the over to 200c/180c/gas 6, put all the tortilla shapes on a baking tray and bake for 4-5 mins til golden and crisp.
Serve with the guacamole and salsa and the carrot sticks.
Petrifying (and packed with good stuff) Pumpkin Pancakes
Ingredients
200g plain flour
½ tsp baking powder
200ml milk
100g cooked butternut squash or pumpkin, mashed
1 egg, separated
Method
Put the flour in a bowl and add the baking powder. Measure the milk into a jug and stir in the pumpkin, followed by the egg yolk.
Make a well in the centre of the flour and gradually add the milk mixture until you have a smooth batter. You could also use a blender here.
Whisk the egg white until stiff, then fold into the batter.
Heat a non-stick pan, pour in the batter and cook until lightly brown on both sides. Serve with fresh berries and a sprinkling of cinnamon.
Poltergeist (but pretty tasty) Pizzas
Ingredients
For the pizza base
200g strong white flour
200g strong wholewheat flour
1 tsp easy-blend dried yeast
250ml warm water
For the topping
300g passata
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tbsp olive oil
75g grated mozzarella
10 black olives
Handful cherry tomatoes, halved
Handful basil leaves
Method
In a food processor with a dough blade, mix the flours and yeast with a pinch of salt. Add the water and mix to a soft dough, then work for a minute. Divide into four pieces and roll out onto a floured surface to 15cm circles. Put on to oiled baking sheets.
Mix the passata with the garlic and oil and season. Spread over the dough, leaving 2cm at the edges. Sprinkle over the mozzarella and place a whole olive in the centre. Cut the rest of the olives into small pieces and arrange them like legs around the centre oil to create spiders. Dot the tomatoes in between and leave to rise for 20 mins. Heat the ove to 240c/220c/gas 9.
Bake for 10-12 mins until crisp and golden at the edges. Scatter with basil to serve.
Haunting (ly healthy) Pumpkin Hummus
Ingredients
1 small pumpkin
Olive oil, for roasting
2 garlic cloves, peeled
½ lemon, juiced
2 tbsp tahini paste
400g can chickpeas, drained
1 red pepper, sliced
1 yellow pepper, sliced
Mini breadsticks and pita bread, to serve
Method
Cut the top off the pumpkin, remove the seeds and scoop out the flesh. Heat over to 200c/180c fan/gas 6.
Cut the pumpkin flesh into pieces, put in a roasting tin with the garlic and cover with olive oil. Season and bake for 45 mins until tender. Leave to cool.
Put the pumpkin in a food processor with the juices from the tin and the garlic. Add the lemon juice, tahini paste and chickpeas, season with salt and blend to a paste. Scoop back into the pumpkin and serve with the peppers, breadsticks and pita.
Creepy (but not for your cholesterol) Avo Chocolate Mousse
Ingredients
2 big avocados
35g cocoa powder
75ml maple syrup
150ml milk
1 tsp vanilla essence
Handful marshmallows
Handful dark chocolate chips
Method
Cut the avocados in half, remove the stone and scoop out the flesh. Put all the ingredients into a food processor and whizz until smooth and lump free. Taste and add more maple syrup if needed.
Tip out into a large bowl, cover and put in the fridge for 30 mins to thicken up.
Take one marshmallow for each person and cut it in half, Flat side up, push a chocolate chip into the cut side to make googly eyes. Spoon the chocolate mousse into bowls and top each serving with a pair of googly eyes!
