Halloween Party Recipes
Spiced Pumpkin Seeds
Seeds from 2 medium pumpkins
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Heat oven to 300 degrees F. Remove the seeds from the pumpkins. Discard the pulp.
Spread the seeds (no need to rinse them) evenly on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake until dried, about 1 hour.
Toss the seeds, olive oil, celery salt, and cumin in a large skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat, until the seeds are lightly toasted, about 3 minutes.
Yield: Makes 8 servings
NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 152(77% from fat); FAT 13g (sat 2g); SUGAR 0g; PROTEIN 6g; CHOLESTEROL 0mg; SODIUM 54mg; FIBER 0g; CARBOHYDRATE 44g
Caramel Apples
To make quick caramel apples for a crowd, melt three 14-ounce bags of caramels with 2 tablespoons water, stirring until smooth. Serve in individual bowls with apples cut into wedges for dipping.
Pumpkin-Leek Soup
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 leeks (white and light green parts), sliced 1/4 inch thick and rinsed
2 celery stalks, sliced
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 medium pumpkin or 1 1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the leeks, celery, and garlic and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the pumpkin cubes and canned puree, then the broth. Simmer until the pumpkin is tender, about 25 minutes. Stir in 1 3/4 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Working in batches, ladle the soup into a blender and puree until smooth. Divide among individual bowls and top with the rosemary.
Yield: Makes 8 servings
NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 167(16% from fat); FAT 3g (sat 0g); SUGAR 7g; PROTEIN 8g; CHOLESTEROL 0mg; SODIUM 484mg; FIBER 4g; CARBOHYDRATE 32g
Warm Mulled Cider
1 navel orange
1/2 gallon apple cider (not juice)
2 tablespoons honey
5 whole allspice berries
6 whole cloves
Pinch ground nutmeg
1 1 1/2-inch piece ginger, thinly sliced
8 cinnamon sticks
Using a vegetable peeler, peel the zest from the orange to create long strips.
In a medium pot, bring the cider, honey, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, and orange zest to a simmer. Do not boil. Heat, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Ladle into cups and serve warm with the cinnamon sticks.
Yield: Makes 8 servings
NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 142(2% from fat); FAT 0g (sat 0g); SUGAR 33g; PROTEIN 0g; CHOLESTEROL 0mg; SODIUM 8mg; FIBER 0g; CARBOHYDRATE 35g