Transform your farmers’ market veggies into eerie foods for a pre-trick-or-treat party with deliciously daring (and healthy!) Halloween nibbles!
Lizard Skin — With just a bit of imagination, kale chips become crispy pieces of lizard skins this Halloween for a melt-in-your-mouth crispy delicacy.Who doesn’t love a crispy, salty kale chip anyway! At least my party guests do — kids and parents! Every year I make a big bowl with some garden fresh kale and every last morsel is devoured leaving me content that my kids ate something healthy before trick-or-treating.These delicious crisps are simple to make and will vanish in seconds. Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees and wash and dry one large bunch of kale. Remove the leaves from the stem and tear nice size pieces. Place in a large bowl and toss with 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil until well coated. Spread the leaves on two baking sheets, careful not to overlap. Cook for about 20 minutes until crispy but not overcooked. Sprinkle sea salt generously on the chips after baking. Serve in a bowl for Halloween as lizard scales.
Witches Fingers — Roasted Fingerling Potatoes become the eeriest bloody fingers when drizzled with or dipped into ketchup. Shop for the longest and most crooked potatoes you can find and transform these misfit veggies into a scrumptious treat. Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Wash, dry and cut the potatoes lengthwise. Grease a baking sheet with olive oil and place cut potatoes facing cut-side up on a baking sheet. Sprinkle generously with kosher salt and bake for approximately 45 minutes until golden. For the finishing effect, squeeze and squiggle ketchup atop the fingerlings.
Bloody Bat Ears — Thinly sliced beets will shrivel when roasted in the oven and become crisp delectable veggie chips. Serve them to guests as dried out bloody bat ears and they’ll lick their lips with eerie satisfaction! To make, pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Slice beets very thinly, using a mandolin if you have one. Drizzle some olive oil on a baking sheet and spread around evenly. Place sliced beets on the greased baking sheet and brush with a bit more olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and bake for 20 – 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and they will crisp as they cool.
Roasted Brains — Let’s face it. You may never have looked at a cauliflower in this way before but whole cauliflowers resemble brains. If you can find one in orange or yellow at the farmers’ market even better! All you have to do is roast a cauliflower whole with olive oil, toasted coriander seeds, salt and pepper for a brainy snack. Allow guests to use their hands (or a serrated pie slicer) to break off individual florets. To prepare, pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees, remove the leaves from the cauliflower and drizzle 1 tablespoon in the bottom of a pie dish. Cook 25 whole cardamom pods in a skillet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil for two minutes until they start to break open. Rub the cauliflower with three tablespoons olive oil, salt and pepper and pour the toasted cardamom pods on top. Roast until browned for an hour or more. Serve whole to astonished guests who will have fun breaking off a piece of brain with their fingers. (You may want to loosen the florets with a knife so removing them is easier.)