Healthy Halloween Treats

Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
Recipe from Kelsey Banfield of The
Naptime Chef.

Ingredients
4 eggs
1 2/3 c. sugar
1 c. vegetable oil
1 14oz. can pure organic
pumpkin
2 c. all-purpose flour
2 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
1 t. cinnamon

Frosting:
4 oz. cream cheese,
softened
1/2 c. unsalted butter,
room temperature
1 t. vanilla
2 c. confectioners’ sugar,
sifted

For the Bars.

1. Preheat
oven to 350%uFFFDF. Butter and flour a 9%uFFFD13 pan and set aside. Mix flour,
soda, powder and cinnamon in a small mixing bowl and set aside.

2. In a mixer fitted with
paddle attachment mix the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until completely smooth
and blended. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients until fully
combined. Stop as needed to scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl.

3. Spread the batter into
the pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the center is set and a cake
tester comes out clean. Cool completely to room temperature before frosting.

For the Frosting:

In a mix whip together
cream cheese and butter. Then add sugar and vanilla. Blend until smooth.


squash.jpg

Pasta
with Butternut Squash and Kale

Recipe
from Jenna Helwig at Rosaberry.com.

This hearty, colorful pasta
dish is the perfect precursor to Halloween candy.

Ingredients

(Yields 4 Servings)
4 cups cubed butternut squash (1/2 inch cubes)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus additional for drizzling
Kosher
salt
Pepper

1/2 lb. Italian sausage
1
small bunch Tuscan kale (also called dinosaur kale)
1
lb. Penne pasta
Parmesan
cheese, preferably Parmigiano-Reggiano

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Toss the butternut squash with 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt,
and pepper. Roast the squash until tender and golden, about 30 minutes.
Set aside. (The squash can be roasted up to 24 hours in advance and
refrigerated. Bring to room temperature when you begin cooking the rest of
the meal.)

2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Remove the thick stems
from the kale and slice the leaves into thin ribbons.

3. Remove the sausages from their casings and add to a medium-sized
sauté pan over medium-high heat. Brown the sausage until fully cooked,
breaking it into small pieces with a wooden spoon. Turn off the heat,
leaving the sausages in the pan.

4. Add the penne to the boiling water and cook until al dente. Three
minutes before the pasta is finished add the kale to the water. Before draining,
reserve a 1/2 cup of the pasta water.

5. Return the drained
pasta and kale to the pot. Add the butternut squash and sausage. Toss
gently and place on plates. Sprinkle each plate of pasta with salt and
pepper, drizzle with olive oil, and top with grated Parmesan cheese.


Roasted
Pumpkin Seeds with Sea Salt
seeds.jpg
Recipe from Kelsey Banfield of The
Naptime Chef.

Ingredients

2 cups fresh pumpkin seeds,
cleaned and dried
1 teaspoon sea salt
Non-stick cooking spray

1. Preheat the oven to
325%uFFFDF. Lightly spray a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.

2. Separate the seeds from
the pulp of the pumpkin until you have two cups. Rinse them under cold water
until all of the pumpkin flesh is gone. Then spread them on a paper towel and
pat them dry.

3. Spread the seeds on the
cooking sheet and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 25 minutes, or until seeds are
golden brown. At the halfway mark turn the seeds with a wooden spoon so that
they brown evenly.


Spooky Flflat_bread_new.jpgatbread
Recipe from Jessi Walter from Taste Buds.

 Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Ingredients (Yields 5 Servings)
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1 tablespoon sugar
3 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt

1.  In a large bowl mix together water, sugar
and yeast.  Wait 3-5 minutes until mixture becomes foamy.

2.  In another bowl combine flour, olive oil
and salt.

3.  Once water mixture becomes foamy, mix
together the dry and wet ingredients until a soft dough forms.

4.  Knead dough for 7-10 minutes until smooth.

5.  Place kneaded dough in a warm place and
let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

6.  Roll out dough, and using a knife,
scissors, or cookie cutters create ghostly features un the dough (use scissors
to cut out eyes and mouth)

7.  Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with
salt.

8.  Bake until ghoulden, 10 to 15
minutes.

9.  Let cool, dip flatbread into favorite
tomato sauce recipe!

Photo courtesy of Woman’s Day.