Halloween is synonymous with candy and sugary sweets, but it's also a great time to teach your family the "trick" to balancing the gooey candy they love with healthy Halloween eating. Serving a balanced meal before heading out to Halloween festivities will help keep your ghouls from gobbling up all their candy before they get home.
Feed your family a hauntingly healthy Halloween meal of Inside-Out Cheeseburgers, Baked Cauliflower Brains and Pumpkin Pie. Other recipes this week like Cauldron of Chili with Spider Bread and Cheesy Spaghetti Squash or Spiders Nest Dip and Pumpkin Milk Punch help set a Halloween mood without giving up healthy eating. Enjoy...if you dare!
"Family Meals Matter" features recipes selected by registered dietitians from the thousands of user-contributed recipes available at our free online nutrition and meal-planning website, Meals Matter (http://), sponsored by Dairy Council of California. Healthy Eating Made Easier
FEATURED FAMILY MEAL LINKS
Inside Out Cheeseburgers
\ cup shredded cheddar cheese
\ cup shredded Gruyere cheese
1 pound 90 percent-lean ground beef
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 { teaspoons paprika
\ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1. Preheat grill to medium-high or preheat the broiler.
2. Combine cheddar and Gruyere in a small bowl.
3. Gently mix beef, Worcestershire, paprika and pepper in a large bowl, preferably with your hands, without overworking. Shape into 8 thin, 4-inch-wide patties. Mound 2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture on each of four patties, leaving a {-inch border. Cover each with one of the remaining patties. Crimp and seal the edges closed.
4. To grill: Lightly oil the grill rack (Tip: To oil a grill rack: Oil a folded paper towel, hold it with tongs and rub it over the rack. Do not use cooking spray on a hot grill.)
5. Grill the stuffed patties over medium-high heat, about 4 minutes per side for medium-well. (Be sure not to press the burgers as they cook or they'll split open and the cheese will ooze out.) To broil: Cover a broiler pan with foil and coat with cooking spray. Broil the stuffed patties in the upper third of the oven, about 4 minutes per side for medium-well. In either case, let the burgers stand for 5 minutes before serving.
Makes 4 servings.
Brains (Baked Cauliflower)
1 large head cauliflower
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons mustard
{ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
To prepare cauliflower, remove the stem and green leaves from the bottom of the head. Trim the base of the core so that the head will stand upright.
Place the whole head of cauliflower into a steamer basket, place the basket in a large pot, and add one inch of water. Cover, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook approximately 15 to 20 minutes or until tender when pierced.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place the head of cauliflower into a baking dish or pie plate. In a medium bowl, combine mayonnaise, and mustard; spread the mixture over the cauliflower. Sprinkle generously with Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, approximately 10 to 15 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown and melted.
Cook's notes: You can use any cheese your family prefers, or a combination of several cheeses.
Pumpkin Pie Best Light
16 pieces ginger snap cookies
16 ounce can pumpkin
{ cup egg whites
1/3 cup sugar
1 { cup evaporated skim milk
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/3 cup Splenda
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grind ginger snaps in food processor. Lightly spray a glass pie pan with cooking spray. Pat cookie crumbs into the bottom of the pan evenly.
Mix the rest of the ingredients in a medium sized bowl and pour into the crust. Bake until knife comes out clean from center, about 45 minutes. Refrigerate and slice in 8 wedges.
Optional: serve each wedge with fat free whipped cream.
SHOPPING LIST (Includes ingredients to make at least four servings of each Featured Family Meal recipe)
INSIDE-OUT CHEESEBURGERS
One-quarter cup shredded cheddar cheese
One-quarter cup shredded Gruyere cheese
1 pound lean ground beef
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 1-2 teaspoons paprika
\ teaspoon freshly-ground pepper
BRAINS (BAKED CAULIFLOWER)
1 large head cauliflower
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons mustard
{ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
PUMPKIN PIE BEST LIGHT
16 pieces ginger snap cookies
1 can (16 ounces) pumpkin
{ cup egg whites
1/3 cup sugar
1 { cup evaporated skim milk
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/3 cup Splenda
ADDITIONAL RECIPE LINKS
Cauldron of Chili with Spider Bread
Spiders Nest Dip
Cheesy Spaghetti Squash
Pumpkin Milk Punch
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(c) 2009, Dairy Council of California, MealsMatter.org.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
