Whether hosting a Halloween party or just setting up a nosh-and-go set of food options for my Trick-or-Treaters, I always try to have some healthy options. As compelling as it is to eat treats like Red Devil Cupcakes, Great Pumpkin Piñata Cake or Cinnamon Witch Bits, we all know the downfall of the sugar cycle. Anticipation and excitement seem to only amplify the sugar consumption with adrenaline, guaranteed to plummet sooner versus later.
The key I’ve found is to make the dishes fun and just as alluring as the sweet treats. I’ve had great success with recipes such as Diablo Eyeballs (taco meatballs) in Black Bean Pasta, ‘Candy Corn’ Chicken Quesadillas, Pumpkin Chipotle Cream Sauce on gluten-free pasta and Black Quinoa with Brown-Butter Sage Butternut Squash and Pepitas. They get equal play time to ‘Off with Your Hand’ Halloween Punch and Graveyard Cupcakes! The reality is a blend of healthy, savory dishes and sweets make for everyone to feel their best.
This time of year is so fun to create some freaky dishes merely with produce in season. I really wanted a salad to add to my Halloween menu this year and knew tossed greens, even if we grew them in our own garden, just would not cut it. I began to have visions of nests, and brains (too much binging on past seasons of The Walking Dead), aliens and eggs. I did not have to look farther than my local neighborhood market!
Thanks to my Spiralizer and the variety of available carrots (traditional orange, light yellow, purple Dragon Carrots which have a bright yellow center) I was able to create a ‘nest’ of carrot noodles. Should you not have a Sprializer, using a julienne peeler or even a regular vegetable peeler will produce long, thin shavings of carrots.
Don’t you think cauliflower florets look like little brains? To me they do so that seemed a perfect pairing. White, orange and purple are usually available which makes for a fun visual. One of my favorite vegetables is Romensco. It’s in the cauliflower/broccoli family and instead of rounded florets it has prismatic shapes that are outer worldly. Both these vegetables have always been a favorite of mine to eat raw, which is the same for my children. Lastly to pick up the protein, bright green edamame (soy beans) out of the shell are sprinkled on the salad. They are available in the frozen section of most grocery stores already shelled.
The salad is served with a ‘if-Ranch-Dressing-and-Green-Goddess-dressing-had-a-baby-what-would-it-taste-like’ dressing. The best of both worlds offers a ghoulishly green dressing with tangy flavors sans the anchovies thinking of little Halloween munchers. I could not resist serving the dressing plate-side in cocktail shot syringes found in Halloween stores and online.
All in all it’s a Freaky {Healthy} Halloween Salad that will stand up to the luscious, sinful treats you serve and at the same time, cleans up well for a fun non-Halloween option too:
Freaky {Healthy} Halloween Salad
Ingredients
Ingredients for Buttermilk-Green Goddess Dressing:
- 3 tablespoons Mayonnaise (regular or low fat)
- 1/2 cup Buttermilk
- 1/2 cup Sour Cream
- 2 large cloves Garlic
- 1/2 cup fresh Italian Parsley
- 1/4 cup fresh Chives
- 2 teaspoons Tarragon Vinegar
- 6 drops Tabasco Sauce
- Kosher Salt and ground Black Pepper to taste
Ingredients for Freaky {Healthy} Halloween Salad:
- 5 cups Spiralized Carrots , different colors if available (using 1/8-inch 3mm noodle blade)
- 2 cups Orange or Purple Cauliflower florets (or a mix)
- 2 cups White Cauliflower florets
- 2 cups Romaneso florets (may substitute broccoli if Romanesco is unavailable)
- 1 cup Edamame (shelled)
Instructions
Instructions for Buttermilk-Green Goddess Dressing:
- Place all ingredients into a blender and blend until pureed.
Instructions for assembling the Freaky {Healthy} Halloween Salad:
- Either on a platter or individual plates, layer with the Spiralized carrots as a bed for the other ingredients. Add the cauliflower and Romanesco, followed by the edamame. Add dressing or provide dressing on the side.
Nina says
This is so crazy looking! What a great healthy option.
rebecca says
gorgeous cauliflower
Toni Dash says
I agree Rebecca! I love all the crazy cauliflower that is available these days. Goes far to keep the intrigue up for getting my kids to eat it too!
Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious says
simply fantastic, in every way!
Toni Dash says
Thank you Dorothy!
Diane {Created by Diane} says
That is one amazingly CREATIVE salad! I just love it.
Toni Dash says
Thank you Diane! I appreciate it. Happy Halloween to you and your brood!
Colleen says
Hmmm, maybe that’s the explanation for recent mental lapses – perhaps my brains have been actually replaced by cauliflower florets? Seemingly the little veggies could do no worse than my over-stressed cranium! Maybe munching a few of them will restore the bio-balance. I love these colors, will be serving this salad in my new black-and-white-and-desperate-for-color home next month.
Toni Dash says
I’d give it a go! It’s such a fun salad visually and I’m always happier eating food I love to look at! I love these flavors and textures too. Certainly my cranium could use some pumping up too at this time of October!
Rebecca says
your recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of tarragon dressing in the dressing. Is that a typo meaning tarragon only, or is this an actual ingredient that I need to make? Thanks, looks delicious!
Toni Dash says
Hi Rebecca! So sorry for the confusion. It is tarragon ‘vinegar’ and also note it’s 2 ‘teaspoons’ not tablespoons. Though the tablespoons would work, it would be much more watery and ‘tarragon-y’!
Rebecca says
thanks for the clarification!
Toni Dash says
Absolutely! Sorry for the ‘dressing’ type-o. Appreciate you asking about it!
Lauren Kelly Nutrition says
I couldn’t possibly love this salad any more!
Toni Dash says
Awe Lauren, you are so kind! I too love this salad. I love the kooky look of it and the flavors are great too.
Anne-Marie @ This Mama Cooks! On a Diet says
So gorgeous! Do you know that Calvin and Hobbes comic when the mom is making dinner and Calvin asks what she’s making and she says, “Monkey brains?” That’s what I always think when I’m making cauliflower. Here kids, have some mashed monkey brains, mmmmmm.
Toni Dash says
LOL! I have never heard that but glad I’m not the only one seeing the cranial similarities in this vegetable!
Christie - Food Done Light says
This is an absolutely gorgeous and fun salad. I love all the colors you combined.
Toni Dash says
I’m so glad you like it Christie! I too love the look of it along with the flavor. Nice to have something healthy at this time of October!
Amy @ A Healthy Life For Me says
So darn cute and beautiful photography as always!
Toni Dash says
Thank you Amy!