There are at least a dozen occasions marked in our calendars that allow us to indulge in sweets and candy. Halloween is one, and we can always forgive ourselves for eating too much sugar, or at least repair the damage quickly by eating an extra amount of alkalizing fruit and veggies.
If you are giving a party and you are a raw food lover, you probably are trying to balance your Halloween menu, at least just a bit. You can have all the fruits and veggies you want and still make your table look creepy when the evening comes and the lights are out.
This year I am making bell pepper Jack-O-Lanterns and a creepy avocado dip. It is a very easy affair. Quick to make and easy to serve. When planning your party, simply count how many people you are expecting and calculate how many jacks to prepare. Do not worry about making too many. All veggies can be juiced, composted, or used in many other ways, after the party. This is a low tech dish. All you need is a cutting board and a sharp knife. Pumpkin carving tool could help, but you can make the jack without it.
Ingredients:
- 2 large carrots per person
- 5-6 green asparagus spears per person
- 2 celery ribs per person
- 3-4 green onions per person, tops trimmed a bit
- 1/2 English cucumber per person
- 3 large bell peppers per person
for the dip per person
- 1 avocado
- 1 large garlic clove to keep vampires away
- 1 jalapeno pepper to help you run fast if zombies show up
- freshly pressed juice of 1/2 lime to prevent the dip from looking too creepy
- 1/4 cup coconut water
- Celtic salt to taste
- 4-5 black olives (in brine) for the decoration
Method:
- Wash the vegetables. Peel and trim where necessary. Cut veggies into manageable sticks and set aside. Cover the veggies with damp tea towel to prevent them from drying up too quickly.
- Cut off the tops of bell peppers and remove the seeds. Using a sharp knife carve Jack-O-Lantern features on each pepper. Test if peppers will stand upright on their own. If not, cut off a small portion on the bottom to make them even.
- Fill out the prepared peppers with veggie sticks and set them on a large platter if you are making a buffet, or on individual plates if you are having your Halloween dinner at the table.
- In a blender blast all dip ingredients into a smooth-ish mass. Add more coconut water or lime juice if the dip is too thick. Season to taste. I added a few teaspoons of virgin olive oil for smoothness.
- Portion out the dip into small bowls and decorate with black olives. Let the brine spill out into the dip. This will add small creepy veins and make the dip look eerie. I placed a pepper seed on each olive to make them look like eyes. You might have other ideas. Whatever you are up to, enjoy these creepy appetizer in good company. Boo!
May all your tricks be magical and all your treats super yummy.
Wishing everybody a spooky and fun Halloween - passionately raw - Dominique
Dominique Allmon©2017
Dominique Allmon©2017