Trick to the Treat

Staff Writer Dawn Cromar shares her family’s recipe for Pumpkin Soup

This time of year can be a minefield when it comes to encouraging your kids to lay off the sweets. Dawn Cromar tells us how to bewitch them with healthier options . . .

Halloween has become more and more popular this side of the Atlantic over the past few years and most kids love it, but asides from all the “ducking for apples”, you don’t tend to associate healthy snacks with the occasion.

Of course parties and celebrations can be as much about the food as they are the games, music and costumes – and you don’t always want to be thinking about healthy eating; sometimes it’s nice to be able to let the kids eat what they want every now and again. While you can provide lower fat options like veggie sticks and fruit, cakes and crisps are always going to be associated as party nibbles.

We had a fab Halloween party at home for our children and friends. We kept plenty of healthy options at hand with carrot sticks, cherry tomatoes and cucumber as alternatives to the array of pizza, crisps, bat shaped sandwiches and sweets which were also on offer.

But if you’re looking for a way to get the kids thinking more about healthy eating as they make their way through the last of their mountain of candy obtained after trick or treating, how about getting them involved in preparing some healthy snacks and meals?

In my experience, kids are always happy to try something they’ve helped to make, even if it isn’t something they’d usually go for.

One of the recipes we tried this Halloween was pumpkin soup. While soup may not be the most exciting food to a youngster, you can peak their interest by first helping them to hollow out the pumpkin to make their lantern, and then encouraging them to help you make the soup from the innards.

It’s simple to make pumpkin soup, and as with any soup, you can add favourite herbs or spices to make it to your liking. Here’s my recipe for a hearty, healthy Pumpkin Soup . . .

1. Chop up the hollowed out flesh of the Jack O’Lantern, and sautée it in a knob of butter in a pan along with 1 chopped onion and 1 finely chopped carrot.
2. Next make up some vegetable stock according to the packet instructions. You’ll need enough to half fill a large soup pan, and bring the mixture to the boil. Then leave to simmer for about 20-30 minutes.
3. Add roughly a tablespoon of curry powder and a teaspoon of mixed herbs, then season to taste. Add a generous splash of double cream and serve.

We also made croutons, by cutting two slices of bread into cubes, and frying in olive oil and some people also like to dry fry the pumpkin seeds and add these for extra crunch.

For added mealtime fun, you can always forego the option of the lantern so that the soup can be served inside the hollowed out shell of the pumpkin. (This is also a great idea for grown up dinner parties – it’s best to use small pumpkins for individual servings – or one large pumpkin which can be used as a serving bowl).