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A Ghostly Meatloaf by Dana Jacobi for The American Institute for Cancer Research

Once upon a time, Halloween was a friendly holiday full of pagan fun. Back in Europe’s Dark Ages, on October 31, the Celts celebrated a holiday called Samhain. Marking the completion of the growing season and the beginning of a new one, it was both a time of revelry to celebrate the year’s harvest and a time of respect for the dead. A candle in the window welcomed back friendly ancestors while festivities honoring nature’s bounty included feasting.

Christianity brought a somber, fearful tone by casting the dead spirits afoot on All Hallows Eve, or Hallowe’en. Evil goblins and witches hovered, but playful games like bobbing for apples persisted. Feasting also remained part of the following day, which became All Saint’s Day, to honor worthy souls. Candle-lit Jack o’Lanterns were added to Halloween in the 19th century, well after pumpkins were discovered as part of the New World’s offerings.

Mixing spooks and high spirits with mischief on Halloween goes back a few centuries, too. Associating them with food is more recent. I cannot prove it but will bet that swapping candy for correct behavior in trick or treating began after World War II, while hands plunged into ghastly cold spaghetti simulating guts, and so on, goes back only a bit further.

These days, blue Jell-O, green ketchup, and movies like American Pie have raised the ante for creating gross or shocking Halloween food. One of the more benign recipes I have seen is a slimy brew combining lime sherbet, ginger ale and green gelatin. Among the least appetizing are dyed, electric blue spaghetti called Gruesome Guts, and indescribable Kitty Litter Cookies.
Fortunately, this Halloween meatloaf would be welcomed by adults and children alike. It is deliciously moist and flavorful, thanks to pumpkin purée, and chock-full of health-protective phytochemicals. As you shape the meatloaf into a ghost-like shape on the baking pan, aim for a form that resembles Casper the Ghost.

Ghostly Meatloaf for Halloween - Makes 6 servings.

• Canola oil spray
• 1 1/2 lb. lean ground beef
• 1 large egg white
• 1 cup canned pumpkin purée
• 2 slices whole-wheat bread, crust removed, cut in 1/2” cubes
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, as desired
• 2 cups leftover mashed potatoes, reheated, or instant mashed potatoes
• 2 small rounds of thinly-sliced carrot and 5 canned black beans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a shallow baking pan or cookie sheet with foil. Coat foil with cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl, mix beef, egg white, pumpkin, bread, onion, garlic powder, salt and pepper until well combined. Flatten 1 cup of the mixture into a 3” circle at one end of the prepared baking pan to form the ghost’s head. Set aside 3/4 cup of the mixture. Pat the rest into a long triangular body, starting at the head, so the bottom is about 6” wide. Use the remaining 3/4 cup to form an arm on one side of the body.

Bake meatloaf uncovered for 45 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from oven and let stand 20 minutes. Use two large metal spatulas to transfer the meatloaf to a serving platter. (If it cracks, piece it back together with fingers.) If desired, the meatloaf can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator up to one day.

When ready to serve, reheat meatloaf, if necessary, in the oven at 250 degrees until hot. Using a thin spatula or table knife, cover the meatloaf with hot mashed potatoes, as if icing a cake. Use carrots to make eyes and beans for the mouth. Serve immediately.

Per serving: 294 calories, 11 g. total fat (4 g. saturated fat), 21 g. carbohydrate, 27 g. protein, 3 g. dietary fiber, 354 mg. sodium.

AUTHOR:

“Something Different” is written by Dana Jacobi, author of 12 Best Foods Cookbook and contributor to AICR’s New American Plate Cookbook: Recipes for a Healthy Weight and a Healthy Life. The American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) is the cancer charity that fosters research on the relationship of nutrition, physical activity and weight management to cancer risk, interprets the scientific literature and educates the public about the results. It has contributed more than $86 million for innovative research conducted at universities, hospitals and research centers across the country. AICR has published two landmark reports that interpret the accumulated research in the field, and is committed to a process of continuous review. AICR also provides a wide range of educational programs to help millions of Americans learn to make dietary changes for lower cancer risk. Its award-winning New American Plate program is presented in brochures, seminars and on its website, www.aicr.org. AICR is a member of the World Cancer Research Fund International.

ARTICLE POSTED OCTOBER 27, 04

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