By Megan Winfrey

Looking for easy, non-cheesy ways to incorporate a Halloween theme into your October menu? Me, too. Our daughter isn't old enough to get it, so I'm not quite ready for googly eyes and candy corn, but I do like the idea of cooking with a subtle spooky vibe this month. After all, I do take Halloween quite seriously. So far this month we've watched Sleepy Hollow, Nightmare on Elm Street 3, Casper, The Aadams Family, Halloween Resurrection, and Interview with the Vampire to name a few. Last night, it was Idle Hands and the recipe below, which my husband thought was clever and cute. SCORE.

Witch's Fingers

• 1 bag green beans, washed and trimmed
• 1 bunch of radishes, trimmed and sliced long ways
• 2 cloves of garlic, diced
• 2 tbs. olive oil
• 1 tsp. chile powder
• 1 tbs. honey
• 1/4 cup parsley
• chopped salt and pepper

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the green beans and blanch for 2-3 minutes, until just tender. Immediately strain and dunk the green beans in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the green beans, radishes, and garlic. Cook until the vegetables start to wilt, about 5 minutes.

Using tongs, remove the green beans from the skillet and transfer them to a bowl. Add the chile powder and honey and toss to coat. Then, lay them out in an even layer on a serving platter. On one end of the green beans, make space for the radishes. Scoop the radishes onto the platter and arrange them to look like finger nails coming off of the green bean "fingers."

I made mine rather sloppy, to look like I'd just collected these fresh witch fingers, cooked 'em up quick and threw them on the plate - and maybe some fingernails came loose in the process. Not super obvious, of course, but still a fun way to incorporate Halloween into your meal. Enjoy!

Here are some links to other fun and healthy Halloween treats:

• Jack-O-Lantern Sweet Potato Chips
• Frankenjuice
• Edible, Organic Blood