Carrot Rice Jack O’Lanterns

Spooktacularly delicious, these colorful rice balls make great healthy Halloween treats. The rice is cooked bright orange with carrot juice and shaped into mini pumpkins that are great for entertaining. In this creative snack, kalamata olives are cut into triangles for the eyes and mouths, while green bell pepper pieces are used as stems.

This recipe comes to us from Donna of Apron Strings.

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Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups medium or short grain rice
• 2 cups carrot juice*
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 kalamata olives
• 1/4 green bell pepper

*Although carrot juice can be found premade in stores, if time and equipment allows, we suggest making your own.

Directions

Place the rice, carrot juice, water and salt in a large pot over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and cook for about 15 minutes, or until the rice is cooked and all the liquid has been absorbed. Let the rice cool to room temperature.

Lightly sprinkle your hands with water to prevent the rice from sticking. Roll the orange rice into golf ball sized spheres with your hands.

Cut the kalamata olives into small triangles and curved lines and the bell pepper into small rectangles. Place eyes and mouths on the rice jack o’lanterns using the olive pieces. Place a stem atop each rice jack o’lantern using the bell pepper and enjoy!