Creepy Finger Sandwiches

Arrange these “fingers” in hand shapes on a platter, and they’ll disappear like magic. You can also serve them with dipping bowls of blood (ketchup) and green slime (prepared pesto).

Ingredients

Serves 13

• 1 cup walnut pieces
• 1 1/2 cups lentils, rinsed
• 1/4 cup low-sodium vegetable broth or water
• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• 3 small cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 tsp. chili powder
• 2 tsp. lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. salt
• 8 cups baby spinach, chopped
• 13 whole-wheat hot dog buns
• 1 small cucumber, cut into 13 diagonal slices
• 1 7-oz. jar roasted red peppers, drained, cut into thin strips
• Low-fat mayonnaise for decoration, optional

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F. Place walnuts on baking sheet, and bake 10 minutes, or until browned and fragrant. Cool.
2. Bring lentils and 4 cups water to a boil in saucepan. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 40 minutes, or until lentils are tender and most of water is absorbed. Drain.
3. Purée lentils, walnuts, broth, oil, garlic, chili powder, lemon juice, cumin, and salt in food processor until smooth. Transfer to bowl, and cool 20 minutes, or until barely warm. Stir in spinach.
4. Spread 1/3 cup lentil mixture inside each hot dog bun. Close bun, and gently squeeze so filling mounds up in long “finger” shape along sides. Place one cucumber slice on end of each bun to resemble fingernail. Place 2 strips roasted red pepper on either side of filling in bun to outline “finger” shape. Draw joints and wrinkles with mayonnaise, if desired.