National Seafood Month comes to a close with a bewitching recipe

This weekend marks both the end of National Seafood Month and the most ghastly of holidays, so why not combine the two with a scarily delicious recipe for a coastal-inspired Halloween treat from SeaPak Shrimp & Seafood Co, located on St. Simons Island? The best part: You can get the whole thing done, from start to finish, in less than 30 minutes, just in time to wow guests at your Halloween party.

Speaking of which -- if you're still looking for ways to celebrate, check out our roundup of Halloween events and parties , other food events this weekend and other Halloween events for adults. And if you can't get enough seafood, check out our best bets for seafood in Atlanta.

Serves 4

Times: Prep time: 4 minutes, Cooking Time: 14 minutes, Total Time: 18 minutes.

Ingredients:

2 8.2 oz packages of tempura shrimp, such as  SeaPak® Tempura Shrimp

1 red bell pepper

Dragon Tails:

1 lb fresh asparagus spears

2 tbsp olive oil

Dash of garlic salt

Pumpkin Soup:

1 15 oz can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)

1 14.5 oz can low sodium chicken broth

1 cup half and half

2 tbsp brown sugar

1 tsp nutmeg

1/8 tsp garlic salt

Dash of cinnamon

Directions:

- Preheat oven to 450°F.

- Bake Tempura Shrimp for 12 to 14 minutes according to package instructions.

- Cut top and bottom off bell pepper. Remove and discard seeds and membranes. Cut pepper into 1/2 inch strips.

- Then cut strips into pieces approximately 1 inch long. At one end of the strips cut a point. At the opposite end cut the end so that it tapers for easy insertion into the shrimp. When shrimp are fully cooked remove from oven.

Dragon Tails:

- Cut the tough ends off the asparagus spears and place in a baking dish.

- Sprinkle with olive oil and stir the asparagus until coated.

- Arrange the asparagus in a single layer in the baking dish.

Sprinkle lightly with garlic salt.

Bake for 9-10 minutes at 450°F or until desired level of tenderness.

Pumpkin Soup:

- Pour pumpkin puree, chicken broth, half and half, brown sugar, nutmeg, garlic salt and cinnamon into a medium sized pot. Turn heat onto medium high.