It’s the spookiest night of the year, so why not get your little horrors to magic up something a little different to satisfy those ghoulish appetites but which scarily might not be as unhealthy as they look. From ghosts and ghouls to things that go bump in the night, have some fang-tastic fun this Halloween and cook up some devilishly delicious savoury treats
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SPOOKY TORTILLA GRAVEYARD WITH GUACAMOLE DIP
Serves 8-10, Preparation time 30 minutes, Cooking time 5 minutes
INGREDIENTS
• 4 ripe avocadoes, cut in half, stone removed and flesh scooped out
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 4 tbsp fresh coriander, finely chopped
• 1 small red onion, peeled and finely diced
• 2-3 large tortilla wraps
• 250ml/9fl oz vegetable oil
• 85g/3 3/4oz fresh watercress
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. First make the guacamole. Place the avocado and lemon juice in a blender or food processor along with a pinch of salt and a good grinding of black pepper. Whizz until smooth then stir in the coriander and red onion. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
2. Use a small, sharp knife to cut grave stone shapes from the tortilla wraps. Why not be as creative as you like and try cutting out some ghosts or trees as well?
3. Place a large frying pan on a medium-high heat and add the vegetable oil. After a few minutes, check the temperature of the oil by dropping in a small piece of tortilla wrap. If the wrap sinks to the bottom, the oil is not hot enough. Once the oil is the correct temperature, the tortilla should stay on the surface and create bubbles.
4. Add a few tortilla shapes at a time to the oil, frying for less than a minute on each side or until golden. Remove the shapes with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen towel. Leave to cool.
5. Once the shapes have cooled, take a large ceramic oven dish and spread the guacamole evenly over the base. Scatter over the watercress to represent grass then place the gravestones and other shapes in any way you like.
6. If not serving immediately, keep the guacamole in the fridge and the tortilla shapes in an airtight container at room temperature.
This recipe is from Watercress.co.uk, for more delicious recipes like this one please go to www.watercress.co.uk
MUMMIFIED SAUSAGES ROLLS
INGREDIENTS:
454g Pork Sausages
• 1 sheet Puff Pastry
• 2 tbsp Caramelised Onion Chutney
• 2 of either Peas/Sweetcorn/Olives
• 1 Egg
INGREDIENTS:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4.
2. Remove skin from the sausages and discard so just left with the meat.
3. On a large piece of cling film spread the sausage meat into a long sheet and flatten to 14cm width.
4. Spoon a thin column of the chutney along the middle of the sausage meat.
5. Seal the chutney in by bringing the sausage meat around on both sides using the cling film and press the meat together.
6. Freeze the sausage log for 10-15 minutes to make it easier to work with.
7. Remove the pastry from the fridge and cut into 1cm thick strips.
8. Lay the strips on a piece of baking parchment unevenly.
9. Place the sausage meat log onto the pastry strips.
10. Wrap the strips roughly around the sausage meat from top to bottom leaving a 4cm gap half the way down for the face.
11. Cut the log into 8 pieces.
12. Stud the two “eyes” into the face gap.
13. Put the sausage roll onto a baking sheet and brush with beaten egg.
14. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes.
Recipe by Aldi, more recipes can be found on their website www.aldi.co.uk
SPOOKY TORTILLA GRAVEYARD WITH GUACAMOLE DIP
Serves 8-10, Preparation time 30 minutes, Cooking time 5 minutes
INGREDIENTS
• 4 ripe avocadoes, cut in half, stone removed and flesh scooped out
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 4 tbsp fresh coriander, finely chopped
• 1 small red onion, peeled and finely diced
• 2-3 large tortilla wraps
• 250ml/9fl oz vegetable oil
• 85g/3 3/4oz fresh watercress
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. First, make the guacamole. Place the avocado and lemon juice in a blender or food processor along with a pinch of salt and a good grinding of black pepper. Whizz until smooth then stir in the coriander and red onion. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
2. Use a small, sharp knife to cut grave stone shapes from the tortilla wraps. Why not be as creative as you like and try cutting out some ghosts or trees as well?
3. Place a large frying pan on a medium-high heat and add the vegetable oil. After a few minutes, check the temperature of the oil by dropping in a small piece of tortilla wrap. If the wrap sinks to the bottom, the oil is not hot enough. Once the oil is the correct temperature, the tortilla should stay on the surface and create bubbles.
4. Add a few tortilla shapes at a time to the oil, frying for less than a minute on each side or until golden. Remove the shapes with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen towel. Leave to cool.
5. Once the shapes have cooled, take a large ceramic oven dish and spread the guacamole evenly over the base. Scatter over the watercress to represent grass then place the gravestones and other shapes in any way you like.
6. If not serving immediately, keep the guacamole in the fridge and the tortilla shapes in an airtight container at room temperature
This recipe is from Watercress.co.uk, for more delicious recipes like this one please go to www.watercress.co.uk
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PUMPKIN SOUP WITH CHILLI AND CREME FRAICHE
INGREDIENTS:
• 6 pint Pyrex bowl
• 1 tbsp. butter
• 2 onions, diced
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 2 mild red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1kg pumpkin or butternut squash, peeled and deseeded
• 650 ml hot vegetable stock
• 4 tbsp. crème fraiche, plus more to serve
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Place the butter, onions, garlic, chillies and cumin in a large Pyrex® bowl, cover with pierced cling film. Place on the base of the oven and cook in the Panasonic Combination Microwave NN-CS894 on medium microwave for 5 mins or until soft.
2. Cut the squash into small cubes then add to the onion mix. Add the hot stock, cover and cook on high microwave for 20 mins or until the squash is soft.
3. Season with salt and pepper, add the crème fraiche. Allow to cool before blitzing in the blender. Return to the microwave and heat on high microwave for 3 mins before serving.
4. Serve the soup in bowls with swirls of crème fraiche and a scattering of fresh chopped chillies.
Recipe from The Idea's Kitchen, find more recipes on their website www.theideaskitchen.co.uk
PUMPKIN CHILLI CON CARNE WITH MINI JACKET POTATOES AND WATERCRESS CREME FRAICHE
A classic dish, ideal for sharing after a night trick or treating or around the round the fire on Bonfire Night while watching the Guy burn and the fireworks explode overhead – even better, the pumpkin bowl cuts down on the washing up!
Serves 4, Preparation time 20 minutes, Cooking time 1 hour
INGREDIENTS
• 1 small pumpkin or butternut squash
• Vegetable oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 500g/1lb 2oz ground beef
• 1 small onion, peeled and diced
• 1 green pepper, deseeded and diced
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 x 400g tin kidney of beans, drained and rinsed
• 1x 400g tin of tomato juice
• 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 1/2 tbsp dark brown soft sugar
• 1 tsp yeast extract
• 700g/1 1/2lb baby potatoes
• 1 x 200g tub of crème fraîche
• 40g/1 1/2oz watercress, finely chopped
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C, 350°F, Gas 4.
2. Halve the pumpkin (or butternut squash) and scoop out the seeds. Scoop out the flesh and dice half of the pumpkin into 1cm/1/2in cubes and reserve. Chop the remaining pumpkin into large chunks, place in an oven tray, drizzle with oil and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Transfer to the preheated oven and roast for approximately 25 minutes or until cooked through. Reserve the scooped out pumpkin shell.
3. Meanwhile, place a large saucepan on a medium-high heat. Add a generous drizzle of oil and heat until beginning to smoke. Add the beef and fry, stirring occasionally until browned. Using a slotted spoon, drain the beef onto some kitchen paper.
4. Turn the heat down to medium. Return the beef back to the pan then add in the onion, diced pumpkin and green pepper, cooking until the onions are translucent but not browned. Stir in the tomato purée and cook for a further minute before adding the kidney beans, tomato juice, chopped tomatoes, chilli powder, brown sugar and yeast extract. Cover the saucepan with a tight-fitting lid and simmer for 1 hour.
5. Meanwhile, place the potatoes in an oven tray, drizzle with vegetable oil and season. Transfer to the oven and roast for 30-40 minutes, or until cooked through and crisp on the outside.
6. Once the roasted pumpkin is cooked, remove from the oven and place into a blender. Add a ladleful of liquid from the chilli and blend until smooth. Add to the simmering saucepan and stir through.
7. Mix together the crème fraiche and watercress and season to taste.
8. Spoon the chilli into the scooped out pumpkin shell and serve on a place with the potatoes arranged around. Serve with a generous dollop of crème fraîche.
This recipe is from Watercress.co.uk, for more delicious recipes like this one please go to www.watercress.co.uk
FLIPPER DIPPERS WITH HALLOWEEN SWEET POTATO FIRES AND GHOULISH GREEN DIP
Serves 2, 6 Young’s Flipper Dippers
INGREDIENTS:
For the Halloween Sweet Potato Fries
• 2 sweet potatoes – washed and cut into rounds
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Sea salt
For the Ghoulish Green Dip
• 50g frozen peas
• 50g young leaf spinach, washed
• 70g light soft cheese
• ½ tbsp chopped fresh mint, washed
• Salt (optional) and ground black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Pre-heat oven to 200°C/Gas mark 6
2. For the Fries – use mini cutters or hand carve stars and cut Halloween faces into the centre of the sweet potato slices. Place the sweet potatoes on a baking tray lined with non-stick baking parchment, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake in the oven for 20-22 minutes
3. Cook the Flipper Dippers according to instructions on pack
4. For the Dip – cook the peas in boiling water for two minutes, drain and run under cold water, drain again.
5. Place the spinach leaves in a colander and pour boiling water over the leaves until they are wilted. Run under cold water and squeeze out the excess water
6. Put the spinach in a food processor with the peas, soft cheese and mint and blend until smooth (or optional to mash). Season to taste and spoon into a serving bowl.
Recipe by Young's Seafood, more recipes can be found on their website www.youngsseafood.co.uk
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PUMPKIN FONDUE
Halloween doesn't just have to mean sweets and cakes; these savoury recipes are perfect for the fun fright night, and will make use of your leftover pumpkins, too. Time to plan a creepy dinner party…
INGREDIENTS:
• 1 Whole Pumpkin
• 30g Butter
• 30g Plain Flour
• 1 clove Garlic
• 100ml White Wine
• 150ml Cream
• 250g grated Emmental Cheese
• 100g grated Mature Cheddar/Blue Cheese (optional)
• 1 tbsp Black Pepper
• Bread Croutons, chopped Veg, shredded Ham – to dip
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Pre-heat the oven 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4.
2. Cut the top off the pumpkin and hollow out the seeds.
3. Roast in the oven whole for 35 minutes. While the cauldron is roasting, finely chop the garlic and fry in the bottom of a large pan in the butter.
4. Add the flour and cook for 2-3 minutes.
5. Add the white wine and stir until smooth.
6. Add the double cream and cheeses and season with black pepper. Reduce the heat to low and stir until the cheese has melted and the mix is gooey and stringy.
7. When the pumpkin is cooked, scrape some flesh from the edges – be careful to leave a good thick wall.
8. Add the scraped pumpkin to the cheese.
9. Serve the cheese inside the roasted pumpkin, with your choice of dippers on the side
Recipe by Aldi, more recipes can be found on their website www.aldi.co.uk
PUMPKIN RICOTTA LASAGNE
INGREDIENTS:
Pumpkin Ricotta Mixture
• ¼ c. fresh sage leaves, chopped, plus more whole leaves for garnish
• 2 tsp. butter
• 15 oz. ricotta
• 10 oz. canned pumpkin puree
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• ½ tsp. pumpkin pie spice
Béchamel Sauce aka White Sauce
• 4 tbsp. butter
• 4 tbsp. gluten-free flour
• 2 ½ c. milk, warmed
• ¼ t. ground nutmeg
• salt and pepper to taste
For the lasagne
• 1 box – 8 sheets Explore Cuisine Green Lentil Lasagne (no boil)
• 1 ¼ lb. mozzarella, shredded
INSTRUCTIONS:
1.Fry sage in butter until crisp. Remove to paper towel. Then combine all pumpkin ricotta ingredients in a medium bowl. Set aside.
2. To make the Béchamel Sauce: Spread ½ c. of white sauce over the bottom of a greased 8" square (2 qt.) baking dish. Place 2 sheets of no-boil lasagne noodles over the sauce in a single layer.
3. Top lasagne noodles with a third of the ricotta mixture. Layer with a quarter of the mozzarella. Then top with a third of the remaining of the white sauce. Top sauce with 2 more sheets of lasagne noodles to build the second and third layers the same way.
4. For the top layer, place last two sheets of lasagne over the white sauce. Top with remaining mozzarella.
5. Bake at 375°F for 35 minutes, covered with foil. Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes until the lasagne is bubbling hot and the top is browning. Remove from oven and let sit at least 10 minutes before cutting. Garnish with fried whole sage leaves.
This recipe is by Chef Lori Hirsch Stokoe for Explore Cusine, find more recipes on their website www.explorecusine.com
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