A 3-course Halloween Feast
Plan a decadent, grown-up feast for Halloween this year with these three delicious recipes. Using plenty of autumnal flavours these dishes are healthy, simple to prepare and easy to serve to a group.
If you’re planning to spend Halloween this year with friends or family, our 3-course menu can help you set the mood for a spooky night in.
The Starter: Beetroot & Pumpkin Soup
Made with beetroot and pumpkin, this delicious soup is packed with autumnal flavours. It’s the perfect warmer for a cold evening and the bright pink colour of the soup makes it an ideal choice for your Halloween feast. Serve it up in a small bowl or mug with cheesy dipping toasts for an extra tasty treat.
Serves: 4 Prep time: 5 minutes Cooking time: 30 minutes
You’ll need:
- 2 tsp oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 sticks of celery, diced
- 1 clove garlic, finely diced
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 800g pumpkin or butternut squash, peeled and chopped small
- 800ml vegetable stock
- 4 Traditional beetroot (cooked beetroot dipped in vinegar), roughly chopped
- 4 slices of bread
- 4 slices Godminster cheese
Method:
- In a large saucepan heat the oil over a low-medium heat and cook the onion, celery and garlic with the lid on, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes until they are soft.
- Sprinkle in the nutmeg and cinnamon then add the butternut squash and vegetable stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes, add the beetroot and continue to cook for another 5 minutes until everything is soft.
- Allow the soup to cool a little then blend until smooth, add some extra stock if it’s too thick. Season well and reheat when ready to serve.
- Toast the bread, butter if desired, then, under a hot grill melt the cheese on top until bubbling and browning at the edges. Cut the toast into soldiers and serve with the hot soup.
The Main: Halloween Pumpkin Pilaf
Serves: 4 Prep time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 20 minutes
This wonderfully fragrant dish is perfect for Halloween – the bright orange pumpkin brings colour to the dish while flavours like onion, garlic, cumin and fennel give the dish a warming quality. Served with rice it’s the ultimate Halloween-themed comfort food!
You’ll need:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic sliced
- 1 tbsp cumin seeds
- 1 tbsp fennel seeds
- 1 tsp black onion seeds
- 400g basmati rice
- 400g pumpkin diced
- 800ml hot chicken stock
- Salt and pepper
- 100ml Greek yogurt
- 100g radishes sliced
- 100g roasted almonds crushed
- Small bunch mint roughly chopped
- Small bunch coriander roughly chopped
- 1 chilli chopped
What to do:
- Heat the oil and butter in a large saucepan with a tight fitting lid, add the onion, garlic, cumin, fennel and black onion seeds, cook for 3 minutes, stirring every now and then until the onions are translucent.
- Now add the rice and cook for a further 2 minutes until the rice has also turned translucent, stirring the rice all the time.
- Add the pumpkin and stock, bring to the boil and turn down the heat to a gentle simmer. Season and place the lid on the pan and leave to cook without stirring for 10 minutes, or until all the stock has been absorbed, turn off the heat and leave to stand for 5 minutes to finish cooking.
- Remove the lid and give a gentle stir. Top with a spoonful or two of Greek yogurt and scatter the sliced radishes and remaining ingredients over the top. Serve at once.
The Dessert: Chocolate dipped strawberry ghosts
These chocolate dipped strawberry ghosts are quick and simple to make and make for the perfect spooky snack this Halloween.
Serves: makes 10 Prep time: 20 minutes plus chilling time
You’ll need:
- 200g White Chocolate
- 10 Strawberries
- Small tube of black icing
Method
- Start by carefully melting the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. Make sure the base of the bowl does not touch the water. Break the chocolate into small pieces and allow to melt slowly.
- Once the chocolate has melted, remove from the heat and cool for 5 minutes. Use a teaspoon to spoon a dollop of chocolate onto your serving plate, trailing a drizzle off to one side to make a ghost/tadpole shape.
- Hold the leafy top of a strawberry and dip it into the chocolate, right up to its leaves. Set it down into the chocolate on the plate with the pointy end towards the trailing drizzle. Repeat with all of the strawberries and chocolate then leave to set.
- Once the chocolate has set, pipe small dots onto the strawberries to make ghostly eyes and noses. Keep refrigerated until you’re ready to serve.
Recipes courtesy of www.loveradish.co.uk and www.lovebeetroot.co.uk
Rachel - Silversurfers Assistant Editor
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