HALLOWEEN: Try these spooky recipes

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Recipe courtesy of The Vegetarian Society's Simply Good Food Cookbook (Harper Collins):

Pumpkin and haricot bean soup

Serves: 4
Preparation time: 10 Minutes
Cooking time: 50 Minutes

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
675g pumpkin flesh, cubed
450g sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 teaspoon mixed dried herbs
1 teaspoon sage, chopped
1 1/2 litres vegetable stock
410g can haricot beans, rinsed and drained
freshly ground black pepper

Method
Heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry the onion and garlic for about 10 minutes until softened and starting to colour.
Add the pumpkin, sweet potato and herbs, and cook for a further 5 minutes.
Add the vegetable stock and bring to the boil. Cover the pan and simmer for 30 minutes, until the vegetables are cook until tender.
Add the haricot beans and season to taste.
Cook for 5 minutes, then serve hot with crusty bread. 
 

Recipes courtesy of Sainsbury's:

Spooky pumpkin pasta

Ingredients
Bacon
Pumpkin
Tagliatelle (fresh)
Crème fraîche

Method
Try roasting some diced pumpkin and frying strips of lean bacon (see pack for cooking instructions) with chopped onion and garlic, then toss through hot, cooked egg tagliatelle.
Stir in a dash of crème fraîche, season to taste and garnish with chopped chives for a delicious autumnal meal.

Pumpkin pie

Serves: 8
Preparation time: 20 Minutes
Cooking time: 100 Minutes

Ingredients
450g pumpkin, seeded, sliced and peeled
3 eggs
Pinch of nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon mixed spice
250ml evaporated milk
3 tablespoons sugar
125ml full cream milk
450g shortcrust pastry

Method
Simmer the pumpkin for 20 minutes until soft, then mash it in a bowl.
Add the eggs, spices and the other ingredients and beat together for a few minutes.
Roll out pastry to line flan ring or lage pie dish.
Pour the mixture into the pastry case and bake in a medium oven until the mixture becomes set and golden brown.

Halloween ghosts

Serves: 8
Preparation time: 15 Minutes
Cooking time: 60 Minutes
Cooling Time: 30

Ingredients
Large woodland free-range eggs
Caster sugar
Milk chocolate buttons

Method
Try beating four egg whites in a bowl until they stand in stiff peaks.
Add 225g caster sugar and beat until the mixture is stiff and glossy.
Dollop large spoonfuls of the mixture onto two baking trays lined with baking paper, and shape into ghosts.
Bake in a pre-heated oven at 110˚C, fan 100˚C, gas ¼ for 60 minutes, then turn the oven off and let the ghosts sit for another 30 minutes.
Attach chocolate button eyes to each meringue with a drop of melted chocolate and serve as a ghostly Halloween treat that will disappear in seconds

Witch's Brew

Ingredients
Apple juice
Cinnamon
Cloves
Acacia honey

Method
Try making hot spiced apple juice by pouring some apple juice into a pan, then add a cinnamon stick, a few cloves, some orange zest and a drizzle of honey.
Heat gently then sieve.
Serve warm with slices of lemon and a cinnamon stick for a scrumptious seasonal drink.

Spooky swamp monster

Serves: 4
Preparation time: 15 Minutes

Ingredients
Hartley's lime flavour jelly
White seedless grapes
Marshmallows
Liquorice twists
Fizzy strawberry lances
Anchor iScream real dairy cream

Method
Make up a jelly mix following pack instructions, and add some seedless grapes.
Pour into four small jelly moulds or teacups and chill for at least four hours.
Turn them out and decorate by pushing strips of liquorice twists through the centre of the marshmallows to make eyes and secure them on top of the jelly.
Cut a liquorice twist in half to make feet and cut strips of strawberry lances to make antennae.
Just before serving, squirt cream around your monster to create the spooky swamp.
Traffic light labelling values for one serving (1 monster) based on: 34g jelly mix, 50g seedless grapes, 14g marshmallows, 25g liquorice twists, 3g strawberry lance, 13g squirty cream, using the nutrition information on Sainsbury’s branded products.
Based on the nutritional recommendations for 5–10 year olds.
 

Recipes courtesy of Waitrose:

Halloween Cupcakes with Chocolate Fudge Icing

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes to 25 minutes
Total time: 50 minutes to 55 minutes
Makes: 22

Ingredients
150g softened butter or margarine
150g caster sugar
1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
3 medium eggs, beaten
150g Waitrose Self-raising Flour
1 tsp baking powder
50g Green & Black’s Organic Cocoa Powder

To decorate
50g butter or margarine
2 tbsp milk
250g icing sugar, sifted
500g pack Super Cook Ready-to-Roll Coloured Icing
75g pack Super Cook Writing Icing

Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. Place 22 paper cake cases in bun tins.
Using an electric hand whisk, beat the butter, sugar and vanilla together for 4-5 minutes or until very pale and creamy.
Gradually add the beaten egg then sift in the flour with the baking powder and half of the cocoa. Using a metal spoon, fold in carefully. Half fill the paper cases with the mixture.
Place in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until the cakes have risen and the tops spring back when pressed lightly with your finger. Cool on a wire rack.
To make the chocolate icing, melt the butter with the remaining cocoa in a bowl placed over a pan of simmering water, or microwave on high for 1 minute.
Add the milk and 225g of the icing sugar and beat until smooth and glossy.
Place a little of the icing on each cake and smooth with a round-bladed knife dipped in hot water.
To make the orange icing, blend 15g red and 125g yellow icing with the remaining icing sugar.
Roll out, then cut out pumpkin shapes.
Add faces with the writing tubes and make green-icing stalks. Place on the top of the cakes.

Cook's tips
These cupcakes will keep for up to 3-4 days in an airtight container. If you prefer, you could use ready-prepared decorations or make a simple cobweb design using the writing tubes.
The chocolate icing can be made 2-3 days in advance, then warmed in the microwave or in a bowl placed over hot water, to soften again.
To save time, simply melt chocolate and spread over the cakes instead of icing.

Serving tips
Children will have fun helping to decorate these, but with a high sugar and fat content the cakes should only be eaten as a special treat.

Sesame Toffee Apple Wedges

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes to 20 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients
300g granulated sugar
50g sesame seeds
2 Cox's Apples

Method
Place the sugar in a pan with 100-120ml cold water and heat slowly, without stirring, until it dissolves completely.
Once the sugar has dissolved, bring to the boil and bubble rapidly, until it begins to colour.
Meanwhile, using a strong pair of scissors, cut eight bamboo skewers in half and snip off the pointed ends.
Using a small, sharp knife, cut each apple into eight wedges and slice away the core. Pat dry with kitchen paper and firmly push a skewer into each wedge.
Once the sugar has reached a light golden toffee colour, remove from the heat and stir in the sesame seeds.
At this point the mixture will foam up. Allow it to subside then, using the skewers, dip each segment fully in the toffee mixture.
Place on silicone paper to set. The toffee in the pan will continue to darken as you dip so you will get an attractive range of caramel shades on your wedges.
Take care as the toffee is hot, but work quickly or it may set before you have finished dipping - if this happens, gently warm the toffee again. The toffee from the dipped wedges may form little puddles if it is quite soft.
Once the toffee has set but is still a little warm, serve the apple wedges either lollipop style, or in a bowl with a scoop of sorbet.

Cook's tips
After about 10 minutes the apple juice from the cut surfaces will begin to melt the toffee, so do not make these ahead of time.
To clean the pan, fill with cold water and bring to the boil to melt the caramel. Then drain and wash in hot, soapy water.

Corn Bread with Pumpkin and Chilli

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes

Ingredients
100g self-raising flour
200g semolina
1 tsp baking powder
1-2 tsp chilli flakes (optional)
250ml sunflower oil
4 medium eggs, beaten
200g pumpkin, peeled and coarsely grated
150g frozen sweetcorn, defrosted

Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. Lightly oil a rectangular 18cm x 28cm rectangular roasting tin.
Sieve all the dry ingredients together into a large bowl and stir in a pinch of salt and the chilli flakes, if using.
In a separate bowl, beat the oil and eggs together. Pour into the dry ingredients and stir until smooth.
Add the grated pumpkin and sweetcorn, and mix until thoroughly combined.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin, level the top, and cook for about 25 minutes, until risen and golden. Remove from the tin and leave to cool for 5 minutes.
Cut into slices and serve warm or cold with soup, such as Waitrose Fresh Cream of Tomato. Alternatively, try with stews or chilli con carne.

Cook's tips
Corn bread freezes beautifully. Separate the slices with greaseproof paper before freezing, so pieces may be defrosted individually, as required. They can be kept frozen for three months.

Easy Pumpkin and Sage Risotto

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion
300g risotto rice
400g pumpkin flesh
2 tbsp chopped fresh sage or 2tsp dried sage
200ml dry white wine
1 litre vegetable stock
8 thin smoked streaky bacon rashers
4 tbsp grated parmesan

Method
Heat two tbsp of olive oil and a knob of butter in a wide pan.
Add a chopped onion and fry for about 5 minutes, or until softened.
Stir in 300g risotto rice and turn in the oil until all the grains are coated.
Stir in 400g pumpkin flesh, cut into cubes, and 2 tbsp chopped fresh sage or 2 tsp dried sage.
Add 200ml dry white wine and bring to the boil.
Add 1 litre hot vegetable stock a quarter at a time, adding each quarter only after the previous stock has been absorbed by the rice.
Meanwhile, grill eight thin smoked streaky bacon rashers until crisp.
When the rice is tender and the stock absorbed, stir in 4 tbsp grated Parmesan, spoon onto plates and top with the bacon.
Serve with extra Parmesan for sprinkling over.