Ghosts, vampires and witches also have to eat: How about a scary insect salad or eyeballs, for example?
The scariest day of the year is just around the corner: October 31st is Halloween and because big theme parties and trick-or-treating are falling victim to the corona pandemic this year, it is time to scare yourself at home. The perfect menu cannot be missing. From classic pumpkin soup with a bloody twist to deep black spaghetti – these are the best Halloween recipes.
Fiery pumpkin soup
The autumn season really begins with the first spoonful of pumpkin soup – and Halloween is a must. After all, the juicy flesh of the hollowed out Jack O'Lantern shouldn't end up in the trash. For a tasty pumpkin soup, sweat a finely chopped large onion and three cloves of garlic with a little oil, chilli flakes and ginger in a large saucepan. Then add the pumpkin meat cut into cubes and fry briefly. If you use a Hokkaido pumpkin and have not hollowed it out, you can leave the skin on the pulp for a bright orange color.
Pour in half a liter of vegetable stock, bring to the boil and simmer over low heat for about 25 minutes. Then stir in about 200 milliliters of coconut milk, puree until creamy with a hand blender and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. In addition to the usual garnish of roasted pumpkin seeds and pumpkin seed oil, a few drops of chilli sauce add a bloody horror factor.
Spooky black spaghetti
For a pasta dish that couldn't look creepier, you need black spaghetti. They are available in stores either dyed with sepia ink or as a vegetable variant made from black beans. Since both types have a very intense taste of their own, the sauce should be rather reserved. You are on the safe side with the midnight classic Aglio e Olio, which protects against vampires with olive oil, chilli, fresh parsley and a large amount of garlic.
Baked, stuffed pumpkin
The Japanese Sweet Mama pumpkin is the perfect size and with its almost black skin the right exterior to conjure up a dish that is a scary sight, but harmless and tasty. To do this, cut the relatively small pumpkins across to create a lid and a bowl. The pumpkin itself is not particularly productive, but it is perfect for filling. First brush the inside with pumpkin seed oil and place in the oven with the lid on for about 25 minutes at 200 degrees.
For the filling, fry the finely chopped onions and garlic in a little oil, add diced, pre-cooked potatoes, season with turmeric, cumin and chilli and fry. Then chop the dried tomatoes, fry them briefly with the cashew nuts and feta cheese and add to the potatoes. Fill the pumpkin bowls, sprinkle with parmesan or another cheese of your choice and cook again in the oven for about 20 minutes. When eating, some of the pulp comes off the inner wall.
Rice salad with nuts and sour cherries
This salad looks like a gruesome tangle of insects and is suitable as a side dish: Cook 80 grams of wild rice, 100 grams of basmati rice and 50 grams of quinoa according to the instructions and let them cool. Then roughly chop 30 grams of whole almonds and fry them in a pan with 30 grams of pine nuts. At the same time cut an onion into thin strips, fry in sunflower oil for five minutes over high heat and add to the rice.
Chop 15 grams of parsley, 10 grams of basil and 5 grams of Tarragon. Wash the rocket and add to the cooled rice with the sour cherries and the remaining herbs. Mix everything well and dress with a dressing of olive oil and the juice and zest of a lemon.
Pumpkin wedges with hot chilli yogurt
For a delicious pumpkin dish that ends up looking like a plate full of cut fingers, hollow out a Hokkaido or butternut squash and cut into two centimeter thick strips. Put the pumpkin strips in a large bowl and marinate with two tablespoons of olive oil, one teaspoon of cinnamon, a little salt and pepper. Then bake for 30 minutes in the oven preheated to 200 degrees.
Then place the baked pumpkins on a serving plate. Mix 100 grams of Greek yogurt with a tablespoon of Sriracha or another chilli sauce and pour over the pumpkin. There is also a homemade coriander pesto: puree 50 grams of coriander (leaf and stem) with four tablespoons of olive oil, a clove of garlic and a little salt in the food processor and pour over the pumpkin. Finally garnish with roasted pumpkin seeds.
Chocolate eyeballs
Of course, a scary dessert shouldn't be missing. For chocolaty eyeballs, melt 200 grams of chocolate of your choice and mix with eight dates and a tablespoon of agave syrup or maple syrup in the food processor until you get a thick, smooth mixture. Shape them into small balls with your hands and roll them in coconut flakes, cocoa powder or chilli flakes. Bloodshot irises and pupils can be painted with icing.