Category: Recipes

Recipe of the Month – March

This month’s recipe is dedicated to the people practicing physical-distancing during the great Coronavirus crisis of 2020. Panic buying due to the government’s request for multi-week self-quarantine has rendered the store shelves nearly empty, with eggs being one of the hardest items to find.  So, when I came across the recipe over at  Mommy’s Home Cooking for Easy Eggless Halloween Cookies I knew I had to share it.

Easy-Eggless-Halloween-Cookies-6
Photo by MommysHomeCooking

Ingredients:

  • 1 ½ cup (210g) all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt1 teaspoon pumpkin spice (optional)
  • 9 tablespoons (125g) unsalted butter, softened
  • ½ cup (88g) brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

 

Glaze:

  • 1 cup (140g) confectioners’ sugar
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • pinch salt
  • Food Coloring

 

For the full recipe and baking instructions, please visit here: https://mommyshomecooking.com/easy-eggless-halloween-cookies/

Photo by MommysHomeCooking
Photo by MommysHomeCooking
Photo by MommysHomeCooking

Halloween themed cookie cutters can be found just about anywhere. You could always try Cookiecutters.com

Easy-Eggless-Halloween-Cookies-2
Photo by MommysHomeCooking

Recipe of the Month – February

Today we celebrate Women in Horror, with a tribute to a legendary queen of horror, Sigourney Weaver, star of enduring Alien franchise.

In Ridley Scott’s 1979 sci-fi horror masterpiece Alien, Sigourney relished the chance to bring a smart, no-nonsense, powerful leader to movie audiences during a time when women yearned to see a strong female presence on the big screen.  Lt. Ellen Ripley proved to be way more than just the final girl, and in the 1986 sequel Aliens, Sigourney continued to portray Ripley, this time as a badass survivor and the voice of reason in this crazy new world.  In her final action-packed showdown with the queen mother of all Xenomorphs, Ripley emerged as one of the greatest female kickass heroes on film, period.

So, in honor of Queen of Sci-fi and of Horror, I found a recipe for Date and Marizpan Alien Xenomorph Eggs over at Feast In Thyme.

20190912_XenomorphEggs-OH-1c-lo
Date & Marzipan Alien Xenomorph Eggs by Feast in Thyme

Ingredients:

  • 24 large Medjool dates
  • 1 (7 ounces) tube marzipan almond candy dough
  • 1 cup dark chocolate fudge (see below, or your favorite recipe)
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • Decorating Supplies: green sprinkles, matcha powder, cocao powder (optional)
  • Feast in Thyme
    Feast in Thyme

For the full recipe and cooking instructions, please visit here: https://feastinthyme.com/alien-xenomorph-eggs/

For some insight on Sigourney’s thoughts on playing Ripley, check out this video:

Recipe of the Month – January

January dragged by like a zombie with no legs. While not quite on par with the disastrous January 2016, when we lost our beloved David Bowie and Alan Rickman, this month was a cacophony of leftover holiday vibes, hopeful optimism, failed resolutions, global despair, and finally, the tragedy of losing another global icon, former L.A. Lakers Kobe Bryant.

I’m not ready to give up on 2020 and you shouldn’t be either! Despite all the pink, February is a perfectly good month for Halloween fans to hijack, and what better way to usher in the month of unrequited love than with the Superbowl! Somebody is gonna go home in tears. Between losing to the Vegas odds and those tearjerker Budweisser commercials, you’re gonna need some comfort food, and no decent Superbowl party would be caught dead without a good taco dip to catch our tears. So, when I found this recipe over at The Tipsy Housewife for a festive Halloween Taco dip, I knew the lunar new year has not forsaken us.

Bookmark this one, my creepy friends, you’re gonna use it again in October.

tacodip2
Halloween Taco Dip Photo by The Tipsy Housewife

Ingredients:

  • 1 Can of Frito Lay Bean Dip (found in the chip aisle)
  • 1 C of Prepared Guacamole
  • 1 C of Sour Cream + 1/2 C for making the web.
  • 1 Pouch of Taco Seasoning
  • 8 to 10 Black Olives, reserve two to make the spider, dice or slice the rest
  • 1 C of Cheddar Cheese
  • 1 Tomato, Seeded and Dices
  • 1 C of Kale, shredded very thin

For the full recipe and instructions, please go here:
https://thetipsyhousewife.org/2018/09/29/halloween-taco-dip/

tacodip3

©The Tipsy Housewife

Don’t let the mention of kale scare you off, just replace it with lettuce.

tacodip
Halloween Taco Dip Photo by The Tipsy Housewife

Recipe of the Month – December: Spiderweb Soup Halloween Recipe

A day late and a dollar short, that’s what’s going on my tombstone.  Apparently, I was naughty this year, so Krampus brought me a nasty cold for Christmas. Not sick enough to die, luckily, but sick enough to miss my blog post-deadline. Mea culpa. It’s been a rotten week.

The good news is being sick means you get to eat soup, cuz soup is great for colds. It’s also great for cold, rainy days. So, thanks to the folks over at the Gourmet Food Store for this perfectly simple and tasty recipe for Spiderweb Soup with Halloween shaped croutons: https://www.gourmetfoodstore.com/spiderweb-soup-halloween-recipe-15336

spiderweb-soup-halloween
Spiderweb Soup from Gourmet Food Store

Ingredients:

  • 6 medium tomatoes
  • 3 medium carrots
  • 1 ½ tbsp. Sugar
  • 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • 4-½ cups vegetable broth
  • ¼ tsp. cinnamon
  • ½ tbsp. ginger powder
  • ¼ tsp. ground cloves
  • 8 slices white bread
  • 2 tbsp. Chopped fresh herbs (oregano, thyme, basil, and rosemary)
  • 2 tbsp. Olive oil
  • 16 peppercorns (pink if available)
  • 7 oz. crème fraiche
  • Special equipment: Halloween-themed cookie cutters, piping bag

tomatoes

For the full recipe and cooking instructions, please go here: https://www.gourmetfoodstore.com/spiderweb-soup-halloween-recipe-15336

If you still have leftover ham, this soup pairs fangtastically with a ham and cheese panini.

ham and cheese chef Akis Petretzikis
ham and cheese – chef Akis Petretzikis

 

Recipe of the Month – November: Cranberry Crisp

Since November’s Friday falls on the day after Thanksgiving, I’m breaking my own rule and posting a recipe this week.

Let’s be honest, next to green bean casserole, cranberry sauce is the least desirable dish on the holiday table. I suspect that’s because it’s so plain. Well, I found a recipe that might spruce up the trimmings, thanks to the good people over at Gimme Some Oven and their recipe for Cranberry Crisp.

CranberryCrisp3 GimmeSomeOven
Photo ©GimmeSomeOven

INGREDIENTS

CRANBERRY FILLING INGREDIENTS:

  • 24 ounces (about 6 cups) fresh cranberries
  • 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup freshly-squeezed orange juice
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • zest of one orange

CRISPY OATMEAL TOPPING INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 cup old-fashioned oats
  • 1/2 cup chopped nuts (pecans, walnuts, almonds, pistachios…you pick!)
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup melted butter or coconut oil
  • 1/4 cup flour (or almond meal)
  • pinch of salt and ground cinnamon
©GimmeSomeOven
©GimmeSomeOven

For the full recipe and baking instructions, please go here: https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/cranberry-crisp/

CranberryCrisp GimmeSomeOven
Photo ©GimmeSomeOven

Now, instead of a boring side dish, you can serve a sweet and healthy dessert. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream to really make it pop!

 

Sinister Saturdays – Pumpkin Pie Crumb Bars

Happy National Pumpkin Day!

Pumpkins are the most important element of the Halloween season. It is the symbol of Halloween itself. Pumpkin desserts have been getting a bad rap lately because of pricey, syrupy pumpkin spice drinks served at the coffee place that shall not be named, but pumpkins themselves are quite healthy, being high in potassium, vitamin C, fiber and antioxidants. So, remember to look up some creative ways to use leftover parts of your carved pumpkin this weekend.

Cooking Classy knows the perfect way to end the Halloween season with this fangtastic recipe for Pumpkin Pie Crumb Bars.

pumpkin_pie_crumb_bars13.

Ingredients (12 servings)

  • 1 1/4 cups (176g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/4 cups (116g) quick oats (old fashioned works too)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 cup (105g) granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup (110g) packed light-brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Pumpkin Pie Filling

  • 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup (55g) packed-light brown sugar
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/8 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 cups (296g) canned pureed pumpkin
  • 1/3 cup (85ml) evaporated milk or half and half
  • Sweetened whipped cream and cinnamon , for serving (optional)

For the full recipe and baking instructions, please go here: https://www.cookingclassy.com/pumpkin-pie-crumb-bars/

 

Spice up your Thanksgiving by serving these crumb bars instead of boring ole pumpkin pie. Your family will thank you.

Sinister Saturdays – Halloween Buffalo Chicken Skillet Dip

Halloween parties are a tradition dating back to ancient times, when the Samhain festival kicked off to celebrate the end of the harvest season. In the early days of America, that was the only way to celebrate Halloween.

Make your party a spooktacular success with this great dip recipe from Tasty.co, who share their quick and simple recipe for Halloween Buffalo Chicken Skillet Dip

halloween buffalo chicken skillet dip
Screenshots by Tasty.co

Ingredients (12 Servings)
  • 2 cups chicken, cooked and shredded
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • ½ cup monterrey jack cheese
  • ⅔ cup cheddar cheese
  • ½ cup buffalo sauce
  • ½ cup ranch dressing
  • 2 tubes refrigerated pizza dough
  • 4 ounce block cheddar cheese, cubed
  • 2 tablespoons melted butter

     

     

    Screenshots-Tasty.co
    Screenshots-Tasty.co
    Screenshots-Tasty.co

For preparation instructions and video, please go here:
https://tasty.co/recipe/halloween-buffalo-chicken-skillet-dip

buffalochickenskilletdip4
Screenshots by Tasty.co

Let’s get this party started!

Sinister Saturdays – Vampire Chocolate Mousse Parfait

Vampires. Creatures of the night. Tortured souls doomed to walk the earth for eternity. No other archetype in horror has captured our fantasy like the powerful vampire, with that insatiable hunger that drives the frenzied brain in search of prey. From the dark corners of alleys, all the way to highest chambers of royal castles, bloodlust is their curse, and to that, I say… too bad, so sad, more chocolate for us!

The mighty hunter, the Vintage Kitchen Chef has created a decadent dessert worthy of eternal worship, Vampire Chocolate Mousse Parfaits.

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Photos ©The Vintage Kitchen

Ingredients:

For The Mousse:
  • 4 oz Chocolate Baking Bar, White Chocolate; broken into pieces (or any high quality white baking chocolate)
  • 4 oz. Chocolate Baking Bar, Semi-Sweet Chocolate; broken into pieces (or any high quality semi-sweet baking chocolate)
  • 1 1/3 cup heavy cream
  • 2 eggs, separated
  • Black food coloring
  • Wilton rose icing decorations; optional
For The Edible Blood:
  • 1/2 cup light corn syrup
  • 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1-2 Tablespoons chocolate syrup
  • 1 tsp. cocoa
  • Red food coloring

For full recipe and instructions, please go here:
https://www.thevintagekitchenchef.com/vampire-chocolate-mousse-parfaits/

 

Photos ©The Vintage Kitchen
Photos ©The Vintage Kitchen

Like a stake through the heart, this recipe might be the death of you. But, that’s okay, because you’ll have a smile on your face when you go.

Friday Fright Nightcaps – The Walking Dead Cocktail

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, The Walking Dead returned this past week for its tenth season. The Walking Dead comics, once considered too complicated for mainstream television, now inspire pop culture in ways, we haven’t seen since the Romero’s horror hit masterpiece, Night of the Living Dead. 

Last season divided fans, but with a new spin-off show in the works, in addition to the already popular, Fear the Walking Dead, there’s no denying that we like zombie TV. So, grab your cocktail shaker and let’s celebrate with Kat Balog’s crazy take on an old classic cocktail, The Walking Dead Cocktail.

walking-dead-zombie-cocktail-
Photo ©Kat Balog

Ingredients:

1-1/2 oz vodka
1 oz Kahlua
2 oz cream
1 tbsp caramel topping
1 tbsp. fudge topping
Ice

Blood:
– 3 tbsp Simple syrup
– 2 drops Red food coloring

For mixing instructions, please go here: https://katbalogger.com/the-walking-dead-zombie-cocktail

TWD cocktail
Photo ©Kat Balog

Sinister Saturdays – Halloween Inspired Toxic Mac n Cheese

Welcome food sinners, to the church of decadent delights! For the next four Saturdays, we’re going to sway your taste buds to the dark side of the kitchen. Have no fear, these recipes won’t kill you right away, I don’t think…maybe don’t eat them every day, just, once a year.

Our recipe for today is Halloween Inspired Toxic Mac n Cheese from Jacqueline over at The Seaside Baker via sofabfood. There are a couple of different toxic mac-n-cheese recipes out there, I chose this one for its kid-friendly simple bliss. It is Halloween after all, we need quick and easy dinners so we can get right to the festivities!

toxic mac1

Ingredients

  • 1 lb uncooked shell pasta
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 5 drops neon green food dye
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 2 1/2 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 3 cup milk
  • 2 1/2 cup cheddar cheese

For complete cooking instructions, please go here:
https://sofabfood.com/halloween-inspired-toxic-mac-n-cheese/

If only all our toxic waste looked so good. If you’re going green for Halloween, remember, homemade pasta is healthier for you and the environment.

Amen!