Alien Pods (Fig and Goat Cheese Salad with Balsamic Glaze)

Here's one more Halloween recipe before I switch my focus to fall comfort food and holiday cooking. I'll keep it short and sweet with these gorgeous figs.  Fresh figs, herbed goat cheese, mixed salad greens, pumpkin seeds all topped with a balsamic reduction. Not just for Halloween, this salad can be an elegant addition to any meal. Check out the easy recipe below.Enjoy!

Alien Pods (Fig and Goat Cheese Salad with Balsamic Glaze)

Serves 8-10

8-10 fresh figs
2 oz. herbed goat cheese
1 cup balsamic vinegar, reduced to 1/4 cup
1 T butter 
1 T honey
3 cups mixed greens
1/2 cup salted pumpkin seeds 

In a small sauce pan, heat 1 cup vinegar over medium heat and reduce thickened to ~1/4 cup. Add 1 Tbsp butter and 1 T honey and set aside.

Use a 1/4 teaspoon as a makeshift melon-baller to portion out the goat cheese and roll into a small balls. Refrigerate to firm up the cheese if needed.

Trim stems and cut an X down the stem side about 3/4 of the way through the fig. Add goat cheese ball inside cut fig. Place figs on a bed of mixed greens and then sprinkle balsamic glaze over figs and lettuce. Top with pumpkin seeds and serve. 

Fun variation: Serve individual salads in red cabbage bowls like this...

Other Halloween recipes to try:

'Beet'ing Hearts Salad with Blood Red Dressing

Death Cap Kabobs

Vampire Slayer Soup

Roasted Asian Slaw with Creamy Sesame Dressing

Every once in a while, I'll have an idea for a Halloween dish and after I make it, it ends up being so beautiful and so delicious that I am hard pressed to give it a festive Halloween name. This deconstructed Asian slaw is one of those dishes. It started solidly as a Halloween Salad featuring shaved broccoli stems as the main component of the salad which I intended to name, Shaved Vertebrae Salad. However, as I played around with the idea of a deconstructed Asian-inspired coleslaw, my Shaved Vertebrae Salad became this Roasted Asian Slaw with Creamy Sesame Dressing. 

Instead of having all raw veggies like most slaws, I decided to roast the cabbage and red bell peppers. Lightly roasting cabbage adds sweetness and yet it still maintains the crunchiness expected with a slaw. I kept the broccoli stems crunchy which added a wonderful flavor and texture all on their own. Roasted Red peppers top the salad along with a sweet almond and ramen noodle brittle and an incredible Creamy Sesame Dressing...Yum-O! I could totally do shots of this dressing, it's so good!  So looking at this fancy pants salad...I know what you're thinking... How do I eat it?  Answer: With a knife and fork. Use a knife to cut cabbage into quarters and mix with dressing. Add lots and lots of brittle and dig in...Enjoy!

WANT TO MAKE IT FOR HALLOWEEN?
This salad can be made into a most impressive Blood Clot Salad for Halloween.  The vivid blood-red roasted peppers mimic arteries that make up a monstrous blood clot...yuck! The broccoli stems are sliced at an angle so that they look like cross-sections of vertebrae. And the showstopper of course is the red cabbage when roasted, turns a gorgeously sinister mix of deep purple which makes me think of zombie brains. Top the whole thing off with dried worms and a yummy dressing this salad is perfect for Halloween. What's not to love...Blood clots, Brain cross-sections, vertebrae and worms! Have fun with it and Happy Halloween!  

Try it with my Midnight Sushi with Wasabi Skulls.

Roasted Asian Slaw with Creamy Sesame Dressing (Blood Clot Salad)

Serves 6


1 large Red Cabbage, sliced into six ~1/4" slices, core removed
1 T canola oil + 1 T Toasted Sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper (to taste)
3-4 broccoli stems, peeled and sliced very thin (~3 cups)
1/2 cup roasted red pepper, cut into thin strips 
Creamy Sesame Dressing (below)
Candied Almond Ramen Noodles (below)
toasted black sesame seeds (garnish)
cilantro leaves (garnish)



Creamy Sesame Dressing (recipe from Cuisine at Home)

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
2 T seasoned rice wine vinegar
1 T toasted sesame oil
1 T soy sauce
1/2 T sugar
2 T fresh ginger, grated
Pinch of cayenne (optional)

Combine ingredients in a mini food processor and emulsify. Refrigerate until ready to use. 

Roast Cabbage
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place slices of red cabbage on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. In a small bowl, mix oil and minced garlic and brush mixture over cabbage slices. Salt and pepper to taste and roast in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

Prepare broccoli stems:
Cut off the small broccoli leaves from the stem and set aside for use in your salad. Using a vegetable peeler, peel rough outer stem. Using a mandoline or a sharp knife, cut very thin slices of broccoli stem. Tip: I found it easier when using the mandoline, to not cut off the florets from the broccoli crown. Instead, hold the crown of florets as you shave the broccoli stems. It makes for easily handling without the chance of slicing your fingers. Especially, since my mandoline blade was not very sharp.

Candied Almond Ramen Noodles
1-2 packages of ramen noodles, dried and broken up
1 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar

In a small skillet, melt butter on medium heat. Add sliced almonds and cook until lightly browned (~2 minutes). Add sugar and stir until melted and combined. Add ramen noodles and mix until coated. Set aside to cool. 

Assemble Salad:
Spoon about 2-3 T of Creamy Sesame Dressing onto plate. Lay roasted cabbage round in center of dressing using a spatula to keep the cabbage together. Add about 1/2 cup of shaved broccoli stems and leaves to top of cabbage. Top broccoli stems with about 1-2 T roasted red peppers. Add a generous amount of Candied Almond Ramen Noodles. Garnish with black sesame seeds and cilantro leaves.

Franken-Peppers (Stuffed Peppers with Potatoes and Chorizo)

Only 23 days left until Halloween and I have a confession to make. I was done with my Halloween recipes for this year. In fact, I'd already moved the recipes that I didn't get to this year, to my list of ideas for next year. I even went so far as to take down my dining room decorations (eek!) so I could begin planning my Thanksgiving table and decorations. So when I found myself home last week and made these little monsters, I was surprised that they came together so easily and that they turned out so creepy-cute and yummy! 
So, I guess what I'm trying to say is that I may still have a few more Halloween recipes in me to share before the big day, Oct 31st!

The beauty of this idea is that these peppers can be stuffed with basically anything. Go traditional with ground beef and rice, or make breakfast with scrambled eggs and ham, or even add taco meat, beans, cheese, and salsa for a delicious taco salad over a bed cabbage. How about Indian spiced lentils and tandoori chicken...Yum! Change up the green pepper to orange peppers and carve out some jack-o-lanterns like these. The possibilities are endlessly delicious and fun!

Bell peppers are one of my favorite ingredients and I use them in many of my recipes. But, I know not everyone likes bell peppers, including my kiddos. Not to worry. The best part about this dish and all it's variations, is that it'll save you from having to pick these little buggers out of your kid's food. Just eat the filling and leave the pepper behind! At least that's how I'll sell this dish to my kids.
All kiddo-ing aside, these will make a great addition to a festive Halloween dinner as the perfect side dish or as a stunning main dish. Personally, I like the idea of these delicious potatoes getting so much attention with such a fun presentation because, side dishes are often better than the main course. Happy Halloween!

Franken-peppers (Stuffed Peppers with Potatoes, Chorizo and Onions)

Serves 4

2 T canola oil
6 medium potatoes, peeled, medium dice
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T smoked paprika
1 t. cumin
salt and pepper (to taste)
8 oz. Chorizo (I used Soy Chorizo)
green onions, chopped
cilantro leaves  
Spicy Tomato Sauce, or substitute with prepared Enchilada Sauce
4 Green Bell Peppers, carved
Pepper Jack Cheese, shredded

Spicy Tomato Sauce
1/2 cup vegetable broth
3 T tomato paste 
1/2 T apple cider vinegar
1 T honey
1 t. cumin
1 t. smoked paprika
salt and pepper (to taste)
red chili flakes (to taste)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a large skillet, add canola oil, potatoes, onions and garlic, cumin and smoked paprika and cook over medium heat until potatoes are mostly done, about 10 minutes. It's okay if they are not completely cooked as they will finish cooking in the oven. Add chorizo and heat until hot. Remove from heat. Salt and pepper to taste. Add green onions and cilantro. Set aside.
 An a small saucepan, add all ingredients for the Spicy Tomato Sauce and heat over medium heat until hot, about 5 minutes. Taste and add additional spices as needed to taste. 

Cut Bell Peppers tops off with a paring knife in a zig-zag pattern to make Frankenstein's hairline. Carefully remove top and remove remaining ribs from inside the bell pepper with your fingers or scrape with a spoon. Cut off seeds from the top and set aside.

Using a large diameter straw, push straw through the fleshy inside of the pepper to create Frankenstein's eyes, using your finger on the shiny outside as resistance, to help cut through the exterior. 

Cut out eyebrows, nose and mouth with the paring knife and add scars with the tip of the blade.

Assembly: 
Baste the inside of bell peppers generously with the spicy tomato sauce. Fill each bell pepper with potato chorizo mixture and replace the tops. Place stuffed peppers in a shallow casserole dish sprayed with cooking spray. Cook peppers for 30-35 minutes. 

Remove peppers from oven and add shredded Pepper Jack Cheese to tops of peppers and return to the oven. Bake an additional 10 minutes or place under the broiler to melt cheese. Remove from oven and serve. 

For other Halloween recipes to try, click here. 

Spider Caviar

Nightcrawlers con Funghi

Spider Caviar

I have a real fear of spiders. Spiders creep me out. I squeal like a little girl when surprised by them. My nightmares are usually about spiders. When I was younger, in my 30's, I used to have a recurring nightmare about tons of spiders coming down all around me while I slept at night. I'd sit up in bed, yelling and swatting the spiders away...I seemed awake, but I was still very much asleep. This came much to the surprise of my husband when we first started dating. The first time it happened, he leap up out of bed, flipped on the light, ready to kill the spiders I was pointing at. As I woke up from my nightmare looking at my 'then' boyfriend in attack-ready sleepy confusion with a flashlight and a flat-soled shoe in hand. I was relieved as I realized it was a dream. I rolled over and said, "Sorry, I was just dreaming."  
He was so not happy to be standing and not sleeping. The good news is that he eventually got used to being startled awake by his arachnophobic girlfriend and he still married me. And luckily for me, I don't have that recurring spider dream anymore.

Knowing I hate spiders, I'm a little surprised that the three things I've purchased this year for Halloween are all spiders. I got this cute little dish pictured above from Ross Dress For Less. Then, I bought three wrought-iron spiders and a pair of spider earrings from Roger's Gardens Halloween Boutique. I like to think of it as therapy really. I'm desensitizing myself through retail therapy. Yeah, that's it. 

Anyway, my husband called this dish, Spider Caviar after he saw how I plated it and it stuck!  He said, "It looks like spider eggs...what's that fancy fish eggs stuff called?"  
It's super easy to make and super delicious with a garlicky olive flavor. It can be made any time of year not just for Halloween. Enjoy!

Spider Caviar (Mixed Olive Tapenade)

Makes ~1 cup

2 cups olives (I used a mix of black and green olives)
2 T capers
2 T sun dried tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup basil, fresh
1 t oregano, dried
1 t lemon juice
fresh ground pepper
1/4 cup olive oil

Sliced Bread Points

Add all ingredients to a food processor and puree. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Serve with fresh baguette slices.

I made this tapenade originally to roll it into some fun Halloween inspired tortilla roll-ups or pinwheels using extra large orange tortillas. My idea was to add the black (tapenade) and some orange colored veggies and roll it up for a really cool looking Halloween colored appetizer. The roll ups I ended up making were so delicious with the tapenade, prosciutto, cream cheese, roasted red peppers, basil and crunchy red cabbage that they ended up looking more like a rainbow than my original idea of a black and orange pinwheels. And the photos turned out so gorgeous that I wasn't sure if the pinwheels were Halloween-ish enough...So instead of making these roll-ups it's own blog, I've included them below as a bonus recipe to the tapenade. Enjoy!

Halloween Roll-ups

Makes 14-16 slices

2 extra large orange tortillas
1 package cream cheese
8 slices of prosciutto
12-14 fresh basil leaves
2 T Roasted Red Peppers, thinly sliced
Red Cabbage, thinly sliced
1 T Spider Caviar (Mixed Olive Tapenade)  
  
Using a butter knife, spread about 1/8" layer of cream cheese to the tortilla, make sure to cover the whole tortilla up to the edges. Starting on one side of the tortilla, place a thin row of red cabbage. Leave about a half an inch of space between each ingredient. Next place 6-7 leaves of basil in a line next to the cabbage. Then add 4 slices of prosciutto followed by the bell peppers and then add a narrow line of the tapenade. Now you're ready to roll...Starting at the tapenade side, begin rolling tortilla until tightly rolled. Use additional cream cheese to secure the end of the tortilla to the roll as needed. Cut into 8 slices and serve. Repeat with the other tortilla. Enjoy!

Other Halloween dishes to try: click here