Top 10 "Horror' d'oeuvres

I live for Halloween!  I spend all year planning and experimenting with new, fun Halloween inspired dishes that not only look festive for Oct. 31, but taste super delicious and can be made any time of year. But if you ask me, Halloween is the perfect holiday that screams for ghoulish and fun appetizers! My husband calls them "Horror d'oeuvres"...So here are my top ten 'Horror' d'oeuvres. Happy Halloween!

1. Bloody Eyeball Bruschetta

A one bite appetizer of fresh cherry tomato and mozzarella topped with an eye-opening combo of green and black olives dripping with a sriracha olive oil, topping a crunchy mini toast.

Bloody Eyeball Bruschetta

2. Antipasto de los Muertos

You can't go wrong with an Antipasto Appetizer when it comes to feeding a crowd and this Dia de los Muertos platter will please your ghouls and goblins all night. Marinated Mushroom Skulls, Pickled Shrunken Heads, and mozzarella eyeballs sit along side the familiar cast of Artichoke Hearts, Olives, Pepperoncini, Summer Sausage and Roasted Red Peppers. Serve with plenty of crusty bread and wine.

Antipasto de los Muertos

 3. Death Cap Kabobs 

These little morsels look like they have the ability to chase away the best dressed vampire of the evening with a whole clove of garlic front and center. Not so fast though, these cloves are mellowed by roasting and then married with a roasted mushroom skull dripping with a balsamic butter glaze. And as if that wasn't enough flavor, it sits on a toasted Panko bleu cheese crumble which adds a bit of crunch to this elegant 'horror' d'oeuvres. 

Death Cap Kabobs

4. Spiderweb Eggs

Deviled Eggs are one of my favorite appetizers and adding Latin spices and avocado really sets these apart. But its the striking webbing of the egg white that make these an elegant and festive appetizer.

Spiderweb Eggs

5. Amputated Appetizer

This appetizer will sure to be the talk of your party! Not only because of the life-size and realistic look of an amputated arm but also because of the deliciousness of each bite. Goat cheese, cream cheese, and mozzarella rolled with basil surrounded by thinly sliced prosciutto...slice off a fingertip, smear it on a cracker and enjoy! 
 

Amputated Appetizer

Amputated Appetizer

6. Ghoulish Goat Cheese Torte

This is one of my favorite appetizers any time of year! I molded this cheese ball in the shape of a brain but it can easily be molded in a rounded bowl for a less ghoulish presentation. Roasted red bell pepper puree and pesto layered with goat cheese, cream cheese and lots of garlic. This is so delicious that you will want to make sure you have plenty of baguettes on hand and have copies of the recipe handy, you will be asked for it!

Ghoulish Goat Cheese Torte

7. Fiendish Fingers

Bacon wrapped anything is pretty much the best thing ever! Wouldn't you agree? These bacon wrapped shrimp smothered in a spicy Diablo sauce mimics fingers of your worst nightmare and the best part is that they're finger-licking good!

Fiendish Fingers

8. Roasted Roaches

Nothing better than grossing out your Halloween guests by offering up roasted insects! Thankfully, these delicious morsels are not bugs but the perfect combination of sweet and salty. These cheese stuffed, bacon wrapped dates will disappear in a flash!

Roasted Roaches

9. Zombie Vomit

Zombie Vomit is a spicy black bean hummus with hints of cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper, and lime that will keep your guests coming back or more. Make it super spicy with the extra gross factor by adding chopped chipotle peppers and black olives for a chunky vomit look. Make sure you have plenty of pita chips on hand.

Zombie Vomit

10. Guacamoldy Mousse

A lite and cheesey take on guacamole that can be molded into your favorite Halloween mask and serve along side a big bowl of tortilla chips.

Guacamoldy Mousse

For Halloween decorating ideas click here.

Roasted Roaches

You are probably looking at this picture, squirming thinking how gross are roasted roaches. Well, thankfully they are not roaches but these scrumptious cheese stuffed, bacon wrapped dates that literally taste like candy! My girlfriend, Suzette who is an amazing cook, brought these yummy morsels to one of our dinner clubs and they were the HIT of the night. They are the perfect balance of salty from the bacon, sweetness from the dates a smooth tang from the cheeses. 

They might look a little intimidating because of all of the "brown" happening. It's likely similar to the reaction my kids get when they see green on their dinner plates, but don't let looks stop you from trying this delicious appetizer. If you are feeding a crowd make sure you double and triple the recipe below, they will go in a flash! Happy Halloween!

Roasted Roaches (Cheese Stuffed, Bacon Wrapped Dates)

Makes 12-16 
(slightly adapted recipe from Suzette Pedrin)

12-16 pitted dates
1/4 cup chevre cheese*
1/4 cup crumbled bleu cheese
6 slices of thin bacon, sliced lengthwise and halved

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, combine the cheeses making sure to break up the bleu cheese crumbles so that they will easily pass through a piping tip. Transfer cheeses to a pastry bag and pipe cheese into pitted dates.

*I added goat cheese here so it would be easy to pipe into the dates but you can always substitute with cream cheese or just use all bleu cheese by itself, which is true to Suzette's original recipe.
 



Wrap cheese stuffed dates in bacon, securing with a toothpick. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, rotate and bake an additional 10 minutes. Remove toothpicks and rotate to ensure even browning and bake an additional 5 minutes. Remove from oven, cool and enjoy!
 

More Halloween inspired recipes to try, click here.

Fiendish Fingers (Bacon Wrapped Shrimp with Diabo Sauce)

School's out and we're about five days into summer vacation and I must admit I'm so excited! I'm super happy as I think about long warm days in shorts and flip flops, salads, BBQ, fresh fruit, beaches, bike rides and swimming pools. You're probably thinking, I thought Fall was your favorite season so what's up with all the love toward summer? Fall is my favorite season for sure!  I love fall but I also love summer with its warm, kick-back days hanging out with my boys, light delicious salads, fresh fruit and cooking everything outside. My native California soul embraces the warm days ahead knowing that with every day of summer heat and bright, clear skies, the long easy days will ultimately shorten into glorious autumn and give way to my favorite holiday, Halloween. Until then, I have a handful of Halloween dishes to share that can easily be made on a hot summer day on the grill and this is one of those dishes. A delicious and elegant recipe I like to call, Fiendish Fingers! These bacon wrapped shrimp are smothered with a spicy diablo sauce that can be served over rice for a delicious main dish or with diablo sauce for dipping as an elegant appetizer.


The inspiration for this dish came from two sources, originally the idea came a pin my best friend Julie sent me thinking I might be able to Halloween-ify this dish. And as I experimented with the idea of shrimp, I was inspired by the dinner scene in the movie Beetlejuice, when the shrimp cocktail comes to life and grabs the dinner guests' faces. These bacon wrapped shrimp won't grab your face but they will grab your taste buds. Enjoy!

Fiendish Fingers (Bacon Wrapped Shrimp with Diablo Sauce)

Serves 2

10 Large Shrimp, peeled and de-veined
5 slices of thin bacon, cut in half lengthwise
1 T cilantro leaves, chopped (garnish)

Diablo Sauce

1 cup onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 T canola oil
1 small can V8 Spicy Vegetable Juice
1 t chili powder
1 T garlic chili sauce
salt and pepper (to taste)

Add onions and garlic to canola oil and saute until translucent about 6 minutes. Add additional ingredients and simmer for about 20 minutes until thickened. Set aside to cool slightly. Add to a food processor and blend until smooth.


Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Peel shrimp leaving only the feathers of the tail in place, removing the flattened tail shell. Pierce shrimp with small skewer at the head end through the tail to ensure the shrimp doesn't curl up when cooking. Dry shrimp with paper towels and then wrap shrimp tightly with thin sliced bacon using the toothpick to anchor the bacon at one end. Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet. 

Cook 25-30 minutes, turning shrimp over once half way through. Remove from oven and baste shrimp with Diablo sauce and serve with additional sauce for dipping. 
Depending on your preference, Keep the toothpicks in as an easy handle for an appetizer course. Albeit, you will eat the shrimp in reverse. To eat, hold toothpick and gently pull off the tail feathers and eat. Or if you prefer, place a fork against the head of the shrimp, tug and rotate the toothpick until the shrimp slides free. Place shrimp on platter with rice and serve as a main course.

Other Halloween inspired food click here.

Tortured Soul Rolls

I completely ripped off the name and idea of this dish from this image I found on Pinterest. A failed attempt at making happy faces on some dinner rolls stuffed with cheese ended up looking anything but happy! Pure genius, as far as Halloween Food goes. So armed with desire to make these Tortured Soul Rolls, I decided to make them into some super yummy Jalapeno Popper Dinner Rolls. A delicious recipe from my dear friend, Paul. He brought these to one of our Potluck Dinner Club. These are fun to make because you never know how the faces will come out after baking. Some of them were downright ghoulish and others very serene. Either way, they make a great Halloween inspired side dish or a delicious savory breakfast roll! Enjoy!

Tortured Soul Rolls (Jalapeno Popper Dinner Rolls)

Makes 8
2 cans of Pillsbury Crescent Dinner Rolls
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 cup cream cheese, softened
1 small jalapeno, diced

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Mix cheeses and jalapenos in a small bowl and set aside. Unroll the Pillsbury Dinner rolls, fold in half and using a rolling pin, press the diagonal seams together. 

Cut dough into fourths. Add 1-2 heaping tablespoons on each rectangle. 

Fold edges over and form into small oval rolls ensuring the seams are together so the hot cheese mixture doesn't ooze out the bottom while baking. We want it to ooze out the eye and mouth holes.

Using scissors, cut slits for the eyes and mouth. Make sure to cut deep enough so the cheesey filling will ooze out of he mouth and eyes as it bakes. Use a Bamboo skewer for the nose holes. Note: Each tube will give you 4 rolls- repeat with other tube.

Place rolls on parchment lined cookie sheet and bake for 9-12 minutes.

Other Halloween recipes to try click here.

Cinnamon Sugar Skulls

Coffee! My husband makes the best coffee! What makes his so delicious is that he adds a sprinkle of cinnamon to the grounds before brewing. It's rich, coffee flavor with a hint of cinnamon tastes so good! I like my coffee a little sweet so I add just a smidgen of sugar as well. So you can imagine my excitement when I saw this idea on Pinterest to make skull-shaped sugar cubes. First, I love Halloween and two, I love my slightly sweet cinnamon coffee in the mornings so I adapted this recipe by adding a little cinnamon to them for the perfect cup of fall coffee! Drop one of these skulls into a super-sized coffee, grab a blanket and a good book and enjoy! 

Surprisingly, sugar cubes are super easy to make and are a great way to add a festive touch to any holiday, not just Halloween. Imagine making little stars for Christmas, chicks or bunnies for Easter, or hearts for Valentine's Day. Imagine adding different flavors and food coloring to them. Replace a little water with vanilla extract to make the perfect vanilla sugar cubes. Or make a strong Chai tea and use it in place of the water for a tea infused sugar cube. Add some red food coloring to the water to make pink hearts for Valentine's day. The possibilities are endless.
Depending on the size of your silicone molds, these sugar cubes are bigger than your traditional 'one lump or two' sugar cubes in the store, so make sure you use these with a super-sized cup of coffee unless you like it really sweet! Enjoy!

Cinnamon Sugar Skulls

Makes 2 dozen

1 cup granulated sugar
1 t ground cinnamon
2 t water
2 silicone Skull molds

Mix the cinnamon and sugar until evenly incorporated. Add water and mix with a fork until the sugar is the consistency of wet sand. Spoon into silicone skull molds. (I got these from the 99centsOnly Store ,2 for $0.99.) 
Pack sugar into molds with the back of a spoon. Cover the mold with a cookie sheet or cutting board and holding on to both, flip the whole thing over to un-mold the skulls. Let dry for 5 hours or overnight. 
If you prefer you can let the sugar dry in the molds however it'll take a little longer to dry.

More Halloween inspired recipes

Bloody Eyeball Bruschetta

A few weeks ago, maybe it was even back in February, I was in the grocery store check out line and struck up some small talk with the cashier, as I usually do. We agreed about being glad the holidays are finally over, when out of nowhere he begins to tell me that he was already planning his Halloween costume. 
"Halloween's my favorite holiday!" He said. 
I said, grinning ear-to-ear, "Me too! I LOVE HALLOWEEN!" 

If I wasn't already married, it might have been a pretty cool story to tell later on how I met my future Halloween-loving husband...but thankfully I already have. My husband also loves Halloween. :)
We talked and talked. Our conversation held up a line of angry customers as we shared our past costumes and fun Halloween parties and fun food. The conversation wasn't too long, it just seemed like it because we were having such fun sharing our fondness for Halloween. But like all good things, they must come to an end. If not for anything but the angry mob of melting ice cream in need of chilling. I rolled my cart away with a happy wave goodbye, when he said with a wink, "Happy Halloween!"

Fast forward to now...I may not have my costume planned out like my cashier friend, but I do have some totally cool Halloween food coming up. I've seen these eyeballs everywhere on Pinterest with so many variations, its mind numbing. They are such a cute idea but I wanted to make them with a few more layers if flavor than just marinated mozzarella and olives, so I decided to make them into a deliciously spicy, sweet and salty Bloody Eyeball Bruschetta. 

The marinara sauce gives it some sweetness along with the fresh cherry tomato. The olives add a nice salty flavor and then the sriracha olive oil gives it the spice that enhances all the layers of flavor. These were flat out incredible and plus they just look super cool and Halloween-ish! Note: I like my food spicy so I added sriracha to the marinara as well but you can adjust it to your taste or omit if you'd prefer. If you don't want the bloody topper sauce to be spicy, omit the sriracha and red chili flakes and add a small teaspoon of marinara sauce to the olive oil. Enjoy!

 

Bloody Eyeball Bruschetta

Makes 12

12 small balls of fresh mozzarella cheese
12 large green olives
6 large black olives
4-6 cherry tomatoes, slice into rounds
12 slices of mini toasts
3-4 T jarred spaghetti sauce (I used Classico Tomato Basil)
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1 t red pepper flakes
1-2 T sriracha sauce

Irises: Cut small ends off of green olives. Using a straw as a cookie cutter, cut out a small hole out of the slice of green olive. Using the same straw, cut out a small piece of a black olive. Place black olive in the green olive slice to make a pupil. Repeat for remaining olives.

Bloody base: Cut cherry tomatoes into thin rounds. Set aside.

Bloody topper sauce: In a small bowl, mix olive oil, red pepper flakes and sriracha. Set aside.

Assemble Bruschetta
Using a sharp knife, cut a small slice of one side of the mozzarella cheese so that it can sit flatly on the tomato slice. Make a second slice off the cheese on the opposite side so that the olive iris can sit flat on top of the fresh mozzarella.
Place a small dollop of marinara sauce on each mini toast. Place tomato on top of marinara sauce. It is okay if some sauce drips out, that adds to the bloody look. Next place the mozzarella cheese ball with olive irises topping the cheese. With a fork, quickly whisk the bloody topper sauce (olive oil, red pepper and sriracha mixture) to combine and allow the mixture to drip off the fork tines over each eyeball. This creates a drippy look of blood over the eyeball. Add more sriracha if you need more color and continue to drip until they look right. Enjoy every delicious bite of Bloody Eyeball Bruschetta!

Watch for more festive Halloween foods in the coming weeks...or check out some oldies but goodies here.