Witchy Kitchen

Category: Halloween

  • Calabaza en Tacha

    Calabaza en Tacha

    October treats are not complete without something for the Mexican Day of the Dead, a remembrance of those that have passed, when families visit the graves to tend to them and make offerings. Calabaza en tacha is candied pumpkin (or in this case butternut squash), cooked in a brown sugar syrup then served with the syrup reduction and evaporated milk.

    I chose Spicie Foodies’ version of calabaza en tacha because of the lovely spices, but whereas she left her pumpkin in slices (which looks really pretty), my butternut squash wouldn’t have been uniform so I cut it up into chunks. I am not sure why this has brown sugar, sugar, and molasses…but it turned out delicious so who am I to ask questions?

    Calabaza en Tacha

    Recipe from Spicie Foodie

    • 1 medium butternut squash (about 2 pounds), peeled, seeded, and cut into chunks
    • 2 cups water
    • 2/3 cups brown sugar
    • 3 tbsp granulated sugar
    • 1 heaping tbsp molasses
    • pinch salt
    • zest of half an orange
    • 2 cinnamon sticks
    • 3 cardamom pods, bruised
    • 3 cloves
    • 3 allspice berries
    • evaporated milk for serving

    Bring water, sugars, and all spices to a soft boil. Lower the heat and add the squash, and simmer until very fork-tender (45 minutes to an hour).

    Strain out squash and spices with a slotted spoon, then turn up the heat and reduce the liquid to a syrup. Remove from heat. Serve squash drizzled with syrup and evaporated milk.

    I saw recipes using piloncillo, which is Mexican brown sugar – I’d love to get some to try. I also think this would be really nice made with jaggery.

  • Devils on Horseback

    Devils on Horseback

    These are the perfect appetizer for your Halloween party – sweet and salty and devilish! And completely too easy to pop one after another as if possessed.

    Devils on Horseback are normally a bacon-wrapped prune or date, but for those who don’t eat pork I had originally set out to make a vegetarian version. But then, as I was procuring dates from the halal market, I also happened upon “Applewood Smoked Breakfast Beef” which greatly amused me.

    I also happened upon fig goat cheese, which sounded delightful. So this is my halal version of the devilish treat – two out of three ingredients were pure chance, almost as if they were set in my way by some angel or demon…

    Devils on Horseback

    • 24 dates
    • 4 oz fig goat cheese (you can use goat cheese with a spoonful of fig preserves mixed in, or just plain as I had originally intended)
    • 12 strips Applewood Smoked Breakfast Beef, thawed (or bacon if you must)

    Heat oven to 500°

    Pit the dates and replace each with a spoonful of the goat cheese. Slice the “bacon” strips in half, width-wise, and wrap half a slice around each of the dates, and place on a foil-lined baking sheet.

    Roast for 15 minutes or so, flipping once with tongs, until crispy. Remove to a paper-towel for a few minutes (these are admittedly pretty greasy, but then what did you expect? Devils!), then serve warm.

    For a creepy, devilish tale to listen to as you are cooking (or munching), check out the latest podcast episode New World Witchery Special Episode – The Last Dance.

  • Autumn Moussaka

    Autumn Moussaka

    While I have fallen completely in love with cooking Pakistani and North Indian food, I’ve also long had an interest of traveling a little further up the spice route to explore Middle Eastern and North African cuisines. I love the warm spices, the delicate sweetness of fruit and rosewater, the sweet and savory snacks on the tea table. I’ve dabbled a little bit (come on, I make my own hummus, please) but I want to learn more, which is why I’m very excited about my first month cooking with the MENA Cooking Club.

    Each month is a different country, and everyone cooks one of the recipes the host for that country has chosen. This month is Egypt, hosted by Amira from Arabian Mama. I chose her suggestion, the classic Egyptian Moussaka (Messa’aa).

    In future months I plan to stick almost completely to the particular recipe so I can really learn to cook authentically, but as it’s October and I’m in the middle of a Halloween cooking frenzy, I have a driving compulsion to throw things like pumpkin and hazelnuts into almost everything I make. I didn’t veer very far off course though (this is based on Kitchen Nani’s Egyptian Moussaka), I simply replaced the pine nuts and almonds with toasted hazelnuts, omitted the peppers, and instead of making a béchamel I included layers of pumpkin ricotta for the creamy factor.

    This was delicious; warm and savory. My little 16 month old gobbled up three servings the other night. It has several components, but they’re all easy to make (especially since I can make lasagne with my eyes closed), and leftovers are fantastic: happy desk lunch.

    Autumn Moussaka

    Adapted from Kichen Nani

    For the eggplant

    • 2 large eggplants, cut into 1.5 inch slices
    • olive oil & sea salt

    Assemble slices on a single layer on two baking sheets, lightly coat with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Roast at 425°, flipping once (and checking everyone once in awhile that they aren’t burning), until golden brown and just a little charred – about 15 minutes each side.

    For the sauce

    • 3 tbsp olive oil
    • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
    • 2 tsp coriander seeds, crushed
    • 2 6oz cans tomato paste
    • salt & pepper
    • 2 sprigs thyme

    Heat olive oil over medium heat (I used a non-stick wok which I think worked well, you’ll end up cooking the tomato paste quite a bit and not have to worry about it sticking) and sauté garlic for a few minutes, then add coriander seeds and sauté for a minute. Add tomato paste, a good pinch of salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, until it is a very deep, almost burnt looking red. Add two cups of water plus the thyme and mix well (I used a whisk to break up all the tomato paste). Simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes, then set aside. Check seasoning, may need more salt.

    For the meat mixture

    • 2 tbsp olive oil
    • 1 large onion, chopped
    • salt & pepper
    • 1 garlic clove, chopped
    • 1 lb ground beef
    • 1.5 tbsp Arabic 7 spice (which I actually had because I had made for another recipe, yay!) or a mixture of cumin, coriander, paprika, cloves and cinnamon
    • 2 tbsp raisins or currants

    Heat olive oil over medium hight heat and sauté onion with salt and pepper until translucent, then add garlic and sauté another couple of minutes. Slide onions to the side and crank the heat up to high, and brown the ground beef with another good sprinkle of salt. Add spices and stir for a few minutes, until meat is well cooked through, then remove from heat and stir in raisins or currants.

    For the moussaka

    • 15 oz ricotta cheese
    • 1 cup pumpkin or butternut squash puree
    • salt & pepper
    • olive oil
    • 1/2 cup hazelnuts, toasted and chopped (I crushed them with the back of my knife then chopped them)
    • eggplant (above)
    • sauce (above)
    • meat mixture (above)

    Combine ricotta, pumpkin, salt and pepper to taste and mix well with a spatula. I also went ahead and mixed the sauce and the meat together, although you could layer separately.

    In a casserole dish (I lightly greased it with olive oil, probably not necessary but I would hate to spend all this effort then burn my eggplants to the bottom), layer half the eggplants, then spread half the meat/sauce mixture, sprinkle half the hazelnuts, and spread half the ricotta/pumpkin mixture (a spatula works well). Repeat with the other half of the ingredients. Reheat the whole thing in a 375° oven.

    Garnish with a sprinkle of paprika and allow to set for a few minutes before serving.

  • Beetroot Chili

    Beetroot Chili

    I’ve been giving this a lot of thought as I’m planning what I want to cook this October, and I have determined that there are 4 categories of October/Halloween food:

    1. Harvesty
    2. Spooky
    3. Cutesy
    4. Gross

    I (obviously) love harvesty and spooky Halloween food, and I don’t generally make but will surely eat your cutesy little witches’ hats and Satan’s eggs with little baby horns and goatees, but the category I can’t abide is the last one. I cannot take slimy, disgusting, creepy Halloween food. It’s just too unsettling to eat something that looks so revolting. I do not care how delicious the bloody fingers or veiny eyeballs or slimy sluggy worms are, am not interested. Gross.

    I do however, like the technically spooky and harvesty foods that toe the line – like doesn’t any soup or stew with beets look a little like….blood?

    I love beets so much, sanguineous or not. I often roast a bunch on the weekend (it’s easy, just coat with a little olive oil and wrap in foil, then roast until tender – the skin will peel right off) and eat them throughout the week in salads and soups. The kiddies love them too.

    Beets are a striking addition to this chili, which is not sophisticated enough for a vampire, as they would likely be slurping up a velvety velouté, but may be the perfect thing for werepeople who crave red meat (and root vegetables?). Chili has also become my Halloween night tradition, as it’s easy to throw together when I come home from work, then leave on the turned-off stove as we take the kids trick-or-treating and crank it back up when we return. It also feeds a crowd; we always invite company, our friends and family – or ghosties and ghoulies – that want to share.

    Beetroot Chili

    • 2 tbsp olive oil
    • 1 onion, chopped
    • salt & pepper
    • 4 cloves garlic, chopped
    • 1 lb ground beef
    • 2 tsp paprika
    • 2 tsp cumin
    • 1 tsp garam masala (if you don’t have this it’s fine, maybe just a pinch of cinnamon or omit)
    • 1 can fire-roasted tomatoes (or just diced is fine)
    • 2 cans beans (black, kidney, or a mix), drained and rinsed
    • 2 beets, roasted, peeled and chopped
    • chipotles in adobo to taste – tsp of just sauce up to 2 chopped chilis. I usually just add the adobo because then it’s not too spicy for the kids, and serve the chopped chilis on the side for everyone else.
    • Sour cream, pumpkin seeds, limes, and chopped green onions for garnish

    Heat olive oil medium high in a heavy bottomed pan, and sauté onion with a good pinch of salt and pepper until translucent. Add garlic and sauté for a few minutes, then slide them to the side and crank heat up to high. Brown the meat with another sprinkle of salt, then add the paprika, cumin, and garam masala and stir for a minute or two. Add tomatoes, beans, beets, chipotles and a cup of water and mix well, making sure to scrape up anything on the bottom of the pan.

    Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer, and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes or so, stirring occasionally. Adjust liquid (whether you like it thick or soupy) and salt if necessary.

    Serve with garnishes.

  • Fig and Ginger Barm Brack

    Fig and Ginger Barm Brack

    Barm brack is an Irish sweet bread studded with dried fruits and candied peel. Though traditionally made with sultanas, I changed it up with dried figs and ginger, one of my favorite combos. It’s a Halloween tradition to eat it and play a fortune-telling game for the coming year based on little trinkets wrapped in muslin cloth baked into the bread.

    A pea: no marriage for you this year
    A stick: even worse, an unhappy marriage, or continual disputes
    A cloth or rag: rotten luck, poor poor poor

    ….hmm so far not sure I want to play this game…but then!

    A coin: good fortune, riches!
    A ring: marriage! This year!

    (Thanks again my favorite academic source Wikipedia)

    I am not even going to bother linking to the recipe I worked from because the liquid to flour measurements were way off! (At least for me). I had to add almost double the flour the recipe called for before it would come together in a dough…however, through some unexplained wacky kitchen witchcraft the end result was madly marvelous!

    So because of this, apologies for the flour measurements, but if you add a little at a time you can’t go wrong. This was fantastic, so I will definitely make this again and try to close the margin a little.

    Fig and Ginger Barm Brack

    • 1 packet (.32 oz) rapid rise yeast
    • 3/4 cup warm water
    • 4 tbsp sugar, divided
    • 3-4 cups all purpose flour, plus more for kneading
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 4 tbsp (half stick) butter, melted
    • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
    • 4 oz dried figs, chopped
    • 2 oz candied ginger, chopped

    In a small bowl, combine yeast, warm water and 1 tbsp of the sugar and let stand for 10 minutes or so (after which time it should be foamy – if not, use new yeast).

    Meanwhile, whisk together 3 cups of the flour, remaining 3 tbsp sugar and the salt, then stir in butter and eggs (does not need to be homogenous). Add fruit and the yeast mixture, stirring and adding more flour little by little, just enough until a dough forms (will be a little sticky).

    Turn out onto a floured board (or your counter) and knead for 10 minutes, adding sprinkles of flour as needed as it gets too sticky to handle. Roll into a ball and place into a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a tea towel or plastic wrap. Put in a warm spot to rise for one hour.

    After an hour, lightly oil 9×5 loaf pan. Knead the dough for a few minutes and spread the dough into the loaf pan. Cover and allow to rise for 30 minutes.

    Bake at 400° for 30 minutes – near the end if it starts getting too brown on top you can cover with foil and finish baking.

    Cool in the pan.

    Have with tea, sliced, toasted, slathered with butter and sprinkled with sea salt.

  • Cajun Spiced Pumpkin Seeds

    Cajun Spiced Pumpkin Seeds

    So with all the pumpkining there is clearly an excess of pumpkin seeds that need attention. These are fragrant, warming, and just a little spicy (but not so much that my kids aren’t devouring them).

    Unlike my sister, who lived in Baton Rouge for several years and is never without Tony’s in her cabinet, I usually just throw together a few of the spices typically found in cajun spice mixes. And to be honest, although I do like Tony’s, most mixes are so salty it’s hard to get the spice you want without salting the whole thing to hell. The next time I make gumbo maybe I’ll make a homemade Cajun Masala – but for now a little paprika, cumin, coriander and of course cayenne with do!

    Cajun Spice Pumpkin Seeds

    Slightly adapted from About.com

    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • 1/2 tsp paprika
    • 1/4 tsp each cumin, coriander powder and cayenne
    • few turns cracked black pepper
    • sprinkle cinnamon
    • 1 tbsp butter, melted
    • 2 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
    • 1 cup pumpkin seeds, cleaned and dried

    Heat oven to 300°.

    In a medium bowl, mix salt, paprika, cumin, coriander powder, cayenne, black pepper, cinnamon, butter and Worcestershire sauce.

    Spread evenly on a baking sheet and roast, turning occasionally, for 45 to 60 minutes (mine only took 45) until nicely brown and crunchy.

  • Pumpkin Cheese Soup

    Pumpkin Cheese Soup

    Ok: I already made my pumpkin apologies so whatever, I love it, my heart will go on, this isn’t ending anytime soon. Proceed.

    This soup is destined to become one of my fall favorites, especially now that the weather is finally starting to cool off. It’s smoky and rich, but not too heavy; it’s warm and homey, but still elegant; it’s got a nice complexity of flavor, but it couldn’t be simpler to make. It’s not enough for a meal on it’s own, but it’d be perfect with a sandwich on pump or roasted veggie fall salad for lunch or as a first course in an autumn dinner.

    Pumpkin Cheese Soup

    • 1 tbsp butter
    • ½ tbsp olive oil
    • 1 onion, diced
    • 4 cloves garlic, chopped
    • Salt & pepper
    • 2 tsp paprika
    • 1 tsp cumin
    • pinch cayenne
    • 4 cups chicken broth
    • 2 cups pumpkin puree (about 1 small sugar pumpkin, roasted and smashed, or 1 can)
    • 4 oz cheddar cheese, grated
    • ½ slice pumpernickel per serving, cubed and pan toasted with a little olive oil
    • chopped green onions for garnish

    In a pot, heat butter and olive oil on medium heat. Add onion, garlic, generous salt & pepper, and saute until golden. Add paprika, cumin, and cayenne and stir for a minute or two, then add chicken broth (stirring well to scrape up any brown bits) and pumpkin puree.

    Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer and cover. Simmer for 20 minutes or so. Pour into a blender (don’t allow it to cool because you will be adding the cheese and want that to melt evenly) and carefully blend, making sure to hold the lid down with a dish cloth so you aren’t maimed by steam. Add grated cheese and blend again. Pour back into pot and gently warm back through, adding a pinch more salt if necessary.

    Serve garnished with pumpernickel croutons and green onions.

    This is beautiful in its simplicity, but I’d like to try variations as well, maybe trying smoked gouda instead of cheddar, or adding a splash of beer or slivers of mushroom.

  • Pumpkin Cider Bread

    Pumpkin Cider Bread

    Pumpkin bread is an autumn classic. From the many recipes out there, I chose the Pumpkin Cider Bread from the the October 1991 issue of Gourmet magazine (RIP); what drew me to this one was the lovely-sounding reduced cider as an ingredient. I love reducing liquids to syrupy sweetness, be it pomegranate molasses, tamarind chutney, red wine sauce, or balsamic reduction.

    In the comments someone said she made this with apple juice concentrate and got the same results, and she’s probably right, but I’m going to pretend I didn’t read that.

    This was adapted just slightly to use spices I already had in my kitchen, and to use melted butter instead of vegetable oil, which btw you can substitute at a 1:1 ratio. Also skipped the baking soda but only because I totally missed that on the list, heh (I did use the baking powder).

    This bread is fine as is, but becomes glorious when toasted right in the toaster, slathered with butter, and sprinkled with sea salt.

    Pumpkin Cider Bread

    Adapted from Epicurious

    • 1 cup apple cider
    • 1 cup pumpkin puree
    • 2 eggs
    • 1/4 cup butter, melted
    • 3/4 cup brown sugar
    • 2 tbsp orange zest
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
    • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
    • 1/4 tsp ground allspice
    • 2 cups flour
    • 2 tsp baking powder
    • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

    Preheat oven to 350° F and butter a loaf pan.

    In a small saucepan, boil cider until it is reduced to 1/4 up and let it cool. Whisk together pumpkin puree, eggs, melted butter, brown sugar, orange zest, cider, and spices.

    Separately, whisk together flour and baking powder, then mix with wet ingredients until just combined. Stir in walnuts.

    Bake for 1 hour, or until a toothpick comes out clean (start checking at 50 minutes, and if the top is getting too brown cover with foil. Didn’t need to with mine). Cool in the pan.

  • Boxty

    Boxty

    Boxty on the griddle,
    boxty on the pan,
    If you can’t make boxty,
    You’ll never get a man!

    That’s right single ladies and gentlemen! Brush up on your boxty making skills! (Or if you’re going after a Pakistani dude, make that aloo tikkia).

    Halloween as we know it originated as the Gaelic festival day of Samhain, which marks the end of the harvest and the beginning of the dark winter. Boxty is commonly eaten through October in Ireland (says the internet) and is a perfect traditional Irish Halloween breakfast.

    These are comforting and delicious – creamy, crispy and savory potato pancakes, and much recommended for your Halloween table.

    Boxty

    Recipe from Chow

    • 3 to 4 large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled
    • 3/4 cup whole milk
    • 1 1/4 tsp salt, plus more for seasoning the potatoes before cooking
    • 1 large egg
    • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
    • 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
    • unsalted butter for the pan
    • sourcream, and green onions for garnish

    Heat the oven to 200°F.

    Chop half of the potatoes into large chunks. In a pot, salt generously and cover with an inch of cold water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer until potatoes are tender.

    Meanwhile, grate the remaining potatoes on the large side of a box grater. Toss with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and set aside in a strainer.

    When the boiled potatoes are tender, drain and return them to the pot. Mash with 1/4 cup of the milk until smooth.

    Whisk together the egg, remaining 1/2 cup milk, flour, pepper, and remaining 1 tsp salt, add to the mashed potatoes. Press the grated potatoes with a spatula to remove any liquid, and add to the mashed potatoes, then stir everything together until evenly incorporated.

    Heat a large nonstick frying pan over medium heat. When the pan is ready, add enough butter to lightly coat the bottom when melted. Spoon 3 dollops (about 1/4 cup) of the batter into the pan and spread each to about 1/4 inch thick. Cook 4-5 minutes each side, until golden brown. Keep warm in the oven on a baking sheet while you repeat with the remaining butter and batter. Serve warm, with sour cream, and green onions for garnish.

    A couple tips – make sure to mash them thin so they cook well, and makes sure the heat is truly medium (had a couple that were a little past golden brown). Enjoy!

  • Crockpot Apple Butter

    Though apple butter originated in the Middle Ages as a way to preserve the fruit, and is traditionally eaten all over Europe and North America, in my mind it’s about as Southern as it gets. That’s probably because I grew up eating it at Cracker Barrel and at mountain apple festivals. Making it in the crockpot is less romantic than outdoors in the traditional huge copper pots, but isn’t all life a tradeoff between romance and convenience? This still manages to perfume your entire house while you sleep, making for apple dreams and a delicious autumn scent to wake up to.

    Things to eat apple butter on include: biscuits, French toast, bagels, latkes, pumpkin bread, pork chops, almond butter sandwiches, oatmeal, turkey and brie sandwiches, pancakes, yogurt, salad dressing, bbq sauce, sausage, pound cake, panfried salmon, sweet potato fries, ice cream, fingers, spoons.

    Crockpot Apple Butter

    • 5 large mixed apples
    • 1/4 cup sugar
    • 1/4 cup brown sugar
    • 1/2 a cinnamon stick
    • seeds from 1 green cardamom pod
    • a couple slivers of fresh ginger
    • juice from half a lemon
    • 1 cup apple cider or apple juice

    Core apples and chop into large chunks. Combine all ingredients in crock pot and cook covered and bubbly on high for 1 hour (you will need to babysit it during this time and stir occasionally so it doesn’t burn.

    Reduce heat to low and cook, uncovered slightly, for 8-10 hours until dark brown and thick. Remove the cinnamon stick and blend half in the blender if you want to keep some chunks (make sure to get the ginger in there), or blend the whole thing to make it smooth (my preference).

    Return to crock pot and cook on high one more hour, stirring once in awhile to make sure it’s not burning. Cool.

    If you’re into canning, you can double or triple this recipe for pretty holiday gifts and homemade apple butter all year round!