Great Dinner Ideas For Trick Or Treat Night
I remember my parents gearing up for trick or treat night, stacking boxes of candy in the hall closet. When I was small, my Mother would hand out the candy while my Father took me to trick or treat. Then Dad would do candy detail while Mother fed me and got me ready for bed. When I was older and went out later with friends, Mother would feed me an early dinner. Either way, I suppose my parents always ate after the children had stopped coming. I was never concerned with the mechanics of feeding a family on this night, I only registered that it was one night when we never ate together.
That changed when I married a man who had a small daughter and then we had children. Juggling dinner on trick or treat night was a dilemma that continued for many years. The timing wasn’t the problem. Feeding the older ones before going out and the small ones after worked well in the 6-7 P.M. time slot, and we could always eat after the door was shut for the evening. The real question was what to serve?
I couldn’t cook two meals in one night. I simply didn’t have the time, not to mention that starting after the trick or treaters had finished would make the second one too late. So I began by making casseroles ahead to bake that evening. This was fine for the children’s early “sittings” but ours always tasted either dry or a bit left-over. Then I tried making the casserole in two parts, again it was fine for the children, but ours took the time to cook, which didn’t sit well with my hungry husband. Next came frozen dinners, never a favorite in our house to begin with, and again was told they took too long. One year we experimented with take-out. The kids loved it, but several hours later ours was not so good, to be kind.
In retrospect, I don’t know what took me so long to come to the realization that the perfect solution is a big pot of soup. The cost could be controlled, there are plenty of options, it could be made ahead, kept warm for long periods and unlike stews with occasional stirring, won’t burn to the bottom of the pot. It can be eaten in small amounts at will, requires few utensils, making for easy clean-up and can be made more substantial with the addition of finger foods, like bread, muffins and simple sandwiches.
The trick is to choose a thick and hearty soup the whole family likes. Broth based soups spill too easily spotting costumes and excited children in a hurry don’t stop to chew chunks of meat and vegetables. Thick, pureed soups can be sipped from mugs and are far easier to serve people on the run or those who just want to relax in an easy chair. Better still, they’re vegetable based, but with the addition of herbs and spices, children actually like them.
Another plus is that many of these soups can be created using frozen or canned vegetables which cuts the cooking time as well as the cost. Peas, cauliflower, broccoli, as long as you check that the stems are trimmed, asparagus, corn, beans and tomatoes are several of the prime examples. Simply substitute them in proportion to the fresh stated in a recipe. I recommend using broth* in place of water or perhaps an envelope of bouillon granules to simmer. A quick and easy way to thicken these soups is to add instant potato flakes to desired consistency. Actually, instant potatoes are wonderful bases for soups in themselves. Two examples are included with the recipes below.
To many people, making soup or stew implies using a crock pot or slow cooker. I prefer the conventional stove-top method for three reasons: One, vegetable based soups, even those with dried beans, don’t take more than a couple of hours and it’s better to check seasonings as they cook; Two, crock pots are not recommended to keep foods warm for long periods or for reheating; Three, the soups have to be cooled and pureed, and usually taste better the next day or so which is an advantage to making them ahead. They can be cooked, blended returned to the same pot, stored and reheated in it, which means the conventional method is more efficient.
However for those devoted to the slow cooker, I’m including some recipes as well as a conversion chart to change recipes to crock-pots or reverse them to stove top. One word of caution, please know your appliances and remember that slow cooker recipes require less fat and more liquid than conventional ones do. So make allowances and adjustments. If you have doubts, stick with the recipe recommendation and consult appliance directions.
CONVERSION CHART
IF RECIPE SAYS: COOK LOW COOK HIGH
15-30 minutes 4-6 hours 11/2-2 hours
35 – 45 minutes 6- 10 hours 3- 4 hours
50 minutes to 3 hours 8- 18 hours 4- 6 hours
One other tip for keeping soups, or any dishes, hot for long periods; any type of peppers, or any seasonings containing them will intensify with prolonged heat. Add only the stated amount at first and correct as served. To cool over spiced food, chill until desired spice level is reduced to taste.
CONVENTIONAL SOUP RECIPES;
The recipes for Black Bean and White Bean Soup are included in my last posting: Revisiting Dollar Stores.
FRENCH LENTIL SOUP: Serves 6-8
(1) 1lb bag dried lentils
7 cups water
1 cup strong red wine—Burgundy or Chianti
¼ cup red wine vinegar
1 Tbs. garlic powder
(1) 14 ½ oz. can sliced carrots- with liquid divided
3 large onions chopped
2 Tbs. oil
3 Tbs. tomato paste or ½ cup diced tomato= 1 small or plum type
In a large stockpot, sauté the onion in the oil until soft; add the lentils, water and carrot liquid. Cover and simmer 45-55 min. until lentils are soft. Add the wine, ½ the carrots, garlic and tomato. Simmer 5 min. and add vinegar. Stir well to combine. Cut the remaining half can of carrot slices in half. Puree 2/3 of the soup until smooth. Return to pot. Puree the remaining 1/3 soup until coarsely chopped, add chopped carrots and return to pot stirring both textures together. Season with salt and pepper if needed. Serve hot or cold. Better the next day, keeps in the refrigerator for 1 week and freezes for 2 months .I like to serve the bowls garnished with a dollop of sour cream.
POTATO SOUP: Serves 4
Traditionally, this soup is made by sautéing leeks in butter, then adding raw potatoes and broth. When the vegetables are soft, it’s pureed and thickened by making a form of white sauce with flour, butter and broth. Some recipes call for onions and a bit of garlic in place of the leeks. Either way it’s a fairly easy soup to make, but this is the emergency version from pantry supplies.
VERSION # 1
2 large onions-chopped
1 qt. chicken broth*
1 cup milk
@2 cups instant mashed potato flakes (unseasoned)
Salt and pepper
Sauté onions in oil and/or butter until soft. Add liquid, bring to a simmer and add potato flakes until desired consistency is reached. Season with salt, pepper and optionally, a pinch of nutmeg.
VERSION #2
1 envelope Knorr Leek Soup Mix
1 qt. chicken broth*
2 cups milk OR 1 cup half and half or light cream
@ 2 cups instant mashed potato flakes
Salt and pepper
Bring liquid to a simmer and add soup mix and potato flakes until desired consistency is reached. Season with salt and pepper.
Both versions can be served hot, cold or kept frozen. #2 is great chilled.
PEA SOUP WITH MINT; Serves 2 in bowls.
Following the steps above, I sautéed a medium onion in 1Tbs. canola oil, then added 1lb. of frozen peas, 3 sprigs of fresh mint and 1qt. of chicken broth*. After simmering them for 20 min. they were pureed and, needing no other seasoning, chilled. They were garnished with sour cream and a sprig of fresh mint.
Two variations of this soup would be to add either a package of frozen or ½ lb. fresh asparagus stalks to the peas (saving the tips for garnish) OR omit the mint, and add a box of frozen, chopped spinach and a 1/8th tsp. nutmeg to the peas. Proceed as above and garnish with a swirl of plain yogurt.
CARROT SOUP; Serves 2 in bowls.
To the sautéed onion, I added 1lb peeled, sliced carrots (not the baby ones) and about 3 cups chicken broth* to cover. After pureeing, I divided it into two bowls and added 1/8th tsp. ground ginger and 1Tbs. frozen orange juice concentrate to one, and 1/8th tsp. coriander and 2tsp. chopped fresh cilantro to the other. They were served chilled and garnished with orange peels on one and a sprig of cilantro on the other.
Two variations of this soup would be to add ½ a peeled, cored apple per serving, before cooking, and substitute cider or apple juice for some of the broth with a pinch of cinnamon for seasoning OR replace the other seasonings with 1/4tsp curry powder.
Both the above soups can be fortified with potato.
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3 Tbs. oil
1 medium onion – in fine dice
2 garlic cloves – chopped
(1) 10 oz. box of frozen, chopped spinach –drained liquid reserved
½ cup + 2 Tbs. long grain rice, suitable for risottos Or 1 box rice mix, flavor optional
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
5 ½ cups vegetable or beef broth*, including reserved spinach liquid. Or amount required by package directions, balance held in reserve.
1 cup diced cooked ham or other meat-@ 6oz. deli sliced is fine(optional)
Grated cheese for garnish
Cook the onion in the oil until soft, add the garlic and cook 3 min. more. Add the rice and coat well with the oil. Add 3 cups of stock and simmer until rice is just about done 10 to 15 min. depending on type of rice used, adding more liquid as needed. Add seasonings, stir in spinach, meat, if using, and remaining reserved liquid. Simmer until rice is tender. Add additional liquid for a thinner consistency. Serve at room temperature garnished with shaved Parmesan, Romano or Pecorino cheese.
CORN CHOWDER; Serves 4-6
(2)15oz. cans cream style corn
2 Tbs. butter
1small onion minced
3Tbs.flour
4 cups milk—not whole
1 bay leaf
1 clove
Pinch nutmeg
Pinch thyme
Salt and pepper
½ cup Half and Half or heavy cream
Sauté the onion in the butter until soft; stir in the flour to make a paste then add the milk and stir at a simmer until thickened. Add the corn and seasonings; simmer for 5 min.– OPTION: Allow to cool and blend until smooth. Return to pot and reheat—Add cream and stir until thickened a bit more, Add more cream if needed to reach desired constancy. Garnish with paprika and serve warm or chilled..
CROCK POT RECIPES
TURKEY-BEAN SOUP: Serves 10-12dium onion chopped
1lb. ground turkey
1 medium onion chopped
1 small green bell pepper chopped
(3) 16 oz. cans of beans mixed-kidney, pinto, white or black-only 1 can drained
(1) 28 oz. can diced tomatoes undrained
(1) 8 oz. can tomato sauce
2 cups sliced carrots
1 Tbs. minced garlic
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried thyme
3 cups chicken broth*
Salt and pepper
Brown meat, onion, bell pepper and garlic in a non-stick skillet. Drain fat. Place in a crock pot, add the rest of the ingredients, stir and cook on Low 8-10 hours or High 4-5 hours. Before serving, mash beans with a fork to thicken the soup.
CREAM OF VEGETABLE SOUP; Serves 12
¼ cup margarine or butter- melted
3 medium sweet potatoes peel and chopped
1 large onion chopped
2 medium potatoes chopped fine
3 zucchini chopped
10 oz. package frozen broccoli pieces –thawed
3 cups chicken broth*
½ tsp. celery seed
1 tsp. cumin
2 cups milk
Salt and pepper
Stir all ingredients except milk in a Crock Pot. Cook on Low 8-10 hours or on High 4-5 hours. Add milk and cook on Low 30 min. to 1 hour. Do not allow to curdle. Fork mash ingredients before serving.
*The Dollar Store sells a beef or chicken broth of quality equal to the top name brands in quart containers.
May these help to make Halloween night a treat for you!
