TRICK OR TREAT SUPPERS

I’m a veteran of Trick or Treat nights, both as an actively involved parent and as a candy dispensing empty nester, and I know how hard it is to plan a meal for this night. Children are so focused on getting into costume and out to fill their bags they aren’t interested in real food and parents are too preoccupied with accompanying the children and/or answering the constantly ringing doorbell to care. Feeding a family on Trick or Treat night resembles a pit stop supper more than a Halloween dinner, especially for those with children of different ages who go out in separate shifts.

For anyone planning a supper for Trick or Treat night, their situation will dictate the menu but there are some general food requirements.

• • It must be something that can remain fresh, serving ready, for hours.
  • It must remain appetizing on a plate through many interruptions.
  • It must be able to be easily and quickly consumed, with few utensils, without dripping or leaving greasy costume staining fingers.

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As a novice I tried all the obvious choices, casseroles, salads, soups and take-outs and was left with dried up, congealed, wilted and soggy leftovers. Finally, I realized the answer was a simple one; mugs of hearty, liquid soup and an array of sandwiches. One could be kept warm and the other fresh by covering the plate. Together they can supply all the nutrition of a full dinner. The trick was to opt for recipes that were in line with the family tastes yet different enough to arouse the interest to stop to try them.

Also an advantage to making extra soup is that, if the weather turns nippy, it’s an excellent way to warm up after trick or treating, without adding to the sugar buzz with cocoa. As for the breads, avoid toast and sleeve breads. They dry up or absorb moisture from the sandwich fillings. With the exception of Jewish rye, hearty slices of focaccia, pita pockets and artesian breads, rolls are best. The crust keeps them fresh and they have more taste. Also avoid fillings with perishables like lettuce and tomatoes and spreads that can liquefy or separate such as oils, mayonnaise or salad dressings.

The following are some recipes which worked for my family and may for yours. The point is that they can give you direction in forming ideas to change some of your family favorites in ways to interest them in stopping to eat on this hectic night. Strangely, it’s a time when children are more receptive to new things.

RECIPES
SOUPS: These take the place of vegetables in a normal dinner. I prefer to make soups from fresh or frozen produce rather than use canned to avoid the sodium and other preservatives. It costs less and is healthier. Though each can adjust to other ingredients which will make a more sophisticated dish, the recipes are left in basic form because they are intended for children. One note-If keeping the soup warm for any length of time, use slim milk, half and half or heavy cream. All other grades curdle when heated. 1 Tbs. of yogurt or sour cream is a nice finishing garnish for most of the recipes. Recipes are for 6 servings unless otherwise noted.

Cream of Cauliflower
1 large onion diced
1 large stalk of celery diced
1 medium head cauliflower chopped or 1 lb. frozen
6 cups chicken stock
1cup half and half
Salt and pepper to taste
Garlic powder, caraway seed or dried dill-Optional
Simmer the vegetables in the stock until tender. Puree to desired texture, return to pot and add cream and seasonings and herbs if using. Can be made ahead and kept chilled for two days after pureeing. Add cream etc.as reheating. Keep warm on low, adding water or milk if and as needed.

Cream of Broccoli
1 lb. broccoli fresh or frozen –stems peeled, chopped
1 large onion-chopped
1 large stalk celery-diced
6 cups chicken stock
1 cup half and half—or optionally almond milk
Salt and pepper to taste
1/3cup+ 1 Tbs. grated Parmesan cheese
Follow directions above for cauliflower soup. Garnish with 1Tbs. grated Parmesan per mug.

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.
See directions above-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.

Lilly’s Cream of Potato (My favorite as a child!)
1 Tbs. butter
1 large onion diced
1 ½ lb. potatoes-peeled and diced
6 cups chicken stock
½ cup half and half
Salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbs. Parsley flakes + more for garnish
Melt butter in a large pot and coat onion, add stock and potatoes. Simmer until potatoes are tender and follow directions above. Serve garnished with parsley.

Corn and Sweet Potato Soup
1 Tbs. oil
1 lb. frozen corn kernels
1 medium-large sweet potato-diced
1 large onion-diced
1 jarred red pepper-optional
7 cups vegetable stock
½ tsp. cumin
salt and pepper to taste
Brown the onion in the oil, add the stock the corn and the potato and simmer for 10min. Use a little of the stock to make a paste of the cumin and add to the pot along with the pepper if using. Simmer for 5min. more. Puree and return to pot, or chill, season as reheating.

Italian Tomato Soup: 2 Servings
(1) 8 oz. can tomato sauce
(1) 8 oz. cup water
1 envelope beef bouillon
1/8 tsp. oil
Garlic powder, pepper, dried oregano and basil to taste
Heat all ingredients at a slow simmer until flavors meld, about 8 min. Serve.

French Lentil Soup
The beauty of lentils is that unlike other legumes they don’t have to be soaked before they’re cooked. 1 lb. bag of green lentils
1 large onion diced
3 Tbs. oil
1 large carrot thinly sliced
3 Tbs. tomato paste
2 bay leaves
½ cup red wine
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 Tbs. red wine vinegar
Water to cover
Salt and pepper
Saute the onion in the oil until soft; add the carrot, tomato paste, bay leaves, lentils and water to cover. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered 1-1 ½ hr. stirring and adding more water as needed. When the lentils are cooked, add the wine, vinegar and oregano. Cook 5 min., remove bay leaves and blend to a rough puree. Combine with soup in pot, stir and season with salt and pepper, reheat if necessary and serve.

Creamy Pumpkin Soup
1 ½ lb. pumpkin cut in chunks without rind
1 lb. white potatoes
1 Tbs. oil
2 Tbs. butter
1 large onion chopped|
2 cups vegetable stock
1 tsp. tarragon
½ tsp. nutmeg
2 cups milk
1-2 tsp. lemon juice
Salt and pepper
Heat the oil and butter and sauté onion until soft; add the pumpkin and potatoes and sweat over low heat, stirring often until tender. Add seasonings and stock, simmer 10 min Cool slightly and puree. Add milk and reheat to serve, but don’t allow to boil. Add lemon juice as a seasoning perk before serving.

Mushroom and Bread Soup: Serves 8 –From 400 Soups by Anne Sheasby
6 Tbs. butter
2 lb. mushrooms-sliced
2 onions- chopped
3 cups skim milk
8 slices white bread
1 cup heavy cream
¼ cup chopped parsley
Salt and pepper
Saute vegetables in butter over low heat until soft but not browned. Remove from heat, add milk and bread, cover and soak 15 min. Puree, return to pot, add cream, seasonings and 3Tbs.parsley. Reheat and serve, garnished with parsley.

SANDWICHES: The object here is to create sandwiches that arouse children’s curiosity and stay fresh longer. As stated above, sleeve bread is too absorbent and tends to dry out, especially when toasted. The best alternatives are denser breads like Jewish rye, Focaccia, and pita pockets or rolls which add flavor. It also helps to reduce the amount or replace the condiment spreads. Tasty as they are they do moisten the bread. I’ve found an excellent option is to place thin slices of fruit between layers of filling or use a dryer ingredient like cream cheese or a nut butter.
The recipe below is an example of this type of sandwich and it has worked well in lunch boxes and on picnics but it’s only an outline. I’ve included other suggestions, however the combinations you choose are up to you and about pleasing your family’s individual tastes as are the quantities of meats, cheeses etc. in the fillings. Obviously a pre-teen can handle a heftier sandwich than a toddler.

Ham, Cheese and Apple Sandwich: Serves 2
4 slices bread-Jewish rye or pumpernickel suggested, or 2 wheat buns
Deli sliced ham and cheese-choices optional-I like Swiss
Thin coating of mustard on bread-optional
Slice a peeled, cored apple in about 3 slices per quarter. Put in a small bowl with a light sprinkle of sugar and another of cinnamon. Add 1-2 Tbs. water or apple juice and microwave about 1min-1 min.30 sec. Store refrigerated in juice if made ahead. This prevents the apple from browning. Layer ½ apple slices on bread between ham and cheese per sandwich, to keep moisture from ruining bread

Suggestions
1) Sliced chicken or turkey on Jewish rye lightly spread with Dijon or spicy brown mustard
2) Sliced chicken or turkey on a crusty roll or focaccia with slices of melon or grape halves.
3) A salmon filet, chopped or whole, sprinkled with dried dill weed, on a bagel spread with cream cheese and chives or mixed with onion powder, and optionally thin slices of cucumber.
4) Sliced smoked salmon in the above recipe
5) Drained, canned tuna mixed with drained relish, India or pepper etc. on a roll or in a pita pocket
6) Roast or corned beef on a roll or focaccia spread with cream cheese mixed with horseradish
7) Roast beef on Jewish rye topped with drained sliced or stems and pieces of canned mushrooms which have been baked about 10 min. on low heat in a bit of butter and a little soy sauce-and drained.
8) Sliced hard boiled eggs on Jewish rye thinly spread with Dijon or spicy brown mustard.
9) Peanut or another nut butter topped with crumbled cooked bacon on Jewish rye
10) The Elvis-peanut butter and sliced banana great in pita pockets