insideSUSSEX Magazine Issue 20 - October 2016 | Page 48

FOOD+DRINK

Hellish Halloween Recipes
Go on, admit it; you’re just as excited about Halloween as the kids – perhaps more so because whilst
they can only dress up and go trick or treating, you can create the ultimate spooky dinner party for a
more grown-up (but just as entertaining) Halloween party. Put “Thriller” on the iPod, dim the lights,
pull the curtains, make sure everyone is wearing suitable (black) attire, and enjoy the most sophisticated
of Halloween feasts. Make your guests shiver and shake with your strange and gruesome (gruesome
looking, of course, but delicious tasting) offerings; perfect for werewolves, witches, ghosts, ghouls, and
friends and family too! BY LISAMARIE LAMB

Spooky Bread Rolls
Bread rolls and soup go together like Morticia and Gomez, like Scooby
Doo and Shaggy, like Frankenstein’s Monster and his Bride. So here
is a fabulous recipe for Halloween bread rolls – these are great fun
and will bring a smile to everyone's lips!! This recipe makes six rolls.
Ingredients:
• 225g strong plain wholemeal flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 15g butter (softened)
• 6g dried yeast
• 150ml warm water (make sure it’s
not hot or boiling)
• 240ml balsamic vinegar
Method:
1. Combine the flour, sugar, and
salt in a large mixing bowl. Add
the butter and mix together
(fingertips work wonders here,
but a mixer will do the job too).
2. Once combined, add the yeast
and stir in.
3. Next, pour in all the water and
stir again, this time using a
wooden spoon to start with. Once
the dough becomes harder to
move around, go in with your
hands (if it’s really sticky, make
sure to add a little more flour as
you mix).
4. Turn the dough out onto a floured
surface and knead it for around
5 minutes.
5. Pull the dough apart to make six
round rolls and place on a
greased baking tray.

Blood Curdling Beetroot Soup with Feta Cheese
The blood red colour of this sumptuous soup sets the tone for
your Halloween bash! The garlic will keep you safe from any
nearby vampires, and the salty feta is a great way to keep those
troublesome demons at bay!
Ingredients:
• 500g beetroot (cooked and cut
into chunks)
• 250g tinned tomatoes
• 1 large onion (diced)
• 1 garlic clove (crushed)
• 2 tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 750ml vegetable stock
• 125g feta cheese
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (or
gas mark 6).
2. Find a large saucepan, add the
oil, and throw in the diced
onion. Leave it to ‘sweat’ for
around 8 minutes, but keep
checking on your pan, as the

onions shouldn’t be allowed to
get too brown.
3. Once the onions are ready,
throw in the garlic, leave for
just one minute, and then add
the beetroot, vegetable stock,
tomatoes, and balsamic
vinegar. Whack up the heat,
bring to the boil, then simmer
for 2 minutes.
4. Next, either transfer your soup
(being very careful of the hot
liquid) into a blender, or use a
hand/stick blender, and blend
the mixture until it’s totally
smooth.
5. Just before serving, crumble
feta cheese on the top of the
soup.

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6. Put a clean tea towel over the
top and leave to prove for around
half an hour.
7. Once they are ready, very slightly
flatten the rolls with the palm of
your hand, and then using a sharp
knife, cut 8 vertical slits around
the roll (see photo below - the
end result will look like a flower
before baked). Pop the rolls into
the oven (preheated to 230ºC or
gas mark 8) for 20 minutes
8. Whilst they are cooking, it’s time
to make the balsamic vinegar
reduction for the decoration. Put
the vinegar into a saucepan and
bring to a simmer. Leave it
simmering over a low heat for
around 15 minutes until the
vinegar has thickened and
reduced. You need it to be at a
good consistency for decorating,
so make sure it’s thick enough –
the longer it simmers, the thicker
it gets. But if it goes too far, you
can always add water to bring it
back.
9. When the balsamic vinegar
reduction and the rolls have all
cooled, decorate them with
whatever spooky designs
you like.