Photos by Amy Shutt
Halloween is a favorite holiday of ours. We always like to have a big pot of something on the stove so friends and neighbors can stop by on their way to trick-or-treating and enjoy a bite of something more substantial than candy corn.
This year we decided our Halloween open house should have a Mexican theme—specifically, a tie-in to the ancient Mexican tradition of honoring the dead, or Dia de los Muertos.
Tradition held that at midnight on Oct. 31, the night before Dia de los Muertos, deceased loved ones returned to earth and were reunited with their families.
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Relatives built altars for their loved ones filled with food and drinks and decorated with sugar skulls, which represented the departed souls.
We have come up with a great Mexican-themed menu that is easy to make and perfect to serve to a crowd on a chilly Halloween, or Dia de los Muertos.
THE MENU
• Chicken Tortilla Soup
• Pepper Jack Cheese-stuffed Corn Muffins
• Wineritas
• Spicy Caramel Corn
Recipes by Tracey Koch
Chicken Tortilla Soup
This spicy, brothy soup is chock full of tender chicken and vegetables and is a healthy and satisfying meal-in-a-bowl. Topping it with fresh avocado slices and fresh cilantro elevates it to a whole new level. It has a slight earthiness from the cumin and paprika, and the zing from the fresh jalapeños gives the soup just the right kick. When shopping for ingredients, look for canned tomatoes with green chilies for added flavor. This soup is a great do-ahead meal that kids and adults will enjoy.
Servings: 6
1 whole roasted chicken
3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup chopped onion
½ cup chopped bell pepper
½ cup chopped celery
1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped
2 cloves chopped garlic
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon red pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 can stewed tomatoes with green chilies
1 cup diced zucchini
1 cup diced squash
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1. Remove the meat from the bone of a roasted chicken and give it a rough chop. Set the meat aside.
2. In a large pot, add the olive oil and sauté the onions, bell pepper, celery and jalapeño pepper together for 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Add the chopped garlic, salt, red pepper, cumin and chili powder and continue to sauté for an additional 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Pour in the tomatoes with green chilies, reduce the heat to medium and allow the mixture to come up to a simmer.
5. Add in the diced zucchini and squash and stir until all is incorporated.
6. Pour in the chicken broth and bring the soup back up to a simmer. Add in the cooked chicken and heat it through. Serve the soup hot with your favorite toppings.
Suggested toppings: Sliced avocados, shredded sharp cheddar cheese, tortilla chips and fresh chopped cilantro
Pepper Jack-stuffed Corn Muffins
This is a great recipe that requires very little effort. It can be made ahead of time and warmed before serving. It also works well with a sharp cheddar cheese. A quick note, however: Check to see if the cornmeal you choose contains sodium. Some do, others do not. If yours does, omit the salt in this recipe to prevent the muffins from becoming too salty.
Servings: 6
1 cup yellow corn meal
½ cup flour
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¾ cup buttermilk
2 eggs
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 small green chili
1½ cups grated pepper jack cheese
1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine yellow corn meal, flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs and oil.
4. Combine the wet and dry ingredients and, using a wooden spoon, beat until all is well incorporated.
5. Fold in the green chilies and ¾ cup of the grated cheese.
6. Fill each of the paper liners halfway. Top each one with the remaining cheese and then top each with the remaining batter.
7. Bake the muffins in the heated oven for 18 to 20 minutes or until a tester comes out clean when poked in the center of the muffins. Serve warm with the soup.
Wineritas
This little cocktail is a fun take on a margarita, though not quite as strong as the traditional drink can be (no tequila). It is a cross between a margarita and white wine sangria, and makes for a refreshing adult beverage. The recipe can be easily doubled or tripled.
Servings: 6
½ cup fresh lime juice
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup Triple Sec or Cointreau
1 bottle pinot grigio or light, crisp white wine, chilled
Lime wedges and salt to garnish
1. In a small saucepot, combine the lime juice and sugar and heat just until the sugar has completely dissolved.
2. Chill the simple syrup until you are ready to make the wineritas.
3. Pour the wine and the lime simple syrup into a pitcher, along with the Triple Sec or Cointreau, and stir to combine.
4. Fill 6 glasses with ice and pour the white
wineritas into each glass. Garnish with a lime wedge and serve.
Spicy Caramel Corn
This Spicy Caramel Corn is so addicting you may want to make two batches. It is a buttery, crunchy, sweet and salty treat with a little kick at the end. If you are making it for children, you can omit the Creole seasoning, cumin and chili powder and just use ½ teaspoon of salt. Keep this in an airtight container and it will last for a week—if you don’t eat it all in one night. Put it in festive Halloween bags and give it out as party favors. You can add different nuts like almonds, pecans or cashews as well.
Servings: 6
1 stick butter
2 cups light brown sugar
¼ cup cane syrup
¼ cup corn syrup
½ teaspoon Creole seasoning
¼ teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon Mexican vanilla (or pure vanilla extract)
8 cups popped popcorn
1 cup dry roasted peanuts
½ cup roasted pumpkin seeds
1. Heat oven to 300 degrees and melt the butter in a heavy saucepot.
2. Add the brown sugar, syrups and seasonings. Bring the mixture to a boil, making sure to keep stirring to prevent the mixture from burning.
3. Allow this sugar mixture to boil over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, stirring regularly.
4. In a large bowl, combine the popcorn, peanuts and pumpkin seeds and set them aside.
5. After the sugar mixture has boiled for 5 minutes, remove the pot from the heat and carefully add in the baking soda and vanilla.
6. Vigorously stir the mixture until well combined and pour the mixture over the popcorn, peanuts and pumpkin seeds.
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7. Stir until all is coated and divide the popcorn mixture between 2 large baking sheets.
8. Spread it evenly on the baking sheets and bake in the oven for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes so the caramel corn will bake evenly.
9. Remove the caramel from the oven and use a metal spoon or spatula to keep stirring it around as it cools and hardens. Once the caramel corn is completely cooled and very crisp, store it in an airtight container. This will keep for up to one week.