A MUM who encouraged her daughter to eat well by creating colourful dishes has taken her fab food up a notch – with Halloween recipes using just five ingredients.
Natalie Hughes, 42, who is mum to three-year-old Giovanna, shares her recipes with her 35k followers on popular Instagram page @my_foodie_baby but has created these dishes exclusively for Fab Daily readers.
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Natalie, an operations manager, lives with Giovanna and partner Carlos Tozzi, 45, a finance manager, in Wimbledon, South-West London.
She says: “When Giovanna started weaning, I wanted her to explore the joys of eating and discover new flavours, so I began creating little dishes for her.
“These Halloween recipes are easy to prepare, tasty and will appeal to children’s imaginations.”
Eyeball pasta (Serves 4)
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Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 11 mins
YOU NEED:
- 200g pasta
- 350g jar of tomato sauce
- 20 mini mozzarella balls, drained
- 20 black olive slices
METHOD: Boil the pasta and heat through the tomato sauce.
Meanwhile, assemble the eyeballs by adding a slice of olive to the top of each mozzarella ball.
Drain the pasta and divide between serving bowls.
Spoon over some tomato sauce, then arrange the cheese and olive eyeballs on top.
Spooky Sausages (Makes 12)
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Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 11 mins
YOU NEED:
- 12 chipolatas
- ½ sheet ready-rolled puff pastry
- 2 tbsp tomato ketchup
- Milk (for pastry wash)
- Edible eyes for decoration (or use mustard)
- Optional: 1 tsp honey
METHOD: Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/Gas 4. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
Mix the ketchup and honey in a small bowl.
Separate your sausages.
Unroll the puff pastry and use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to slice 12 strips about ½cm wide.
Take a sausage and coat it in the ketchup/ honey mixture.
Wrap one strip of pastry around the sausage to create the “Mummy bandage” effect.
Pop it onto the baking tray and repeat until all the sausages are wrapped.
Brush pastry lightly with a drop of milk then bake for 20 mins until sausages are cooked and pastry is golden.
Allow to cool slightly then add the edible eyes.
They are quite fiddly so use a drop of honey to make them stick.
If you don’t have edible eyes use a blob of mustard or sliced olives for eyes.
Monster Burgers (Makes 4)
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Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 20 mins
YOU NEED:
- 4 beef burgers
- 4 cheese slices
- 4 seeded burger buns
- 4 slices pickled cucumber
- 8 olives stuffed with pimientos
- Optional: Lettuce, mayo, ketchup
METHOD: Cook the burgers and slice the buns in half.
Meanwhile, create the monster teeth by cutting a zig zag across one side of the cheese slice.
Create the monster eyes by sticking the olives onto cocktail sticks.
Once the burgers are cooked, assemble the monster.
Place the burger on the base of the bun, then the cucumber slice ‘tongue’, cheese ‘teeth’, and the top of the bun.
Finally pop the eyes into the top of the bun.
Mummified Jam Lattice (Makes 6)
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Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 15-20 mins
YOU NEED:
- 2 x ready-rolled pastry sheets
- 6 tbsp jam
- 1 egg, beaten
- Edible googly eyes for decorating
METHOD: Pre-heat oven to 180C/160C fan/Gas 4.
Lightly dust a board with flour then lay one sheet of pastry on it.
Slice into thin strips and set aside.
Cut the other sheet of pastry into 6 equal rectangles and place them on to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Place 1 tbsp of jam in the centre of each rectangle then brush the edges with the beaten egg.
Layer a few strips of the cut pastry over the jam and crimp the edges with a fork.
Brush with egg.
Pop in the oven and allow to bake for 10-15 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown and puffed.
Cool to room temperature, decorate with edible googly eyes and serve.
Scary Choccy Spiders (Makes: 12)
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Prep: 15 mins
Chill: 2 hours
YOU NEED:
- 75g Rice Krispies
- 200g dark chocolate
- 50g golden syrup
- 24 each mint sticks and Smarties
METHOD: Line a cupcake tin with paper cases.
Melt the chocolate with the butter and golden syrup over a low heat until combined.
Thoroughly stir in the Rice Krispies then divide the mixture between the paper cases, moulding each into a ball.
Break each mint stick into four and stick them into the chocolate Krispie ball to create the spider’s eight legs.
Add edible eyes or Smarties for the spider eyes.
Chill in the fridge for 2 hours.
Once set, remove from the cases.
Frightful Fruit Platter (Serves: 4-8)
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Prep: 10 mins
YOU NEED:
- 4 bananas
- 24 chocolate chips
- 8 tangerines
- 1 celery stick
METHOD: Peel and cut the banana in half lengthways.
Arrange so it is standing up like a ghost and use chocolate chips as eyes and a mouth – pressing choc-chip points into the banana.
Peel the tangerines and cut the celery into 8 small pieces to look like pumpkin stalks.
Poke each ‘stalk’ into the top of a tangerine to look like a pumpkin.
