NEW YORK – Set your sights on giving Halloween food its own dress-up fun, while you set your table with treats that won’t trick the hungry, just delight their taste.
Sweets and candy colors tend to grab most attention, but don’t forget there’s a lot of energy going on, and sooner or later everyone needs a bite of something hearty and solid.
Perhaps for a brunch item early, or party food later, a “sausage ghoulash” is easy to make and could sensibly feed both monstrous hunger and mere haunting pangs.
The recipe is from “Halloween Parties” by Lori Hellander (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2004, $14.95 paperback), a compact, colorful collection of ideas on how to throw “spook-tacular soirees and frighteningly festive entertainments.” The tone is playful, the suggestions for food, decor and presentation are aimed at partygoers of all ages.
Hellander is relaxed about her party outlines. “Each one offers plenty of room for improvisation,” she says. “Some parties can be thrown together in a flash, others will require a bit of preparation – and each one can be modified to suit your schedule and budget.”
Following her easygoing style, try this “ghoulash” for a brunch if it suits you, or just count on it to fill the bill when needed. Serve it in suitably colored tableware, if possible, something black, red or earthy, for maximum effect.
Sausage Ghoulash
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the broiler. Place the peppers on a foil-lined baking tray and broil them, turning them until the skin blackens. When charred, place peppers in a paper bag or in a bowl covered with plastic wrap. Let them cool until you can easily peel away the skin. Rinse the peppers, remove the stems and seeds, and cut each one into 4 or 5 slices.
Peel the potatoes, halve them lengthwise, and cut them into slices. Pat dry. Heat the butter and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the potatoes and saute them over medium heat until golden, 15 to 20 minutes. When they are nearly done, add garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Turn off the heat.
Meanwhile, in a separate skillet, saute the chicken sausages in the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over medium-low heat. (If you are using pork sausages, saute them with 2 to 3 tablespoons water over medium-low heat.) When the sausages are browned and cooked through, drain them and cut into 1/2-inch slices.
Add the peppers and sausage to the potatoes and heat the mixture through. Stir in the olives and chives. Add lemon juice to taste.
Makes 4 servings.
