Six Vegetarian Halloween Recipes

I call myself a semi-vegetarian or semi-meat eater. It always boils down to what type of meat are we talking about. A lot of my recipes are put together by whatever is in the cupboard or freezer. I love using different foods and creating a dish. I've invented many good soups doing this. My husband is the opposite. He likes to have a recipe, get the specific items needed, then start making it.

Homemade Tomato Soup: 2 cups water; 5 lbs. fresh, ripe tomatoes; 2 Tbsp. salt; 1 stalk celery; pepper to taste; 3 large onions; parsley to taste. Cut tomatoes in quarters. Cut celery in chunks, use parsley. Bring all ingredients to a boil, then simmer 1 1/2 to 2 hours. After cooking, puree ingredients in a blender. Strain, cool and freeze. If needed add flour to thicken.

Carrot Potato Soup: 4 medium potatoes; 3 large carrots; 1/4 tsp. summer savory; parsley, thyme and sage. White sauce: 2 Tbsp. butter; 1 Tbsp. flour; 3 1/2 cups milk. Cook potatoes and carrots until tender. Put through food mill or blender. Tie herbs in cheesecloth and add to soup. Season and heat slowly for 5 minutes. Remove herbs and serve.

Do Ahead Potatoes: 12 large potatoes; 1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese; 8 oz. sour cream; 1 tsp. onion powder; 1/4 cup butter, melted. Peel and boil potatoes in salt water. Combine cooked potatoes, cream cheese, sour cream, onion powder and whip or mash until fluffy. Add a little milk, if necessary. Spread in a buttered 9x13 inch dish and refrigerate or freeze until needed. When ready to cook, drizzle melted butter over the top and sprinkle with paprika. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour.

Chili Rellenos Casserole: 6 beaten eggs; 24 oz. cream style cottage cheese; 3 small cans chopped green chilis; 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese; 3/4 c. shredded monterey jack cheese; 18 cups finely crushed round crackers. Combine eggs, cottage cheese, cracker crumbs, chilis and half of the cheeses. Turn into a greased 10x6x2 inch casserole. Bake in 350 degree oven for 45 minutes or until set. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses. Bake 2 to 3 minutes more or until melts. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Beer Bread: 1 cup milk; 1 Tbsp. salt; 1 cup warm beer; 2 pkg. yeast; 3 Tbsp. honey; 2 Tbsp. margarine; 4 1/2 cups flour. Scald milk and cool to lukewarm. Add honey, salt and margarine. Dissolve yeast in beer, add to milk mixture. Sift the flour. Stir well to mix, no need to knead. Let rise until double in bulk, about 1 hour. Stir dough another 30 strokes. Divide dough in half. Place in 2 well greased 1 pound loaf pans. Bake at 375 degrees for 40-45 minutes. Remove from pans and cool.

Vegetarian Quiche Lorraine: 1 medium potato; 1 small onion; 1 egg, beaten; 2 Tbsp. butter; 1 cup shredded cheese of your choice; 3 eggs, 1/2 tsp. parsley; 1/4 tsep. dry mustard, 1/2 tsp. paprika. Wash potatoes well and shred with the skins on. Shred onion and cheese and set aside. Grease a 9" pie pan with butter or non-stick spray. Blend one egg into the onion/cheese mixture. Press this mixture into pan to form the "shell" or "crust" of the quiche. Place shredded cheese on top of crust. In another bowl, whip remaining eggs, milk and herbs until well blended. Pour into pie pan. Place pie on a cookie sheet, (in case it boils over), and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. The crust should be golden when done. If you wish, add 1/2 cup shredded spinach.

Tomato Soup Cake: 2 cups flour; 2 1/2 tsp. baking powder; 1/4 tsp. salt; 1 tsp. cinnamon; 1 tsp. baking soda; 1 tsp. nutmeg; 2 Tbsp. melted butter; 1 cup honey; 1 can tomato soup; 1/2 cup raisins. Dissolve baking soda in a little water. Combine with all other ingredients. Blend well. Pour into a greased and floured bundt pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes or until it tests done. When cooled, frost with cream cheese icing. Cream Cheese Icing: 1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened; 1/2 cup powdered sugar; 1 tsp. vanilla. Mix together and frost the cake.