Fixin' Leaks and Leeks

From under the lid of the boiling pot…the pasta came alive, with olive eyes and garlic-basil innards. It formed a blob, picked up a knife, and slashed the bread into ghost and pumpkin shapes. But the Fixin’ Leaks and Leeks Team wrestled the knife from the pasta, ate it all, and breathed on the vampires gathered at the windows outside. They weren’t exactly surprised. They were unhappy, but not surprised because we had warned them by shouting, “freak around and find out.” Maybe one day, they’ll learn.

As you can see, dinner time at the Fixin’ Leaks and Leeks Headquarters is a bit hectic. Trick or treat night is even busier, so I’ve been preparing ahead. We love to hand out candy, and Alex loves to dress up, play eerie songs on his electric guitar outside, and lure all the goblins in. That doesn’t leave much time to eat, so a pasta salad and sandwiches, made ahead, really help out. We also like to fill in with chips, a veggie plate, and candy.

The pasta salad is easy to make. I’ve chosen a red lentil gluten free pasta, which is quite tasty, if you don’t let it boil too long—like 7-8 minutes max—don’t go for that extra minute or two, or you will quickly end up with mush (but it still tastes good with vodka sauce). I then mixed two cups of cooled, cooked pasta together with ½ cup of sliced black olives, ½ cup of chopped fresh basil, and 1 teaspoon of chopped fresh garlic. In a separate bowl, I whisked two tablespoons of lemon juice with two tablespoons of olive oil and tossed it into the pasta mixture, along with freshly ground black pepper and a generous smattering of grated parmesan cheese.

The Fixin’ Leaks and Leeks Team loved the colors—and Nate said it was one of the better pasta salads I’ve made. He is one of those who believes that pasta salads are mostly evil, but this one was pretty good.

For the sandwiches, I just took sliced bread, cut out shapes with cookie cutters and filled them with cheese spread, humus, turkey, arugula, and a touch of Italian dressing. Any filling will work: peanut butter and jelly, marshmallow topping, Nutella, cheese, etc. You could even turn them into garlic toast to serve with the pasta salad—which can also be served hot or cold.

Pro-Tip: Use the edges of the bread that are cut out for bread pudding or stuffing. Normal and creepy recipes abound on the internet.

Overall, I feel mostly confident that the pasta and sandwich combination will keep us from turning into hangry haunts, who tell trick-or-treaters wild tales of murderous, weird food that probably hides under their beds.

Your Turn: What’s an easy meal you turn to on weeknights?