iZombie premiere on WISH-TV inspires zombie dishes
Indy Food Swapper’s Suzanne Krowiak takes a cue from Tuesday night’s premiere of iZombie and creates some brain-resembling dishes: Zombie brain popcorn balls and puff pastry intestines.
Zombie Party Recipes
Brain Popcorn Balls
Total Yield: 8 – 10 popcorn balls
Adapted from: Seeded at the Table
Ingredients:
• 8 cups popped popcorn
• 1 10-oz bag mini marshmallows
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• Red food coloring
Instructions:
1. Heat marshmallows and butter over low heat until melted. (Or microwave in large glass bowl.)
2. Add 1-2 drops red food coloring, and stir until marbled in color.
3. Add popcorn to marshmallow mixture, and stir until coated. (NOTE: if using unsalted popcorn, add 1 teaspoon kosher salt when adding popcorn to marshmallow fluff.)
4. Lightly oil hands, and form 8 – 10 popcorn balls. Place on parchment paper, and push gently on the popcorn bowls so they are slightly flattened (all the better to look more brain-like!).
5. Using additional food coloring and a small paint brush, add a strip of red food coloring to the top of each popcorn ball.
6. Allow to cool before eating.
Intestines
NOTE: Just about any filling can be used for the intestines, sweet or savory. Below is a recipe for a taco filling, but you could also do a dessert “intestine,” using nutella and chocolate chips, fruit, etc. You could do other savory options, including pizza filling, ham & cheese, etc.
Ingredients:
• 1 1-lb box frozen puff pastry sheets. (I used Pepperidge Farm brand, which is easily cut into the correct shapes for the dish.)
• 1 egg
• Red food coloring
Filling:
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ small onion, finely diced
• ½ jalapeno pepper, finely diced
• 1 14-oz can fire-roasted, diced tomatoes (undrained)
• 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons onion powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground paprika
• 1 ½ Tablespoons chili powder
• ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions:
1. Preheat over to 350 degrees F.
2. Defrost frozen pastry sheets (no more than 40 minutes, or it will be too soft).
3. While pastry is defrosting, cook ground book over medium heat until browned. Drain and set aside.
4. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil in same pan used to brown beef, add onion and garlic. Cook over low heat until soft, approximately 5 minutes.
5. Add canned tomatoes. Cook 6 – 8 minutes, until slightly thickened.
6. Add ground beef, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, ground cumin, paprika, and chili powder. Cook until flavors are blended, approximately 8 – 10 minutes.
7. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
8. Crack egg in small bowl and whisk.
9. Cut pastry sheets into thirds, lengthwise. Place a long sheet of parchment paper on the kitchen counter or a long table. Create two long strips of pastry, by laying trimmed sheets end to end (in threes), sealing with the egg wash.
10. Scoop the taco mixture down the middle of each strip. (Don’t overfill, or you won’t be able to “close” the pastry. But don’t use too little, or it will collapse in on itself.)
11. Sprinkle with shredded cheese
12. Lift the sides of the puff pastry and seal it, using the egg wash. Do this from end to end.
13. Gently lift the long strip of pastry and place, the seal side down, in a casserole dish. Place it in a curve in the dish, to match the look of real intestines.
14. Using a small paintbrush, add red food coloring in the crevices of the intestines.
15. Bake until slightly browned, 20 – 25 minutes.
16. Serve with cheese dip or salsa.
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