Scary Good Last-Minute Bites

If you’re an adult dressing up for Halloween, we’re going to assume you’re either throwing a party or attending one, in which case you’ll need some grub. Which brings me to the latest food trend: edible bugs. When it comes to the best bites, show up to the Halloween party with something that can bite back.

Guacamole Tostada with Toasted Crickets & Pickled Jicam

Face your fear this Halloween. This recipe, courtesy of Kachina Grill in Westminster is scary good. Prepare it yourself or order the guacamole two days in advance from the restaurant. Freeze-dried crickets are available at pet stores, and don’t be scared, they’re safe to eat.

Kachina’s Traditional Guacamole

Makes 2.5 quarts

1 cup onion, minced very fine

3/4 pound Serrano peppers, seeded, minced    very fine

1 1/4 ounces garlic clove, minced very fine

1/2 Roma tomato, seeded, small diced

1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped

4 limes, juiced

salt and pepper

12 avocados, large diced

1) Finely mince the onions and garlic by hand with a sharp knife being careful not to smash, which will bruise and change the flavor profile. Be sure to only slice through once, and not many times.

2) Remove stem and seeds from Serrano peppers and also mince very fine by hand.

3) Mix above ingredients together, minus the lime juice, and store in containers until ready to use. Keep lime juice in a separate container.

4) To complete guacamole, mix the base, lime juice, and 12 large diced avocados. Fold ingredients together gently, being sure not to smash up the avocados, they need to stay as chunky as possible. Add salt and pepper to season.

Kachina’s Pickled Jicama

3 Jicamas

6 cups water

6 cups white wine vinegar

6 cups sugar

1 lime, Sliced

1 tbsp. cumin, whole

1.) Peel jicama and dice. Set aside.

2.)  Mix the remaining ingredients into a pot and bring to a boil.

3.) Pour the liquid over the jicama to pickle.

Assembly required:

1 Blue Corn Tostada 

(you could use any blue-corn chip for this)

1 Tbsp. guacamole 

1 toasted cricket 

(toasted 5 minutes in the oven and tossed with chile powder, salt and pepper)

3 small cubes, pickled jicama 

1 thin slice of radish

For other creepy treats, check out these authentic candies (and perfect party favors) available in the gift shop at the Butterfly Pavilion.

Crick-ettes – freeze-dried crickets in different flavors

Larvets – freeze-dried larva in Cheddar Cheese and BBQ flavor

Cricket Lick It – cricket lollipops photo in server

Ant Candy – hard candy with ants

Hotlix – scorpion lollipops