Stuck inside for Halloween due to Covid-19 restrictions?
Have no fear: the Zoom party recipe is here!
Just because we can’t celebrate Halloween in our usual fashion, that doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate at all.
Here’s a list of all the things you need to have a spooky night online with your friends. Grab your laptop, charger, blanket, and Zoom passcode, and you’re good to go.
What to eat…
Oh!-bergine veggie fright lasagne by Georgina Davidson
A messy but tasty take on the classic lasagne.
Ingredients:
- 400g cashew nuts
- 250g cornflour
- 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 200ml water
- 4 cloves of garlic
- Salt to taste
- 250ml almond milk
- 2 whole onions
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- Oregano / Italian herbs to taste
- 250ml red wine
- 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
- 250ml passata
- Handful of sliced black olives
- 2 tsp capers
- Aubergine and courgette (as much as necessary, depending on the amount of people)
- Olive oil
- Lasagne pasta
1. To begin, soak 400g of cashew nuts in kettle boiled water for 30 minutes, until soft. Then drain (carefully) into the sink using a colander.
2. Add into a pan with 250g of cornflour, 3 tablespoons of Apple cider vinegar (Aldi do a reasonably priced one!), 200ml of water, four cloves of garlic and a pinch of salt. Blitz (carefully) with a food processor until smooth. Add 250ml almond milk and simmer on a low heat until thickened, then set aside.
3. Chop and fry two whole onions in a pan with three cloves of garlic until softened – no vampires here!
4. Add two tablespoons of tomato purée and a pinch of oregano/Italian herb mix. Next add a 250ml glass of red wine (Aldi Animus is £5 and works a treat here!) and continue to stir until the wine evaporates like a ghost!
5. Add a tin of chopped tomatoes, 250ml of passata, a handful of sliced black olives and two teaspoons of capers.
6. Slice thick chunks of aubergine and courgette – griddle until cooked through.
7. Baste your lasagne dish with a little olive oil and begin with the cashew béchamel sauce, then add the first layer of lasagne sheets. Add the tomato sauce layer, followed by stripes of courgettes and aubergine. Add another layer of béchamel sauce and top with a lasagne sheet. Finish with a final layer of cashew béchamel sauce on top.
8. Cover the lasagne dish with foil and bake for 45 minutes – for best results, make the night before to allow the tomato sauce to soak into the pasta.
What to drink…
Alcohol: I mean, it would be inappropriate to drink anything other than a Bloody Mary on Halloween.
Alcohol-free: Halloween Punch – a fruity classic you can enjoy throughout the night (if you make it past the first horror movie that is).
What to listen to…
Spotify: ‘Ultimate Halloween’ – for lovers of spooky pop bops and old classics.
Apple Music: ‘Halloween After Dark’ – some grungy rock jams to bang your head away to.
Amazon Music: ‘Haunting Themes’ – the absolute classic movie themes, from The Rocky Horror Picture Show to Stranger Things.
What to play…
A good Zoom party isn’t complete without a host of good online games.
Among us has taken the world by storm, and it might just be the simplest and most fun game you can play with your friends in the digital sphere. For the uninitiated, it’s a murder mystery detective-style game set in space, where you hunt down the “impostors” who are sabotaging your group. Play online for free on your phone, or you can pay for the PC version. You can play with up to 10 players at a time in a private server until your hearts are content, and you’ve discovered the sneaky impostors in your group.
Escape rooms have taken a digital form lately, and there’s one out there for every interest. Try the Hogwarts Digital Escape Room, or Minecraft Escape Room. Just share your screen with the rest of the Zoom call, and solve your way out of the themed riddles.
Cluedo – It will set you back £3.99 but might just be worth it! You can play this old classic privately with a group of friends or join a larger online server. There’s also an exclusive Halloween ‘Vampire Castle’ theme for free until the 1st of November.
What to watch…
Once the drinks have settled in and you’re ready to snuggle up in bed, might as well join your friends for a viewing party. Extensions such as ‘Teleparty’ (formerly known as ‘Netflix Party’), allow you to stream a film or series at the same time as all your friends. It also provides a chat feature so you can all comment when a jump scare eventually gets you (don’t lie, you know it will).
We suggest some modern classics…
The Conjuring (2013) – The horror movie inspired on the real lives of ‘demonologists’ Ed and Lorraine Warren will shake you to the core. It is the first of a franchise that has given us films like Annabelle and The Nun.
Hereditary (2018)– This might just possibly be the weirdest film every made. It isn’t your classic horror movie, but it sure does provide you with an eerie, uncomfortable feeling from start to end (note: THE ENDING).
Unfriended (2014) – This will feel very topical… Watching a horror film unravel on a Skype call when you’re on a Zoom call will definitely get your heart rate going. Maybe keep your lights on for this one.
Some familiar classics…
The Addams Family (1991) – Many of us grew up with this comedic, spooky masterpiece. Wednesday Adams is a whole mood.
Dark Shadows (2012) – Another Tim Burton, this time with humans. Not too creepy, just guaranteed fun for everyone.
The Corpse Bride (2005) – Tim Burton’s beautiful animated film. Although it is ever so slightly creepy, it’s more about love than anything else.
Photo credits (in order)
Alexas Fotos @ Pixabay
J4p4n @ Openclipart
Clker-Free-Vector-Images @ Pixabay
Axel795 @ Pixabay
