Halloween themed appetizer – Beet and Cucumber rolls

Halloween, I like to think of it as remembering the dead, decorating with pumpkins and Jack o lanterns, go trick or treating and also having some delicious Fall food. I must admit that I get pretty grossed out with bloody stuff, creepy crawly scary stuff that are displayed during this time. Any look alike spooky food does not say anything appetizing to me. Sorry, if u are going to hate me for that 🙂

Growing up, Halloween was not part of my life nor wearing costumes. Other than for fancy dress it was not allowed nor heard of in those days. Though we do have dedicated days for remembering the dead in a very pious way, doing prayers, rituals and of course feasting in their name.
But then in those days we had our own ways of entertainment even without the costume.

My cousin had this habit of playing pranks on me all the time. He is quite older than me but I would hang around with him all the time. He used to make many craft items with crab shells,coconut shell etc in his free time.One evening he was cleaning tapioca /yucca root. I was standing next to him and bothering him with  questions as to what he was going to make out of this. On hearing that he took a piece of the white and pink peel of yucca cleaned it and cut it neatly to look like dentures.He gave it to me and dared me saying if u can put it and go to school tomorrow I will give it to you.   (Readers are allowed to guess my age but not iq here :)))    He also said u should show it to ur class teacher too. I asked him how he will know if I really did it. He chuckled and said I will come to know all that  by tomorrow evening. I kept wondering if R.Batra and V.Bhakshi were spies appointed by him in my class.

Anyway I did a rehearsal with the dentures in front of the mirror, it looked quite funny so I thought of taking it to school the next day. It was show time from morning in school. Most kids giggled some one even asked me if it was a bandage. By then the tattle tellers R.B and V.B were already chanting the mantra – I will tell to teacher ..I will tell to teacher……bad girls I thought in my mind.

After the assembly Mrs J tr came to class, as usual she started the attendance and I decided to go near her and give her my attendance with a personal denture smile. Oh! u should have seen J tr’s  face when I showed her my pearly white scary denture smile. As I was walking towards the table the class became silent, I could hear my heart was pounding in my ears but now there is no going back.  She stared at me for sometime thinking I had broken my teeth or something. She kept asking me if I was alright but I could not reply one word because my mouth was full with the tapioca peel. Only thing I could do is stick out my tongue. Thank goodness she laughed but she reported it to my mom.

Mom was fuming by evening and I knew I was in trouble. She scolded me saying I could have been expelled from school and finally asked who gave me the dentures I lifted my right arm and pointed straight at him he cringed on the prank back firing and mom became a tornado type 3 and rushed towards him thus I was spared. :))

Now, as I rolled the cucumber my daughter commented these look like ‘dentures’ I could not help but crack up thinking of those days. :))

Ingredients: (to make filling)
Beetroot – 2 small
Red Onion – 1/2 chopped finely
Lime juice – 1 tbsp
Cilantro /Parsley – few strands chopped
Garlic & Parsley powder – 1/2 tsp
Cumin powder-1/2 tsp (optional)
Salt and pepper  to taste
Cream cheese – 1 tbsp (crumbled feta cheese also works)

Method:
Cut beetroot into thin strips or grate or chop coarsely and cook until tender adding half glass water.Make sure all the water dries up and switch off flame and let it cool down.
Meanwhile add lime juice to chopped onion and let it marinate and become tender and pink.
Mix the onion with cilantro garlic&parsley powder ,cumin powder,cream cheese salt and pepper.

To make rolls: 
Cucumber- 1 (Persian with more seeds the better) I have used the regular ones.I got 12 slices with seeds seen in the middle. I patted  dry the remaining end pieces thoroughly with a paper napkin, chopped it finely and added to the filling.
Cream cheese -1 tbsp

Wash and cut off the ends of the cucumber.
Slice the cucumber in a mandolin/ veg peeler  (or if small cucumber is used then a potato peeler should work) into thin long strips. Pat the strips dry with a paper towel and put 3/4 th tsp of filling on each strip and little bit cream cheese on the end of it . Roll the cucumber and press gently so the cream cheese glues the end and lay the roll flat. If you plan to keep the roll upright then use a toothpick at the seam to secure it well.(I have not used here)
Note:
If u like roasted beet  feel free to use that instead cooking on stove top.
Do not roll too tightly as the filling will squeeze out.

Similar beet recipes:
Beet and Fig Salad
Beetroot Raita ( beet with yogurt)

Hope you like it
Meena

Here are more Halloween theme ideas from Food Network friends:
Feed Me Phoebe: 7 Frighteningly Healthy Halloween Recipes