Kitchen Witchery Recipes
Welcome to the fall edition of Kitchen Witchery. This issue we are in the middle of the harvest season, neither summer nor winter, and reveling in the glory of the season. The air is cooling down, becoming a little crisp in the mornings, and harvest is in full swing. Food-wise I love this time of the year. Most of my favorite foods are out - apples, various berries, and nuts. And pumpkins! I love pumpkins in all their manifestations not to mention the delicious variety of recipes.
But fall is about more than just tasty food. For us Pagans there are many spiritual aspects to this time of the year, especially with the approach of Samhain. And following that, winter. Fall prepares us for these things through the harvest. And here I am talking physical, not mental or spiritual. The foods that reach their prime during this season are ones that give us what we need most to weather the oncoming cold and remain healthy. Fall foods boost our immune levels in many ways.
Rich in the antioxidant vitamins A, C, and E, these foods specifically help us heal, grow strong, and resist infection. Not to mention the protection they offer against damage from all those warm winter fires (smoke pollution) and toasty dining rooms (indoor heating pollution). So try and buy seasonal foods this fall and skip the imported out-of-season ones. Aside from suffering the effects of cold storage (not great for the nutritional or taste value) they aren't necessarily as beneficial for you. Although, naturally, any fruit and vegetable is better than none! And make sure you keep up the water intake to stay well hydrated and flush germs and toxins out of your system.
Think also about adding foods rich in iodine or iodized salt to your diet. These help the antioxidants combat the traditional lethargic, depressed moods of fall - especially in people prone to seasonal mood disorders. Try substituting seafood and salmon for red meat periodically during the week. If you go vegetarian, tofu and lentils are both good fall foods.
Some Fall Foods:
Apples, Blackberries, Chillies, Corn, Garlic, Mushrooms, Nuts, Onions, Pears, Pumpkins, Rice, Root vegetables, Seafoods, Seaweed, and Tomatoes.
Carrot-Ginger Salad
- 4 scallions, thinly sliced
- 3 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 6 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and fresh pepper to taste
- 10 oz shredded carrot
- 1 tbsp fresh grated ginger
- 1 stalk celery, thinly diced
- Mix the initial 4 ingredients thoroughly. Mix the last 3 ingredients. Toss the dressing through the salad. Chill 1 hour and serve.
Energy Bars
These are traditional in my harvest line-up. Raisins are little balls of sunlight, preserved to offer us energy throughout the cold winter. You can cut the raisins with other dried fruits, diced to a similar size. And of course the sunflower is a symbol of the sun - the seeds remain to remind us the sun will return next spring, just as the flower will germinate with his return.
- 4 egg whites
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 4 tsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 & 2/3 cups low-fat granola
- 1 cup raisins
- 3 tbsp toasted wheat germ
- 3 tbsp raw sunflower seeds
- 4 tsp sesame seeds
- Whisk egg and sugar until smooth, then mix in oil, cinnamon, and vanilla. Stir in the rest of the ingredients. Coat a 9x13 inch baking tray with non-stick cooking spray and pour in the mixture. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 300 degrees until golden. Cool for 5 minutes in the tray and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool. Slice into rectangles and store in an air-tight container.
Ginger Tea
Ginger tea is a marvelous drink to help keep the immune system healthy and to help defeat winter chills and ills.
- 1 inch of peeled ginger, sliced roughly
- 1 & 1/2 cups of water
- Boil covered for 8 minutes. Add a little honey and lemon to taste
Maple Glazed Chicken with Fall Vegetables
- 3lb skinless chicken pieces (breasts, thighs, and drumsticks)
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 3 cups roughly chopped root vegetables (carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, rutabaga, turnips, parsnips)
- 1 large onion, roughly chopped
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 1/2 C. chicken broth
- 1 Tbsp. butter
- 1/3 C. maple syrup
- Brush chicken with oil and arrange in a shallow baking pan. Place vegetables around chicken and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour broth over vegetables.
- Bake in a 425 degrees F oven for 20 minutes.
- Melt butter in a saucepan and stir in maple syrup. Brush over the chicken and vegetables and continue baking 30 minutes until chicken and vegetables are tender, brushing frequently with maple syrup mixture.
Marinated Mushrooms
Mushrooms are a very traditional fall food so I like to include them in my ritual meals. Here is a way to jazz them up a touch by adding raspberries
- Raspberry vinagrette
- Button mushrooms
- Raspberries
- Marinate the mushrooms for 20 minutes while preparing dinner. Mix with the raspberries and the toss through a green salad or serve as a side dish.
Mushrooms with Tomato Salad
- 5 large tomatoes, thickly sliced
- 1 cup white mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
- 4 green onions, thinly sliced
Dressing:
- 1/4 cup pure white vinegar
- 1-1/2 tsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp lemongrass, finely minced
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2-3 tsp curry powder
- 1 large clove garlic, finely minced
- 2 tbsp cilantro or basil, finely minced
- salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
- Fresh lemon zest and diced chives to taste
- Overlay sliced tomato in a deep-dish platter. Scatter the sliced mushrooms over the top and then sprinkle with the green onions
- Pour vinegar into a saucepan and add the brown sugar. Bring to the boil, remove from heat, stir in the lemongrass and let seep 1/2 hour. Strain out the lemongrass and discard. Whisk all remaining dressing ingredients (except the cilantro) into the vinegar and then gently stir in the cilantro. Pour this over the tomatoes
- Cover and refrigerate 4 hours. Drain half of the dressing off, sprinkle with lemon zest and chives, and serve
Pan-Seared Scallops
- 1 lb frozen scallops
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp Cajun seasoning
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 10 oz frozen spinach
- 1 tbsp water
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup cooked bacon, chopped
- Thaw scallops, rinse, and pat dry. Mix flour and seasoning in a baggie, add scallops, and toss. Then cook scallops in heated oil in a skillet until golden and opaque - turn once and remove from heat when cooked.
- Add spinach to skillet with water and cook, covered, until warmed through. Add vinegar and toss lightly. Stir in scallops and bacon.
- Then serve.
Pear Tart
- 15 oz cooked pear halves, thickly sliced
- 3/4 cups sliced blanched almonds
- 4 cup sugar
- 1 tsp each of sugar and cinnamon, mixed
- 1 eggs
- 1/2 stick of butter, softened
- 1/4 tsp vanilla essence
- 1/4 tsp almond essence
- 7 oz refrigerated pie crust (2 crusts)
- Blend almonds and sugar until it looks like breadcrumbs. Add the eggs, butter, and extracts and process until creamy. Chill.
- Line cookie sheets with baking paper. Roll out a pie crust to a 12 inch circle and centre on a cookie tray. Spoon the cream filling over the crust, leaving a 2 inch border. Top with the pears and then fold the edges up over the filling, pressing lightly into place. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the top. Bake at 400 degrees, middle shelf, until golden.
Shrimp with Cilantro Pesto
Pesto Dip:
- 2 Tbsp. pine nuts
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 C. fresh cilantro, chopped
- 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
- 2/3 C. grated parmesan
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/3 C. olive oil
- Fresh cracked pepper to taste
Shrimp:
- 1.5 tsp. olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1.5 lbs medium shrimp, peeled & deveined
- 1/4 C. fresh lemon juice
- Fresh cracked pepper to taste
- 1 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
- Puree all pesto ingredients, except oil and pepper, and then gradually add oil, blending until smooth. Add the pepper. Cover and chill overnight.
- Heat oil in a frypan and sautee the garlic for a few seconds and then add the shrimp. Cook for two minutes, turning once. Add the lemon juice and pepper and finish cooking. Toss with the cilantro and serve with the fresh chilled pesto.
Warming Pizza Panini
- 8 slices grained bread
- 1/2 C. pizza sauce
- 1 C. shredded mozzarella
- 1 C. fall vegetables - mushrooms, onion, garlic, grated pumpkin, etc, lightly sauteed
- 1/2 C. chopped cooked fall meat - ham, bacon, beef
- 4 tsp. Parmesan cheese
- Spoon the pizza sauce over all the slices of bread. Top 4 slices with the toppings and then the remaining bread. Place in sandwich grill and cook for 4 minutes. Serve
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