Beltane Quiche
Aloo Gobi Quiche
First you must prepare the aloo gobi.
You will need:
1 cauliflower or bag of frozen florets (easiest option)
4 potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 onion diced
1 teaspoon garlic paste
1 teaspoon ginger paste
½ teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon chili powder or 2 fresh chilis, minced
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 tablespoon oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Begin by heating the oil and frying the onions 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, chili and spices. Stir and fry 3-4 more minutes. Add the potatoes and cauliflower florets (wait a while if using frozen cauliflower, or lightly steam the potatoes first) and some water. Reduce the heat, cover and allow this to cook until the veggies are tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Take off the lid and let any extra moisture evaporate.
Now, on to the quiche part. You may certainly use prepared pie crust, but make sure you blind bake it at 375 for about 10 minutes. Poke holes into the crust with a fork, lay on a sheet of buttered parchment, and top with some beans to weigh things down so the crust doesn’t get puffy.
Take the crust out of the oven, remove the pie weight, and add the aloo gobi filling. In another bowl or blender, mix 4 eggs with about ¼ cup cream. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour this mixture over the filling and bake until set, 20-30 minutes. Check it after 20.
If you’re not a fan of Indian food, I would recommend a spinach quiche instead. Serve it with a nice salad of cucumber, tomato and onion, some asparagus with a mustard-dill vinaigrette, and round out the meal with the beautiful coconut cake.
For the asparagus, steam until just tender and then plunge the spears into an ice water bath to stop the cooking. Toss the chilled, drained asparagus with the following:
1 1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup Dijon mustard
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper and salt to taste
1 teaspoon fresh snipped dill
Combine everything but the oil in a bowl and slowly whisk in the oil. Toss with the asparagus and chill before serving. You can also add some small tomatoes to this salad, and even some feta cheese if you are so inclined.
First you must prepare the aloo gobi.
You will need:
1 cauliflower or bag of frozen florets (easiest option)
4 potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 onion diced
1 teaspoon garlic paste
1 teaspoon ginger paste
½ teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon chili powder or 2 fresh chilis, minced
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 tablespoon oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Begin by heating the oil and frying the onions 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, chili and spices. Stir and fry 3-4 more minutes. Add the potatoes and cauliflower florets (wait a while if using frozen cauliflower, or lightly steam the potatoes first) and some water. Reduce the heat, cover and allow this to cook until the veggies are tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Take off the lid and let any extra moisture evaporate.
Now, on to the quiche part. You may certainly use prepared pie crust, but make sure you blind bake it at 375 for about 10 minutes. Poke holes into the crust with a fork, lay on a sheet of buttered parchment, and top with some beans to weigh things down so the crust doesn’t get puffy.
Take the crust out of the oven, remove the pie weight, and add the aloo gobi filling. In another bowl or blender, mix 4 eggs with about ¼ cup cream. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour this mixture over the filling and bake until set, 20-30 minutes. Check it after 20.
If you’re not a fan of Indian food, I would recommend a spinach quiche instead. Serve it with a nice salad of cucumber, tomato and onion, some asparagus with a mustard-dill vinaigrette, and round out the meal with the beautiful coconut cake.
For the asparagus, steam until just tender and then plunge the spears into an ice water bath to stop the cooking. Toss the chilled, drained asparagus with the following:
1 1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup Dijon mustard
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper and salt to taste
1 teaspoon fresh snipped dill
Combine everything but the oil in a bowl and slowly whisk in the oil. Toss with the asparagus and chill before serving. You can also add some small tomatoes to this salad, and even some feta cheese if you are so inclined.
Beltane Sabbat: May 1st 2013
Beltane Bannock
In parts of Scotland, the Beltane bannock is a popular custom. It's said that if you eat one on Beltane morning, you'll be guaranteed abundance for your crops and livestock. Traditionally, the bannock is made with animal fat (such as bacon grease), and it is placed in a pile of embers, on top of a stone, to cook in the fire. Once it's blackened on both sides, it can be removed, and eaten with a blend of eggs and milk. This recipe doesn't require you to build a fire, and you can use butter instead of fat.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Ingredients:
• 1 1/2 C oatmeal
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1 Tbs. butter
• 1/2 cup hot water
Preparation:
Combine oatmeal, salt and baking soda in a bowl. Melt the butter, and drizzle it over the oats. Add the water, and stir the mix until it forms a stiff dough. Turn the dough out on a sheet of wax paper and knead thoroughly.
Separate the dough into two equal portions, and roll each one into a ball. Use a rolling pin to make a flat pancake that is about ¼" thick. Cook your oatcakes on a griddle over medium heat until they are golden brown. Cut each round into quarters to serve.
Traditionally, the Beltane bannock would have been made with meat fat, such as bacon grease, instead of butter. You can use this if you prefer.
The Green Man is an archetype often represented at Beltane. He is the spirit of the forest, the lusty fertility God of the woodlands. He is Puck, Jack in the Green, Robin of the Woods. For your Beltane celebrations, why not put together a cake honoring him? This spice cake is easy to bake, and uses a delicious cream cheese frosting and rolled fondant to create the image of the Green Man himself. This recipe makes either one 9 x 13" sheet cake, or 2 8-inch rounds.
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Ingredients:
• 2 1/2 C all-purpose flour
• 1/4 C cornstarch
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• 1 C milk
• 3 eggs
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp rum-flavored extract
• 1 C butter, softened (don't use margarine)
• 2 C firmly packed brown sugar
• 2 packages cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 C butter, softened
• 2 C confectioner's sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 package white fondant
• Green food coloring
• Leaf-shaped cutters
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350, and lightly grease and flour your cake pan. Mix all dry ingredients together in a large bowl and blend well. In another bowl, combine milk, eggs, vanilla and rum extracts together.
Add the softened butter to the flour mixture, and beat until it forms a clumpy sort of dough. Gradually add the liquid mixture in, blending it a little at a time until all the milk mixture has been combined with the flour mixture. Beat until completely smooth, and then add the brown sugar. Mix for another thirty seconds or so. Scoop batter into the pan and spread evenly.
Bake for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before removing from pan. Once you have it out of the pan, you can begin frosting the cake.
To make the cream cheese frosting, combine the cream cheese and the butter in a bowl, mixing well. Add the vanilla extract. Finally, stir in the confectioner's sugar and blend it in. Spread this evenly over the cake, and allow it to sit for an hour or so to firm up.
To make the Green Man himself, you'll need green fondant. If you've never worked with fondant before, it can be a little tricky, but with some practice you'll be able to use it easily. Roll out the fondant and knead it into a ball. Add the green food coloring in very small amounts and blend it in, until you've got the shade of green you want.
Roll the fondant out until it's about 1/8" thick. Use the leaf-shaped cookie cutters to cut out different sized leaves. Score lines on them, to look live leafy veins. Place them on top of the frosted cake and press in place, layering them to form a Green Man. Roll two small pieces into balls, flatten them down, and put them in to create eyeballs in amongst the leaves. Reminder - fondant tends to dry quickly once it's rolled out, so only cut off small pieces. The cake in the photo was made using a block of fondant about the size of a package of cream cheese.
Tip: if you're in a hurry, or you're not much of a baker, you can use any boxed spice cake mix. Also, if you have dietary restrictions, you can use other spice cake recipes, such as a Gluten free recipe.
Wild Sage Bread
1 pkg dry yeast
1 cup sunflower seeds
2 egg
1 tablespoon Butter
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 tea baking soda
1/4 c lukewarm water
1 tea salt
2 1/2 cups flour
8 teaspoons crushed dried wild sage
Mix all dry ingredients together thoroughly. Dissolve yeast in
lukewarm water. Beat together egg and cheese until smooth, add melted
shortening and yeast.
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, adding flour mixture slowly and
beating vigorously after each addition until stiff dough is formed. Cover
dough with cloth and let rise in a warm place for an hour or until double in
bulk. Punch dough down, knead for one minute and put into buttered pan or
casserole. Cover and let rise for 40 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.
Brush top with melted shortening and sprinkle with crushed, roasted pinon nuts or coarse salt.
In parts of Scotland, the Beltane bannock is a popular custom. It's said that if you eat one on Beltane morning, you'll be guaranteed abundance for your crops and livestock. Traditionally, the bannock is made with animal fat (such as bacon grease), and it is placed in a pile of embers, on top of a stone, to cook in the fire. Once it's blackened on both sides, it can be removed, and eaten with a blend of eggs and milk. This recipe doesn't require you to build a fire, and you can use butter instead of fat.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Ingredients:
• 1 1/2 C oatmeal
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1 Tbs. butter
• 1/2 cup hot water
Preparation:
Combine oatmeal, salt and baking soda in a bowl. Melt the butter, and drizzle it over the oats. Add the water, and stir the mix until it forms a stiff dough. Turn the dough out on a sheet of wax paper and knead thoroughly.
Separate the dough into two equal portions, and roll each one into a ball. Use a rolling pin to make a flat pancake that is about ¼" thick. Cook your oatcakes on a griddle over medium heat until they are golden brown. Cut each round into quarters to serve.
Traditionally, the Beltane bannock would have been made with meat fat, such as bacon grease, instead of butter. You can use this if you prefer.
The Green Man is an archetype often represented at Beltane. He is the spirit of the forest, the lusty fertility God of the woodlands. He is Puck, Jack in the Green, Robin of the Woods. For your Beltane celebrations, why not put together a cake honoring him? This spice cake is easy to bake, and uses a delicious cream cheese frosting and rolled fondant to create the image of the Green Man himself. This recipe makes either one 9 x 13" sheet cake, or 2 8-inch rounds.
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Ingredients:
• 2 1/2 C all-purpose flour
• 1/4 C cornstarch
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• 1 C milk
• 3 eggs
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp rum-flavored extract
• 1 C butter, softened (don't use margarine)
• 2 C firmly packed brown sugar
• 2 packages cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 C butter, softened
• 2 C confectioner's sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 package white fondant
• Green food coloring
• Leaf-shaped cutters
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350, and lightly grease and flour your cake pan. Mix all dry ingredients together in a large bowl and blend well. In another bowl, combine milk, eggs, vanilla and rum extracts together.
Add the softened butter to the flour mixture, and beat until it forms a clumpy sort of dough. Gradually add the liquid mixture in, blending it a little at a time until all the milk mixture has been combined with the flour mixture. Beat until completely smooth, and then add the brown sugar. Mix for another thirty seconds or so. Scoop batter into the pan and spread evenly.
Bake for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before removing from pan. Once you have it out of the pan, you can begin frosting the cake.
To make the cream cheese frosting, combine the cream cheese and the butter in a bowl, mixing well. Add the vanilla extract. Finally, stir in the confectioner's sugar and blend it in. Spread this evenly over the cake, and allow it to sit for an hour or so to firm up.
To make the Green Man himself, you'll need green fondant. If you've never worked with fondant before, it can be a little tricky, but with some practice you'll be able to use it easily. Roll out the fondant and knead it into a ball. Add the green food coloring in very small amounts and blend it in, until you've got the shade of green you want.
Roll the fondant out until it's about 1/8" thick. Use the leaf-shaped cookie cutters to cut out different sized leaves. Score lines on them, to look live leafy veins. Place them on top of the frosted cake and press in place, layering them to form a Green Man. Roll two small pieces into balls, flatten them down, and put them in to create eyeballs in amongst the leaves. Reminder - fondant tends to dry quickly once it's rolled out, so only cut off small pieces. The cake in the photo was made using a block of fondant about the size of a package of cream cheese.
Tip: if you're in a hurry, or you're not much of a baker, you can use any boxed spice cake mix. Also, if you have dietary restrictions, you can use other spice cake recipes, such as a Gluten free recipe.
Wild Sage Bread
1 pkg dry yeast
1 cup sunflower seeds
2 egg
1 tablespoon Butter
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 tea baking soda
1/4 c lukewarm water
1 tea salt
2 1/2 cups flour
8 teaspoons crushed dried wild sage
Mix all dry ingredients together thoroughly. Dissolve yeast in
lukewarm water. Beat together egg and cheese until smooth, add melted
shortening and yeast.
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, adding flour mixture slowly and
beating vigorously after each addition until stiff dough is formed. Cover
dough with cloth and let rise in a warm place for an hour or until double in
bulk. Punch dough down, knead for one minute and put into buttered pan or
casserole. Cover and let rise for 40 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.
Brush top with melted shortening and sprinkle with crushed, roasted pinon nuts or coarse salt.