Witchin’ in the Kitchen at the Bubbling Cauldron

I’m a few days late but the Yuletide edition of the Seasonal Kitchen is up for your perusal!

Each year since 2003 I have assembled a list of cookies to bake for the Yuletide season. 13 different types to represent the lunar year.

Here is this year’s list Yule Cookies 2008

1-1/2 cups Boiling Water
1 cup Oats, Rolled, Regular Old fashioned
3/4 cup Molasses
3 Tb Vegetable Oil
2 tsp Sea Salt
1 Tb Yeast, Active Dry
2 cups Water, lukewarm
1 cup White Bean Flour
7 cups Whole Wheat Flour

Place rolled oats in a large bowl; pour boiling water over oats and let stand 30 minutes.
Add molasses, oil and salt.
Dissolve yeast in warm water and add to oat mixture. Beat well, add bean flour.
Work in enough whole wheat flour to make a medium-soft dough.
Turn out onto a floured board and knead until smooth, about 10 minutes.
Put dough in an oiled bowl, turning to coat.
Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Divide and shape into 2 loaves and place in loaf pans that have been sprayed with nonstick vegetable coating.
Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Place pans on middle rack of oven and bake for 10 minutes.
Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the loaves sound hollow when tapped.
Cool on wire racks.
Brush tops of loaves with butter for a soft crust (optional).

Yield: 2 loaves (approx. 1 lb each)

It’s up a week early…woohoo! enjoy!

Seasonal Kitchen

Seasonal Kitchen enjoy!! I have to get cracking on August’s recipes, this is where the recipe creating really takes off…woohoo!

also including an bonus, I whipped some of this up last night to toss in with pasta for the wee one and fresh greens for me. yum.

Garlic Scape Pesto

1 c. garlic scapes, roughly chopped
1/2 c. olive oil (more as needed)
1/2 c. nuts-walnuts, almonds or pine nuts
1/2 c. parmesan (asiago is strong but would work well as a half and half blend with parmesan)

Whizz all the above ingredients in a food processor until paste-like in consistency. Add additional olive oil to make it a smooth paste. For best flavor, store in a sealed container and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.

While this site is sadly neglected these days I can be found writing for the Seasonal Kitchen column at The Pagan Activist

I have this year’s list of thirteen up, a few old favorites have returned as requested by family members.

Yule Cookies 2007

4-6 chicken breasts
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cups fresh button mushrooms
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp thyme
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup Marsala wine
1/4 cup half-and-half or light cream
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Heat oil in a skillet and brown chicken breasts on each side; remove
from pan and allow chicken to drain on paper towels.

Add mushrooms, garlic, thyme, salt, pepper, and chicken broth to
skillet, and cook over medium heat for several minutes.

Return chicken to skillet. Add wine and cover. Cook over low-medium
heat for 30 minutes. Add half-and-half and parsley and serve.

source: unknown

Pan Roasted Chicken with Rosemary and Garlic

4 Chicken breast, skin on
6 tablespoons Garlic Rosemary-Butter (recipe follows)
4 small onions
1 large carrot
4 small red potatoes, blanched
2 oz small green beans
4 oz white wine
4 oz chicken stock
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Garlic Rosemary Butter
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon rosemary, chopped
2 tablespoon roasted garlic, chopped

Peel the garlic and place on a non-stick tray in 450 degree oven for about 10 minutes until golden. Remove tray and let cool. When garlic is cool to the touch, chop finely. Soften butter to room temperature. Combine the garlic and the rosemary with the butter and hold at room temperature until needed.

Loosen the skin from the breast, place 1 1/2 tablespoon of garlic-rosemary butter under the skin and spread throughout. Season the meat side with salt and pepper and reserve. Clean, peel, and cut the carrot in 1 inch pieces. Cut the potatoes into quarters. Peel the onions, keep the core attached and cut in half. Rinse and trim the green beans.

Place 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat, when the oil is very hot, place the breast in the pan, skin side down, and cook for 1 minute. Turn over the chicken and add the carrots, potatoes, and onions, cover and place in a pre-heated 400 degree oven. Cook for 7-9 minutes until chicken has an internal temperature of 140 degrees. Remove pan from the oven.

Remove the chicken from the pan, and return the pan to high heat. Add the green beans and deglaze the pan with wine and chicken stock. Let the liquids cook until reduced by 3/4 . Remove the vegetables, pull the pan off the heat and incorporate the butter.

Place the vegetables and the chicken on the plate, pour pan sauce over the chicken, garnish with the rosemary spring and serve.

Yields 4 servings

4 (5 oz.) chicken breasts
1/4 C. raspberry preserves
2 tsp. vegetable oil
1/4 C. red wine
1/4 C. chicken stock
Jerk Seasoning

Jerk Seasoning
2 T. brown sugar
2 T. kosher salt
1 T. onion powder
1 T. granulated garlic
1 T. dried thyme
1 T. cracked pepper
2 tsp. ground coriander
2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground allspice

Mix Jerk Seasoning and rub chicken breasts using about half the seasoning. Let marinate for 2 to 3 hours.

Heat oil over medium heat and sauté chicken until browned and cooked about halfway (4 minutes per side).

Add red wine and let reduce until almost dry, then add stock and preserves. Continue cooking until chicken is done and the raspberry sauce has thickened slightly (another 4 or 5 minutes).

Serve with roasted potatoes or rice and black beans.

Stuffing:
1 1/2c. low sodium chicken broth
3 tsp olive oil
1c. couscous
1 med sweet red pepper, cored & diced
1 med. yellow onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4c. snipped fresh chives, minced basil or parsley
3TB grated Parmesan
1 small roasting chicken (3lbs)

IN a small saucepan, combine broth and 1tsp oil. Bring to a boil over moderate high heat and stir in couscous. Remove from heat and let stand covered 10 minutes.

HEAT remaining 2 tsp of oil in skillet over moderate heat. Add next 5 ingredients, cook 5 minutes or until soft. Transfer the mixture to large bowl, add couscous, chives, cheese and mix.

HEAT oven to 350* Spoon 1cup into cavity of chicken (which has been rinsed with cold water and patted dry). Put remaining stuffing in lightly greased gratin dish, cover with foil.

ROAST chicken, basting every 15 minutes, for 1-1 1/4 hr or until juices run clear when thigh is pricked.

Bake stuffing last 30 minutes

12g. fat
493 calories

Serves 8 to 10
The pomegranate glaze makes for a beautiful, burnished bird. This
turkey is delicious stuffed with Corn Bread, Wild Mushroom, and Pecan
Stuffing or Classic Stuffing.

1 12-to-14-pound fresh turkey
2 onions, cut into wedges
3 carrots, peeled and cut into 6-inch lengths
3 stalks celery, cut into 6-inch lengths
3 parsnips, peeled and cut into 6-inch lengths
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
4 pomegranates
1 quart Homemade Chicken Stock, or canned low-sodium chicken broth,
skimmed of fat
3 tablespoons red currant jelly
2 to 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cognac

1. Heat oven to 425°. Rinse turkey breast; pat dry. Rub breast
with salt and pepper.

2. Arrange vegetables in a large, heavy roasting pan, making sure
that the vegetables are more or less flat in the bottom of the pan.

3. Truss legs together with kitchen twine, if desired. Rub the
bird with butter, and place on bed of vegetables in roasting pan.

4. Roast turkey for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°, loosely cover
bird with an aluminum-foil tent, if necessary, and continue roasting,
basting every half hour with the juices in the pan

5. Meanwhile, slice pomegranates in half crosswise. Using a hand-
held wooden lemon reamer or manual juicer, collect the juice in a
small bowl. Strain juice through a sieve lined with cheesecloth.
Combine juice and 1 cup of the stock in a small saucepan. Cook over
high heat until mixture is reduced enough to coat the back of a
spoon, about 20 minutes. Stir in currant jelly. Set aside.

6. When a meat thermometer placed between breast and thigh reads
170°, remove turkey from oven (the total cooking time to this point
should be about 3 hours and 15 minutes). Discard aluminum-foil tent,
and brush bird evenly and smoothly with pomegranate reduction. Lower
temperature to 325°, return bird to oven, and continue roasting for 5
minutes. Brush again with pomegranate reduction, and roast for 5 to
10 minutes more. Do not allow glaze to burn.

7. Remove from oven, let cool slightly, and transfer to serving
plate. Let turkey rest for 20 minutes before carving.

8. Remove vegetables from roasting pan with a slotted spoon,
transfer to a food processor, and process until smooth.

9. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the drippings in pan,
reserving juices in a fat separator or Pyrex measuring cup; discard
fat that rises to the top. Place pan over medium-low heat, and add
flour, working it in with a wooden spoon until mixture is smooth. Add
3 tablespoons of the puréed cooking vegetables to pan, and stir until
smooth. (Remaining purée can be served as an additional side dish or
discarded.)

10. Add cognac to pan, and stir with a wooden spoon to loosen any
particles on the bottom. Continue cooking slowly over medium-low
heat. Stir constantly while adding degreased pan juices and the
remaining 3 cups stock. Raise heat to medium high, and cook until the
gravy thickens, 10 to 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and
pepper. Serve in a gravy boat alongside turkey.

2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/2 pound sliced fresh mushrooms
salt and pepper
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced
1 9-ounce package frozen artichoke hearts, defrosted, or 1 14-ounce can artichoke hearts, well drained
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon flour
Cooked white rice
Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Heat butter or margarine in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and saute until golden brown. Remove from skillet. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Add chicken pieces to remaining butter in saucepan and saute until browned on all sides and nearly cooked through. Return mushrooms to skillet and add artichoke hearts, white wine and chicken broth, stirring well and scraping bottom of pan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and stir in curry powder. Whisk the flour into the sour cream and add to chicken mixture over low heat, being careful not to boil. Heat, stirring often, until heated through. Serve over hot cooked rice and garnish with chopped parsley.
Makes 6 servings.
Note: The recipe can be prepared ahead and refrigerated in a greased casserole dish, tightly covered in plastic wrap. Uncover and reheat in a 300 degree oven for 20 minutes before serving.

10 ounce package of Chinese egg noodles
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 scallions or green onions, finely chopped
1 inch piece of fresh ginger root, peeled and grated
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon hot paprika
1 teaspoon ground cilantro or parsley
3 boneless chicken breasts, sliced
4 ounces snow peas, tops and tails trimmed
4 ounces baby corn
8 ounces fresh bean sprouts
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil over a medium-high heat setting. Add the Chinese egg noodles and cook as directed on the package. Drain the noodles, cover, and keep them warm. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a wok or a heavy skillet over a medium heat setting. Add the scallions and sauté for about a minute, until fragrant. Add the ginger, garlic, paprika, ground cilantro or parsley, and chicken to the oil and stir fry for about 4 minutes, until the thickest portion of chicken is cooked through. Add the snow peas, baby corn, and bean sprouts to the top layer of the wok or skillet and briefly steam to warm through. Then toss all the ingredients together and begin to blend the mixture. Finally, stir in the cooked noodles. In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, lemon juice, cornstarch, and sugar. Add the mixture to the wok and simmer briefly, tossing the ingredients until the sauce thickens a bit. Serve warm, topped with a sprinkling of sliced scallions, if desired.

1 small onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 1/2 cups sauvignon blanc or other dry white wine
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 cups chicken broth
Salt and pepper
2 cups peeled, seeded and chopped fresh tomatoes
1/4 cup butter ( 1/2 stick)
2 tablespoons virgin olive oil
1/3 cup thinly sliced basil leaves

Combine onion, garlic and wine and bring to simmer. Carefully ignite fumes of wine (if flame blows out, reduce stove-top heat). When flame subsides, pour into noncorrosive container large enough to contain breast pieces without overlapping. Chill. Add breasts to cold marinade; they should be completely covered. Cover and refrigerate 24 to 36 hours.
Remove chicken breasts from marinade and set them aside. Strain liquid into small saucepan. Bring gently to simmer; do not allow mixture to boil. Skim surface of anything that floats to top. Continue simmering and skimming until wine is clear; this will take at least 20 minutes. Add chicken broth to wine and, skimming as it cooks, reduce gently to 1/2 cup. This will take about 45 minutes.
Remove chicken breasts from liquid and season them with salt and pepper to taste at least 5 minutes before cooking, then grill over medium-high heat until cooked through but still moist inside, 5 to 6 minutes a side. Add tomatoes to reduced wine and broth, bring to simmer and stir in butter by the tablespoon until incorporated. Add oil. Add basil leaves. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide sauce among 4 plates and top with grilled chicken breast.