Imbolc ~ Brigid's Day ~ Lemon Poppy Seed Melts

Imbolc... Midwinter, is celebrated halfway between Winter Solstice (Yule) and the Spring Equinox (Ostara), February 1st or 2nd in the Northern Hemisphere. It marks the beginning or return of Spring and is also known as Brigid's Day or the Feast of Light, The Feast of Saint Brigid and the Feast of Fire. Brigid is a Celtic Goddess of Fire, the Sun and the Hearth and represents the three aspects of the Goddess... Maiden, Mother, Crone however at Imbolc she is in her Maiden form. She is a powerful shapeshifter and has appeared as a pillar of fire or a snake in some stories. 

Although there may be snow on the ground and chilly temperatures, the Sun begins to shine stronger. The warmer days of Spring lie ahead as the most difficult days of winter are over. Imbolc is a time for transformation, renewal and hope, as the Earth and Nature slowly begin to reawaken from their wintery slumber, so do we.

The word Imbolc means "in the belly of the Mother" because the seeds of Spring are beginning to stir in the belly of Mother Earth. These Lemon Poppy Seed Melts are perfect for honouring Brigid and celebrating Imbolc as they represent potential, new beginnings, inspiration and growth. 

Imbolc Lemon Poppy Seed Melts

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1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1 egg 

1 tablespoon milk

grated rind of 1 lemon

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1 cup sifted icing sugar

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Line a cookie tray with baking parchment paper. 

Beat the butter until fluffy, about 1 minute, on medium speed, if using an electric mixer. Add the sugar, poppyseed and baking soda and mix together with a wooden spoon. Beat in the egg, milk, grated lemon rind, and vanilla. Then stir in the flour.

Roll the dough into balls, no larger then a walnut, and place on the prepared cookie tray, flour the tines of a fork and gently press the dough balls down. Pop the tray into the fridge for about 10 to 15 minutes, to firm up the dough slightly before placing in the oven to bake.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 7 to 9 minutes.

Sift the icing sugar and put it in a plastic bag. When cookies are done and are still warm, put them in the bag with the icing sugar and shake gently to coat. Place cookies on a wire rack to cool and once completely cooled give them another shake in the bag for a second coat of icing sugar. 

Food Photo of the Day ~ Pan - Fried Potatoes

 

Pan-fried potatoes are fabulous way to make use up potatoes and create a simple savoury side dish. My mum would make pan-fried potatoes quite frequently as it was a way to stretch out a meal and ensure everything was used up whether it be leftovers or remaining vegetables lay about.

Simple boil the potatoes whole, with the skins on, until just tender. Drain and allow to cool a bit so you can slice and handle them without burning yourself. Slice and place the slices in a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and seasoning. Warm a frypan over medium-high heat and place the sliced potatoes in the frypan carefully and fry until golden, turning slices over to evenly brown both sides. You can do this with leftover potatoes, you won't have to toss them in olive oil; just melt a pat of butter in the frying pan to flavour and warm them up sufficiently. 

Keema Curry with Ground Beef and Peas

Keema Curry is a comfort food recipe that I keep coming back to. I have tried a few recipes and this one is quite flavourful and most of the ingredients I seem to always have on hand. Traditionally, Keema is an Indian dish made with ground beef or lamb simmered with peas, potatoes, tomatoes, coconut milk and spices. Keema may be prepared with just peas, Keema matar, or potatoes, Keema aloo, and sometimes both. 

Here I made it with just peas, as I didn't have any potatoes, however you may add oven roasted potatoes when adding the peas to this recipe or try adding roasted cauliflower instead. I know that will slightly change the recipe however there is no shame in using what you have on hand as you can see from the photo, I garnished with grated fresh carrots and chopped green onions, instead of the lime and cilantro due to supply issues at the store I went to.

Keema Curry with Ground Beef and Peas

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1 lbs minced beef

1 large onion, diced

1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

3 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons curry powder

1 teaspoon garam masala

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1  x 14 oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes

1 x 14 oz can unsweetened coconut milk

1/2 cup frozen peas

fresh lime juice, to taste when serving

fresh cilantro for garnish, optional

Notes: If adding potatoes, prep and bake the potatoes first and as they roast continue with the rest of the recipe... 

Dice 2 large potatoes into cubes and toss them in 1 tablespoon olive oil. Spread the diced potatoes onto a parchment line baking sheet and roast in a 425ºF oven for 20 to 25 minutes, turning once half way through to ensure even roasting and a lovely golden brown colour.    

Heat a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add the minced beef and cook, stirring frequently to break up the pieces, until no longer pink, for about 6 to 8 minutes.

Add the onion, ginger and garlic. Sauté the ingredients and stir frequently until the onion softens and turns translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add the salt and pepper, curry powder, garam masala, turmeric and tomato paste. Stir  together until the spices are fragrant and the tomato paste is worked into the beef, about 1 minute.

Add the fire roasted tomatoes and coconut milk. Give everything a goos stir. Bring the liquid to a boil, the  reduce to medium-low. Simmer and stirring occasionally, until the curry thickens, about 10 minutes.

Stir in the frozen peas and or roasted potatoes, if using (see Notes above for potato prep and roasting instructions). Simmer until the peas are warmed through, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat. 

Serve over steamed rice in a bowl and sprinkle with lime juice and cilantro. 

Maple - Roast Parsnips... and Carrots

Taking the ordinary and making it sweetly extraordinary, this recipe is absolutely scrumptious and a glorious way to dress up a root vegetable. I made this recipe over the holidays and added carrots as I wanted to maximize and combine oven roasting vegetables to save time. I did not double the recipe and found there was enough glaze to handle the additional vegetable... approximately four largish carrots cut the same way as the parsnips. This recipe is definitely a recipe worth repeating, not just at holiday times but anytime! 

To find this recipe and other recipes visit Nigella's website at nigella.com

Maple - Roast Parsnips - Nigella Lawson

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Serves 8 to 10

2 pounds/1kg parsnips

1/2 cup/125ml/4 fl oz vegetable oil

1/3 cup/80ml/31/2 fl oz maple syrup 

1. Preheat the oven to 400˚F/200˚C/180˚C Fan/Gas mark 6.

2. Peel the parsnips and halve them crosswise, then halve or quarter each piece lengthwise. Place the parsnips into a roasting tin.

3. Pour the oil over the parsnips and mix them well so that the oil covers all of the pieces. Pour the maple syrup over the parsnips and roast for 35 minutes, or until they are tender and golden-brown. To serve place on a clean serving dish. 

Hummus

I come across a lot of hummus recipes and virtually all have the same ingredients. It seems what may set them apart has more to do with how much or how little of an ingredient is added or sometimes how that ingredient is prepared; roasted chickpeas or non roasted chickpeas, roasted garlic or non roasted garlic.  

One can understand why there are various recipes of hummus as the earliest account of a written recipe was recorded in a cookbook in Cairo in the 13th century. It's plausible that throughout the centuries this recipe could have slightly evolved and lent itself to interpretation depending on regional ingredients throughout the Middle East and other countries.

While trying different recipes, one thing is constant, texture and taste... the base notes of chickpea and tahini. By adding more garlic or lemon, spices or vegetables will enhance the flavour and naturally heightens the taste. This recipe is one of the more delicious hummus recipes I have tried, as I find it captures all the base notes and flavour with few ingredients.   

Hummus

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Serves 6

14 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1 tablespoon tahini

juice of 1 to 2 lemons

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper, to taste

pinch of paprika, for serving 

lemon thyme leaves, for serving  

Place drained chickpeas in the bowl of a food processor with the garlic and tahini. Process to chop roughly.

Add the juice of one lemon and process to combine. With the food processor's motor still running, slowly add the olive oil in a thin and steady stream until the mixture is a smooth paste. 

Season with the salt and pepper, to taste, and add more lemon juice if you like.

Spoon into a bowl and sprinkle with paprika. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice and lightly sprinkle with leaves of lemon thyme. Serve with pita bread. 

Winter Vegetable Stew

Reminiscent of a minestrone soup minus the pasta. The tomato herb soupy base is there as well as root vegetables and an ample amount of parsnips make this wintery stew hearty and substantial. 

  

Winter Vegetable Stew 

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Serves 4 to 6

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 leeks, trimmed and thinly sliced

4 parsnips, peeled and roughly chopped

2 celery ribs, roughly chopped

2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped

2 cups (500ml) low sodium vegetable stock

14 oz (410g) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

14 oz (410g) can low sodium diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 bay leaves

1 - 2 tablespoons dried oregano 

Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC) 

Heat oil in a large stockpot on medium-high heat. Sauté leek, rutabaga, celery, carrot and onion for about 4 to 5 minutes, until the onion is soft.

Add the vegetable stock, cannellini beans, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, soy sauce, bay leaves and oregano. Bring mixture to a boil, then transfer to a large casserole dish.

Bake, covered for about 20 minutes and then uncover and bake a further 10 minutes.

Serve with slices of rustic bread.  

Notes: you can use 2 rutabaga, peeled and roughly chopped, instead of parsnips.

New Year's Eve 2021 and New Year's Day 2022

 

New Years Eve was reflective and quiet. A simple snackette of vegetable spring rolls, carrot sticks and cherry tomatoes, devilled eggs, assorted meats and cheeses, dried fruit and nuts, olives, homemade hummus and pretzels, salty nibbles, chocolates and mince pies started our celebrations and toasted turkey sandwiches and champagne followed nicely. Although the city cancelled the fireworks display, periodically throughout the evening leading up to midnight you could hear fireworks going off throughout the city. We saw it to midnight and beyond recollecting the moments of the year that was and welcoming the start of a new year with fresh eyes. 

New Year's Day was equally reflective and quiet. The sunny skies that started the day seemed promising. We broke from our traditional ham dinner to enjoy a simple dinner of oven roasted chicken, seasoned rice, a spicy kale salad and carrots. Dessert was a seasonal whisky sponge cake. An evening walk was pleasant as the plummeting icy temperatures eased slightly making it a comfortable and refreshing winter walk. 

Peace, Happiness and Health and Happy New Year to all!