Beef Stroganoff

I have no idea where this recipe came from.  It is the recipe my mother used when we were growing up and every once in a while I crave it something terrible!  I use light sour cream and fat-free, low-sodium broth to attempt to make it better for the body.  I've also added mushrooms and rosemary to the original recipe for some depth and also, because I married an anti-onion person.  But I really miss the onions so sometimes I make it with the onions and pack it into lunch portions so I can enjoy it properly at the office :)

• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/2 pkg fresh mushrooms, cleaned & chopped
• 1 sprig rosemary
• salt & pepper to taste
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 1 lb think sliced sirloin beef, cut into 2 inch strips

• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1 can beef broth
• 1 8oz container sour cream
• 1 package wide egg noodles, cooked according to package directions

Melt 2 Tbsp butter and add onions, mushrooms and entire sprig of rosemary to pan.  Saute until onions are translucent.  Stir occasionally, pressing on the rosemary to release the flavor into the dish.  Add salt & pepper to taste at this stage.

Coat beef with flour and add to pan.  (I put the beef into a plastic bag, sprinkle the flour over the beef, and close the bag leaving as much as air as possible, then shake to coat.)

Quickly brown the beef and then remove beef mixture from pan and set aside.  You don't want to cook the meat all the way through as it will continue to cook a bit after you remove it from the pan.  You can remove
the rosemary sprig at this time.


Melt 2 Tbsp butter to any pan drippings, then whisk in 2 Tbsp flour.  You should have a thick paste in your pan. 
 

Whisk in 2 Tbsp tomato paste.  This will create a "blob" like below.

Then VERY slowly stir in the beef broth a wee bit at a time.  (The idea is to slowly thin out the flour mixture.  If you add too much broth too quickly, the flour mixture will break apart into small lumps and your sauce will not thicken.)  Let simmer 3-5 minutes.  Return beef to pan.

 Stir in sour cream.

 Cook an additional 2-3 minutes so that everything is warmed through.

 Spoon over egg noodles and enjoy!

Witch's Notes:  If you know me or have read any of my other blog you know that I am a bit of a magnet to spiritual energies.  Sometimes I can feel those energies building and know that they will soon try to get my attention in one way or another.  In learning about herbs it became apparent to me that I may crave dishes with onions and dig the flavor of rosemary for a reason.  It turns out, both are great for protection.  And it may be just a coincidence but after moving in with my now husband and excluding onions from our meals, the frequency of my experiences with spirits skyrocketed.  Other magickal properties that onion and rosemary have in common are exorcism, healing, lust, and help with sleep (prophetic dreams and peaceful sleep, respectively).

Pineapple Cognac Shrimp w/Risotto

Before we were married, my husband and I spent two weeks vacationing overseas.  He wanted to go to Italy and I wanted to go to Scotland so we did one week in each.  While in Italy we had this amazingly delicious meal of Pineapple Cognac Shrimp.  We even went back for seconds!  I have attempted to recreate this meal.  It's not the prettiest dish but I've got the flavors pretty close.  Suggestions for improvement are welcome!

Risotto

·         Arborio rice

·         ½ Cup Cognac

·         1½  Cup Pineapple juice

·         2-3 Cups stock (seafood, veggie, or chicken)

Shrimp

·         1 lb. shrimp, peeled & deveined

·         ½ Pineapple, cored and cut into bit-sized pieces

·         Olive oil

·         Salt & Pepper

Cognac Sauce

·         2 Tablespoons butter

·         1 large shallot, finely chopped

·         1 Tablespoon brown sugar

·         ½ Cup pineapple juice

·         1 Cup stock (seafood, veggie, or chicken)

·         1/3 Cup cognac

·         ¼ Cup cream

Cook the rice according to the instructions on the box using the liquids listed above.  Start with the cognac and juice and then move on to stock.  Use seafood stock if you can but veggie or chicken stock will work too.  (If you've never prepared risotto before, I suggest getting all your other ingredients measured out and and ready to go; peel and devein the shrimp ahead of time too.  The risotto needs near constant attention to cook.)

Melt butter over medium heat, sauté shallot until tender (3-5 minutes).  Add brown sugar; stir to dissolve.  Add juice, stock, and cognac.  Simmer to reduce down to ½ cup (15-20 minutes).  Stir in cream.

Just before the rice and sauce are ready, heat olive oil in a pan and then add the shrimp and pineapple.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cook the shrimp 3 minutes on each side or until no longer translucent.  Combine the pineapple, shrimp and sauce.  Serve with Risotto.

Witch's Notes:  With cognac, pineapple, and shrimp this dish has all the making for a romantic rendezvous.  Choose your spell's words carefully.  I suggest including a time frame.  Describe the tender romance or, if you prefer, an erotic experience for the evening or weekend.  Care not for the past, nor the future but for the time of this specific encounter.  You can always brew up another spell when the time is ideal for the next encounter.  Leaving it open ended could bring unwanted attention or worse so remember, as with any spell, be careful what you wish for.  Enjoy and have fun!

Orange Rosemary Shortbread Cookies

Ever notice how pot lucks usually end up with a table full of store bought sweets and multi-layered Mexican dips?  It can be difficult to bring warm dishes to a pot luck if it is outdoors or in a small space with limited access to power outlets.  I decided I would make a savory shortbread cookie to bring to Circle last month for a change of pace.  Delicious!

2 cups flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped (1-2 sprigs)
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

Combine flour, sugar, salt, and rosemary together in a food processor and pulse to combine.  Add zest and juice from the orange, as well as the butter, and pulse until combined into a dough.  You will need to refrigerate the dough for a bit (15-20 minutes).  I scooped mine as you would a chocolate chip cookie.  You can also form it into a log, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it that way so you can slice and bake.  If you want to do the slice and bake method, I would leave the dough in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden on the edges.  Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes or so before you move them to a cooling rack as they are quite delicate.

Witch's Notes:
Both Rosemary and Oranges are associated with the element earth, making them perfect for grounding.  Rosemary also holds protection properties which will help if you are doing any spirit work. It is always a good idea to ground after ritual work or meditation.  If you have ever not grounded after ritual or spirit work, you know that your energy levels can be depleted and out of whack.  I will get dizzy or even nauseous.  Eating is a great way to connect with earth energy to ground and these savory little cookies are perfect for that!

Pear Cupcakes with Ginger Butter Cream Frosting

At my company's holiday dinner party this year I had a fabulous desert.  Poached Pear with Ginger Ice Cream.  It was so delicious.  I've been dreaming of the combination of pears and ginger ever since.  After an afternoon glued to Cupcake Wars I had an idea to turn those flavors into a cupcake.  Only I'm not much of a baker.  So I channeled Sandra Lee, the Queen of Semi-homemade cuisine and went into the kitchen to see what I could do and this is what I did:

Cupcakes
 2 tablespoons butter
4 bosc pears diced small
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup pear vodka
---
1 box of cake mix (I used Duncan Hines white cake)
3 eggs
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 cup water
approximately 2 shots of Pear vodka

Frosting
2 sticks softened, unsalted butter
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons ground ginger

Heat oven according to instructions on box.  Peel pears, cut in half lengthwise, scoop out seeds, and cut into a small dice.  Melt butter in skillet over medium to medium-high heat.  Add pears, brown sugar, and vodka.  Stirring occasionally, cook until most of the liquid has evaporated/cooked down into a near caramel sauce-like state and then remove from heat. (I intended to add pictures but I'm having some technical difficulties.  I will try to add them later.)

Combine cake mix, water, vodka, eggs, oil and cooked pears in a mixing bowl.  Beat with electric mixer until well combined.  Fill 24 lined cupcake tins 2/3 full and bake.  My cupcakes baked in 18 minutes.  Start with the low end of time instructions on the box and let them go a few minutes longer if necessary.

While the cupcakes bake, beat the butter with a mixer until it is quite creamy.  Add the sifted powdered sugar a little at a time, mixing well.  Add remaining ingredients and beat until well blended.  If you wish to have a thinner frosting, add more milk in small quantities until your reach the consistency you're looking for.  And if you prefer a thicker frosting, simply add more powdered sugar.

Witch's Notes:  Both pears and ginger are known to hold properties for love.  Ginger holds some heat so it can give you a little boost in the bedroom too!  Tailor a spell for love or something a little spicier to your needs, chant it over your bowls as you stir clockwise.  Maybe your can serve these to your significant other for dessert on Valentine's Day ;-)

Greetings

I always really enjoyed cooking.  The kitchen was always a central part of home and family gatherings.  And somewhere along the way a busy work schedule, a long commute, and taking care of kids made for one tired Mom.  You know, the usual tale of the Suburban Working Mom.  Energy is low and you just want to rest so you call out for delivery or throw a frozen pizza in the oven... or ask your husband to cook knowing his response will be "we'll go out for dinner tonight".

Nearly two years ago I decided that I needed to get back to feeding my spirit and to look, in earnest, for a local community.  I consider myself Pagan and an Eclectic Witch and I was, after all, living in Suburbia surrounded by Christians.  While my neighbors are pleasant enough, I just never felt like I fit in.  I didn't bring up my beliefs for a long time.  They know now that I am Pagan.  What they think that means I'm not sure.  They've never asked questions.  But I was lacking that sense of community that makes you feel like you are not alone, provides support and encouragement.  I stumbled upon a shop in Fairfax called Sticks & Stones through several other groups I was aware of (The Northern Virginia Pagan Network and Goddess School).  I began attending workshops and open circles and quickly made friends with like minded folks.  I spent several weeks learning about herbs and their magical uses and attended a workshop on kitchen witchery.  Most things you find on the subject are for home remedies for minor medical issues, herbal teas, and beauty products.

Recently, my family's finances took at huge hit and it left me with a severely restricted budget.  With the cost of groceries skyrocketing, I am figuring out how to get the most for my money when it comes to feeding my family.  For now this means planning our meals and shopping around what is on sale at the grocery store and clipping coupons.  It also means that I'm forced back in to the kitchen whether I like it or not!  Turns out I do still love to create in the kitchen.  And I got to thinking that, with all my new found knowledge of herbs, I can create magical meals.  And why not share them!  So here I am with a new blog.  A cooking blog to keep me inspired both in a culinary manner as well as magically.

I am by no means a chef.  Outside of home economics class in high school and a one-day Thai cooking class while vacationing at a resort in Thailand, I have no training.  Like many people, I love to eat and am addicted to watching cooking shows!  I just happen to be a witch too.  So why not build meals with a purpose? 

Recipes coming real soon!