Witchy Kitchen

Tag: lime

  • Three Course Witchy Menu

    Three Course Witchy Menu

    Put on your aprons and fire up your cauldrons, because this month’s edition of Witchy Kitchen is going full witch with an enchanting three-course menu, so mote it be.

    For our first course, we are drawing inspiration from 2015’s The Witch, which has already become a modern classic. Written and directed by Robert Eggers and featuring a lovely and innocent performance from Anya Taylor-Joy as Thomasin, the film is meticulously authentic to colonial times so a colonial-inspired dish seemed apt. These biscuits are rustic, with apples that feature prominently in the film. Bonus, if you want to get extra witchy they double as altar cakes. Would you like the taste of butter? Would you like to live deliciously? Then whip up the accompanying goat cheese butter to serve.

    The Witch Apple Cheddar Biscuits with Goat Cheese Butter

    For the biscuits
    5 tablespoons butter, divided (freeze and grate 4 tablespoons, reserve 1 for cooking)
    1 1/2 cups flour
    1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
    2 teaspoons baking powder
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    1/4 teaspoon black pepper
    4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated
    1/2 a large Granny Smith apple, grated
    2 tablespoons chopped chives
    1/2 cup milk
    1 egg, beaten

    Heat oven to 400º. Meanwhile heat 1 tablespoon butter in a cast-iron skillet on medium heat, swirling to coat. In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, pepper, cheddar cheese, apple, chives, and butter. Combine milk and egg and add to the flour mixture, stirring until just combined (don’t overmix). In the skillet, drop 8 even sized dollops of the mixture, forming them into rounds and pushing down slightly to biscuit shapes. Cook on the stovetop for 5 minutes, then transfer to the oven for 18-20 minutes to cook until golden.

    For the goat cheese butter
    4 ounces goat cheese, room temperature
    4 ounces butter, room temperature
    2 tablespoons honey
    pinch salt

    Whip together and serve with biscuits.

    Our main course is inspired by the 1960 gothic horror directed by Mario Bava, Black Sunday. It takes place in Romania, which may very well be the witchiest place on earth. Barbara Steele plays both the doomed witch Princess Asa as well as her descendent Katia, who the witch comes back to drain of her youth and beauty in hopes of immortality. This is a Romanian dish called ciorba de perisoare, a meatball soup that is as sour as revenge. It’s also full of herbs perfect for youth and beauty spells, reciting incantations as you sprinkle them in is encouraged.

    Black Sunday Romanian Sour Soup

    For the meatballs
    8 ounces ground chicken
    3/4 teaspoon salt
    few grinds black pepper
    1/2 an onion, grated
    1/4 cup cooked rice
    1 egg
    1/2 cup breadcrumbs

    Thoroughly combine all ingredients and shape into 1-inch meatballs. Reserve in the fridge until time to cook.

    For the soup
    3 tablespoons olive oil
    1/2 an onion, finely chopped
    1 red pepper, finely chopped
    2 ribs celery, finely chopped
    2 carrots, finely chopped
    3 tablespoons tomato paste
    1 tablespoon paprika
    6 cups chicken broth
    2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
    2 tablespoons lovage, chopped (optional if you have trouble finding it)
    2 tablespoons lemon juice

    In a large pot heat olive oil on medium heat and cook onion, red pepper, celery, and carrots, stirring often, until onion is very soft and translucent. Stir in tomato paste and paprika and cook, stirring, until tomato paste is starting to caramelize. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Drop in the prepared meatballs, lower heat, and simmer for 15-20 minutes until cooked through. Add parsley, lovage, and lemon juice and cook 5 minutes more. Serve hot.

    The 90s were a wicked time for witch movies, so dessert is inspired by 1998’s Practical Magic. Directed by Giffin Dunne and starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman as witchy sisters, there is a fabulous scene featuring midnight margaritas. The batty aunties conjure up a batch, and a delightful dance-around-the-kitchen party gradually descends into an entranced madness. These flourless chocolate cupcakes (adapted from a recipe from Smitten Kitchen) are kissed with lime and as dark as midnight, and the lovely floaty margarita cream is hypnotic, the perfect end to a bewitching meal.

    For the margarita whipped cream
    1/4 cup powdered sugar
    1 teaspoon lime zest
    2 teaspoons tequila
    2 teaspoons cointreau
    1/2 cup heavy cream

    Stir together sugar, lime zest, tequila and cointreau. Add heavy cream and whip to a soft but firm consistency. Dollop onto cupcakes.

    Set your table, light your candles, and enjoy a witchy meal.

    First published on Nightmare on Film Street.

  • Ectolime Curd and Stay Puft Fluff

    Ectolime Curd and Stay Puft Fluff

    Ghostbusters-inspired Ectolime Curd and Stay Puft Fluff are good enough to get you believing in UFOs, astral projections, mental telepathy, ESP, clairvoyance, spirit photography, telekinetic movement, full trance mediums, the Loch Ness monster and the theory of Atlantis.

    There are tons of uses for these sweet goos; on the Fiction Kitchen podcast I talked about using this marshmallow fluff and lime curd to make s’mores and keylime pie gram cracker thumbprint cookies, but that’s just one idea. Eventually I’d love to make a marshmallow popsicles with ectolime curd filling inspired by Andrew Heath’s pop art popsicles!

    Ectolime Curd

    Adapted from Ina Garten
    • 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
    • 1 1/2 cups sugar
    • zest and juice of 2 limes
    • 4 eggs
    • 2 drops green, 1 drop yellow food coloring (optional)
    • 1/8 tsp salt
    • Cream the butter, then beat in the sugar and lime zest. Add the eggs one by one, then the lime juice and salt.
    Pour into a saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring, until thickened (15 minutes or so). Remove from heat and cool completely. Save in the fridge in an airtight container.

    Stay Puft Fluff

    From The Kitchn – this makes a TON, if I make again will do half
    • 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons water
    • 3/4 cup sugar
    • 3/4 cup light corn syrup
    • 3 egg whites
    • 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar (if you, like me, forgot you were out, can omit)
    • pinch salt
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
    Warm water, sugar and corn syrup in a saucepan over medium high heat until mixture reaches 240°. Meanwhile, beat egg whites until foamy, then add cream of tartar and salt and beat to soft peaks. When sugar mixture is heated, remove from heat and let rest 20 seconds. Slowly stream into the egg mixture while beating on high. Beat for 7-8 minutes until room temperature. Add in vanilla and beat until stiff peaks form. Save in the fridge in an airtight container.

    I love making and using fruit curds. See some other variations with:

    Recipe for Fiction Kitchen Episode 43: Ghostbusters in which Carrie and Diana talk about the new movie and all that came before. Get ready for Ecto Cooler, twinkies, sad wonton soup, Cheezits, flying sandwiches, refrigerator portals, and wacky party food. We ain’t afraid of no ghost!


  • Dark and Stormer

    Dark and Stormer

    Bam! Pow! It’s #FoodInComics month, Fandom Foodies theme hosted by Diana @ Fiction Food Cafe – check the linkup or search the hashtag for all kinds of comic-inspired dishes!

    The Jem and the Holograms comic is gorgeous – and more than just a rush of neon-colored nostalgia. The 26 issue run launched in March of 2015 as a collaboration between IDW Publishing and Hasbro. It’s radiantly illustrated by Sophie Campbell, with rocking storylines written by Kelly Thompson. The pair’s reimagined characters sparkle off the page, and are refreshingly diverse in every sense – there’s no wrong way to be a truly outrageous girl.

    Stormer was my favorite Jem and the Holograms character as a kid – she’s a Misfit (I’m a misfit), but she’s the nice Misfit. She’s even better in the comic, the Kimber-Stormer storyline is the cutest, sweetest thing ever.

    So of course I wanted to make a Stormer-inspired recipe. This is a super simple drink, a play on the classic Dark and Stormy, but with a blueberry-lime syrup, blue like her awesome glam hair and tropical like her Hungry like the Wolf look. It’s a lovely spicy mocktail so the kids can enjoy, but feel free to spike it with a shot of rum.

    Dark and Stormer

    • 1 cup blueberries
    • 1/2 cup demerara sugar (or sub brown sugar)
    • zest of 1 lime
    • juice of 1/2 lime
    • 1/2 cup water
    • ginger beer
    • lime slices to garnish

    In a small sauce pan, heat blueberries, sugar, lime zest, lime juice and water. Heat, stirring, until blueberries are burst and pretty much disintegrated.

    Strain through a fine mesh sieve and cool. Add 2-3 tablespoons to a glass with ice, top with ginger beer, stir gently and garnish with a slice of lime.

    This dish was first posted for Fiction Kitchen Episode 25: JEM AND THE HOLOGRAMS in which Carrie and Diana discuss the truly outrageous 80s cartoon, and the recent comic (hit!) and movie (flop). Showtime, Synergy.

  • Spicy Grilled Corn

    Spicy Grilled Corn

    One of my favorite things about our trips to Pakistan is that en route to anywhere, there are venders along the road where we would always stop to explore; to buy fruit, to shop for pottery, to drink tea, to eat corn!

    The corn sellers will let you choose your own ear, then they cook it by tossing it a pit of salt roasting over coals – the salt is blackened from roasting. Once it’s cooked, they wrap it in newspaper, and you can enjoy right it on the side of the road.

    We recreate this almost every time we grill, because it is dead simple and delicious. It’s just corn, plain, unadulterated, on the grill, with a lime and chili masala to flavor it afterwards. I cut mine off the cob (#bracelife), and the kids devour it plain.

    Desi Bhutta (Spicy Grilled Corn)

    This is barely a recipe so much as a technique. Take however many ears of corn, husk them and clean them, then grill until charred all over. If you aren’t grilling, you can also do this on a cookie sheet under the broiler, turning occasionally so they get a char.

    Once cooked, mix salt and red chili. Cut a lime in half, dip it in the salt and chili, and rub all over the corn. Enjoy!

  • Jerk Marinade

    Jerk Marinade

    That spinach leaf is to mark the spicy plate!

    Grill season has arrived, and one of the first things I was excited to make was jerk chicken – fresh, flavorful, and charred to perfection.

    I have one recipe way back in the archive that I was calling Spiced Thyme Chicken because I had a fear of claiming authenticity when it’s not (here is a cool article on Serious Eats about real authentic Jamaican jerk chicken). However, I’ve come around to the opinion that it’s ok to adapt classic recipes to your kitchen, especially if that means you can make it more often! Besides, I’m always amazed at similarities between certain cuisines; it was easy to construct this Caribbean marinade from ingredients I already had in my desi spice cabinet.

    The biggest change was using ajwain (carom) seeds in place of the typical thyme. I love using fresh thyme but it’s not a staple in my kitchen, whereas ajwain seeds are just because they store easily, and it’s a similar flavor so why not? Other than that, cloves, allspice, ginger, garlic and lime are ubiquitous in both cuisines, so this really isn’t that far off. I didn’t realize green onions were a must until I read that article afterwards, so will probably incorporate next time. I used paprika and a pinch of turmeric for a little flavor and color, and the fruitiness of apple cider vinegar, and that’s totally allowed because jerk marinade is one of those things with a hundred secret house recipes.

    We used this for chicken breasts (this makes enough for 6 or so), but you could use it for all kinds and cuts of meat, fish and veggies too!

    Jerk Marinade

    • 1 teaspoon ajwain (carom) seeds (alternately, you could use a few sprigs fresh thyme or a teaspoon dried thyme)
    • 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
    • 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
    • 6 cloves
    • 6 allspice berries
    • 2 teaspoons paprika
    • 2 teaspoons red chili powder (because kiddies, we divided the chicken breasts 3 and 3 and added 1 teaspoon to the grown-up’s portion)
    • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
    • generous pinch black pepper
    • 2 teaspoons salt
    • 1 inch ginger, peeled and grated
    • 3 garlic cloves, peeled and grated
    • 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
    • 2 teaspoons sugar
    • juice of half a lime
    • 3 tablespoons olive oil

    Heat a dry pan on medium heat. Gently toast the ajwain seeds, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cloves, and allspice. When they become fragrant, remove from heat and grind in a spice grinder.

    Whisk together fresh ground spices with paprika, red chili, turmeric, black pepper, ginger, salt garlic, apple cider vinegar, sugar, and lime juice. Pour olive oil in a stream while continuously whisking.

    Use as a marinade for chicken, beef, fish or veggies, ideally to grill!

    The fresh, bright flavor goes awesome with the nutty creaminess of Hara Masala Coconut Rice.

  • Tomato Rice Soup

    Tomato Rice Soup

    This month’s MENA Cooking Club is hosted by Evelyne of Cheap Ethnic Eatz. This month’s country was Jordan, and the recipe I chose was Jordanian Tomato and Rice Soup – although it veered into desi territory as I used ghee since I have a fresh made batch, and I ended up adding a few more spices (I opened up the cabinet for a cinnamon stick and…well, you know how it goes).

    This soup is warm and wintry: spiced tomato broth thickened with basmati rice, and it’s completely simple, made from ingredients I mostly have on hand – which is great, because we are having a streak of frigid weather (how do you Canadians/Chicagoans/etc. do it?!) and I am happy warm and cozy over the stove and refuse to venture out for procurement. We are out of coffee, my life blood, that’s how much I don’t want to go to the store.

    Anyway, the kids loved it and so did I, so thank you Evelyne for the lovely suggestion!

    Tomato Rice Soup

    • 1/3 cup basmatic rice
    • 3 tablespoons olive oil
    • 1 onion, chopped
    • 2-3 garlic cloves, grated
    • 1 teaspoon cumin
    • 1 teaspoon paprika
    • 1 teaspoon garam masala
    • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
    • red chili (just a pinch because kids…you can add a little more if you like)
    • 4 roma tomatoes, chopped
    • salt
    • limes for serving

    Rinse the basmati rice well and soak as you prepare the rest.

    Heat ghee on medium high in a heavy-bottomed pot, and saute onions until they are beginning to turn golden. Add garlic and saute a minute or two, being careful not to burn, then add cumin, paprika, garam masala, turmeric and red chili and saute for a minute. Add tomatoes and a good couple pinches of salt and cook until they are well broken down and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes.

    Add about 6 cups of water, scraping the bottom of the pot and stirring well, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.

    Bring back to a boil and add rice. Keep at a high simmer for about 15 minutes, gently stirring often. Add more water if necessary (I didn’t need to).

    Lower the heat, adjust seasoning if necessary (another pinch or two of salt), and serve brightened up with limes.

  • Beetroot Chili

    Beetroot Chili

    I’ve been giving this a lot of thought as I’m planning what I want to cook this October, and I have determined that there are 4 categories of October/Halloween food:

    1. Harvesty
    2. Spooky
    3. Cutesy
    4. Gross

    I (obviously) love harvesty and spooky Halloween food, and I don’t generally make but will surely eat your cutesy little witches’ hats and Satan’s eggs with little baby horns and goatees, but the category I can’t abide is the last one. I cannot take slimy, disgusting, creepy Halloween food. It’s just too unsettling to eat something that looks so revolting. I do not care how delicious the bloody fingers or veiny eyeballs or slimy sluggy worms are, am not interested. Gross.

    I do however, like the technically spooky and harvesty foods that toe the line – like doesn’t any soup or stew with beets look a little like….blood?

    I love beets so much, sanguineous or not. I often roast a bunch on the weekend (it’s easy, just coat with a little olive oil and wrap in foil, then roast until tender – the skin will peel right off) and eat them throughout the week in salads and soups. The kiddies love them too.

    Beets are a striking addition to this chili, which is not sophisticated enough for a vampire, as they would likely be slurping up a velvety velouté, but may be the perfect thing for werepeople who crave red meat (and root vegetables?). Chili has also become my Halloween night tradition, as it’s easy to throw together when I come home from work, then leave on the turned-off stove as we take the kids trick-or-treating and crank it back up when we return. It also feeds a crowd; we always invite company, our friends and family – or ghosties and ghoulies – that want to share.

    Beetroot Chili

    • 2 tbsp olive oil
    • 1 onion, chopped
    • salt & pepper
    • 4 cloves garlic, chopped
    • 1 lb ground beef
    • 2 tsp paprika
    • 2 tsp cumin
    • 1 tsp garam masala (if you don’t have this it’s fine, maybe just a pinch of cinnamon or omit)
    • 1 can fire-roasted tomatoes (or just diced is fine)
    • 2 cans beans (black, kidney, or a mix), drained and rinsed
    • 2 beets, roasted, peeled and chopped
    • chipotles in adobo to taste – tsp of just sauce up to 2 chopped chilis. I usually just add the adobo because then it’s not too spicy for the kids, and serve the chopped chilis on the side for everyone else.
    • Sour cream, pumpkin seeds, limes, and chopped green onions for garnish

    Heat olive oil medium high in a heavy bottomed pan, and sauté onion with a good pinch of salt and pepper until translucent. Add garlic and sauté for a few minutes, then slide them to the side and crank heat up to high. Brown the meat with another sprinkle of salt, then add the paprika, cumin, and garam masala and stir for a minute or two. Add tomatoes, beans, beets, chipotles and a cup of water and mix well, making sure to scrape up anything on the bottom of the pan.

    Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer, and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes or so, stirring occasionally. Adjust liquid (whether you like it thick or soupy) and salt if necessary.

    Serve with garnishes.

  • Summer Squash Salad with Roasted Tomatillo Vinaigrette

    After Ramadan (during which time I did not fast, but did eat pakoras for almost 30 days straight) and my sister’s wedding week (during which time I drank lots of wine and ate delicacies such as burgers and cheese fries – it was a classy wedding, I swear), my body was screaming at me to put something green in it. Anything.

    So I made this enormous, gorgeous rainbow salad with sweet summer squash, pretty purple cabbage, crisp radishes, juicy tomatoes, creamy queso fresco, toasty pumpkin seeds, the ubiquitous avocado, and this awesome experiment of a roasted tomatillo vinaigrette that came out even better than I had hoped – nailed it! After weeks of crap this salad is a rainbow in my heart.

    Summer Squash Salad with Roasted Tomatillo Vinaigrette

    • 2 small or 1 large summer squash, thinly sliced into half or quarter moons
    • 2 small or 1 large tomatillo, thinly sliced
    • olive oil and sea salt for roasting
    • 1 small head green leaf lettuce, thickly shredded
    • 1/4 head purple cabbage, shredded
    • 3 red radishes, thinly sliced
    • 2 roma tomatoes, sliced into half moons
    • 5 oz queso fresco, crumbled
    • 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds, toasted
    • 1 avocado
    • 1 clove garlic, grated
    • several sprigs cilantro, finely chopped
    • 1 tsp honey or maple syrup
    • zest and juice of 1 lime
    • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
    • sea salt & pepper
    • 1/3 cup olive oil

    Heat oven to 400° F.

    Coat squash and tomatillos with a little olive oil and sea salt. Spread squash on one foil-lined baking sheet and tomatillos on another, making sure they are all in one layer. Roast approximately 15 minutes for the squash (until soft, no or little color) and 20 minutes for the tomatoes (until they are just getting starting to get caramelized).

    For the vinaigrette: finely chop the roasted tomatillo and mix with garlic, cilantro, honey, lime juice and zest, and red wine vinegar, and season generously with salt and pepper. Drizzle in olive oil while stirring.

    Toss together lettuce, cabbage, radishes, tomatoes, queso fresco and pumpkin seeds. Slice or scoop in avocado right before you lightly dress the salad with the vinaigrette (you can serve extra on the side).