Ostara
Recipes
Egg-Lemon Drop Soup
(Avgolemono Soup)
Queen's Biscuits (Biscotti di Regina)
Pashka (Russian Easter Cakes)
Egg Nog
Honey Fry Bread
Hot Cross Buns with Lemon Frosting
Honey and Orange Tea Loaf (Scottish)
Ardshane House Irish Stew
Roast Leg of Lamb
Lemonade
Rosemary Potatoes
Mixed Greens with Raspberry Vinaigrette
Egg-Lemon Soup (Avgolemono Soup)
12 cups chicken broth
1 cup long chicken rice
salt to taste
4 medium eggs, at room temperature
2 Tbsp. cold water
1 1/2 lemons, juiced
Make your favorite chicken soup. Strain broth. Bring to boiling point, stir in rice. Cover and simmer over moderate heat until tender. Salt to taste. Cool soup slightly and blend with the sauce ingredients listed above. Separate the eggs. Beat egg white until stiff. Blend in egg yolks which have been lightly beaten. Then add water and lemon juice, beating until thick. With ladle, add a small amount of hot broth to egg mixture, blending quickly. Pour this into soup and stir well. Serve at once.
Queen's Biscuits (Biscotti Di Regina)
4 cups flour, sifted
1 cup sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup shortening
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cup milk
1/4 lb. sesame seeds
Lightly grease 2 cookie sheets. Sift together in a bowl the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in with pastry blender or two knives until pieces are size of small peas. Add shortening and stir in eggs and milk. Make a soft dough. Mix thoroughly together. Break dough into small pieces and roll each piece between palms of hands to form rolls about 1 1/2" in length. Flatten rolls slightly, and roll in sesame seeds. Place on cookie sheets about 3" apart. Bake at 375° for 12-15 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned. Makes 6 dozen cookies.
Pashka (Russian Easter Cakes)
3 lbs. cottage cheese
1/2 lb. unsalted butter, softened
2 1/2 oz. chopped candied fruits and rinds
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3/8 pint heavy cream
4 egg yolks
7 oz. caster sugar
2 1/4 oz. blanched almonds, finely chopped
2 oz. whole almonds, toasted
2 oz. candied fruits and rinds
Drain the cottage cheese in a colander with a plate on top for 2-3 hours. Meanwhile, place the candied fruits and rinds in a small bowl with the vanilla extract. Mix together well and allow to rest for 1 hour. Put cottage cheese in blender to whip, then place in a large bowl. Beat softened butter into cheese. Heat cream in saucepan until small bubbles form around the edges of the pan (DO NOT BOIL!) Set aside. Beat eggs and sugar together in another bowl with a whisk until they are thick and lemon colored. Slowly add the hot cream to the egg mixture, whisking constantly, then place mixture back in pan. Cook over very low heat, until mixture becomes the consistency of custard. Do Not Allow Mixture to Boil! Remove from heat. Stir in candied fruits and set the pan in a large bowl of ice covered with water. Stir the custard constantly with a metal spoon until completely cool, then mix gently into the cheese mixture. Stir in the chopped almonds.
Russians have a special mold for this cake, but you can use a bowl or a 3 pint clay flower pot. Line mold with a double thickness of cheesecloth, leaving 2 inches hanging on the outside. Pour the batter into the mold and fold the edges of the cheesecloth lightly over the top. Set a weight on top of the cheesecake, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours. Unwrap the cheesecloth from the top and invert mold onto a plate. The Pashka will slide out easily. Gently peel off remaining cheesecloth and decorate cake with candied fruits and whole almonds.
Egg Nog
1 Tbsp. sugar
shaved ice (1/2 glass)
1 medium egg
whiskey or rum
1/2 cup milk
nutmeg
Measure one whole wineglass of whiskey or rum, add other ingredients (use whole milk), shake thoroughly and strain. Grate a little nutmeg on top and serve.
Honey Fry Bread
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 cup honey
2 cups vegetable oil, for frying
Mix the flours, salt, sugar and baking powder together. Add about 1/2 cup water and mix well, adding a bit more water if needed to make a stiff dough. Turn out on a lightly floured surface and knead until dough becomes elastic and smooth. Let rest for 10 minutes. Roll out 1/2 inch thick. Cut into squares, strips or circles. Deep fry in very hot oil until golden brown. Drain on brown paper bags or paper towels. Drizzle honey in a very thin stream over bread and serve immediately. Sprinkle with a little cinnamon if desired.
*Variation of the Southwest US fry bread recipe.
Hot Cross Buns with Lemon Frosting
1 pkg. active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (about 110°)
1 cup warm milk (about 110°)
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 Tbsp. each salt and ground cinnamon
1/4 Tbsp. each ground cloves and nutmeg
2 eggs
3/4 cup currants
1/4 cup finely diced candied orange peel or citron
4 1/2 cups all purpose flour, unsifted
1 egg yolk beaten with 1 Tbsp. water
Preheat oven to 400°. In a bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Stir in milk, butter, sugar, salt, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Beat in eggs. Add currants, orange peel and enough of the flour (about 4 cups) to make a soft ball. Turn dough out onto floured board; knead until smooth and satiny (10-20 minutes), adding flour as needed to prevent sticking. Turn dough over in greased bowl; cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled (about 1 1/2 hours).
Punch dough down and divide into 36 equal pieces; shape each into a smooth ball. Place balls about 2 inches apart on lightly greased baking sheets. Brush each gently with egg yolk mixture. Cover lightly and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size (about 35 minutes).
Bake in a 400° for about 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on a rack for about 5 minutes; then with a spoon or the tip of a knife, drizzle frosting over top of each bun to make a small "X". Makes 3 dozen.
Lemon Frosting:
Combine:
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. water
Stir together until smooth.
Honey and Orange Tea Loaf (Scottish)
6 oz. self rising flour
6 oz. honey
1 oz. margarine
1 large egg
1 tsp. baking powder
6 Tbsp. milk
1 large orange, with rind grated off
Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and line a 2 lb. loaf tin. Cream the margarine and honey together in a bowl, mixing thoroughly. Add the egg and beat vigorously. Sieve the flour, salt and baking powder and add alternately with the milk, to the creamed mixture. Sprinkle in orange rind and mix well. Spoon the mixture into the tin. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven, glaze with honey and return to the oven for a further 10 minutes. Remove from the tin and cool on a wire rack. Serve sliced and buttered.
Ardshane House Irish Stew
4 lbs. middle neck of lamb, cut into
1" cubes
4 lbs. potatoes, peeled and cubed
10 small onions, quartered
2 oz. pearl barley
2 pints stock
salt and pepper to taste
This is the basic recipe. You can add sliced carrots and leeks to make it go further and about 5-6 tsp. Worcestershire sauce or could add a half a pint of Guinness to your stock. I make my stock from the potato peelings, carrot tops, leek ends, and any other things I find in the refrigerator. If you put in a few lamb bones and simmer these together for a few hours, you'll have a rich stock, strain well before using. You'll need to start with about 5 pints of liquid. Put everything into a large kettle, bring to a boil, and then simmer for about 2 hours. Add more liquid if necessary. Salt and pepper to taste.
Roast Leg of Lamb
5 lb. leg of lamb
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tsp. salt, coarse or Kosher
1/2 tsp. black pepper, freshly ground
1 tsp. rosemary
1/2 tsp. thyme
Trim lamb of fat. Cut slits about 1/2" deep all over lamb and insert slivers of garlic. Rub all over with olive oil. Combine salt, pepper, and herbs and rubs herb mix all over lamb. Allow to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 450°. Roast lamb for 15 minutes at 450°, then turn down to 350°. Continue to roast until desired degree of doneness is reached, about an hour for medium rare. Baste with pan juices once or twice. Remove from pan and allow to rest at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before carving. Potatoes, carrots, and onions may be roasted in pan with lamb. Baste occasionally.
Lemonade
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon
juice
1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar syrup **
1 cup water
Put the lemon juice, sugar syrup and water in a glass and stir. Add ice to chill. Garnish with lemon slices.
** To make sugar syrup, bring equal parts sugar and water to a boil, stir until sugar dissolves, and remove from heat. Cool before using. Store unused syrup in a covered container in the refrigerator.
Rosemary Potatoes
1 1/2 lbs. small
new potatoes
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
Cover new potatoes with water and bring to a simmer. Cook 5 minutes. Drain and toss potatoes in pan over heat until outside of potatoes are dry. Add olive oil, salt, garlic and fresh rosemary. Place potatoes in a pan, in one layer, and bake in a 350° oven until crispy and browned, about `5-20 minutes. Serve with roasted and grilled meats or poultry.
Mixed Greens with Raspberry Vinaigrette
3 Tbsp. Raspberry
vinegar
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. garlic, minced
1/3 cup olive oil
8 cups mixed baby greens
Combine first 3 ingredients in medium bowl. Gradually whisk in olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Place mixed baby greens in large bowl. Toss with enough dressing to coat and serve.
