The Witch's Book of Self-Care: Magical Ways to Pamper, Soothe, and Care for Your Body and Spirit - Arin Murphy-Hiscock 2018

Recipes
Physical Self-Care

Fair warning: this section of the self-care book isn’t overly concerned with calorie counting. The recipes are not extravagant, but they don’t cut corners either. They are about comfort, about feeling good.

Soups

Soups are a wonderful self-care food. They’re thick and filling and warm and soft. And they’re also easy to make and easy to freeze. If they’re too thick when you defrost them, add more broth.

Roasted-Vegetable Soup

This is my favorite kind of fall soup! It’s a great way to celebrate the harvest. Carrots are associated with success (especially physical success); squash, with blessing and awareness of other realms; peppers carry protective energy; tomatoes are associated with health, love, and protection; sweet potatoes are associated with love; and onions and garlic, with protection.

This recipe serves 6.

What You Need:

♦ 1 large onion, peeled

♦ 8 medium carrots, peeled

♦ 1 small butternut squash, peeled and seeded

♦ 4 medium red bell peppers, stemmed and seeded

♦ 3 large tomatoes, seeded

♦ 4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled

♦ 4 large parsnips, peeled

♦ 2 tablespoons olive oil

♦ 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

♦ 1 teaspoon salt

♦ ¹/₂ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

♦ ¹/₂ head garlic, cloves peeled

♦ 5 cups stock (chicken or vegetable)

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.

2. Chop the vegetables into 2" chunks.

3. In a large bowl, toss the vegetables with the olive oil and then spread on a large baking dish. Sprinkle with the rosemary and add salt and pepper.

4. Place in the oven and roast for 1 hour. Then add the garlic cloves, stir, and return to the oven for another 45 minutes.

5. Remove from the oven and transfer vegetables to a large bowl. Pour stock into the roasting pan and deglaze it, scraping up any gooey or browned bits. Pour the stock into the bowl with the roasted vegetables.

6. If you have a blender, liquidize the soup in small batches and pour the purée into a large saucepan. Otherwise, put the vegetables and stock directly into the pan and use an immersion blender to purée the soup. Thin the consistency out with more stock, if desired. If it’s too thin, let it simmer longer to evaporate some of the extra liquid. Taste and adjust seasoning to your preference.

7. Serve hot with fresh bread. You can add a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt to your bowl of soup, if you like.

Leek and Potato Soup

Leeks are underrated. Potatoes carry protective energy, while leeks are part of the onion family, associated with health and clearing negativity. For a dairy-free, vegan version, replace the butter with olive oil, and use coconut milk instead of the whole milk.

This recipe serves 4.

What You Need:

♦ 2 medium leeks, sliced lengthwise and soaked

♦ 2 tablespoons butter

♦ 1 small onion, peeled and chopped

♦ 4 cups stock (chicken or vegetable)

♦ 8 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed

♦ 1 bay leaf

♦ 1 sprig fresh thyme

♦ ¹/₂ teaspoon salt

♦ ¹/₂ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

♦ 1 cup whole milk

♦ Heavy cream (optional)

♦ 2 tablespoons minced chives or green onions

♦ Grated Cheddar cheese (optional)

1. Remove the root end of the leek and chop the light green and white parts only, discarding the dark-green tops.

2. Melt the butter in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Cook the leeks and onion till soft, stirring regularly (about 10 minutes).

3. Pour stock into the pan, stirring up any browning from the bottom. Add potatoes, bay leaf, thyme, salt, and pepper, and stir again. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer about 25 minutes.

4. Stir in milk and simmer another 15 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and the sprig of thyme. Use an immersion blender to purée the soup in the pan, or purée it in batches in a standard blender. If the soup is too thin, simmer till thicker; if too thick, add a bit of stock. Stir in a bit of heavy cream for a more luxurious soup, if you like.

5. Top with minced chives and serve with fresh bread.

6. If you like cheese with your potatoes, stir in a cup of shredded Cheddar cheese until it’s melted for an extra treat.

Gazpacho

A delicious, cool, smooth summery treat! Float homemade Parmesan croutons on top for an extra treat (see following recipe). If your tomatoes aren’t very juicy, you can add a bit of tomato or vegetable juice to the bread and vegetable mixture to help moisten them.

This recipe serves 4.

What You Need:

♦ 1 medium cucumber, peeled and chopped

♦ 1 medium red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped

♦ 1 medium green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped

♦ 2 pounds plum or Roma tomatoes, chopped

♦ 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

♦ ¹/₄ cup peeled, chopped red onion

♦ 4 slices stale white bread (preferably country-loaf style), torn into cubes

♦ 2 tablespoons olive oil

♦ 2 tablespoons rice-wine vinegar

♦ 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

♦ ¹/₂ teaspoon salt

♦ ¹/₂ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

♦ 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped (for garnish)

1. Toss the chopped vegetables and the bread together in a large bowl. Sprinkle the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, salt, and pepper over it all, then toss again. Press down to release the juices of the vegetables, then cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator at least 1 hour (overnight is ideal).

2. Transfer the chilled ingredients to a food processor or blender and purée. If you want it to be smoother and less chunky, add up to 2 more tablespoons olive oil, a little at a time, blending well between each addition.

3. Taste and add a splash more vinegar, salt, and pepper, if desired. Cover and refrigerate again until well chilled.

4. Serve sprinkled with chopped fresh basil.

Parmesan Croutons

These are lovely in gazpacho or in a salad—or eaten by themselves, honestly. If your bread is fresh and not slightly stale, place the slices of bread in a 300°F oven for 1—2 minutes to dry them out slightly before cutting them into cubes. You can use any kind of bread for these. It’s a great way to use up stale bread. You can also substitute melted butter for the olive oil.

What You Need:

♦ 4 thick slices country bread, slightly stale

♦ 4 tablespoons olive oil

♦ 2 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese

♦ Pinch dried oregano

♦ Pinch dried basil

♦ Pinch dried thyme

♦ Pinch garlic powder

♦ Sprinkle of salt

1. Preheat the oven to 300°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or baking parchment.

2. Cut the crusts off the slices of bread, if desired. Cut the bread into small cubes.

3. In a medium bowl, mix the olive oil, Parmesan cheese, oregano, basil, thyme, garlic powder, and salt. Add the bread cubes and toss to coat.

4. Transfer cubes to the lined baking sheet and bake about 20 minutes until golden brown. Cool completely before serving or transferring to storage container of your choice.

Breads

The thing I love to bake most of all is bread. I apologize for the delicious smells that emanate from my house on a regular basis to all of you nearby who function best on high-protein, low-carb diets.

Grains are magically associated with abundance and prosperity.

Basic White Bread

This is the current version of my go-to basic bread. It slices well for sandwiches. I use a stand mixer to knead my regular weekly bread, although I will make magical breads by hand to infuse them with specific energy. This is a wet dough that works well in a stand mixer.

This recipe yields 2 loaves.

What You Need:

♦ 2 teaspoons active dry yeast

♦ Pinch sugar

♦ 1 teaspoon salt

♦ 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided

♦ 2 cups warm water

♦ 5 cups bread flour

Flour Substitutions

You can substitute up to half whole-wheat flour for the bread flour. You may need a bit of extra liquid to account for it. Add the whole-wheat flour first, and let it sit for a bit to absorb some liquid before adding the rest of the bread flour and mixing. You may want to let it rise a bit longer too.

1. Combine yeast, sugar, salt, 1 tablespoon oil, and water in a medium bowl. Allow the yeast to activate and become foamy, which can take 5—10 minutes.

2. Stir in 2 cups flour, then add the remaining flour cup by cup. If the dough is still very sticky and you are unable to handle it, add extra flour a little bit at a time. The dough shouldn’t be dry, however.

3. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5—8 minutes. The dough is damp; the extra water means you don’t have to knead it as much. Use just enough flour to keep it from being a mess.

4. Oil the inside of the bowl with 1 teaspoon oil and return the dough to the bowl, turning to coat the entire surface with oil. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and put it inside an unheated oven to rise about 1 hour.

5. Remove the dough from the oven and punch it down, folding a couple of times.

6. Lightly oil the inside of two loaf pans with the remaining 1 teaspoon oil. Cut the dough in half and shape each half into a loaf. Lay them in the pans, turning to coat with oil again. Put the loaves in the unheated oven and allow them to rise 30 minutes more.

7. Remove the pans from the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

8. Place loaves in heated oven and bake 30 minutes until golden brown on top. Remove from pans; the bottoms should sound hollow when knocked after being tipped out of the pans. If the bottoms are soft or the knock is heavy instead of hollow, return them to the oven for a few minutes then check again. Allow to cool on a rack.

Herb Rolls

When I’ve made these, my kids will ignore the sandwich bread and use these for sandwiches and snacks instead. And I can’t blame them. They’re lovely with a wedge of cheese.

This recipe yields approximately 16 rolls.

What You Need:

♦ 1 teaspoon active dry yeast

♦ Pinch sugar

♦ ¹/₂ teaspoon salt

♦ 4 teaspoons melted butter, divided

♦ 1 cup warm water

♦ 2¹/₂ cups all-purpose flour

♦ ¹/₂ teaspoon garlic powder

♦ ¹/₂ teaspoon onion powder

♦ 1 teaspoon minced fresh chives

♦ 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (basil, rosemary, thyme, marjoram, oregano)

♦ 2 teaspoons vegetable oil, to coat bowl and pan

1. Combine yeast, sugar, salt, 2 teaspoons melted butter, and water in a medium bowl. Allow the yeast to activate and become foamy, which can take 5—10 minutes.

2. Stir in 1 cup flour, stir in the seasonings, then add the remaining flour in two parts. If the dough is still very sticky, add extra flour a little bit at a time to allow it to be handled. The dough shouldn’t be dry, however.

3. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead 5—8 minutes. The dough is damp; use just enough flour to keep it from being a mess.

4. Oil the inside of the bowl with 1 teaspoon of oil and return the dough to it, turning to coat the entire surface with oil. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and put it inside an unheated oven to rise, about 1 hour.

5. Remove dough from the oven and punch it down, folding a couple of times.

6. Lightly oil a baking sheet or flat pan with the remaining oil. Twist off knobs of dough and shape them into your preferred size (I like about 1¹/₂" diameter balls). Lay them on the pan, barely touching one another, in neat rows. Brush the tops with remaining melted butter. Put the pan in the unheated oven and allow the rolls to rise 45 minutes more.

7. Remove the pan from the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

8. Place the rolls in heated oven and bake 30 minutes, until golden brown on top. Allow the rolls to cool on a rack.

Main Dishes and Sides

The core of your meal! The first two recipes are classic comfort foods, and the potato recipe pairs with just about everything.

Pot Roast

Meat carries life energy, as does red wine (which you might choose to use in this recipe). Garlic and onions are associated with good health. The protein in meat also serves to ground you. If you can, experiment with using grass-fed or free-pastured beef. The flavor is truly a revelation. Serve this over mashed potatoes with carrot coins sautéed quickly in butter.

This recipe serves 4.

What You Need:

♦ 3 pounds boneless blade roast

♦ 1 teaspoon salt

♦ 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

♦ 3 large cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced

♦ 2 tablespoons Montreal steak seasoning

♦ 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

♦ 2 small yellow or red onions, peeled and diced

♦ 1 cup sliced white button mushrooms

♦ 1 cup beef broth

♦ 1 cup red or white wine

♦ 2 teaspoons cornstarch

1. Rub the roast with the salt and pepper, garlic, and Montreal steak seasoning. Allow it to sit about 1 hour at room temperature.

2. Pour 1 tablespoon olive oil into a deep, wide saucepot or a Dutch oven and heat it on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Add the roast and sear it on all sides. Remove roast and allow it to stand on a plate while you do the next step.

3. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the remaining tablespoon olive oil and sauté the onions till soft. (If the residue on the bottom of the pan gets too brown, reduce the heat further, add a bit of water, and scrape it up into the onions.) Add the mushrooms and stir, sautéing a bit longer. Pour in the beef broth and wine and stir, scraping up the crunchy bits from the bottom.

4. Place the roast back into the pot and pour in any juices that have accumulated while it rested.

5. Cover the pot and reduce heat to just above minimum. Allow roast to cook about 2 hours, then carefully flip it. Cover the pot again and allow roast to cook another 2 hours.

6. Test the roast by pulling some apart with two forks; if it shreds easily and is moist inside, it’s done. If it’s hard to pull apart, cover it again and let it cook longer. Check every 10 minutes, adding a bit more wine or broth if necessary. When the meat is easily shredded, remove about ¹/₄ cup of the cooking liquid to a small bowl and whisk in the cornstarch.

7. Push the meat to one side of the pot. Raise the heat to medium-high and stir in the cornstarch mixture; allow it to come to a boil to thicken the gravy. Taste the gravy and adjust seasoning if necessary. Turn off the heat and shred the rest of the pot roast with forks in the pot. Serve hot.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

This is nice when made with whole-wheat pasta; the nuttiness of the pasta complements the cheese sauce nicely. Undercooking the pasta just a tad allows it to remain firmer and hold its own against the cheese sauce. Dairy products are associated with nourishment and health, and grain products are associated with prosperity and abundance.

This recipe serves 5.

What You Need:

♦ 8 ounces regular or whole-wheat pasta (rotini, fusilli, or shape of your choice)

♦ 1 teaspoon plus 3 tablespoons plus 1¹/₂ tablespoons butter, divided

♦ ¹/₄ cup flour

♦ 2¹/₂ cups milk

♦ ¹/₂ teaspoon salt

♦ ¹/₄ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

♦ Pinch onion powder

♦ Pinch garlic powder

♦ 1 cup shredded Gruyère cheese

♦ 1 cup shredded Gouda cheese (preferably smoked)

♦ 1 cup shredded Oka or Port Salut cheese (or other semisoft smooth and creamy cheese)

♦ 1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar

♦ ¹/₂ cup bread crumbs (panko is ideal)

Experiment with Flavors

In addition to the spices called for in this recipe, you could also add a pinch or two of herbes de Provence and a dab of Dijon mustard, or a pinch of nutmeg. Enjoy experimenting!

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Cook the pasta according to the package directions but for 1 minute less than indicated. Drain, return to the pan, and stir in 1 teaspoon butter.

3. In another large saucepan, melt the 3 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.

4. Pour in 1 cup milk and whisk to combine the paste with the liquid. Add the remaining milk and keep whisking. Add the salt and pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder and cook approximately 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until the sauce has thickened to a creamy consistency. Remove from the heat and stir in the grated cheeses. Check seasoning and adjust if necessary.

5. Pour sauce over pasta and stir together gently. Pour into a baking dish.

6. In a small bowl, use a fork to blend together the bread crumbs and 1¹/₂ tablespoons butter. Sprinkle over top of the macaroni.

7. Bake about 30 minutes. Don’t overbake; this is supposed to be creamy!

Rosemary Potatoes

I love how potatoes get sweet when you roast them. I use Russets when I can, but Yukon Gold or other yellow-fleshed potatoes also work in this recipe. Rosemary and lemon brighten them nicely.

This recipe serves 4.

What You Need:

♦ 1 pound mini potatoes

♦ 1 tablespoon olive oil plus 1 teaspoon

♦ 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

♦ 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary

♦ 2 teaspoons lemon juice

♦ 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced

♦ 1 teaspoon salt

♦ ¹/₂ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

♦ Pinch cayenne pepper

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and brush with a teaspoon of olive oil.

2. Cut potatoes in half; larger ones can be quartered. Place in a large bowl and add the rest of the ingredients. Stir well to coat.

3. Spread the potatoes on the baking sheet and place in the oven. Roast 15 minutes, stir, turning the potatoes over, and roast another 15 minutes or until a knife inserted slips in easily and the insides are tender. Serve.