Mickie Mueller
It’s time to celebrate the lusty month of May. The world has burst into life and we’re surrounded with sensuality, love, and passion. This menu delights the senses while keeping it light, so that whatever your Beltane celebration entails, you’ll be ready for it. With foods associated with both the faerie realm and sacred sexuality, you’ll have a lovely feast for Beltane as you welcome in the season of growth.
Breaded Portobello Mushrooms
Mushrooms are often associated with Beltane due to their connections to the fairy realm and sexuality. A local bar and grill my husband Dan and I like to go to serves some great breaded portobello mushrooms, and he challenged me to make some at home. Of course I accepted the challenge and what resulted is one of our favorite appetizers for company. You can use the recipe for small mushrooms too, but the big slices of portobello make a great presentation.
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Servings: 4
4 large portobello mushrooms
½ cup all-purpose flour (gluten-free flour mix works fine)
1 egg
¼ cup milk
2 cups of square rice cereal such as Rice Chex or another brand
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne
1 tablespoon olive oil
Nonstick cooking spray
Preheat air fryer or oven to 400° F (200° C). Pour rice cereal into a gallon-sized zipper storage bag and zip it closed. Roll over the rice cereal with a rolling pin or large glass until crushed into small pieces that resemble breadcrumbs. Clean the mushrooms and slice them about ¾-inch thick, then rinse the slices.
Prepare three shallow dishes: one for the flour and one for the egg and milk (beat these together with a fork). In the third bowl, mix the crushed cereal, paprika, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Add the olive oil and mix it into cereal and seasoning with clean fingers. Be sure to mix it in well. Toss each mushroom slice in the flour and coat. Next, dip in the egg and milk mixture, then roll it in the cereal mixture.
Bake on a sheet pan for 25 minutes, turning mushrooms halfway through baking time. These can also be cooked in an air fryer at 400° F (200° C) for 10 minutes.
Mushroom Dipping Sauce
Here’s a great dipping sauce for those breaded mushrooms that will get your heart pumping. It’s quick and easy; everyone here loved it!
1 cup plain Greek yogurt or coconut Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon horseradish
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon sriracha
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir. Serve with your breaded portobellos.
Penne Puttanesca
Pasta is a pretty sexy dish, and as pasta goes, one that’s light and fresh is even sexier. When I do spaghetti night, I often just open a jar of sauce and jazz it up with extras, but for a special Beltane meal, this traditional Italian dish isn’t much more work and it’s fresh and made with love. Many people do a puttanesca with spaghetti noodles; I usually opt for an elegant penne.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4
12-ounce package of penne pasta (you can also use gluten-free pasta)
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 cloves of garlic, minced
6 anchovies, rinsed and minced (optional)
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
5 cups diced roma tomatoes (about 8 tomatoes)
½ cup kalamata olives, cut in half
¼ cup capers
¼ cup chopped parsley
Salt and fresh pepper to taste
Freshly grated parmesan to garnish
Boil water and cook the pasta according to directions on the package. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, then add garlic, red pepper, and anchovies. Cook about 2 minutes, then add tomato paste and stir. Next add tomatoes and reduce to simmer. Simmer about 10 minutes, allowing the tomatoes to break down and the dish to become saucy. Add olives, capers, and parsley and simmer 5 more minutes. Toss with the cooked penne pasta until coated. Top with parmesan to serve.
Asparagus with Lemons and Capers
Asparagus is a very sensual side dish for Beltane. Add capers to that, with their magical properties of both luck and passion; garlic, which banishes negativity and promotes lust; and lemon juice, which not only brings bright notes to this dish, but is used in magic for love and friendship, and Beltane magic has arrived at your dinner table. If you don’t love asparagus, this recipe works well with green beans also.
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Servings: 4
1 pound fresh or frozen asparagus
2 green onions
2 tablespoons capers, plus one tablespoon reserved liquid
2 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon salt, divided
½ cup water
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
If using fresh asparagus, wash and remove the woody ends of the asparagus. Slice the green onions thinly and at an angle. Mince the garlic cloves. Place the asparagus, green onions, capers, garlic, a tablespoon of the liquid from the capers, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ cup water in a skillet over medium heat, and cover with a lid. Steam the asparagus for 8–12 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure even cooking. Once they’re tender but still have their bright green color, remove them from the pan and set on a plate. Add lemon juice, olive oil, and the other ½ teaspoon of salt to the skillet. Return the asparagus to the pan, and toss gently to coat, then place back on the serving dish and serve.
Ellie’s Strawberry Pie
Strawberries: to me they’re as beautiful as roses but taste much better. This pie is easy to make and always impresses guests. My mother-in-law Ellie makes this one. I love its fresh flavor; it’s not as sticky and sugary as traditional strawberry pie. You can make it with sugar-free gelatin and pudding mixes if you wish. You can use traditional pie crust made from scratch or from the refrigerated section; I won’t judge. It’s also good made with a graham cracker crust or gluten-free cookie crust if you prefer. If you’re vegetarian or vegan, replace regular gelatin with a strawberry-flavored vegan gelatin.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Inactive: 3 hours
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Servings: 6
Baked pie crust, cooled
4 cups strawberries
1 3-ounce package strawberry gelatin mix (feel free to substitute vegan strawberry gelatin)
1 3-ounce package of vanilla pudding mix (not the instant kind, the kind you cook)
2 cups water
Add both pudding mix and gelatin to a sauce pan along with 2 cups water and stir while bringing to a boil until the gelatin is dissolved. Chill the mixture in the refrigerator until it thickens a bit. Clean and cut the strawberries in slices. Fill the pie crust with the sliced strawberries. Once the gelatin mixture is slightly set, pour over the strawberries. Chill pie in the refrigerator at least 3 hours before serving.