Recipes for Your Ostara Celebration (2024)

Hot Cross Buns - Cross Quarter Buns

During the pre-Easter season of Lent, many of our Christian friends and family members are busily celebrating with Hot Cross Buns. The Hot Cross Bun is a tasty pastry that’s been around for a long time, and the decorative cross on the top represents one of the most obvious symbols of Christianity.

There are a number ofEnglish traditionsrevolving around hot cross buns. Onecustom says that sailors should take a hot cross buns on their travels to prevent shipwreck. The cross on the bun comes from a superstition that marking the bun so would prevent the Devil from getting into the baked goods. Interestingly, it’s possible that breads with crosses on top were baked by the ancient Greeks, which makes the whole ideapre-Christiananyway.

So, how can you incorporate a Hot Cross Bun into your Pagan belief system? Well, what sorts of things appear in fours in your path? Here are some things that the four quarters of the cross could represent, depending on what matters most to you.

• The four elements: Choose a quarter to represent each of the four elements of earth, air, fire and water.
• The four directions: Many Pagan traditions place an emphasis on the directions of north, east, south and west.
• The four phases of the moon: Select each quarter to symbolize the dark moon, the waxing moon, the full moon and the waning phase.
• The four seasons: Each quadrant could be representative of spring, summer, fall, and winter.
• The fire feasts or quarter festivals: The Fire Festivals, or cross quarter days, include Imbolc, Beltane, Lammas/Lughnasadh, and Samhain. The Quarter festivals, or lesser sabbats, include the solstices and equinoxes.
• The four suits of the Tarot: Each section can symbolize Wands, Cups, Coins or Swords.

To make your own Hot Cross Buns — or Cross Quarter Buns, or whatever you’d like to call them — start with your favorite muffin or roll recipe. There are several ways you can make the X in the top to divide them into fours.

• Prior to baking, press raisins or currants in the shape of an X across the top of the bun. That way, when it comes out of the oven, you’ll have a nice evenly baked cross.
• Score the dough with a sharp knife, going across in each direction, before baking. This leaves the X as a pair of perpendicular indentations. If you like, you can even fill the indents with cream cheese or icing.
• Wait until after the muffin or bun has baked, and then use frosting to pipe an X on the top.

Mint Chutney

Keep in mind that the word "chutney" is a fairly wide-ranging culinary term that can be used to apply to a lot of things that involve herbs, fruit, spices, and other goodies.This delicious sauce is perfect for spring meals, especially if you're making a roasted leg of lamb. It also goes nicely with spicy dishes, such as Indian or Mediterranean food, or veggies. It's quick to prepare, or you can whip it up ahead of time and let it chill.

Ingredients

• 3 C. fresh mint leaves, off stems
• 1/2 C. fresh cilantro
• 1/2 C. fresh parsley
• 1/2 C. green pepper, chopped
• 1/2 C. red pepper, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/2 Tsp. sea salt
• A dash of lemon juice
• 1/4–1/2 C olive oil
• Water

Preparation

Throw everything in your food processor or blender and chop until it forms a paste. Add water gradually to thin it out, and continue blending until the water and paste have formed a smooth sauce. Refrigerate if you're not going to serve it right away. Serve over lamb or meat dishes, your favorite pasta or bread, or just eat it with a spoon!

Roasted Lamb

For many of our ancestors, lamb was the first real meat they got each year, after the cold winter months.Ostara is the time of the spring lambs, and if you're a meat eater, this marinated and roasted leg of lamb is the perfect dish for your Ostara celebrations.

Ingredients

• Leg of lamb
• 1 C white cooking wine
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Juice from 2 oranges (or 1/2 C orange juice)
• 1 Tbsp. freshly chopped rosemary
• Pepper and sea salt to taste
• Olive oil (about 2 Tbs.)

Preparation

To make the marinade, combine everything except the lamb in a bowl. Blend it together with a whisk. Pour into a plastic bag and then add the leg of lamb. Seal the bag, and let it sit overnight.

Allow the lamb to reach room temperature before you put it in the oven. Remove from the bag, place in a roasting pan (along with all the marinade juices), and bake on the lower rack at 450 degrees. Roast the lamb until it reaches an internal temperature of about 135, or about an hour.

The secret to a good lamb dish is to not overcook it, so it should still be pink in the middle when it comes out of the oven. Place it on a rack, cover with foil, and allow it to sit in its own juices for about twenty minutes before serving. This will help the roasting process finish without drying out the meat.

Deviled Eggs

Did you know that the phrase "deviled," when used to refer to food, has nothing to do with devils at all? It was apparently coined during the late 18th century, when it was applied to any food item that was hot or spicy.

Deviled eggs are supremely easy to make, and you can make them sweet or spicy. This recipe is for a tangy, spicy version of the classic spring dish. Make these delicious eggs for your Ostara get-togethers and celebrations.

Ingredients

• 1 dozen eggs
• 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 1/4 C. mayonnaise
• 1 tsp. Curry powder
• 1/2 tsp. white vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Paprika
• Parsley, for garnish

Preparation

Hard-boil the eggs and allow them to cool before peeling. Peel the eggs and slice each one in half lengthwise. Remove the yolks and place them in a bowl.

Mash the yolks up with a fork, and add the Dijon mustard, mayonnaise, curry powder, vinegar and salt and pepper. Blend it all together. Gently spoon the yolk mixture into the white halves, and sprinkle with paprika. Garnish with parsley sprigs for serving.

Ostara Peep Ambrosia

Ambrosia is one of the easiest desserts ever to make -- and when you jazz it up with some pink and yellow Peeps, it's even more fun for your Ostara celebration! If you've got extra Peeps hanging around your house during the spring, this recipe is a great way to use them up.

Ingredients

• 1 pkg of 12 marshmallow Peeps (chicks or bunnies)
• 2 cans mandarin oranges
• 2 cans pineapple tidbits
• 1 jar maraschino cherries
• 2 chopped bananas
• 2 C. shredded coconut flakes
• 1 16-oz tub cottage cheese
• 1 8-oz tub of Cool Whip or other dessert topping

Preparation

Dice the Peeps into small pieces. Drain the juices from all the fruit. Mix all ingredients together, and allow to chill in the refrigerator for a few hours. Serve as dessert following your Ostara celebration.

Spring Sprout Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing

Spring is here, and with it comes bright green gifts from the garden. What better way to welcome Ostara than with a plate of fresh sprouts and leaves? This is easy to make, and the honey mustard dressing is delicious. If you're not a fan of mustard, use your favorite dressing on here instead.

Ingredients

• 1 C Mung bean sprouts
• 1 C alfalfa sprouts
• 2 C baby spinach
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1/2 C slivered almonds
• 1/2 C dried cherries or craisins
• Fresh dill
• 1 can Mandarin oranges (optional)
• 1/2 C mayonnaise
• 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 Tbsp honey
• A dash of lemon juice

Preparation

To make the salad, place the baby spinach at the bottom of the plate or bowl, and then add the sprouts. Spread them out so they're not all clumped together. Sprinkle the top with the chopped green onions, the almonds, craisins, dill, and Mandarins if you're using them.

To make the dressing, combine the mayonnaise, mustard, honey and lemon juice and mix well. Drizzle over the salad to serve.

• Cook's tip: if you're not crazy about the flavor of mayonnaise, you can reduce the amount you use by a couple of tablespoons.For a healthier and sweeter choice, you can substitute plain white yogurt for the mayo.
• For those of you who have kids — this dressing makes a great dip for chicken fingers!

Surprise Lemon Bread

At Ostara, the earth is waking up in anticipation of Spring... and it's not uncommon to find small treasures peeking out of the ground at us. Green shoots appear from the mud, and bright flowers appear where there was nothing the day before. This easy "surprise bread" reflects the theme of re-emergence, and you can put it together easily by using a pre-packaged lemon poppy seed bread mix. Add small treasures to the mix, as well as a few edible additions, and you'll have a real treat on your hands for your Ostara celebration.

Ingredients

• 1 package Lemon Poppy Seed Bread mix (or your favorite lemon bread recipe)
• Ingredients to prepare bread as directed
• 1/2 C golden raisins
• 1 Tbsp orange zest
• 1/2 C dried cranberries
• Non-meltable goodies to add into the bread, such as:
• A shiny coin
• A piece of gold or silver jewelry
• A ring
• A polished crystal
• Vanilla ice cream

Preparation

Prepare the bread mix as directed. Once it's all mixed together, add in the golden raisins, the orange zest, and the cranberries. Finally, fold in a few small treasures, such as a ring, a cleaned coin, or a polished crystal. Be sure you select items that won't melt when you bake it in the oven!

Bake as directed on the package, and then remove from oven. Allow to cool. If you like, top with powdered sugar or your favorite glaze.

To serve, slice off pieces, keeping an eye out for the hidden treasures (be sure to warn your guests to prevent choking hazards!). Top each slice off with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

This dessert bread can be used as a snack or appetizer, or you can incorporate it into your Cakes and Ale ceremony, if you include that as part of your Ostara rituals.

Safety tip: If you're serving this bread to small children, you may want to omit baking anything into the inside of the bread — put larger, non-chokable items on the plate beside the bread as a much safer special treat!