Imbolc (around 2 February) is a time of purification and historically the time of newborn lambs. Try this recipe for the Imbolc celebration or whenever you need to exorcise negative thoughts from your life and make a fresh start.

Begin with 8 4-ounce lamb chops. As you trim any excess fat from the lamb chops, imagine trimming away the negatives in your life. Take your time. Trim twice if you need to. Slice away all those bad feelings of not being good enough, of guilt, of long-ago rejection. This is a time for fresh starts, a bitter winter’s promise of the spring that is to come.

Next, combine 2 tablespoons coarse grained mustard, 1 tablespoon cracked pepper, and 1 tablespoon soy sauce in a small glass dish. Stir in clockwise 1 finely chopped green onion. As you stir in the onion, visualize the negatives in your life being stirred away, bringing you purification and healing.

Continue stirring clockwise as you add 1 minced clove of garlic. With each stir, imagine complete healing and purification. When you feel the negatives in your life begin to melt away, stop stirring and dip one side of each lamb chop in the mixture.

Fire up your outdoor grill, bringing the coals to a medium-hot temperature. Fire, too, is a symbol of purification, but if an outdoor grill is impractical, heat your oven to 400F and use a broiler pan or baking rack. Carefully place each chop on the grill or rack, with the coated side up. Grill each side for 5 minutes, or until the meat is as done as you want it to be. While the chops cook, watch them carefully in the heat and visualize the end of whatever has held you back and the coming of your own fresh start.

Garnish, if desired.

Makes 4 large servings or 8 small servings.