What are you doing here?

Lent's over. Go home.

But the angel answered and said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said."

Lenten Recipe: Pickled Cabbage

This Chinese pickled cabbage goes well with rice and Yu Dofu or a similar soup with tofu.

Pickled Cabbage
1 pound pickling Chinese cabbage
1 tablespoon salt
1/3 cup granulated sugar
4 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon chili oil
1/3 cup red rice vinegar
1 teaspoon ground Szechuan peppercorns or ordinary ground pepper

Lenten Recipe: Yu Dofu (Boiled Tofu)

Yu Dofu

2 packages tofu
8 shiitake mushrooms
Green onion
6 in. dried konbu (kelp), or dried "konbu dashi"
3 c water with 6 in. dried konbu (kelp), or dried "konbu dashi"
-or-
3 c vegetable broth
1/2 cup shredded fresh spinach or shungiku (edible chrysanthemum leaves)
Soy Sauce to taste

Cut each tofu block into quarters
Remove stems of mushrooms.
Finely chop green onion and set aside.
Place broth (or water and konbu) in a sauce pan. Add tofu and mushrooms and simmer for at least 10 minutes
Spoon tofu, mushrooms, and broth into bowls. Garnish with shredded spinach (or shungiku and green onion.

Lenten Recipe: Fool (Egyptian Bean and Vegetable Soup)

Egyptian Bean and Vegetable Soup

1 onion chopped
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 t cumin
1 ½ t paprika
pinch cayenne pepper
2 bay leaves
1 carrot diced for soup
1 fresh tomato chopped
4 c vegetable stock
2 c pink beans or cooked fava beans
½ c chopped fresh parsley
Juice of 2 lemons

Combine all ingredients and simmer at least 45 minutes. Can be left to simmer all day in a crock pot.

Lenten Recipe: Spinach Tofu Lasagne

Fresh Spinach Lasagne
Servings: 8

Ingredients
1 bag prewashed baby spinach or 3 bunches fresh spinach, washed and stemmed
1/2 t salt
1 lb. lasagna noodles
1/2 cup chopped green onion
2 pkgs. tofu, drained and crumbled (12 or 14 oz packages)
2 T chopped parsley
1/8 t nutmeg
1/8 t black pepper

2 c bottled marinara with 2 cups sliced mushrooms
-or-
2 c homemade sauce:
1 Large Yellow Onion chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil chopped, or 2 T dried basil
1 T dried oregano
4 garlic cloves minced
1 t thyme
1 can tomato paste
1 28 oz can plum crushed tomatoes
2 cups sliced mushrooms
Salt and Pepper

For topping:
Bread crumbs combined with fresh or dried basil

Combine all ingredients and simmer while preparing the rest of the lasagne. Stir occasionally

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Boil water then add pasta; boil for 10-12 mins. Drain and rinse pasta in cold water. Chop spinach and green onions. Combine with salt, parsley, nutmeg, and pepper. Set aside. Spread 1/3 of prepared sauce over bottom. Lay strips of pasta so they cover the bottom and hang over sides of baking dish. Spread 1/2 spinach filling; add another layer of pasta. Continue to add pasta, sauce, and filling, ending with pasta and covering with sauce. Fold pasta over top to seal in fillings. Sprinkle bread crumbs and basil lightly over top. Cover with foil and bake 20 mins. Remove foil and bake another 15 mins. Let the lasagna rest 15 mins.; cut and serve.

Lenten Recipe: Moroccan Carrots

Moroccan Carrots
1 lb grated carrots
1 cup vegetable broth
1/2 t salt
Juice of 1 lemon
2 T sugar
1 clove garlic
1 t paprika
1 t cumin
1 t parsley
pinch cinnamon

In a small saucepan combine vegetable broth, garlic (minced or pressed), salt, sugar, lemon juice, paprika, cumin, parsley, cinnamon. Bring to a boil and add carrots. Cook for about five minutes or until carrots are done to your liking.

Lenten Recipe: Spinach Pie

Spinach Pie
Dough
3 Cups of flour
1 t of salt
1 T of active yeast powder
3 T warm water
½ t sugar
1 cup of warm water

Dissolve yeast in 3 T warm water mixed with sugar and allow the mixture to bubble. Add remaining cup of water and set aside. Mix flour and salt, then add water and yeast mixture. Stir until mixed, then knead about five minutes. (Or throw everything into an electric mixer or food processor and knead).

Filling
1 bag washed spinach
3 onions chopped
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 pinch allspice
1 pinch cinnamon
salt and pepper
optional1 T olive oil
Toss all filling ingredients like a salad. Set aside.

Roll dough into small circles. Mine have a diameter about the length of my hand. Place a small amount of spinach mixture in center of each round of dough. Form a triangular pie by drawing two sides of dough to the center and pinching shut a seam from center to the corner. Then draw up the remaining bottom flap of dough and pinch shut the remaining seams, leaving a tiny hole open in the center as a vent. Bake at 375 to 400 degrees F for 15 minutes , until brown on top and bottom.

Lenten Recipe: Spinach Dal

Spinach Dal
1 cup red lentil
½ cup Chana yellow split peas
2 cups chopped spinach
1 chopped tomato
1 bunch spinach chopped
1 chopped onion

1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon ginger
½ teaspoon coriander
pinch cayenne papper
clove garlic crushed
1 teaspoon garam masala

quartered lemons


Boil 4 cups water. Add onion, lentils, and split peas to hot water. Stir in salt and turmeric powder.

Partially cover and simmer on medium heat until about 45 minutes until lentils are cooked). Add water if necessary.

Add chopped spinach, seasonings, and tomatoes to the cooked dal; let cook for about 15 minutes.

Serve with lemon wedges, rice and flat bread.

Lenten Recipe: Pasta Vegetable Soup

Pasta Vegetable Soup
2 quarts water or vegetable stock (or a mixture thereof)
2 cloves garlic minced
2 onions
2 carrots
2 ribs celery
2 cans tomato paste
2 c cooked or 1 can small white beans
1 T oregano
1 T basil
1 t thyme
salt, pepper
1 lb Orecchiette

Combine all ingredients except the pasta in a large stock pot or crockpot. To cook on the stove bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for an hour. Add the pasta and cook another ten minutes. Serve.

To use a crockpot: Combine all ingredients except pasta and cook as long as you like-4 to 6 hours on high, 8 to 10 hours on low. Believe me: it does not matter. Near serving time, cook pasta according to package directions. Add pasta to soup. Serve.

Lenten Recipe: Vegetable Vindaloo

Vegetable Vindaloo

3 cups finely chopped onions
1 28 oz can tomato purée
2 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 large garlic clove, chopped
1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon (or to taste) cayenne pepper
1 1/2 vegetable broth or water
3 c fresh vegetables such as zucchini, carrots, cauliflower
1 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces

Add all ingredients to pot or crockpot. Can be simmered over medium heat for 30 minutes or cooked in a crockpot on low for 8 hours.
Serve over white rice.

Lenten Recipe: Vegetarian Ma Po Tofu

Meatless Ma Po Tofu
1 lb package of extra firm tofu
1 c vegetable broth
1 T cornstarch
2 T soy sauce
1 T oyster sauce
2 chili bean sauce with 3 gloves minced garlic or 2 T chili garlic sauce such as Lee Kum Kee
1 T grated peeled fresh ginger
2-3 green onions

Combine vegetable broth with soy sauce, cornstarch, oyster sauce, chili sauce (and garlic if using), ginger and chopped green onions. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium and simmer.
Cut tofu into ½" cubes.
Add to broth and simmer 10 minutes.

Serve over plain white rice.