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.

Lenten Recipe: Potato Kibbee

Potato Kibbee

2 lb. potatoes, boiled and mashed in vegetable broth (moist is excellent)
2 med onions grated
1 T salt
½ t pepper
½ t allspice
½ c chopped parsley
½ c chopped mint
1 ½ c cracked wheat
1/2 c oil
¼ c bread crumbs

Put potatoes and seasoning in large bowl and mix with oil. Knead in cracked wheat. Add mint, parsley, and onion. Knead well. Place in oiled baking dish. Press down well. Cut into diamonds. Sprinkle top with bread crumbs. Bake at 350° degrees for 30 minutes or until brown.

Lenten Recipe: Morrocan Chick Pea Stew

Morrocan Chick Pea Stew

2 c thinly sliced onions
3 cloves garlic
1 c shredded carrots
1 red bell pepper sliced into strips
1 t ground cumin
1/2 t allspice
1/2 t gound ginger
1/2 t tumeric
1/2 t salt
1/4 t cinnamon
1/4 t cayenne pepper
1 c water or vegetable stock
1 zucchini sliced into thin circles
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
2 c cooked or 1 can chick peas
Juice of 1 lemon
1 T sugar

Combine all ingredients in crock pot and cook on low for 8 hours.
OR
Combine all ingredients in large pot. Bring to the boil, reduce heat, simmer 30 minutes.

Serve over cinnamon couscous or cooked rice.

Lenten Recipe: Cinnamon Couscous

Cinnamon Couscous
2 c instant couscous
3 c water
1 t salt
1 t cinnamon

Boil water, salt, and cinnamon. Remove from heat, add couscous, stir, cover and let stand 10 minutes. Remove lid and fluff with a fork. Can be kept warm over a double boiler or in a warm oven.

Lenten Recipe: Honey Applesauce Spice Cake

Honey Applesauce Spice Cake

Ingredients:

1/2 c honey
1 c applesauce
2 T orange juice
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t cloves
1 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1 3/4 c flour
1/2 c oat bran
2 t ginger

Combine the honey, orange juice and applesauce in a large bowl. Combine dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients to liquid mixture and stir until just mixed. Bake in a nonstick 8 x 8-inch baking pan in a 350° F oven, for 35 to 40 minutes or until done.

Lenten Recipe: Roasted Potatoes with Oregano

Roasted Potatoes with Oregano
6 small potatoes
optional: 1 cup olive oil
juice of 2 lemons
1 T oregano
salt and pepper to taste
Heat oven to 350°
Peel wash and cut potatoes in quarters. Place in baking dish and season with oregano, salt and pepper. Drizzle with lemon juice and oil, if using.

Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, until potatoes are brown.

Lenten Recipe: Mushroom Mock Caviar Sandwiches

This goes very well with potato slices fried in olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt, or with roasted potatoes.

Mushroom Mock Caviar Sandwiches
Rye Bread for sandwiches
1 t olive oil
2 medium onions sliced
1 lb sliced mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, minced (or pressed)
Juice of 1 lemon
3 T sherry
1/2 t thyme
salt and pepper to taste
Heat oil in sauté pan. Add onions, stir briefly add mushrooms. Cook stirring frequently for about 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add garlic and saute 2 minutes more.

Use a blender or food processor to chop the mushroom mixture. Add sherry and lemon juice. Cook on high heat until liquid is evaporated.

Spread mushroom mixture as a sandwich spread on rye bread.

The mushroom mixture can also be chilled and served with cocktail rye for dipping. If chilled add a bit of extra lemon juice and a dash of cayenne pepper.

Lenten Recipe: Yaki Soba

Yakisoba
4 packs fresh yakisoba or ramen noodles
1 carrot shredded
1/2 cabbage shredded
6 shiitake mushrooms stemmed and thinly sliced
shredded beni-shoga (pickled red ginger)
Shredded nori(green laver)
Salt and pepper to taste
Any other vegetables you like or tofu can be added. 2 tablespoons cooking oil
Yakisoba Sauce
2 tablespoons Worcester sauce
2 tablespoons catsup
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
Mix

Heat oil in a large wok or pan over medium heat and saute vegetables. Cook until all ingredients get soft, but not too brown.
Meanwhile, boil noodles according to directions (some noodles only require rinsing under warm water).
Add noodles and yakisoba sauce to wok and stirfry until warm. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve spinkled with ginger and nori.

Lenten Recipe: Sushi

Sushi
You might like a bamboo mat (maki-su) - to make sushi rolls. You could skip this, but it is a nice thing to have and costs $1.99 or so

2 cups of uncooked rice - high quality short grain white rice, often sold as “Sushi Rice”
3 1/2 cups of water
1/4 c Tbs. + 1 tsp. of rice or white vinegar
1/4 c sugar
1 tsp. of salt
1 package of sushi nori
To taste:
soy sauce
wasabi
salt

Sushi roll filling ingredients:
1 cucumber (peeled, seeded and sliced into strips)
2 TBS of thin sliced red ginger in red brine liquid (sold in jars, pre-sliced, in the refrigerated section)
shredded carrots
teriyaki tofu or age tofu (fried tofu)

Cook rice over high heat until brought to a boil. Without stirring reduce the heat to low, and cook covered until all the water is absorbed, about 20 minutes

Make dressing: Dissolve the sugar and salt in the vinegar over low heat.

Allow rice and dressing to cool.

Toss the rice with the dressing. Metal bowls sometimes react badly with the vinegar, so it is better if you have a ceramic, glass or wooden bowl.

Shred the carrots into julienne strips. Sprinkle with soy sauce.

Peel the cucumber, slice in two, remove seeds and julienne. Sprinkle with salt.

If you played your cards right, you bought your pickled ginger shredded. If not, shred it.

Cut the tofu into long thin strips. (You can buy it pre-grilled or brush both sides with teriyaki sauce and broil it. Let it cool before adding to sushi.)

Place the bamboo mat with bamboo strips going horizontally relative to you. Toast the nori sheets by passing the shiny side over your stove burner for a few seconds.

Place one sheet of nori on the bamboo mat. Spread 2-3 TBS of rice on 3/4 of the nori - leaving 1-2" with no rice at the ends. In the center of the spread rice place a line of ingredients. Lift the bamboo mat and roll once to make a long sushi log - slightly squeeze along entire roll. Slightly lift the bamboo mat and roll again till you get to the end of the nori sheet. The roll should be tight with ingredients directly in the center. Use a sharp knife to slice the sushi roll into 1” slices, place flat on a platter. Serve with dipping soy sauce, wasabi and pickled ginger.

You can vary this according to local custom- umm, I mean preference. Some families do nothing but complain about tofu and you do not have to force them to eat it, although my parents would have, young man. Some like it hot; for them add a bit of wasabi to the center of the roll. Mushrooms, lettuce, Japanese radish or pickled radish all go nicely in the center.
A traditional "California Roll" includes crab, avocado and cucumber.

You can also add Lenten luxury items like shrimp, fish roe, and crab.

Lenten Recipe: Crockpot Minestrone

Crockpot Minestrone
1 leek sliced thin
2 carrots, diced
2 onions, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
2 potatos, diced
2 medium zucchini, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups stemmed spinach leaves, or 1 bag fresh baby spinach chopped
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 cup fresh basil leaves chopped or 1/4 cup dried basil
1 can small white beans or 1 cup dried beans soaked over night
1 quart vegetable stock
Salt and pepper to taste

Put all ingredients except salt and pepper in crockpot and cook on low 10 hours. Add salt and pepper at the end

Lenten Recipe: Spinach Pilaf

Spinach Rice
Optional :2 T Olive Oil
1 onion diced
1 clove garlic minced
1 package frozen spinach
1 1/2 cups rice
juice of 1 lemon
3 cups water
Salt and pepper

If using oil: Pour the olive oil into a 1 quart saucepan, add the onion and saute over low-medium heat until it softens. Add the garlic, and saute another minute. Add frozens spinach and steam over low heat until thawed. Add lemon juice and rice, still to coat.
If not using oil: In a 1 quart saucepan, cook the onion and garlic until over low heat until it softens. Add frozens spinach and steam over low heat until thawed. Add lemon juice and rice, still to coat.


Add water, salt, and pepper cover and cook over medium-high heat until brought to a boil. Stir, reduce the heat to low, and cook covered until all the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes

Lenten Recipe: Bean and Rice Burritos

Bean and Rice Burritos

8 Large flour tortillas
1 can fat free refried beans (or better yet fat free refried black beans)
1 c rice
2 c vegetable stock
1 medium onion, chopped
1 sweet red bell pepper chopped
2 c frozen or canned corn
1 t chili powder
1 t onion powder
1/2 t cumin
1/2 t garlic powder
pinch cayenne pepper
Salt to taste
(olive oil for frying vegetables is optional)

1. Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. (Heat oil if using)
2. Place the peppers, onion in the pan.
3. Cook for five to ten minutes, stirring frequently. If the heat is too high and the vegetables do not seem to be wilting add a spoonful of water or vegetable broth. Add garlic and chili powder and cook a minute or two more. Add seasonings, and rice. Stir briefly. Add 2 c vegetable broth and corn. Bring to the boil over high heat, then reduce to low. Cook covered until all liquid is absorbed (about 20 minutes) stirring very infrequently. (The more often you lift the cover the more steam escapes instead of steaming the rice and making all the little grains fluffy).
4. After 15 minutes, heat beans in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently for five minutes or until hot.
5. Line up the tortillas and roll up the burritos. Place a spoonful of beans and a spoonful of the rice and vegetable mixture in the middle of each tortilla. Fold up the top bottom and roll the burrito across one side. It is nice to put a spoonful of salsa on each plate that the burrito can be dipped in as it is eaten.

Lenten Recipe: Weekend Marinara

Marinara Sauce
1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
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
2 cans tomato paste
2 28 oz cans plum tomatoes, crushed or whole as you prefer
Salt and Pepper

Heat olive oil in large sauce pan on medium heat Add onions and sauté 15 minutes

Add herbs and garlic, continue to sauté for 2 to 3 minutes.

Add tomatoes salt & pepper and simmer for about 30 minutes. Stir occasionally

Canned tomatoes generally have a reliable flavor, but tomatoes can have their sweet and sour nature accentuated by adding a 1 T of wine vinegar and 1 T of sugar to the sauce.

Lenten Recipe: Glazed Carrots

Glazed Baby Carrots

1 lb baby carrots
1 cup vegetable broth
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional
1 t sugar
1 t olive oil

Choose a sauté pan large enough that the carrots will fit on a single layer. Cover the carrots with the broth. Cover and bring the carrots to a boil. Reduce heat slightly and cook in partially covered pan until broth and natural carrot juices are reduced to a a thick brown syrup. If using oil, add to the pan. Swirl carrots in glaze.

To make a sweeter glaze add sugar to carrots and broth before cooking.

The glaze can be flavored with lemon juice, herbs, balsamic vinegar or anything that will complement the main meal.

Lenten Recipe: Crockpot Vegetable Stock

Crockpot Vegetable Stock
1 leek, washed and cut in a few sections
3 onions, quartered
3 carrots, washed, unpeeled & roughly chopped
4 or 5 celery stalks with leaves, cut in sections
1 parsnip, washed, unpeeled and split down the middle
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 T dried parsley (or a handfull of fresh)
1 bay leaf
A few twists pepper or a few peppercorns
2 quarts water

Cook on low 8 to 10 hours. Strain and store

Lenten Recipe: Hummus without Oil

Hummus without Oil
1 can chick peas drained
Juice of one or two lemons
1 clove garlic peeled
2 T sesame tahini
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
Pinch paprika


Pour all ingredients into a blender or food processor; process until smooth.
or
Press a clove of garlic into a bowl, add remaining ingredients and mash by hand or with a hand beater until smooth.

Extra lemon juice or water may be added if the hummus is too stiff.

Lenten Recipe: Mushroom Pilaf

Mushroom Pilaf:

Optional: 6 tablespoons olive oil
Optional: Juice of one lemon

1 onion, finely chopped

8 oz. mushrooms, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

1 1/2 cups wild, brown or white rice (or a mixture of wild and plain rice)

3 cups vegetable broth or water

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 t (or to taste) herbes de provence (a dried blend of marjoram, thyme, summer savory, sage, basil, rosemary, fennel seeds and lavender) or thyme

Preparation:


If using oil: Pour the olive oil into a 1 quart saucepan, add the onion and mushrooms, and saute them over low-medium heat until they soften. Add the
garlic, and stir all the ingredients for about 1 minute.
If not using oil: Squeeze the lemon into a 1 quart saucepan, add the onion and mushrooms, and cook over low-medium heat until the vegetables soften. Add the
garlic, and stir all the ingredients well for about 1 minute.

Add the rice, stock or water, salt, pepper, and dried herbs, cover and cook
over medium-high heat until brought to a boil. Stir, reduce the heat to low-medium,
and cook covered until all the liquid is absorbed (about 30 minutes. Wild rice or brown rice may take up to 40 minutes, white rice as little as 20).

Lenten Recipe: Potato-Leek Soup

Potato-Leek Soup
4 c Peeled & sliced potatoes
4 c Water or vegetable broth
2 Leeks, white parts only, washed & sliced
1 small onion chopped fine
1 clove garlic minced
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 c Finely Chopped scallions

Place the potatoes, water, onion, and leeks in a medium-sized soup pot. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes. Transfer half of the soup to a blender or processor and blend until smooth. Add the garlic, scallions, and pepper to remaining vegetables in soup pot. Return pureed potato soup to the pot and stir. Cook over very low heat for 10 minutes.

Optional: If using as a main dish, small white beans (canned or previously cooked) can be added to give a little kick of protein.

Lenten Recipe: Bean and Tofu Burritos

Bean and Tofu Burritos

10 Large flour tortillas
1 can fat free refried beans (or better yet fat free refried black beans)
1 c salsa
1 c sliced bell peppers
1 medium onion, chopped
1 pound extra firm tofu, cubed
1 finely chopped jalapeno pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t chili powder
Salt to taste
(olive oil for frying vegetables is optional)

1. Heat a large sauté pan medium heat. (Heat oil if using)
2. Place the tofu, peppers, onion in the pan.
3. Cook for five to ten minutes, stirring frequently. If the heat is too high and the vegetables do not seem to be wilting add a spoonful of water or vegetable broth. Add garlic and chili powder and cook a minute or two more.
4. While vegetables are cooking, heat beans in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently for five minutes or until hot.
5. Line up the tortillas and roll up the burritos. Place a spoonful of beans, a spoonful of the tofu and vegetable mixture, and a spoonful of salsa in the middle of each tortilla,
6. Fold up the top bottom and roll the burrito across one side.