Lenten recipes

[John Charmley]

Dear Mary,

Excellent advice from Fr. Raphael and Nina. You might also try
http://vegkitchen.com/recipes-galore.htm
if you need advice in a hurry - full of good stuff.

In Christ,

John

[Fr Raphael Vereshack]

Dear Mary,

Excellent advice from Fr. Raphael and Nina. You might also try
http://vegkitchen.com/recipes-galore.htm
if you need advice in a hurry - full of good stuff.

In Christ,

John

By the way does anyone have any lenten recipes for dishes based on grains such as rice, bulgour or polenta? (maybe even the dreaded pasta?). I tend to use these a lot during Lent but never quite know what to combine with these.

In Christ- Fr Raphael

[John Charmley]

Dear Fr. Raphael,

I don't (alas) have share in that site, but if you follow this link
http://vegkitchen.com/recipes/grains.htm
you'll find some excellent recipes for the grains you mention; I recommend the 'Mixed Squash and Mushroom Sauté with Quinoa', which is excellent.

The pasta recipes at http://vegkitchen.com/recipes/cool-pasta.htm are also recommended.

I hope it all helps keep a varied and healthy diet for us all; all other sites or recipes welcome!

In Christ,

John

[Fr Raphael Vereshack]

Dear Fr. Raphael,

I don't (alas) have share in that site, but if you follow this link
http://vegkitchen.com/recipes/grains.htm
you'll find some excellent recipes for the grains you mention; I recommend the 'Mixed Squash and Mushroom Sauté with Quinoa', which is excellent.

The pasta recipes at http://vegkitchen.com/recipes/cool-pasta.htm are also recommended.

I hope it all helps keep a varied and healthy diet for us all; all other sites or recipes welcome!

In Christ,

John

Thanks so much John.

I think it would do all of us good, who are more on our own, & who only have the cat to keep us in line, to learn how to cook a number of basic & balanced lenten dishes. Invariably what happens to many of us over the years is that the diet gets more and more restricted, not for ascetic reasons but because this is easiest. The unwitting result after all that pasta & peanut butter on bread is that you actually gain weight.

Personally I'm not much attracted by prepared foods but also I'm not very patient with standard recipes (eg: grate a chinese cucumber, add .007 tb of cummin, mix in mexican horse radish (preferably picked in the spring of course) while slowly heating all of this for 26 minutes in a le creuset pot over a heat of 46.8 c). So it would be good to have a basic set of nutritious lenten recipes. I'll certainly take a look at the website.

In Christ- Fr Raphael

[Ruth Hrebinka]

Father Raphael,

During Lent, with rice, bulgar or polenta, I like cooking mushrooms, onions, garlic, maybe a little red pepper in canola oil, then adding water and vegetable bullion. I then thicken the broth with a little cornstarch and water to make a gravy. Served on the above grains it is delicious and you almost feel decadent eating it during Lent.

Hope it helps.

Ruth

[Nina]

By the way does anyone have any lenten recipes for dishes based on grains such as rice, bulgour or polenta? (maybe even the dreaded pasta?). I tend to use these a lot during Lent but never quite know what to combine with these.

In Christ- Fr Raphael

I found this website:
http://www.fatfreevegan.com/grains/grains.shtml

Here is a quick and easy recipe:
Lenten refreshing sandwich.

Mash 1 ripe avocado. Mix it with salt, crushed garlic (optional), and 1/2 ts of lemon juice. Serve it with sliced tomatoes, lettuce and green onion.

Recipe sharing to be continued...

[Fr Raphael Vereshack]

Thanks all! Writing furiously...keep those recipes coming.

We'll have to change the title of this thread to:

Keeping the Fast with Love.

In Christ- Fr Raphael

[Karena Hryniuk]

Father Raphael,

During Lent, with rice, bulgar or polenta, I like cooking mushrooms, onions, garlic, maybe a little red pepper in canola oil, then adding water and vegetable bullion. I then thicken the broth with a little cornstarch and water to make a gravy. Served on the above grains it is delicious and you almost feel decadent eating it during Lent.

Hope it helps.

Ruth

Excellent one Ruth! I eat very much the same. I try to mix up the variety using different rices. Wild rice, black or japonica...and also eat lots of quinoa. Usually with chopped red pepper, green onions and crushed almonds. Then just drizzle a little red wine vinegar and canola oil on top ~if not abstaining from the oil.

Chopped vegetable salads too. Chop a variety of veggies up and make it colorful. A little lemon juice and oil to dress. Throw on some sunflower seeds or crushed nuts to add texture.

Fruit salad is also a good one, chop up fruits and add a few handfuls of berries ~blueberries, raspberries are nice~and leave overnight in the fridge (the juices macerate on their own and make a natural syrup)

This is a nice thread ~ Hi everyone. I'm a bit new here and enjoy reading all the posts!

IC XC
~Karena

[Paul Cowan]

Fr Raphael and All,

I frequent this site for most ANY ingredient I want to use.

http://www.fooddownunder.com/

No, not 100% lenten, but you can type in your item and it will give you a list of recipes to pick from. Some items are really "odd".

Paul

[Nina]

Hi again Father Raphael,

In addition to what the other posters said, you can cook rice with spinach, or rice with leeks, or with green peppers; or you can make vegetable soup with rice or with Kritharaki (a semolina rice shaped pasta). All fast and easy. If you need those Lenten recipes (from my grandmothers) please let me know.

Another Lenten recipe which is quick is what my grandma called 'fake potatoes' :) I do not know why and I regret I did not ask my grandma before she passed away (at 100 yrs old).

Saute 1 diced onion in oil (it tastes better with oil) or in water. Cut in four pieces each of 2 garlic cloves and mix those in with the onion. Stir until onion is translucent (do not let the onion get brown or burn) and add a diced tomato (or substitute with one teaspoon of tomato paste). Stir well for 40 sec. and add the 4 cubed (on the large side-2 cm) potatoes. Stir fry for 30 seconds and add water to almost cover the potatoes. Add salt and one bay leaf (after cleaning it). Cook until the potatoes are soft but not mushy (mixing it often) and until most of the liquid has evaporated. Before serving grind pepper. 2 servings. (oil or no oil)

I like to combine this with tofu prepared like this: Saute 1 onion until is translucent. Add 1/4 teaspoon turmeric, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 diced garlic clove, pepper and salt and stir. Add tofu (1 pound cubed) and stir fry about 5 min. You can serve this with rice or pasta also. 4 servings. (for oil-allowed days)

[Maria Murray]

I'm afraid I can't offer any official precise recipes - I never use recipes when I cook, unfortunately.

Here is what I usually do with rice: boil rice separately, then in a different pan I put some water, soy sauce, and any veggies I find: like onions, garlic, broccoli, peppers, snap peas, carrots etc, peanuts/cashews and sometimes shrimp. It turns into a Chinese stir-fry.

My family favorite lenten recipe is Russian beet soup:
Boil a pot of water, add salt and pepper
Add fresh chopped potatoes, beets, cabbage, carrots, onions, garlic
Optional ingredients: lemon (yum), dill, bay leaf, tomatoes.

[Fr Raphael Vereshack]

Fr Raphael and All,

I frequent this site for most ANY ingredient I want to use.

http://www.fooddownunder.com/

No, not 100% lenten, but you can type in your item and it will give you a list of recipes to pick from. Some items are really "odd".

Paul


There are some very nice things on that site, Paul- thanks.

In Christ- Fr Raphael

[Fr Raphael Vereshack]

Nina wrote:


In addition to what the other posters said, you can cook rice with spinach, or rice with leeks, or with green peppers; or you can make vegetable soup with rice or with Kritharaki (a semolina rice shaped pasta). All fast and easy. If you need those Lenten recipes (from my grandmothers) please let me know.


Sure, maybe you could post these if you like.

And many thanks to all for the great ideas.

I wonder if we could put together an online Monachos Lenten Cook Book!

In Christ- Fr Raphael

[Mary]

Wow! Now I've got too many things to cook up! =)

Thanks so much everyone. I seem to be having trouble with my internet conenction, which is why I wasn't back here checking for answers.

I think a Monachos Lenten cookbook sounds like a brilliant idea! =) We had our presantified liturgy last night and dinner afterwards, and our priest made the most delicious stuffed mushrooms! I'll have to find out how he makes it and I'll post the recipe. With mushrooms like that, I'll never want non-lenten food again! =)

Nina, I'd love to see your grandmother's recipes! Paul, I'd love to have the recipe for your 'mean 5 can casserole'.

The other thing that I have trouble with, in preparing meals is to figure out what sides go with the main dish. I do alright with spaghetti - serve with salad and bread. Soup with bread. Beyond that, I'm lost. Think you great cooks could add a 'serving suggestion' at the end of your recipes to give me ideas of what goes with what?

Thanks!

Mary.

[Paul Cowan]

As long as we are putting an e-recipe book together, here is my latest Lenten creation. I also don't use recipes. Whatever is handy gets heated into a concotion. My wife hates this about me because IF I make something she does like, I can never reproduce it.

I haven't even named this yet.

1) Slice 3 chinese eggplants into 3 inch chunks. (all pieces should be able to stand up, about 12)
2) Hollow out the centers leaving a 1/8- 1/4 rind, steam until pliable. You can do this in the microwave with a plate of water covered in plastic wrap.
3) Cube the insides of the eggplants and ends and 1/2 pound of mushrooms the size of large english peas.
4) Mince 2-3 garlic cloves (or MORE)
5) Saute eggplant, mushrooms and garlic on low heat so mushroom juice does the sauteing. Don't let this scorch.
6) Cook 1 cup of sticky rice
7) Combine all ingredients and season to taste
8) Stuff eggplant tubes generously
9) Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes on 350f.

Eat hot (my wife likes this with hollandaise sauce) or after they cool a bit, you can slice them 1/2 inch thick with an electric knife and serve after coffee hour at church with a toothpick. (but not with the hollandaise sauce until after Pascha) :)

Paul

[Olga]

I agree that a lot of good Greek food (and much other Mediterranean food) is suitable for Lent, and easy to cook. Also don't overlook Asian food, whether it's Thai, Chinese, Malaysian or Indian. It's not all "hot and spicy", a lot of it is quite subtle and gentle in flavour.

[Fr Raphael Vereshack]

I tried the avocado sandwich and lenten 'gravy' yesterday. Except for how things are a bit awkward the first time you do them, everything turned out fine. Exactly the right measure for Lent. Thanks to all !

In Christ- Fr Raphael

[Nina]

Spanakorizo-Spinach Rice (for oil-allowed days)

Saute onion in a generous amount of olive oil. Add the rice first and stir for some seconds and add water and salt. Stir often as rice has a tendency to stick to bottom of pot and burn. Add the spinach when the rice is almost done and stir so spinach is wilted (it is healthier not to cook the spinach). Add pepper and dill or mint (whichever you prefer).
On the plate you can drizzle lemon. Spinach dishes are better consumed in the same day.

Spinach 1kg
Rice 1 cup
Olive oil 5 Tablespoons
Onion diced 1
salt, pepper
Dill or Mint

:)

(I know we are not supposed to use a lot of herbs and spices during Lent but what is considered gourmet here, was often growing in the gardens of my grandmother, back in the Mediterranean land, and spreading like weed. For example last month at the Whole Foods Market in my city, here in US, there was this hype about Mache salad. All ppl where oohing over it. It was sold for approximately $4.00 a handful (non organic). It was funny since Mache was basically one of the "weeds" at my grandma's that she was giving for free to the neighbors, because we could not consume it all.)

P.S Mary please do not forget the mushroom recipe. You can serve spanakorizo with your favorite salad, bread, tofu.

[Nina]

Roasted Peppers (Oil or no oil days)

I like this recipe made with long green peppers (they call them here Italian peppers) but any kind of pepper will do.

Wash/clean well. Clean of seeds. Place them in the oven without anything else added. When done place them in a glass container until semi cooled. If juice comes out while cooling, do not discard, use it with the dressing. Take off the skin from peppers. Cut in nice strips. Place them in a serving glass/porcelain container. Season with salt, olive oil (if allowed), red wine vinegar (I like also balsamic especially if no oil, and malted vinegar), garlic and whichever you prefer from parsley/dill/mint (optional)

Fresh, sweet, healthy and of course Lenten! :)

P.S Mary you can serve this with yogurt -kidding, but really that is what we serve them with: with a yogurt based soup with cucumber/dill/garlic when not fasting. However when fasting you can have this as a side for grains, have olives with it, bread, salad (can make an olive, orange and onion salad).

[Nina]

Rice and peppers (an easy and quicker version of stuffed peppers with rice) - (oil allowed days)

Saute onion in oil until translucent. Add garlic and peppers. Stir well in low heat. Add tomatoes (can substitute with tomato paste). Saute and stir for some minutes. Add water, salt and pepper and after it has boiled add the rice. Cook in low heat until ready (not all water evaporated but thick consistency). Sprinkle with parsley, mint and pine nuts when serving.

Peppers 500g
Tomato 500g pureed
Oil 4-5 Tablespoons
1 diced onion
garlic
Rice 2 cups
Salt pepper
Roasted pine nuts
Parsley, mint

Serve with salad, olives etc.

[Father David Moser]

Roasted Peppers

Roasted Peppers are also a very tasty topping for grilled portabellos. I usually clean about 4 big portabellos at a time - just taking the stem out and washing the intact cap. Then I marinade in oil, red wine or balsamic vinegar and whatever spices sound right. Then I grill them until hot all through with a few grill marks on the top of the cap for asthetics. Put a portabello on hamburger type bun with a half a roasted red bell pepper on top and eat it just like a burger - or you could serve them on a plate as you would a chop or small steak.

Fr David Moser

[Nina]

Bean Soup (oil or no oil)

Boil beans in hot water in an uncovered pot for 5 minutes. Rinse and boil for another 15 minutes in a covered stock pot with 3 cups hot water. Saute onion until translucent in olive oil or for no oil add 2 tablespoons bean stock from the pot and try to saute the onion. Add garlic, tomato sauce (or fresh tomato pureed), parsley, salt. Cook for 10 minutes or until a thick sauce is formed, then pour everything into the pot. Cover tightly and cook for 2 hours over low heat, or for 30 minutes in a pressure cooker. This should produce a thick juice, covering beans by 1 1/2 inch. Add oregano the end. Serve warm adding some red wine vinegar mixed well with crushed garlic and drizzle with oil if allowed.

Some people like to add chili powder and mint. Experiment!

2 cups of dry white beans
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup olive oil
garlic
2 tablespoons tomato sauce (or 1 tomato pureed)
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
vinegar
salt, oregano

P. S This goes well with toasted bread, olives, roasted peppers, Greek salad.

[Nina]

Roasted Peppers are also a very tasty topping for grilled portabellos. I usually clean about 4 big portabellos at a time - just taking the stem out and washing the intact cap. Then I marinade in oil, red wine or balsamic vinegar and whatever spices sound right. Then I grill them until hot all through with a few grill marks on the top of the cap for asthetics. Put a portabello on hamburger type bun with a half a roasted red bell pepper on top and eat it just like a burger - or you could serve them on a plate as you would a chop or small steak.

Fr David Moser

Yes Father that sounds so good. I like Portabella mushrooms because they have similar taste with steak but never combined it with roasted peppers. Thank you for the idea! :)

[Nina]

Mix of Veggies (Oil)

2 lbs of peppers, eggplant, okra, potatoes
1/2 cup oil, divided
1 cup chopped onion
4 garlic
1 cup peeled chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Salt
Pepper


Cut off inedible tips of vegetables. Wash and slice them into 1 inch squares. Saute everything separately in half of the oil. Sauté onion and tomatoes in the remaining oil, and season with parsley, salt, and pepper. Put everything in a stock pot with a cup of water, cover tightly, and simmer until almost all moisture has cooked away. This can be done also in the oven. Serve with tofu, salad, bread.

[Nina]

Leeks

Leeks 1.5 kg
oil 4-5 Tablespoons
1 diced onion
tomato paste 1 Tablespoon
vinegar 2 tablespoons
bay leaf
salt, black pepper and (ground) red pepper

Clean really well the leeks and cut diagonally in 2 inch length pieces. Saute onion and add leeks. Saute until wilted a bit. Stir carefully often (leeks should not disintegrate) . Add tomato paste, red pepper, mix carefully and add water until half covered. Add salt, black pepper, bay leaf, some red wine vinegar. Cover and cook over low heat for 30-40 min.

Serve with rice and salad.

[Nina]

Salad

Roasted red peppers and onions, toasted walnuts over arugula, garlic dressing,
Toss lightly and serve.

[Nina]

Kritharaki Soup

If you have a Greek store nearby look for Kritharaki (Rice shaped semolina) or in Italian store look for semolina orzo.

Saute onion. Add celery, carrots, potato, mushrooms. Add boiling water. Cook for some minutes and add the kritharaki or orzo. Cook as directed in the package. Add parsley at the end, salt and pepper and lemon when serving.

Also in Greece the tradition for Holy Thursday is to boil water and add tahini (sesame paste), Kritharakia, salt. Cook as long as directed and serve. No oil.

[Nina]

Peas

Saute onion and garlic. Add diced tomato or tomato paste. Add peas (when I do not find fresh I buy the frozen ones), water to cover them half, carrots, potato, salt. It should have some juice when ready but not as a soup. Sprinkle with dill.

[Karena Hryniuk]

Thank you Nina and everyone for all the ideas! We all have a few more recipes to add to our repertoires.

It seems this fasting time around, even eating in moderation I seem to be expanding around the waistline instead of shrinking. All the rice, quinoa, pasta, pita bread. These carbohydrates are starting to stick!

Size 10 approaching...

IC XC
~Karena

[M.C. Steenberg]

This thread has been created to house the many Lenten recipes being shared by members,

[Fr Raphael Vereshack]

This thread has been created to house the many Lenten recipes being shared by members,

Thanks Matthew.

Now here's a Fr Raphael secret Lenten classic recipe.

Take two slices of bread (store bought- Winnipeg rye preferably).

Put margarine on bread. (don't forget to put margarine also on the second slice).

Put peanut butter on top of margarine on bread.

Now- Carefully place the two slices of bread together.

And there you go: Lent as practiced by thousands of cullinarily challenged Orthodox especially here in the developed west.


In Christ- Fr Raphael

[John Charmley]

For those who like Middle Eastern food - without the meat:

1 packet of tofu (smoked or unsmoked)
1 medium sized onion (preferably red) roughly chopped
6 soft apricot slices
6 dates (stoned)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (& 1/2 stick)
1/2 teaspoon cumin (ground)
cube of ginger-root, thinly sliced
up to 4 cloves of garlic, roughly sliced
pinch of salt and pepper
honey to taste
couscous with raisins

tablespoon of rapeseed oil (or granola, sunflower)

Place oil in tagine dish or casserole dish, heat gently, adding first cinnamon, then cumin, ginger and garlic: saute gently, adding onion.

As onion begins to soften, add tofu and make sure it is thoroughly mixed in with the spices and oil. When onion is soft, add boiled (and still hot) water, enough to make the tagine gravy; add apricots and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and leave to cook on low heat for about 20 minutes.

Then add dates and honey to taste, leave uncovered for 10 minutes at most. Add more water (carefully) if it begins to evaporate too much.

In the meantime, cook couscous, add raisins and cover until tagine is ready.

Serve with green beans or other green vegetable.

Enjoy!

INXC

John

[Paul Cowan]

Even if you are the squeemish type, you will like this. Just have someone else prepare it for you.

1- Large Octopus, cleaned and rinsed
Garlic- as much as you like

I stuff the head with cleaned garlic pods and then just dump several more pods in the pan

You can cook this with NO spices or my wife uses a "little" ground red pepper, garlic and Old Bay seasoning.
Sprinkle on top, cover and bake at 300f for 2 hours.

Now this is the fun part, eat it. It is 100% edible! It tastes almost buttery.

You can also let this cool and cut it up for salads.

Save the juice and thin it with water and thicken with corn starch for a gravy on rice or potatoes.

Mix the juice with red wine vinegar and use as a salad dressing.

Use your imagination. Cooking is an art form.

Paul

[Karena Hryniuk]

Here's a sandwich that I tried during last years Great Lent. You might think the ingredients don't fit so well at first glance but its very tasty and makes a great lunch (trust me)

You will need:

Whole grain bread
Hummus
A handful of cranberries
Cucumber - thinly sliced
Lettuce greens - (arugula works best here but any nice greens will do)
Freshly ground black pepper

Toast two slices of the bread, then spread hummus on both sides. Sprinkle on the cranberries and layer on the cucumbers and greens. Grind fresh black pepper on the whole lot. This sandwich is crunchy, savory and a nice bit tart with the cranberries.

Enjoy

ps. -Fr Raphael's secret Lenten recipe was todays lunch :)

ICXC
~Karena

[Paul Cowan]

Cut a butternut squash in half and seed

put upside down in a pan with a

whole garlic pod (cut off and expose the top) along with a whole cleaned onion.

Cover and cook until tender on 350F about 1 1/2 hours.

Let cool to the touch
In batches, scoop out squash, garlic and onion into a food processor. Add enough water (chicken broth later in the year) to keep it liquidy.

Add 1 can with juice smoked oysters. Puree all.

Transfer to pot and heat. Add Rice or Soy milk and thicken with corn starch. Season to taste with salt and white pepper.

This is also good without the shellfish, for those with alergies.

Garnish with parsley and a couple of smoked oysters per bowl. Serve with oyster crackers.

Paul

[Nina]

Thank you Nina and everyone for all the ideas! We all have a few more recipes to add to our repertoires.

It seems this fasting time around, even eating in moderation I seem to be expanding around the waistline instead of shrinking. All the rice, quinoa, pasta, pita bread. These carbohydrates are starting to stick!

Size 10 approaching...

IC XC
~Karena

You are welcome Karena!

About gaining weight during fasting. I have heard this a lot, but I do not have the same experience. Try to cook carbohydrates in moderation and rely more on veggies and soups. Also if you are not very fond of exercise, try prostrations. I have heard that that is the exercise of the monks. :)

[Fr Raphael Vereshack]

Nina wrote:



About gaining weight during fasting. I have heard this a lot, but I do not have the same experience. Try to cook carbohydrates in moderation and rely more on veggies and soups.

Actually this brings up an important question since some go through acute protein starvation as the fast goes on (actually I had one elderly parishioner completely pass out while during prostrations during the Prayer of St Ephraim last week).

Since we need calories and protein what is a good Lenten source for this?

In Christ- Fr Raphael

[Nina]

Actually this brings up an important question since some go through acute protein starvation as the fast goes on (actually I had one elderly parishioner completely pass out while during prostrations during the Prayer of St Ephraim last week).

Since we need calories and protein what is a good Lenten source for this?

In Christ- Fr Raphael


I have heard from a vegan, that fruits and vegetables have sufficient calories and protein. In particular legumes (beans, lentils, garbanzo etc) have much more protein than meat.

I am not a MD, or nutritionist, but maybe lack of iron is the cause of fainting, because of anemia. The elder parishioner might want to consume spinach, raisins, nettle tea (lots of iron) and take vitamins supplement. Most importantly he should consult with his spiritual father because pushing himself harder might destroy the purpose of fasting. Fathers of the Church recommend discernment because fasting harder than one's capabilities might result in severe exhaustion, or illness and ultimately cause the interruption of fasting (which is not the goal!) So, as the ancients advised "Know thyself!" and talk to your spiritual father!

[Karena Hryniuk]

One thing to add to the previous few posts...

Being a vegetarian I remember well when I first changed my eating habit to Veganism, it was like living in a constant world of mental cloudiness and lethargy.

The only thing that cured that grey haze was to switch to an all Raw Diet. My thoughts were clear, had plenty of energy and felt better than I had in years. Common sense would say that eating flour all day would certainly depreciate and cause lack of vitamins and minerals in the diet.

Raw Foodism is becoming more popular these days, and is perfect for Lent. So amongst the carbohydrates, to balance it out with salads and fresh fruits creates variety and should also help the fainting spells if any.

Here's some good information on Raw Foodism for those interested in incorporating into their Lenten diets.

http://www.thegardendiet.com/

In Christ
~Karena

[Rebecca Gabl]

I scrolled through that website...there's something creepy about feeding a baby almond milk and veggie smoothies instead of breast milk. (I know that's not what you're suggesting...) But yeah, I agree that filling up on white flour carbs is a bad idea. Ever since the fast started, my athletic performance has gone down, even though I've tried to eat a healthy diet. Oh, well. :)

I tried to go part of the first week of Lent on only raw foods, and it really did a number on my stomach...I had to branch out to oatmeal and bread. But I've always had a sensitive stomach. :(

[Fr Raphael Vereshack]

Maybe we go through different physical phases as we get older.

In the monastery where I began my monastic life in my 20s without fail I would feel serious protein starvation by the 6th Week of Lent. My spiritual father always gave me a blessing to eat richer foods when this happened.

Our diet at the time was usually a combination of grains & legumes. It was based on a popular book of the time- I think it was called Diet for a Small Planet which explained that many people in the Third World have a very healthy diet with little meat. Whether this was correct or not the fact is that eating this way was surprisingly sustaining & put one in a healthy state of mind.

It's interesting that as some of the posts above note, we are open in our sense of fasting to influences from what are called 'alternative life styles.' It makes sense since we have an 'alternative life-style'.

In Christ- Fr Raphael

[Rick H.]

Monachos Lenten Latte:

Combine in a coffee grinder: 1 part espresso bean + 1 part espresso bean + 1 part espresso bean. Hold the grinder button down until your wife and/or kids start to be annoyed just a bit. Then fill espresso maker with water and turn button to "ON" position. Add espresso to steamed soy milk, with chocolate syrup and favorite flavors (viz. caramel and vanilla for 'Milky Way" latte) and enjoy with one of your favorite monachos threads.

[Karena Hryniuk]

I think the point here is that to have people get so malnourished that we see them collapsing, is not only dangerous but really unneccessary. After all the reason we fast is not to starve ourselves or to suffer terribly, rather to make us conscious.

So, then, to participate in the fast but to do so in a balanced manner is something a lot more realistic and responsible.

More recipes anyone..??

IC XC
~Karena

[Nina]

Well... I grew up in a so called "Third World" country. Meat, dairy and eggs were in great shortage. So it was kind of continuous fasting without prompted to do so from God. I have to tell you that people make you fast for long periods of time and... no mercy, or feasting, or reaping benefits involved. :)
Thank God I feel great, and as you can see I can write... I am not different, or did not suffer any damage from that time. :)

Father and Rick thank you for your sense of humor! :)

[Maria Murray]

Black bean (or split pea) soup
I turn on the crock pot in the morning, fill it up with water and a pound of dry black beans/peas.
3 hours before dinner, I add chopped up carrots, celery, onions, garlic and potatoes, then salt, pepper and dry parsley.

Also, buckwheat is good for protein. I usually just boil it in water and serve it with a little sugar. The kids love it too!

Another tasty one: Red winter wheat berries (it's a grain). Take about 3 times more water than the grain. They take about 1 hr to boil, then I add honey and poppy seeds, maybe walnuts.

[Gina Mosko]

Many thanks for all the Lent suggestions.

I've experienced the "brain fog," too, and it helped to just be really conscious of getting protein every meal. Just adding in nuts or beans to a recipe helps.

Some things we like:

Beans & Greens: You need canned beans or chickpeas; 1 bunch of dark leafy greens like kale or chard; onion, garlic, veg broth, seasonings. I make this either "barbecue style" with canned tomatoes and some bbq sauce for flavor, or Italian style with lemon juice or Balsamic vinegar. Fry up the onion in a saute pan over low heat until soft (you can also braise it in water or veg broth if not using oil), add garlic and drained beans. Let this cook together while you wash the greens. Wash them very well- soaking in a deep pot or sink is best. Shake them off then remove any tough stems and roughly chop. Pile them high in your pan and let them steam down, stir, and add your seasonings and a little veg broth or water. Cook about 10 minutes or until the greens are tender according to your taste, adding in liquid as necessary. We eat this over rice, quinoa or pasta and it's quite good and filling.

You can also steam whole leaves of kale or chard and use them as a meat substitute in sandwiches or burritos.

Grilled Vegetable Sandwich: Marinate some chopped vegetables (zucchini, summer squash, mushrooms, onions, chunks of bell pepper, eggplant, etc.) in vinegar or any citrus juice, oil (optional), garlic, salt and pepper, herbs etc. Grill on a tabletop grill, or you could roast them in an oven. Eat on a whole-grain roll with lettuce and hummus or tahini.

Split Pea Soup:
1 med. onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, diced
1 lg. carrot, diced
2 tbsp. oil
1 tbsp. Hungarian paprika (optional)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 quarts vegetable stock or water
2 1/2 cups split peas, rinsed
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Heat oil in a soup pot over low-medium heat and add onion, carrot and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, til onion is soft but not brown. Add garlic and Hungarian paprika and stir another minute. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Boil 20 minutes, then reduce heat and simmer til all ingredients are soft, about one hour. Remove bay leaf. If you like a smooth soup, push through a fine sieve. This works nicely in a crockpot, too. Serve with some hearty pumpernickel or whole-grain bread.

[John Charmley]

Dear Fr. Raphael,


It makes sense since we have an 'alternative life-style'.


Indeed, it might be argued that we have the only real life style!

In Christ,

John

[Simon]

I live in Italy, and found myself in a supermarket with my priest. I bought half a kilo of frozen snails - I don't know if you get them in America - and made a stew, frying some onion, garlic and mushrooms in oil before adding the snails, and then a little white wine, and finally some paprika. In the part of Italy where I live, polenta is a staple, and I had the snails with it yesterday.
Fresh snails are maybe even better, though they're a bit of a bind to prepare, as you have to keep them for three days, giving them lettuce to eat, in a muslin covered wooden box, after which they should be boiled for half an hour, taken out of their shells, and cooked in the above fashion for a couple of hours.
I had them on Sunday - a feast day, even though it's Lent, as far as I can understand -so I don't reproach myself too much for having enjoyed them!
Happy fasting to all,
Simon

[Nina]

I live in Italy, and found myself in a supermarket with my priest. I bought half a kilo of frozen snails - I don't know if you get them in America - and made a stew, frying some onion, garlic and mushrooms in oil before adding the snails, and then a little white wine, and finally some paprika. In the part of Italy where I live, polenta is a staple, and I had the snails with it yesterday.
Fresh snails are maybe even better, though they're a bit of a bind to prepare, as you have to keep them for three days, giving them lettuce to eat, in a muslin covered wooden box, after which they should be boiled for half an hour, taken out of their shells, and cooked in the above fashion for a couple of hours.
I had them on Sunday - a feast day, even though it's Lent, as far as I can understand -so I don't reproach myself too much for having enjoyed them!
Happy fasting to all,
Simon

Yes there are places here in US where you can get snails.
Last year I spent Orthodox Easter in Italy and I treasure the memories!
Buona Pasqua!

[Paul Cowan]

1 onion and 4 garlic cloves chopped fine, sauteed in butter until limp not browned

Add +/- 1 quart heavy cream then
4 fresh chicken thighs raw hand boned then cut into chunks
1 link sausage your choice thin sliced

Allow chicken to fully cook then thicken with Corn Starch.
Pour over cooked penne pasta or other large pasta.
Serve with fresh pepper.


Ohhh, wait a minute. That's what I'm cooking the day AFTER Pascha. Now where did I put that other recipe? :)

Paul

[Paul Cowan]

Sliced mushrooms and garlic as much as the pan will hold. Sautee in the mushroom juice, add 2 huge handfulls of fresh english peas still in the pods. Cook until very tender and add your favorite shellfish. I like mussels.

Mix with seasonings and toss with favorite pasta or just as a dish by itself and stay away from the extra carbs.

Paul

[Paul Cowan]

Nothing beats a good ol' fashion peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

In a meat grinder, grind 1 pound of roasted unsalted nuts, Your choice. Almonds are the healthiest.

In a mixing bowl add enough honey and peanut oil (1/3 cup each roughly) to taste or consistency. Will keep unrefrigerated for a couple of weeks before souring,

or longer in the fridge. It will be rock hard though.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1 pound of berries (I like blackberries) mixed with 4 cups sugar and cook until a rolling boil you cannot stir down.

Pour into jars and steam bath for 10 minutes.

I will leave the bread recipe up to you.

These usually cost my customers $5.00 a jar each. Enjoy our home-made PB&J recipes.

Paul

[Simon]

There's a lady in the congregation at Venice who makes a Lenten cake called St. somebody's cake - I can't remember the name of the saint, which she offers around after Liturgy. As I no longer go to the Venice church, can anyone give me the recipe. Apparently, after making the cake, it is salutary to request divine intercession from the Saint. Simon

[Olga]

Now here's a Fr Raphael secret Lenten classic recipe.

Take two slices of bread (store bought- Winnipeg rye preferably).

Put margarine on bread. (don't forget to put margarine also on the second slice).

Put peanut butter on top of margarine on bread.

Now- Carefully place the two slices of bread together.

And there you go: Lent as practiced by thousands of cullinarily challenged Orthodox especially here in the developed west.

Knowledge of such culinary secrets must happen by some sort of mysterious osmosis. How else could peanut butter have spread itself (ha ha) as Lenten fare so comprehensively all over the world? My husband is entirely capable of demolishing a 500g (1lb) jar of the stuff (crunchy, of course) during Lent.

[Olga]

The cake you mention sounds like Phanouropita, normally baked in honour of St Phanourios (name also spelled with an F) of Rhodes, whose feast day is August 26. The recipes are many and varied, but all use lenten ingredients, including dried fruit, nuts and spices.The Fanouropita custom involves making the cake, and giving a piece to seven different households.

Before eating the cake, the person should ask God to have mercy on the soul of St Phanourios's mother, who, as legend has it, was "sinful", though the nature of her sinfulness is not clear. The saint is invoked in finding lost objects, or in revealing what is unclear or unknown. The saint's name is derived from the word phaneroma, meaning revelation.

As an aside, I can vouch for this saint's intercessions in finding what is lost. My family has known a lovely Greek man called Phanourios for over 45 years, and I could write a book about events in his life which utterly defy logic. Some of these include finding lost objects in preposterous circumstances. The only explanation which makes any sense is the intercession of his patron saint.

[Simon]

Dear Olga, thanks a lot for the info. I'm pretty certain this is the cake concerned. I'd be so glad if you could give me one of the many recipes for it, thanks, Simon

[Simon]

Well, I found the recipe on the net, and proceeded to make it. I had a view to offering a slice to people who seem lost in their lives, as well as enjoying the taste of it. Though not an accomplished cake baker, things went OK, except for a thought. "Probably," I said to myself, "there's nothing in all this, but at least I'll be playing a part, and..." So, I phoned the priest, a Serb, who's never heard of Phainouropita, and he agreed to bless it today, Sunday.
There was the cake, golden brown in the oven last night, looking lovely. I decided to take it out, in order to turn it out, and as I took it, inexplicably the oven cloth slipped, and I burnt my thumb on the cake tin, which overturned, spilling the whole cake into and around the oven.
Oh, I've been eating it OK, and it's tasty enough ,but of course, I didn't take it to church, and any attempt to give it around has been abandoned, as it's all in pieces.
I really believe St. Phainourion was angry with my, for my blasphemimg thought. Next time round, I won't harbour such doubts.
By the way, if anyone can get the right prayers for the cake in a Slavonic language, it would be nice, as my priest can't speak Greek.
Continued happy fasting - I mean, really it is happy, isn't it? -
May God help us,

Simon.

[Fr Raphael Vereshack]

By the way, if anyone can get the right prayers for the cake in a Slavonic language, it would be nice, as my priest can't speak Greek.


I checked both my 2 volume set and my abridged version of the Slavonic Trebnik but there is no such prayer in it.

I suspect this is very much a Greek tradition.

In Christ- Fr Raphael

[Nina]

Well, I found the recipe on the net, and proceeded to make it. I had a view to offering a slice to people who seem lost in their lives, as well as enjoying the taste of it. Though not an accomplished cake baker, things went OK, except for a thought. "Probably," I said to myself, "there's nothing in all this, but at least I'll be playing a part, and..." So, I phoned the priest, a Serb, who's never heard of Phainouropita, and he agreed to bless it today, Sunday.
There was the cake, golden brown in the oven last night, looking lovely. I decided to take it out, in order to turn it out, and as I took it, inexplicably the oven cloth slipped, and I burnt my thumb on the cake tin, which overturned, spilling the whole cake into and around the oven.
Oh, I've been eating it OK, and it's tasty enough ,but of course, I didn't take it to church, and any attempt to give it around has been abandoned, as it's all in pieces.
I really believe St. Phainourion was angry with my, for my blasphemimg thought. Next time round, I won't harbour such doubts.
By the way, if anyone can get the right prayers for the cake in a Slavonic language, it would be nice, as my priest can't speak Greek.
Continued happy fasting - I mean, really it is happy, isn't it? -
May God help us,

Simon.

Simon,

I do not think that St. Phanourios "was angry" with you. In contrary he has rejoiced about the fact that you were doing all that for his intercessions. Saints have much love and that is why they became Saints.

You can bake another Phanouropita and take it to church. Oh and please do not forget to pray for St. Phanourios' mother. It is his request to all of us.

[Paul Cowan]

I realize this is 2 days after the fact, but I wanted to write it down before I forgot it. I kinda went nuts on Palm Sunday at the Asian seafood market near our house. I bought the biggest catfish they had, which for Texas it was pretty small, only a 10 pounder. I had them fillet it and give me all the bones.

I boiled the bones in 2 gallons of water for 2 hours with chinese celery and an onion. strained the broth and cut up the vegetables and picked the meat off the bones. I only used the meat from the bones, The rest of the fish I froze until next week.

I then added cut-up chinese brocolli, baby boc choy and fresh green peas in the pods to the broth with the celery and onion. Cooked until tender. About 1/2 hour. The longer it cooks the more it reduces for a better taste.

Add the VERY carefully picked through fish (no bones) and 1 pound of seafood mix (crab, octopus, shrimp, calamari) or better yet, 1# cubed mixed medley of different fishes. (fruits de mer?) Cook until seafood mix is done but not over done. Slightly thicken with cornstarch and water.

I just added S&P to taste. Serve over rice or with oyster crackers or plain. No I could not eat it all so it also got frozen until next week.

Enjoy
Paul

[Effie Ganatsios]

Lenten foods

Message 48 Robert Lambert
Re snails : here in Greece some people gather them the morning after a good rain. Here in Kozani snails aren’t a traditional food but someone once bought me some and after hearing the poor things squeal in the saucepan – they have to be alive for the first dip into boiling water – I threw them out . At a dinner party once with some French friends we had frozen French snails stuffed with butter and parsley and I quite liked them.

I am a diabetic and so my diet is very healthy – It’s quite easy to omit meat for fasting periods although I am aware that when someone has a health problem they are exempt from fasting because illness itself is apparently just as spiritually challenging as fasting.

Thank you for all the terrific recipes. Fasting can be very healthy and is even a good way to detox our bodies. No excesses and good food choices.

Nina, your bean soup sounds delicious although I make mine a little differently. I make a good, filling bean soup with onions, celery, carrots, fresh tomato sauce and olive oil at least once a week even when we’re not fasting, on my doctor’s recommendation.

I spend a lot of time in the kitchen and I believe that the secret to good cooking – including the fasting period - is to make each meal from scratch, using nothing from a can or a packet, and then eating the meal surrounded by family and friends – with a good red wine to accompany the food and the conversation . We make our own wine and even though the results vary from year to year it’s always drinkable!!!! AND no headache the next day because it’s pure.

Message 31 Nina and Karena

Lots of people put on weight during fasting periods. It’s easy to eat a lot more bread than usual , but with a little imagination meals can be fun and you even lose weight if, as you said, Nina, you watch the carbs.

Re iron and supplements : I believe that God has provided mankind with whatever he needs for his body and various plants are full of iron. Nettle tea is good – we sometimes use fresh nettles instead of spinach for our spanokopittas (Greek spinach pie). I cultivate nettles in my garden and then dry the leaves to use as a tea during the winter. I also know that Catholic nuns consume nettle soup during Lent.


Last night’s meal :

Scampi with garlic, onions and parsley
6 cloves of garlic, 1/3 glass of extra virgin olive oil (ours comes from friends in the Peloponnese so I know it’s OK), 2 large onions finely chopped or the equivalent amount of scallions, 1 cup flat leaved parsley, 1 kilo medium sized scampi, 4-6 small red hot peppers (or chili peppers) 1/3 cup fish or vegetable stock or dry white wine.
Using all of the olive oil except for 1 tablespoon, sauté the onions and the garlic (finely chopped) until golden, add the finely chopped parsley. Saute for a few minutes more and then add the scampi. Allow to gently cook a couple of minutes. Add the tomato sauce, salt and hot peppers. Let the mixture come to a boil and then add the wine. (Last night I used red). Simmer gently until just about all the fluid has evaporated. Sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of olive oil on top and serve immediately. You can also make a basmati rice pilaf and use the above as a sauce for the pilaf or you can eat it on its own, as we did.

I accompanied this with a salad of dandelion greens (from our garden). Blanched in boiling, salted water, drained and served with a dressing of olive oil, lemon, and salt and pepper, they make a delicious and very healthy salad. You can sprinkle pealed and blanched almonds on top if you like.

A word of caution : go easy on the hot peppers. Add a couple and then after a few minutes taste to see whether you want to add more or not. Or you can use a pinch or two of the dried and chopped spicy hot pepper mix you find in the supermarket.

Effie

[Nina]

Lenten foods
Nina, your bean soup sounds delicious although I make mine a little differently. I make a good, filling bean soup with onions, celery, carrots, fresh tomato sauce and olive oil at least once a week even when we’re not fasting, on my doctor’s recommendation.

Yes, Effie I make that version as well. I heard on WebMD that beans are super-food and recommended three times a week. :) I do not like them during hot weather though. So as long as it is Wednesday, or Friday and cold outside I would make them once a week.


I spend a lot of time in the kitchen and I believe that the secret to good cooking – including the fasting period - is to make each meal from scratch, using nothing from a can or a packet, and then eating the meal surrounded by family and friends – with a good red wine to accompany the food and the conversation .

Exactly!



Re iron and supplements : I believe that God has provided mankind with whatever he needs for his body and various plants are full of iron. Nettle tea is good – we sometimes use fresh nettles instead of spinach for our spanokopittas (Greek spinach pie). I cultivate nettles in my garden and then dry the leaves to use as a tea during the winter. I also know that Catholic nuns consume nettle soup during Lent.

What are you doing to me??!!! I super-miss my grandmothers' nettle pittas!!! Those were delectable! And you are right nettle tea is sooo good!!! My grandfather always made us drink it even when we were little kids.



Last night’s meal :
Scampi with garlic, onions and parsley
6 cloves of garlic, 1/3 glass of extra virgin olive oil (ours comes from friends in the Peloponnese so I know it’s OK), 2 large onions finely chopped or the equivalent amount of scallions, 1 cup flat leaved parsley, 1 kilo medium sized scampi, 4-6 small red hot peppers (or chili peppers) 1/3 cup fish or vegetable stock or dry white wine.
Using all of the olive oil except for 1 tablespoon, sauté the onions and the garlic (finely chopped) until golden, add the finely chopped parsley. Saute for a few minutes more and then add the scampi. Allow to gently cook a couple of minutes. Add the tomato sauce, salt and hot peppers. Let the mixture come to a boil and then add the wine. (Last night I used red). Simmer gently until just about all the fluid has evaporated. Sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of olive oil on top and serve immediately. You can also make a basmati rice pilaf and use the above as a sauce for the pilaf or you can eat it on its own, as we did.

I accompanied this with a salad of dandelion greens (from our garden). Blanched in boiling, salted water, drained and served with a dressing of olive oil, lemon, and salt and pepper, they make a delicious and very healthy salad. You can sprinkle pealed and blanched almonds on top if you like.

A word of caution : go easy on the hot peppers. Add a couple and then after a few minutes taste to see whether you want to add more or not. Or you can use a pinch or two of the dried and chopped spicy hot pepper mix you find in the supermarket.

Effie

Ok... I was already missing Greece because of the Holy Week... but now your recipes are reminding me of all the goodies there! Mmmm! :)

[Effie Ganatsios]

Nina, nettle tea is full of vitamins and iron. I read somewhere that during the German occupation of Greece in WWII, nettles saved a lot of people in Athens from starvation. Makes you think, doesn't it?

Nina, are you Greek/American?

Greek cuisine is a wonderland of delicious dishes - although I must admit that I prefer English sweets (NOT their food)..........

Effie

[Nina]

Nina, nettle tea is full of vitamins and iron. I read somewhere that during the German occupation of Greece in WWII, nettles saved a lot of people in Athens from starvation. Makes you think, doesn't it?

Yes. And also nettle is sooo tasty!


Nina, are you Greek/American?

You can say so.


Greek cuisine is a wonderland of delicious dishes - although I must admit that I prefer English sweets (NOT their food)..........

Effie

Yes, I like all cuisines and in particular certain dishes from other cultures very much! But when you mentioned those things that my mom and grandmothers made... I do not know... I lost all of them and I guess I miss them very much! I make the dishes they used to cook (I can't find nettles for the pitta here though, just for tea) and even if others think that those taste good, I feel like the food never tastes the same like the one from a mom's and grandmother's hand...

[Simon]

Quote: 'although I must admit that I prefer English sweets (NOT their food)..........'

Our breakfast is pretty good, and so is the tea, but you're right, English puddings are something special, though all a bit of a mirage until Sunday, and even then, living in Italy, I'll be reduced to 'colomba', a factory made cake, tasty enough, but not an English pudding. I must say, this week isn't the easiest for me, no oil or wine and so on, but then it wasn't the easiest for Jesus, either. Love, Simon

[Karena Hryniuk]

Effie,

Great Post! It seems you are as much a fan of Olive Oil and Red Wine as I and my friends are. The bottles are sitting pretty on the counter collecting the last bits of dust before Pascha.

I've never tried nettles. But it would be something interesting.

Blessings all,
ICXC
~Karena

ps. I cut down on the carbs the past few weeks and have come down a bit...finally :)

[Effie Ganatsios]

Hi Karena, both olive oil and red wine (preferably home made without additives) are very good for the heart - both in moderation of course.

Hello Simon. My mouth is watering just thinking about some of my favourite sweets
lemon meringue pie!!!!! Rich, rich, Christmas cake!!! plum pudding!!! Please stop me........................... just thought of orange marmalade although Greeks make it as well....

Even when not fasting I can only eat a bite or two because of diabetes but somehow that's enough for me.

Back to fasting.....

You're lucky to be living in Italy. Another place I intend to visit someday, God willing.

Kalo Pascha

Effie

[Paul Cowan]

Effie:
You wrote:

Here in Kozani snails aren’t a traditional food but someone once bought me some and after hearing the poor things squeal in the saucepan – they have to be alive for the first dip into boiling water – I threw them out .

The sound you heard was gas escaping around the shell. Lobsters, crawfish, crabs and other crustaceans do NOT have a central nervous system so they do not feel pain. (at least not in the sence we think of). So the awful scream they make which totally sets off the animal rights folks is gas expanding within their body cavities and being released as they hit to boiling water.

So eat up and don't feel bad.

What are nettles? The only ones I grew up around you did not dare touch them as their hairy looking spines when touched felt like 3rd degree burns. These were mostly around my grandparents cow pasture. You never wore shorts out there for fear of brushing up against even the smallest plant.

Here in Texas, we do alot with Napolitas. (Cactus pedals). Great with Mexican food.

Paul

[Nina]

What are nettles? The only ones I grew up around you did not dare touch them as their hairy looking spines when touched felt like 3rd degree burns. These were mostly around my grandparents cow pasture. You never wore shorts out there for fear of brushing up against even the smallest plant.
Paul

Yep, I think those are nettles, Paul. You should have gloves when you remove them, or clean. From underneath the leaf, nettles do not burn.

Where is the cow pasture of your grandparents? I should go hiking there. :)
I have another question: there is a wild, little, violet/blue flower that I miss so much. It has a wonderful violet's aroma, but it is tiny and blooms in spring in forests, fields. Have you seen that here?

Also there is another thing that I miss very much. It is called I think trigonella/fenugreek/Greek clover. Does anyone know if I can find this in US? My family uses its flower for various recipes (rice, shrimp etc). I have not seen it in any ethnic store. I miss it so much! And I have looked for it everywhere to no avail. Last year I collected a lot of it with my mom in Italy during a countryside trip, however I could not bring it with me because of transportation restrictions.

I think this thread is tempting me recently. It is reminiscent of times, scents and flavors that I long for.

[Paul Cowan]

Hi Nina:
Sorry for this link. It is all I could find. I don't know if these can be planted or not.

http://http://www.wholespice.com/frame/default.asp?keyword=fenugreek&afid=googleadwordsfenugreek&gclid=CLKv1cbcqosCFQfxgAod2QniNQ

I don't know if I did the hyperlink correctly.

My grandparents live in North Texas. Their town is not even on the map. really!

Paul

[Effie Ganatsios]

stinging nettles : As Nina says, you have to wear gloves when harvesting in late spring because of the skin's reaction - in fact some people use them as a remedy for arthritic pain - but when boiled (or dried) they lose their ability to cause a reaction. Completely harmless and very, very good for us. I grow mine in a corner of my garden - I used to gather them from a friend's enclosed garden but one spring a plant appeared in mine and I was careful not to accidently uproot it. This is the 4th year they have appeared and as I don't have any dogs or cats I can be sure that they are completely clean.

Fenugreek - Greek hay. The small peas are used as a diabetes therapy - clinical tests have shown that these little wonders can help with high sugar levels. Strangely enough, considering their name, I haven't been able to find the plant here, although my husband showed me a similar wild plant that produces a small pea - when he was a small boy he and his little friends used to eat these peas. However, I have been able to find the tiny fenugreek peas in the health shop here in Kozani and I use them sometimes in my morning tea.

What do you eat on Good Friday?

Here in Greece, this is a very strict fasting day. In fact we don't cook at all or sit at the table. It is a day of grieving and all day one church bell - one lonely, solemn, church bell - rings at intervals - as it normally does when someone dies. We visit the church at some time during the day, pass under the epitafio (helped by the boy scouts who are on duty and ready to help any old ladies that might have some difficulty getting up again (smile).

At about 9pm we gather for the funeral service with the epitafio.

If we feel hungry during the day we might just eat a tomato or another vegetable or a fruit - nothing cooked.

Effie

[Effie Ganatsios]

re snails : Paul, I didn't know that. They sounded as if they were screaming in pain and some were even trying to crawl up the sides of the saucepan.

It seems I missed a good meal.

Effie

[Simon]

Quote:'What do you eat on Good Friday?'
Both priests where I live - one is for the Moldavian ladies who work as servants to the rich elderly in the town, and the other is for the Serbian building workers - say we shouldn't eat at all if possible, so there are no recipe problems! I do have something after midnight on the Saturday, therefore, but I tey not to eat cooked food until Sunday after communion,
May God give us strength in these last hours of fasting to truly identify, at least a bit, with Christ on the cross, love, Simon

[Nina]

Hi Nina:
Sorry for this link. It is all I could find. I don't know if these can be planted or not.

http://http://www.wholespice.com/frame/default.asp?keyword=fenugreek&afid=googleadwordsfenugreek&gclid=CLKv1cbcqosCFQfxgAod2QniNQ

I don't know if I did the hyperlink correctly.

Thank you so much Paul!!! I will call them and ask them to post a photo of the flower because that is the only way for me to identify it. I never saw the seeds before. I can only recognize the flower and the aroma. I never dealt with the whole plant, and took things for granted until now, because my mother and grandmothers just passed away.


My grandparents live in North Texas. Their town is not even on the map. really!

Paul

That is even better! Raw nature and no tourists!


stinging nettles : in fact some people use them as a remedy for arthritic pain

I have heard this Effie. Is it true that people take a bunch and start hitting with it the place of pain caused by arthritis? It sounded a bit funny and masochistic. But maybe the poor people suffer from the arthritic pain so much and they would go to any length to get rid of it. I just think of the nettles stinging me while playing as a kid, same like Paul said, and that is enough. However cooked, or boiled it is soooooo delicious!


Fenugreek - Greek hay. The small peas are used as a diabetes therapy - clinical tests have shown that these little wonders can help with high sugar levels.

Really? I never even knew that those had peas... Maybe I got the wrong name... Maybe I can post a picture here and you can tell me if that is what we are discussing about, please?


Strangely enough, considering their name, I haven't been able to find the plant here, although my husband showed me a similar wild plant that produces a small pea - when he was a small boy he and his little friends used to eat these peas. However, I have been able to find the tiny fenugreek peas in the health shop here in Kozani and I use them sometimes in my morning tea.

I never heard about all these uses. I wonder if it is the same plant I have in mind. Or maybe it is used differently in different parts. Also look for it (if we are talking about the same thing) in the mountain areas now in spring. And then you can transplant it in your garden. In Italy it grows so much and the ladies there told to my aunt and to my mom that they did not even know it is used for culinary purposes (at least in the area where we were), given that their cuisine it was so similar with ours and their gastronomical knowledge and talent.


What do you eat on Good Friday?

Here in Greece, this is a very strict fasting day. In fact we don't cook at all or sit at the table. It is a day of grieving and all day one church bell - one lonely, solemn, church bell - rings at intervals - as it normally does when someone dies. We visit the church at some time during the day, pass under the epitafio (helped by the boy scouts who are on duty and ready to help any old ladies that might have some difficulty getting up again (smile).

At about 9pm we gather for the funeral service with the epitafio.

If we feel hungry during the day we might just eat a tomato or another vegetable or a fruit - nothing cooked.

Effie

Ok. I have to confess. I always ate on Great Friday. My parents would not let me: "You are growing up, you need to eat!" So my mom always cooked on Great Thursday for Great Friday (because as my grandmothers always said- "on Holy Friday even the birds stop building their nests!"-so no work if one can) something very simple for us (oil-less beans, or kritharakia). And the tradition carried on. Now I have to cook, since I am with someone who is not Orthodox. He is fasting like us though, but I feel bad not to cook at all for Great Friday, since he is just introduced to Orthodoxy and all what entails. :)

Here in US the same ritual you described goes (at least in the churches I have been). The only thing I miss, is the church bell. Actually, I live across from a Catholic cathedral and they ring the bells. It is not exactly like the Orthodox, but at least there are bells ringing. Last September, when my mom passed away, when we went for the funeral at church I felt a numbness all over during the ride. When we arrived at church and the church bells tolled the passing away of my mom, I thought it was Holy Friday. I could not believe the bells were tolling for my mother. During my mother's last days, she really reminded me of Christ on the Cross, or on the Epitaphion etc. It is so strange the physical, facial resemblance! Even if it was September, to me it felt like Holy Friday every moment until she was buried. I can tell that tomorrow (starting tonight) it will be a double pain for me. Please remember me in your prayers!

[Anthony]

You should be able to find fenugreek seeds in an Indian shop. (It may be called "methi".)

[Nina]

You should be able to find fenugreek seeds in an Indian shop. (It may be called "methi".)

I am interested in the flower. That is what we use in the recipe. I never knew it had seeds. I have never seen my family use its seeds (or maybe I was not paying attention).

[Effie Ganatsios]

I'm so sorry about your mother, Nina. Your loss has been very recent and this Easter must be especially painful for you. It's impossible to find the right words to comfort someone for the loss of a parent and as women, we know the special and complex relationship we have with our mothers. Mine is still living and although she is far away we speak on the phone almost daily.

I think about her death frequently because she's now eighty and I tremble at the thought - not of the death itself because it is natural - but the thought of losing her - she's so precious and her love for her children is enormous.
Selfishly I think of myself as well - does she know how much I love her?

My prayers are with you, Nina, today - Good Friday when we mourn for Christ's death. The resurrection follows though and this thought should comfort us.

Effie

This message doesn't strictly belong to this thread but is a continuation of our discussion. I hope it will be allowed.

[Effie Ganatsios]

I am interested in the flower. That is what we use in the recipe. I never knew it had seeds. I have never seen my family use its seeds (or maybe I was not paying attention).

Nina, the plant has white flowers and when it matures it has little pods that have tiny peas in them - the size is that of a very small lentil. These seeds are used medicinally. The plant itself is used as animal feed.

I didn't know that the flowers are also used. God's bounty. So very many things that people all around the world know - and so much local knowledge that the people of various lands knew about nature, in the past, that has been lost for all time because no-one took the trouble to record this precious knowledge.

Effie

[Paul Cowan]

Dear Effie:

What do you eat on Good Friday?

Here in Greece, this is a very strict fasting day. In fact we don't cook at all or sit at the table. It is a day of grieving and all day one church bell - one lonely, solemn, church bell - rings at intervals - as it normally does when someone dies. We visit the church at some time during the day, pass under the epitafio (helped by the boy scouts who are on duty and ready to help any old ladies that might have some difficulty getting up again (smile).

We also observe a strict fast here. If we have to drink water we may, but are told try to eat nothing until Saturday.


I am very interested in your Boy Scouts. Please PM me with any pictures you have of this. I am a full time employee of the Boy Scouts of America in Houston and would appreciate seeing Scouts in action in your church.

Paul

[Effie Ganatsios]

I am very interested in your Boy Scouts. Please PM me with any pictures you have of this. I am a full time employee of the Boy Scouts of America in Houston and would appreciate seeing Scouts in action in your church.

Paul
Hello Paul. I'm sorry I don't have any pictures. But I can tell you that every Good Friday in all the churches in Greece, Boy Scouts and Girl Guides are on duty all day to help people when they come to pay their respects to the epitaphion. They are also on duty in the churches during the evening service on the same day. One thing I have observed is that the Girl Guides here in Greece have almost the same uniform as the Boy Scouts. Is this something new? I remember that Girl Guides used to be dressed differently.

Effie

[Nina]

I'm so sorry about your mother, Nina. Your loss has been very recent and this Easter must be especially painful for you. It's impossible to find the right words to comfort someone for the loss of a parent and as women, we know the special and complex relationship we have with our mothers. Mine is still living and although she is far away we speak on the phone almost daily.

I think about her death frequently because she's now eighty and I tremble at the thought - not of the death itself because it is natural - but the thought of losing her - she's so precious and her love for her children is enormous.
Selfishly I think of myself as well - does she know how much I love her?

My prayers are with you, Nina, today - Good Friday when we mourn for Christ's death. The resurrection follows though and this thought should comfort us.

Effie

This message doesn't strictly belong to this thread but is a continuation of our discussion. I hope it will be allowed.

Χριστος Ανεστη!
Dearest Effie,
Thank you for your thoughtful and encouraging post and for your (very much appreciated) prayers! My heart goes out to you when you speak about the anticipated separation with your mother because of her age. I went through it myself and I know how it feels, although my mom passed away exactly one month after she turned fifty three years. Previously, because of her terminal illness, I had imagined an immense grief after her departure, that would have destroyed me shortly thereafter. However I learned throughout this experience that this is part of the cross we should lift in our life and that God provides in a bountiful manner spiritually (like He provides in all aspects of our life).


Nina, the plant has white flowers and when it matures it has little pods that have tiny peas in them - the size is that of a very small lentil. These seeds are used medicinally. The plant itself is used as animal feed.

I didn't know that the flowers are also used. God's bounty. So very many things that people all around the world know - and so much local knowledge that the people of various lands knew about nature, in the past, that has been lost for all time because no-one took the trouble to record this precious knowledge.

Effie

Oh, I think I must have the wrong name! The plant I have in mind has yellow flowers. Maybe you (or anyone) can recognize it here:
http://www.monachos.net/forum/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=290
and please let me know the yellow plant's name in English!

[Effie Ganatsios]

Dear Nina, I'm sorry I didn't answer your last message.

I was off the Internet for a month or so. I now have a new computer and a new connection.... a lot faster than my last one.

Today, I cooked something that I invented. I've got a very bad cold, so I boiled some chicken pieces to make a chicken broth. I added rice and a lemon and egg sauce to the broth - it's done me a world of good. I've still got a sore throat but I feel much better than I did this morning.

My invention : I took the boiled chicken breasts, broke the meat into small pieces and allowed it to cool. I sauteed onion rings, red and green peppers and mushrooms thinly sliced for a couple of minutes, I then added the chicken pieces, salt and pepper and allowed the whole thing to simmer until the juices from the mushrooms had been absorbed - I use those huge mushrooms we call pleyrota meaning "growing out of the side" - it apparently has something to do with the way they are cultivated .

I was going to look up an old recipe that I had, using boiled chicken but I felt so horrible that I decided to just invent something that would be ready in a couple of minutes. It tasted good though.

I usually bake mushrooms with a little olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
They taste wonderful the next day and are a favourite snack.

Effie

[Paul Cowan]

This is the closest I could find to the pleyrota mushroom Effie mentions.


http://botit.botany.wisc.edu/toms_fungi/oct98.html

Try these links for more info on mushrooms


http://www.foodsubs.com/Mushroom.html

There is nothing like a good fungus to spicen up any meal and don't forget a good size helping of algae.

http://www.btinternet.com/~bury_rd/algae.htm

Paul

[Effie Ganatsios]

Thanks Paul. The mushrooms on the link you posted are exactly the ones I use although mine are cultivated. As I mentioned in my last message I usually just wash them, sprinkle them with salt, pepper, olive oil and lemon juice and bake them until they are crisp. Easy and very delicious - they are even better the next day. Mushrooms are very nutritious and I used to cook them frequently but my husband hated them until someone told me to cook them like this. I now have to buy 2 packets each time because he loves them so much!

Algae - I have to admit that I have never eaten seaweed but a couple of months ago there was a documentary on TV concerning black seaweed - it does of course have a name and I wrote it somewhere but I don't have it just now. This variety is from Japan and needs special natural springs to grow. Apparently in north-east Greece - near Komotini - these type of springs exist and cultivation of this particular seaweed has been very successful. It is black when harvested, then dried in sheets and then made into a powder that is sold either in capsule or in powder form. It's apparently quite expensive and is only sold in chemist shops. Tests that have been carried out in 2 universities here in Greece have shown that it has a very high nutritional value and is especially good for a variety of health conditions, including diabetes. Tests have also been carried out in other countries but they were redone here - don't ask me why.

Paul, are you a vegetarian by any chance? I try to follow a very balanced diet given to me by my doctor and it seems to be working well for all my family - although my husband won't eat wholemeal bread and insists on his white tsapata (Italian) bread. I don't buy it because it's so delicious that I can't resist it!!!!!!! He buys it himself because only half reaches the house when I buy it.................

Our diet - once a week : meat, chicken, bean soup or lentil soup
twice a week : vegetable dishes (the so-called ladera because no
animal products are used just olive oil), and fish

A large salad with each meal, low -fat milk (1 glass a day) and a yoghurt in the late afternoon - the yoghurt has to be the traditional yoghurt and not the junk they sell in the supermarket. The yeast has to be alive otherwise it's not yoghurt and doesn't have any of it's beneficial effects.

Very easy to follow and very healthy. It's a traditional Mediterrean diet and everything is natural - I don't use any processed foods at all. I also like a bowl of porridge every once in a while because it's healthy. Pearl barley is also very good for diabetics (and not only) - it's a grain but it doesn't raise your sugar level - unfortunately I can't find it here. I use bulgar wheat instead.

I love everything to do with gardening and cooking.

Thanks for responding.

Effie

[David Naess]

Howdy!

My main online cookbook is:

Recipe Source
http://www.recipe-source.com/

This site is so vast that you should be able to find just
about anything that you are looking for...

e.g.; there are 23 different recipes for "lentil loaf" in one form or another.

You may have to make substitutions in any one given recipe, but there
is enough here to spark any cullinary imagination!

Dave

[Effie Ganatsios]

Howdy!

My main online cookbook is:

Recipe Source
http://www.recipe-source.com/

This site is so vast that you should be able to find just
about anything that you are looking for...

e.g.; there are 23 different recipes for "lentil loaf" in one form or another.

You may have to make substitutions in any one given recipe, but there
is enough here to spark any cullinary imagination!

Dave

Dave, thank you so much. This has to be one of the best sites I have seen!

I have downloaded 3 recipes that I intend to try this week.
I believe in simple, quick and healthy meals and this site definitely has lots of recipes for these.

Thanks again.

Have a Good Sarakosti! - which means Have a Good 40 days (Lent).

Effie

[Paul Cowan]

OK, this was a mistake, but it came out really good last night.

Collect and peel any and all root veggies you want. I used turnips, beets, potatoes, onions and alot of garlic. You can use any of them like jicama, taro, daicon etc...

cut the root crops into bite sized pieces.
Boil alot of water and you probably have to fill it up again.
Cook all the veggies until done. Pay special attention to the beets. This is the key. This recipe must have beets. Once the beets are done (probably have to cut them half the size as everything else) all the other veggies have already been done and are now taking on the color of the beets. The longer you let them sit in the water the more red they become.

My plate had orange colored everything and purple beets. Go easy on the seasoning as root crops soak up salt. You can pick out and mash the potatoes with the garlic and onions. A side dish of mango colored turnips and a side of deep colored beets.

I can see kids looking at a plate of orange colored mashed potatoes now and thinking "they have completely lost their minds". :)
I am saving the cooking water which is red BTW for my next pot of "white" rice. It will have the color and flavor of the roots used. That is tomorrow night as I am still eating leftovers. I also saved the thick liquid from the pinto beans I cooked the other day also for a rice "sauce".

Food is supposed to be fun. Just not over indulged in. (As I tipped the scales at .... this afternoon).

Paul

[David Naess]

I just introduced my "red onion chutney" at church and it was a big hit with the rest of the choir!


Chop up several white onions in a bowl
Add SALT and mix to draw the water out of them.
Drain every 15 minutes or so for about 2 hours.

Add:
Indian Paprika (1 or 2 tsp.)
Lemon juice (4 or 5 Tbsp.)
mix occasionally.

Add more lemon juice if necessary.
After you make it a few times for yourself you do all of your measurements by sight.

This is better if you make it a day or two beforehand allowing the flavors to blend.

If you want to use red onions, they require more time to draw the water out of them.

I had people trying to guess what was in the recipe. It doesn't taste hot from the onions, doesn't taste salty, doesn't taste sour. The SHARP flavors cancel each other out and you are left with a very mellow flavor!

[Effie Ganatsios]

OK, this was a mistake, but it came out really good last night.

Collect and peel any and all root veggies you want. I used turnips, beets, potatoes, onions and alot of garlic. You can use any of them like jicama, taro, daicon etc...

cut the root crops into bite sized pieces.
Boil alot of water and you probably have to fill it up again.
Cook all the veggies until done. Pay special attention to the beets. This is the key. This recipe must have beets. Once the beets are done (probably have to cut them half the size as everything else) all the other veggies have already been done and are now taking on the color of the beets. The longer you let them sit in the water the more red they become.

My plate had orange colored everything and purple beets. Go easy on the seasoning as root crops soak up salt. You can pick out and mash the potatoes with the garlic and onions. A side dish of mango colored turnips and a side of deep colored beets.

I can see kids looking at a plate of orange colored mashed potatoes now and thinking "they have completely lost their minds". :)
I am saving the cooking water which is red BTW for my next pot of "white" rice. It will have the color and flavor of the roots used. That is tomorrow night as I am still eating leftovers. I also saved the thick liquid from the pinto beans I cooked the other day also for a rice "sauce".

Food is supposed to be fun. Just not over indulged in. (As I tipped the scales at .... this afternoon).

Paul

I've been trying to imagine what your plate looked like Paul. Very colourful. This dish is not one for diabetics though. Beetroot leaves are very nutricious and highly recommended - they can be steamed and then served hot with a garlic sauce or cold as a salad with olive oil and vinegar dressing. The lady over the road has had cancer three times over the last 36 years or so. Her doctors told her to eat organic beetroot leaves at least twice a week. The more she eats the better for her health.... The water that is left over from boiling green vegetables should always be drunk afterwards - cold with a little lemon if you want. We don't really boil vegetables here, except for cauliflower and broccoli that need to be softened a little for salads and wild greens that we scald. We usually add vegetables to whatever we are cooking and they stew in their own juices.

Today I am having lentil soup - it's boiling at the moment and the kitchen is full of its aroma. I will also gather some spring nettles from my garden to use as a filling for a pie (pitta) tomorrow.

Spring has arrived and I don't know which set of muscles hurts more from my gardening of the past week. Last night it rained and "unfortunately" I can't work in the garden today.

I'm going to try David's chutney. Onions and garlic (your recipe above Paul) can never be consumed enough. They are both just another example of nature's miracles - in addition to nettles....................

Effie

[Paul Cowan]

Here is a great Lenten gumbo recipe (http://fooddownunder.com/cgi-bin/recipe.cgi?r=226992). Yes, you have to alter it slightly, but not worth noticing.

Leave out the oil, fish and fish stock. Substitute water for both. I added extra clam juice, crawfish, okra (I love okra), vegetables and salt and pepper. If it does not look like thick greenish mud water you made it wrong. Probably need to triple the Gumbo File. It took about 2 hours start to finish. Key is to cook it slow. Not fast like the recipe says. Obviously a Yankee. ^;^


2 tbl Olive oil
1/2 cup Chopped onions
1/4 cup Chopped celery
1/4 cup Chopped green bell peppers
1/4 cup Chopped red bell peppers
1 tbl Salt
Freshly-ground black pepper
1/2 cup Peeled, seeded, chopped Italian plum
tomatoes
2 tbl Finely-chopped fresh garlic
1 tbl Finely-chopped fresh shallots
2 qt Fish stock
1 cup Diced firm-fleshed fish - (abt 1/2 lb)
(such as grouper, tile, monk or sea bass)
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp Hot sauce
6 x Bay leaves
1 tbl Minced fresh basil
1 tsp Minced fresh oregano
1 tsp Stemmed fresh thyme
1 cup Fresh shrimp - (abt 1/2 lb) peeled, deveined
1 cup Sliced fresh okra - (abt 8 large)
2 tsp Bayou Blast see * Note
1 cup Shucked fresh oysters in their liquor
1 cup Fresh lump crabmeat picked over
1 tsp File powder (ground sassafras)
(available in specialty food stores)
4 cup Cooked white rice

Method :
Heat oil in a large pot over high heat, add onions, celery and bell peppers, and saute 1 minute. Season with salt and 4 turns of the pepper-mill and saute 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, garlic, and shallots, and saute, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes more. Stir in stock, then add fish, Worcestershire, hot sauce, bay leaves, basil, oregano and thyme, and bring to a boil. Cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Reduce heat to medium.
Stir in shrimp, okra and Bayou Blast, and simmer 10 minutes. Fold in oysters and crabmeat and simmer 5 minutes more. Skim the impurities from the top of the gumbo, turn the heat to high and boil vigorously 5 minutes. Slowly sprinkle in the file, stirring to incorporate thoroughly, and cook, stirring, 2 minutes more.
To serve, ladle gumbo into bowls or soup plates, add rice and sprinkle with green onions.
This recipe yields 12 first-course or 8 main-course servings.


Like I keep saying, food is meant to be fun; not overdone. Play with the recipe; add octopus, crabs, scallops or other approved crustaceans. More or less tobasco sauce. DON'T mess with the culinary trinity though. (Onions, celery and bell pepper. They are southern staples) Try other than rice size pastas. Eat it slow. Leftovers are better.

Paul

[Olga]

Paul, how hot is Bayou Blast on a scale of 1 to 10? Is it a "straight" chili, like sambal oelek, or does it have other ingredients in it?

[Effie Ganatsios]

Paul, when using fresh okra, do you snip off the ends and cover the okra with vinegar, leave it in the sun and then rinse and use?

[David Naess]

I am also a big okra fan!

The way I prepare it is to put it into the freezer for 10 or 15 minutes before cutting it.
There isn't any slime if you do it that way!

Just thought that y'all might benefit from a little "Yankee know how!" :D

[Paul Cowan]

Paul, when using fresh okra, do you snip off the ends and cover the okra with vinegar, leave it in the sun and then rinse and use?

Actually Effie I have no idea what Bayou Blast is. I should have mentioned that. I assume it is a cajun spice combination you can buy anywhere down here. (I am still trying to find vegemite)

I don't do anything to the okra. Most people snip the ends and just put them straight into the pot. That's what I do. I kinda like the slimy...Some people wash the ends real well and add them to it also since it is all going to cook for a couple of hours and will get soft just from cooking. If you add vinegar you change the whole flavor of the gumbo.

Why would you put them in the sun first? Fresh is best, not dried.

PC

[David Naess]

Howdy Paul!

I get my Vegemite from:
http://www.simplyoz.com/products/aussie_food/groceries/vegemite

but they appear to be completey out of stock at the moment.

It can be found in TEXAS at:

About Australia
Australian Foods, Gifts and Souvenirs
401 Isom Rd, Suite 360
San Antonio, Texas, 78216, USA

http://about-australia-shop.com/vegemite.htm

Us Vegemite lovers gotta' stick together don'cha know...

[Effie Ganatsios]

Actually Effie I have no idea what Bayou Blast is. I should have mentioned that. I assume it is a cajun spice combination you can buy anywhere down here. (I am still trying to find vegemite)

I don't do anything to the okra. Most people snip the ends and just put them straight into the pot. That's what I do. I kinda like the slimy...Some people wash the ends real well and add them to it also since it is all going to cook for a couple of hours and will get soft just from cooking. If you add vinegar you change the whole flavor of the gumbo.

Why would you put them in the sun first? Fresh is best, not dried.

PC

This is the traditional way of preparing fresh okra for the pot.

You only leave the okra covered in vinegar for a half hour or so in the sun. You then rinse it and use it normally. I believe it has something to do with the "slime" that comes out of fresh okra. Frozen okra can be used straight from the package.

We usually saute onions and garlic, add the okra, fresh tomato cut into tiny cubes and then allow this to simmer for a couple of hours. When not fasting, you can also add cubes of beaf to the onions once they have become transparent and cook the beef until you can see that no more liquid is coming out of it, turn down the temperature, simmer until the beef is soft and then add the okra for the last 1/2 hour or so until it too is done. Some people like paprika and hot chilli powder with this. This is the traditional way here.

I have never tried okra with any sort of fish.

Effie

[Effie Ganatsios]

Howdy Paul!

I get my Vegemite from:
http://www.simplyoz.com/products/aussie_food/groceries/vegemite

but they appear to be completey out of stock at the moment.

It can be found in TEXAS at:

About Australia
Australian Foods, Gifts and Souvenirs
401 Isom Rd, Suite 360
San Antonio, Texas, 78216, USA

http://about-australia-shop.com/vegemite.htm

Us Vegemite lovers gotta' stick together don'cha know...

Be careful that the vegemite is not the Kraft stuff. Perhaps, though, this is the only kind available now. Marmite is pure (until it too is bought by an international company).

Effie

[Olga]

Greeks also cook okra with chicken pieces in a tomato-based sauce as Effie described. Sometimes other vegetables are added, such as carrots, potatoes, green beans, etc. Often this dish is cooked in the pot to get it started, then transferred to an oven dish, covered with foil (or, even better, use a clay pot with a lid like a Romertopf), and slowly baked until done.

[Nina]

You only leave the okra covered in vinegar for a half hour or so in the sun. You then rinse it and use it normally. I believe it has something to do with the "slime" that comes out of fresh okra. Frozen okra can be used straight from the package.

Effie

The sun/vinegar method is also to make the little thorns/thorny fuzz (however it is called) in the okra less sharp. My mother always got splinters from them and the sun/vinegar is very good and not only for the slime. Some people put gloves on to wash them and protect from that thorny fuzz, but I would not.

Another version of what Olga posted is also ratatouille. It is what Greeks call tourlu. There are many versions of this recipe. The best combination (according to me and some other people) is actually the recipe used in Constantinople, Epirus and Provence. It is the one that combines only aubergine, okra, a kind of pepper which here is called Italian pepper (the long, green one and not the bell, chubby peppers) and potatoes. The sauce is made with olive oil, onion, garlic and tomatoes. Some herbs (mainly parsley) are added towards the end. When not fasting we add also meat and the entire order is changed and a new one followed. It is slowly cooked and not allowed to get mushy, or disintegrated. It is basically an art. There is order, method of cooking. Sometime for lack of time I try a shortcut and it is not as delicious. Both in the oven (casserole), or in the pot it is very delicious. One of the best springy, summery dishes. With some tomato, cucumber, green onion salad; and/or yogurt based soup/sauce; and a bit of good bread.

Okra is good also with chicken, I have yet to try it with fish.

Here at the store they scared me about marmite! Why would you want to eat yeast? - they told me. And I did not buy it... Also on the container was written 'yeast'. Is it really yeast? They did not have the veggie version.

[David Naess]

Yeast and yeast extracts were big dietary suppliments during WWII when meat was a scarcity. Don'cha remember ads for "Ironized Yeast Tablets"? It was around in the USA until at least the late 50's.

Actually the yeast used in Vegemte is recycled from the breweries (I think.)

Anyway... There is no "middle of the road" for Vegemite -- people either love it or hate it!

I happen to love it!

[Nina]

Yeast and yeast extracts were big dietary suppliments during WWII when meat was a scarcity. Don'cha remember ads for "Ironized Yeast Tablets"? It was around in the USA until at least the late 50's.
No. I was not around in the USA, or even in this world at that time. :)

[Effie Ganatsios]

The sun/vinegar method is also to make the little thorns/thorny fuzz (however it is called) in the okra less sharp. My mother always got splinters from them and the sun/vinegar is very good and not only for the slime. Some people put gloves on to wash them and protect from that thorny fuzz, but I would not.

Another version of what Olga posted is also ratatouille. It is what Greeks call tourlu.

Here at the store they scared me about marmite! Why would you want to eat yeast? - they told me. And I did not buy it... Also on the container was written 'yeast'. Is it really yeast? They did not have the veggie version.

Tourlou is a dish that most people here eat at least once a week in summer. I suppose it started as just something that housewives put together to get rid of all their leftover vegetables. The name itself "tourlu" means a little bit of everything mixed together. Basic ingredients are onions, fresh tomatoes, parsley, garlic, eggplant, peppers, and then whatever you have in your refrigerator or in your garden. I also add lots of oregano, this goes well with most tomato dishes.

I always add at least one leek, finely chopped, and saute it with chopped onion whenever a recipe calls for onions. My grandmother taught me this. Apparently leeks are very good for our stomachs and make the dish just a little sweeter. My grandmother also used to cut up leeks very finely, then knead them with a little salt. She would then add olive oil and either lemon or a little vinegar and serve it as a salad. She also taught me to make leek patties with eggs and cheese. Mmmm...

The most important thing concerning the meals you make is to use local products, things that have always grown in your area of the world. All these various dishes are the result of women using whatever was available to them in their local market and ending up with a delicious meal. God has provided so much for us and we are never content. Today we can buy just about everything in our supermarkets. It's so much harder today to say "No" to yourself when you are surrounded by so many things that might not be good for you but are definitely easy to buy. Maybe that's why people are so overweight today. In the past the women had to spend quite a lot of time baking lots of fattening goodies, which definitely controlled sudden urges to eat everything in sight.

We need more willpower today than in the past I think.

Effie



Why would you be scared to eat Marmite? Apart from the taste, of course!!!! Yeast has plenty of various kinds of B vitamins. It's very healthy for you, unless of course you are allergic to it as some people are.

[Nina]

Why would you be scared to eat Marmite? Apart from the taste, of course!!!! Yeast has plenty of various kinds of B vitamins. It's very healthy for you, unless of course you are allergic to it as some people are.

It said yeast on the container and the people in the store asked in that way that scared me. I am not allergic to anything. We eventually eat yeast in our breads, but I never eat raw yeast simply because we do not. I wanted to ask is marmite real marmite when it indicates yeast also, or not? As you know I am ignorant about marmite and learned it from you, so I am not sure what it really is. Or a better question: Is marmite yeast?

[Effie Ganatsios]

It said yeast on the container and the people in the store asked in that way that scared me. I am not allergic to anything. We eventually eat yeast in our breads, but I never eat raw yeast simply because we do not. I wanted to ask is marmite real marmite when it indicates yeast also, or not? As you know I am ignorant about marmite and learned it from you, so I am not sure what it really is. Or a better question: Is marmite yeast?

Marmite has the following ingredients :

yeast extract, salt, vegetable extract,Niacin,Thiamin,Folic Acid,Celery extract, Vitamin B12.


When you consume 4 grammes of Marmite, you consume
16.6% RDA of Thiamin, 17,5% RDA of Riboflavin, 35,6%RDA of Niacin, 50,5% RDA of Folic Acid, and 60,0% RDA of Vitamin B12. RDA = Recommended Daily Allowance.

Mother Gavriela used to melt one teaspoon of Marmite in a glass of hot water and with a small frigania (toast) would eat this meal in the evening.

Effie

[John M.]

MODERATOR'S NOTICE: The following message has been posted by an account engaged in on-line identity fraud. The member 'John M.' is identical to members 'Rick James York' and 'Rostislav'. The current post, made before discovery of this fact, is being retained in order to preserve the flow of threads; but readers should be aware of this case of multiple identity.


Nina wrote:




Actually this brings up an important question since some go through acute protein starvation as the fast goes on (actually I had one elderly parishioner completely pass out while during prostrations during the Prayer of St Ephraim last week).

Since we need calories and protein what is a good Lenten source for this?

In Christ- Fr Raphael

Dear Father,

You can not beat home made homous for protein. It has more protein than meat and no fat. The bread you use to scoop it up gives you carbohydrates.

Recipe for homous:

Dry garbanza beans (some countries call them chick peas). Measure them in a cup to be roughly half the volume of the tahini you bought, (they expand after soaking).
So a small jar of tahini that is about a cup in vol. requires about half a cup of the garbanza beans.
Minced or crushed garlic
Paprika
Lemon juice, squeeze-bottled is good.
With or without olive oil-both work fine.
Salt to taste (sparingly)
Soak beans overnight.
Next day, boil beans in salted water then simmer for 90 mins to 2 hours. Test if they are soft by picking one up with fork and crushing with fork on a hard place, like the sink. If it mashes very easily, it is cooked enough.
Instead of using a blender (messy) I use an ordinary potato masher.
Mash the cooked garbanza beans into a paste.
Add a pinch or two of salt.
Add a teaspoon of minced garlic (much more gives you gass)
Add paprika, half teaspoon max.
Olive oil optional depending on the lent you are on, but only needs about two/three tblspns if using (I rarely use it).
Do not add tahini until the mix is cooled to room temp.
When cooled to room temp. add tahini.
Squirt lemon juice into tahini jar to rinse out excess, close lid, shake vigorously, poor out into mix. Half cup lemon juice is about right.
Use wooden spoon or cake mixing paddle to mix together. If too thick after a couple minutes, add half cup of water and continue mixing.
Put in container/s and into fridge. Tastes better the next day after flavors have combined overnight.

It seems like a lot to do but it is really quick and easy once the beans are cooked. It takes me about 15 mins.
Use it as a side dish or make fellafel roll sandwiches. It makes a great high protein meal with baked beans and fried/grilled onions and sliced tomatoes. Great on a plate with a circle of: pickles sliced lengthwise, cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots and celery, all sliced lengthwise. Add some pitted or stuffed olives on top and sprinkle extra paprika to garnish. Use lebanese bread or pitta bread for best meal.

Bon appetite! John.

[John M.]

MODERATOR'S NOTICE: The following message has been posted by an account engaged in on-line identity fraud. The member 'John M.' is identical to members 'Rick James York' and 'Rostislav'. The current post, made before discovery of this fact, is being retained in order to preserve the flow of threads; but readers should be aware of this case of multiple identity.

Delicious Zucchini Soup

I built this recipe onto a simpler one my mother gave me years ago and she liked it better than hers.

4 or 5 zucchinis very, very finely chopped
1 can of corn
1 cup sliced string beans, fresh, frozen or canned
2 carrots cut into small short strips
1 red bell pepper (capsicum in some countries) diced
1 cup fresh sliced mushrooms
3 medium to large potatoes peeled & sliced into strips
1 onion finely chopped
4 Massel Ultra Cubes chicken flavor (these are great for lents. They are made from herbs & I first tasted them in a lenten chicken noodle soup made by a monastery cook with canned tuna. It fooled me real well).
3 or 4 tblspns of Oyster flavor sauce
3 or 4 large cloves whole peeled garlic
4 medium dill pickles chopped real fine
1 tblspn of dill leak tips (if you've got em)
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large soup pot, boil some water and add the chopped zucchinis, bell pepper, carrots, onions, garlic, ultra cubes, pickles & dill leaf tips
Then add potatoes, string beans, corn, mushrooms
Then add oyster flavor sauce, salt and pepper to taste.

Boil then simmer until carrots are soft to eat.
The zucchinis produce a milky residue thet floats on top and makes the soup look delicious.
It can be eaten right after cooking and tastes like a great soup immediately. It has plenty of vitamins and flavor. Disgard the garlic before serving or eating. People will want seconds!

Enjoy, John

[Fr Raphael Vereshack]

Thank you for these John!

These seem do-able...even for someone who is as culinarilly challenged as I am (which is a lot).

In Christ- Fr Raphael

[Nina]

Father, you can also make smoothies with just fruit (banana), bottled orange juice and to thicken it add wheat germ. Mix it well in a blender. Without oil, fast and easy.

[Effie Ganatsios]

There was a discussion about protein during the Lenten period on TV a little while ago.

Beans and lentils etc. do not give us the complete protein our bodies need. These two dishes are traditionally accompanied by a side dish of smoked Norwegian herring that has been baked, deboned and sprinkled with a dressing of olive oil and vinegar. You can also use other smoked fish in the same way. The fish added to the beans or lentils provides a meal that is not lacking in protein at all.

Effie

[Fr Raphael Vereshack]

According to the typikon/liturgical calendar, except for the Feasts of Annunciation & Palm Sunday, fish is not eaten during Great Lent.

There is however an economia that allows fish if it happens to be one's parish Feast during this time (but there are very few of these apart from Annunciation); perhaps at the commemorative meals that follow funerals (pominki); and of course for genuine health reasons.

In Christ- Fr Raphael

[David Naess]

I actually passed out in church last Sunday and was carted off in an ambulance.

This is my first ever Orthodox fast.
I am diabetic. (My blood glucose level was 34.)

Over 2 weeks my protein levels kept going down, down down...

Now dairy is back on my list of permissable foods for medical reasons.

Dave (soon to be David)

[Nina]

According to the typikon/liturgical calendar, except for the Feasts of Annunciation & Palm Sunday, fish is not eaten during Great Lent.

There is however an economia that allows fish if it happens to be one's parish Feast during this time (but there are very few of these apart from Annunciation); perhaps at the commemorative meals that follow funerals (pominki); and of course for genuine health reasons.

In Christ- Fr Raphael

Yes. (!!!!) We do not consume fish during Great Lent besides the Annunciation and Palm Sunday.

[Nina]

I actually passed out in church last Sunday and was carted off in an ambulance.

This is my first ever Orthodox fast.
I am diabetic. (My blood glucose level was 34.)

Over 2 weeks my protein levels kept going down, down down...

Now dairy is back on my list of permissable foods for medical reasons.

Dave (soon to be David)

Uh oh! David I hope you are feeling better.

I have fainted twice in church when I was a teen, but not because of medical reasons and never during Great Lent (I have had my hair burn during Great Lent though :) ). I fainted because I had not eaten (it was Sunday) and I was standing very near the area where the priest was censing and it was a lot of incense burning which smelled fabulous. Also in both cases there was strong sunshine coming through the opened windows right at the spot where I stood. This mixture made me faint.

Someone told me that if I feel like I am fainting, I should immediately sit (although we did not have chairs, or pews) on the spot where I am standing (even floor) and tell someone. The entire point is to have the feet elevated more than your head, or your neck massaged so there is blood flow and to be in fresh air/open space afterwards. This is some info for all if they feel that way especially now during Great Lent - or for those who might see someone faint in church.

But of course in your case, Dave, thank God you talked to your priest because you just had the surgery too (!!!!) and with the medical reason you need to be careful since Fathers also advise that. Always talk to your spiritual father/priest and tell everything that is going on. Even if you start the Lent healthy and for some reason there is illness involved afterwards, call him and do not hesitate to say what is happening and ask blessing and advise.

[David Naess]

Howdy!

When it comes to hummus, I cheat!

I use hummus mix to which I simply add water, a bit of oil, lots of lemon juice (not on the instructions) and some basil (or whatever other herb I am inspired to use at the spur of the moment.)

I get my hummus mix in bulk from a local co-op (10 pounds at a time.)
I just looked at the box and it doesn't indicate the name of the company that produces it -- sorry!

[Paul Cowan]

I actually passed out in church last Sunday and was carted off in an ambulance.

This is my first ever Orthodox fast.
I am diabetic. (My blood glucose level was 34.)

Over 2 weeks my protein levels kept going down, down down...

Now dairy is back on my list of permissable foods for medical reasons.

Dave (soon to be David)

I am not diabetic. Last Sunday I went shopping as usual after church to get the week's supplies, It was now late in the day and I had not eaten since the night before. I felt myself sluggish in the store pushing my trolley (How's that Andreas?) but by the time I got home I was shaking and very faint. Leah tested my bolld sugar since she IS diabetic and I was normal but low for me. I quickly ate everything in sight, and felt better yet gorged. This is the fitrst year I hae "really" tried to fast fully to the point of passing over times of hunger. I just went to far. Maybe a little hypoglycemia?

I know better now and always have with me a baggie of cheerios or some other quick food to tie me over.

ok, for dinner tonight...
sauteed mushrooms, chinese eggplant, onion, chinese brocolli, Kohlrabi, on rice with shrimp. Season to taste.
Or maybe grilled portabella mushroom burgers with homemade pickles from the garden last summer.

Decisions, decisions

Paul

[Nina]

I am not diabetic. Last Sunday I went shopping as usual after church to get the week's supplies, It was now late in the day and I had not eaten since the night before. I felt myself sluggish in the store pushing my trolley (How's that Andreas?)

With you saying trolley for shopping cart and Rick saying bobby for police, am I the only real American left here standing? :P


but by the time I got home I was shaking and very faint. Leah tested my bolld sugar since she IS diabetic and I was normal but low for me. I quickly ate everything in sight, and felt better yet gorged. This is the fitrst year I hae "really" tried to fast fully to the point of passing over times of hunger. I just went to far. Maybe a little hypoglycemia?A quick remedy for hypoglycemia is cinnamon. Of course eating too. But you can add cinnamon to certain food for balance.

Plus what I have learned is that when people fast, some toxins entrapped in their body's fat (which is being used) start being released. That is why during the first days of fast many experience headaches and flu-like symptoms.

[Effie Ganatsios]

I actually passed out in church last Sunday and was carted off in an ambulance.

This is my first ever Orthodox fast.
I am diabetic. (My blood glucose level was 34.)

Over 2 weeks my protein levels kept going down, down down...

Now dairy is back on my list of permissable foods for medical reasons.

Dave (soon to be David)

Dave, we discussed this matter of health issues during Lent, a while back. I too am a diabetic and even though I only eat meat once a week normally, it's important during fasting periods to keep a close watch on your sugar level, as you yourself know, so forgive me for repeating this.

I am no better, but I tend to go the other way. My sugar levels are always much higher than they should be, because of my sinful gluttony!

With health issues, your priest is the first person who will tell you to be careful. And the Orthodox Church tells us that illness is a substitute for fasting and other ascetic practices. The illness itself, if we let it, tends to make us look deeper into ourselves and disciplines us - but only if we allow it to.


Jesus told us that it was not what went into the mouth that was foul, but what came out. Whatever comes out of our mouths is from our hearts, no matter how clever some of us are at disguising our feelings.

Be careful, Dave. I am really starting to believe some of these doctors on TV who say that 1 out of 2 people today has some kind of problem with their sugar levels.

Effie

[Effie Ganatsios]

A quick remedy for hypoglycemia is cinnamon. Of course eating too. But you can add cinnamon to certain food for balance.

Plus what I have learned is that when people fast, some toxins entrapped in their body's fat (which is being used) start being released. That is why during the first days of fast many experience headaches and flu-like symptoms.

Nina, are you sure about the cinnamon. I use a lot of it because my doctor told me that it was good for diabetics. Cinnamon is also used in quite a lot of Greek dishes, so it is natural that I do. I also sprinkle it on apple purees, etc.

Effie

[John M.]

MODERATOR'S NOTICE: The following message has been posted by an account engaged in on-line identity fraud. The member 'John M.' is identical to members 'Rick James York' and 'Rostislav'. The current post, made before discovery of this fact, is being retained in order to preserve the flow of threads; but readers should be aware of this case of multiple identity.

Egg Plant Caviar

I liked this spread so much that I asked an elderly Russian woman to teach me how to make it. In Russian it is called "Baklazhany Eekra" which means Egg Plant Caviar.

You need:
2 large purple egg plants.
1 medium-large onion.
1 can of sliced or crushed tomatoes.
Onion salt or regular salt if unavailable.
Ground black pepper.
2 to 4 tblspns of sugar.
Olive oil to fry.

Place the egg plants into a large pot with boiling water at a level of half way up the sides of the egg plants. It is half way up so that the egg plants do not float but stay put. If they do float, remove some of the water.

Cover and simmer for about 1/2 an hour, then turn the egg plants upside down and simmer another 1/2 hour until egg plants are soft when pushed with fork or spoon.

Remove egg plants from water, cut off the stem/crowns then peel off or scrape off the skin. I found it peels easier if you submerge the hot egg plants in ice water but otherwise just do without the ice water.

Finely chop the peeled egg plants.

Very finely chop or grate the onion.

Stir fry the grated onion in fry pan on about 2/3 heat until transluscent (not browned).

Add the chopped egg plant and continue stir frying for 4 minutes or so.

Add the sliced or crushed tomatoes.

Use a potato masher on the mix until the tomato pieces are well mashed.

Stir.

Add a sprinkle of onion salt or regular salt. Add a sprinkle of ground black pepper.

Add 2 tblspns of sugar. Stir in.

Keep cooking for a few minutes until the mix becomes redish brown; do not over cook, a few minutes is all that is needed.

Allow to cool a little then taste with spoon or fork. If it is not slightly sweet, add another 1 or 2 tblspns of sugar and stir.

Allow to cool to room temp then put into plastic sealable containers and store in refrigerator.

To serve: spread margarine onto toast or bread then fork the egg plant caviar onto that. Spread it evenly and sprinkle with salt and pepper if desired.

This is a great quick meal during lent weekends when you are too busy to cook. Just use it as a spread on bread or toast.

Yummy. John

[Nina]

Nina, are you sure about the cinnamon. I use a lot of it because my doctor told me that it was good for diabetics. Cinnamon is also used in quite a lot of Greek dishes, so it is natural that I do. I also sprinkle it on apple purees, etc.

Effie

Dear Effie, by all means you should follow the advise of your own physician and that of the conventional medicine!

From what I know, cinnamon serves as a stabilizer/balancer for blood sugar and in our case during fasting. I also cook with cinnamon since our recipes call for it often and also I am fond of it. Sometime I add more than the recipe calls for it since I love cinnamon. :D

Here (http://www.mcvitamins.com/hypoglycemia.htm)you can read also this:


Use herbs known to rebalance blood sugar - black cohosh, panax, siberian gingseng, dandelion, gentian, ginger, cinnamon, uva ursi, licorice root, and huckleberry leaves. Goldenseal is helpful but not for long periods of time so not to deplete B vitamins. Astragalus, is a tonic herb that can be used daily and boost energy by providing adrenal and immune support.

or here (http://plainthoughtworks.com/SoftwareCoach/maxims/H/Hypoglycemia_Cinnamon.htm).

[David Naess]

Dear Effie, by all means you should follow the advise of your own physician and that of the conventional medicine!

From what I know, cinnamon serves as a stabilizer/balancer for blood sugar and in our case during fasting. I also cook with cinnamon since our recipes call for it often and also I am fond of it. Sometime I add more than the recipe calls for it since I love cinnamon. :D

Here (http://www.mcvitamins.com/hypoglycemia.htm)you can read also this:



or here (http://plainthoughtworks.com/SoftwareCoach/maxims/H/Hypoglycemia_Cinnamon.htm).


With you saying trolley for shopping cart and Rick saying bobby for police, am I the only real American left here standing? :P

A quick remedy for hypoglycemia is cinnamon. Of course eating too. But you can add cinnamon to certain food for balance.

Plus what I have learned is that when people fast, some toxins entrapped in their body's fat (which is being used) start being released. That is why during the first days of fast many experience headaches and flu-like symptoms.


Dave, we discussed this matter of health issues during Lent, a while back. I too am a diabetic and even though I only eat meat once a week normally, it's important during fasting periods to keep a close watch on your sugar level, as you yourself know, so forgive me for repeating this.

I am no better, but I tend to go the other way. My sugar levels are always much higher than they should be, because of my sinful gluttony!

With health issues, your priest is the first person who will tell you to be careful. And the Orthodox Church tells us that illness is a substitute for fasting and other ascetic practices. The illness itself, if we let it, tends to make us look deeper into ourselves and disciplines us - but only if we allow it to.


Jesus told us that it was not what went into the mouth that was foul, but what came out. Whatever comes out of our mouths is from our hearts, no matter how clever some of us are at disguising our feelings.

Be careful, Dave. I am really starting to believe some of these doctors on TV who say that 1 out of 2 people today has some kind of problem with their sugar levels.

Effie

Howdy!

The emergency doctor gave me a very interesting tip (which I have taken to heart)...

Just go to the supermarket and get a little hand-squeeze bag of decorating frosting to keep around.

She said that this frosting will get suger into your system faster than any other form of carbohydrate. For safety's sake I put mine in a sealable plastic bag to prevent getting cake icing all over my pocket if the bag should happen to break.

Mine doesn't even have any dairy products in it so you needn't break your fast due to a medical emergency!

Dave (soon to be David)

[Effie Ganatsios]

Howdy!

The emergency doctor gave me a very interesting tip (which I have taken to heart)...

Just go to the supermarket and get a little hand-squeeze bag of decorating frosting to keep around.

She said that this frosting will get suger into your system faster than any other form of carbohydrate. For safety's sake I put mine in a sealable plastic bag to prevent getting cake icing all over my pocket if the bag should happen to break.

Mine doesn't even have any dairy products in it so you needn't break your fast due to a medical emergency!

Dave (soon to be David)

Dave, I have some special tablets that I can take if my blood sugar is too low - I have never had to use them yet! This says something about my control which is not what it should be. (smile)

Effie

[Anna K.]

About the protein being full, I've sometimes learned that one meal should include beans, peas or lentils PLUS some grains, seeds or nuts. This combination would make up the correct chain of aminoacids for full protein. This information is quite old, though, from the times I had an interest in vegetarian food when I was young...

In Christ
Anna K

[Rick James York]

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I found some good "fast" foods here. So I will donate one of my own simple recipes that I made in my first fasting years when living alone.

Slice a block of firm tofu into 1/3" rectangles. Toast some bread slices and spread with margarine. Fry the tofu slabs until golden on both sides and place on toast. Spread a little mild mustard on tofu. Add some lettuce and thin slices of tomato. Close sandwich and eat.

James

[Nina]

About the protein being full, I've sometimes learned that one meal should include beans, peas or lentils PLUS some grains, seeds or nuts. This combination would make up the correct chain of aminoacids for full protein. This information is quite old, though, from the times I had an interest in vegetarian food when I was young...

In Christ
Anna K

This is very correct and still taught.

Peanut butter has protein also.

I was experimenting yesterday with something called 'seitan' (made mainly with wheat glutten and lots of protein) and it was good. Although my fiance commented about the inappropriateness of its name. :)

What I like is also tempeh (cultured/fermented soy) with lots of protein and so easy to cook.

[John M.]

MODERATOR'S NOTICE: The following message has been posted by an account engaged in on-line identity fraud. The member 'John M.' is identical to members 'Rick James York' and 'Rostislav'. The current post, made before discovery of this fact, is being retained in order to preserve the flow of threads; but readers should be aware of this case of multiple identity.


Howdy!

When it comes to hummus, I cheat!

I use hummus mix to which I simply add water, a bit of oil, lots of lemon juice (not on the instructions) and some basil (or whatever other herb I am inspired to use at the spur of the moment.)

I get my hummus mix in bulk from a local co-op (10 pounds at a time.)
I just looked at the box and it doesn't indicate the name of the company that produces it -- sorry!

What about garlic Mr. Naess? The store bought variety does not include garlic because it reduces shelf-life. So, you bring it home and add garlic and lemon juice to get it closer to restaurant quality.

But I notice that all the store bought varieties I have tried do not have enough tahini because it costs more than the garbanzo beans.

Also, store bought tabouli requires the addition of lemon juice at home for the same 'shelf-life' reason. A Lebanese store owner told me all this.

Hoping to be helpful, John

[Effie Ganatsios]

By the way does anyone have any lenten recipes for dishes based on grains such as rice, bulgour or polenta? (maybe even the dreaded pasta?). I tend to use these a lot during Lent but never quite know what to combine with these.

In Christ- Fr Raphael

I substitute Bulgar for rice in all my recipes . You need to cook it a lot longer than rice, but it is a lot more nutricious for you and doesn't raise your blood sugar as much.

A basic recipe for bulgar is the following : You can saute onions in either oil or a little water, add thinly sliced pleurota mushrooms, , sprinkle some bulgar wheat on top, stir, add 2 cups of fresh tomato juice, salt pepper, paprika and let the whole thing simmer until all the liquids have been absorbed.

There are lots of variations to the above, i.e. saute some garlic with the onions, you can add sliced peppers, or any other vegetables that go well together, you can spice the whole thing up with some hot pepper, etc. Your imagination is the only important thing here. Experiment.

[David Naess]

What is the basic bulgar:water ratio used when cooking?

1:2 - 1 part bulgar to 2 parts water/other fluid (like regular rice?)
2:3 - 2 parts bulgar to 3 parts water (like basmati rice?)
or what?

I don't want to cook it and then have to pour off some leftover water, losing all of the nutrients that have been boiled out of the wheat.

[Fr Raphael Vereshack]

Reply to both Effie & David,

Thank you very much for the recipes!

The bulgar they sell here though must be different from yours. Here it cooks very rapidly, only a bit slower than couscous.

In any case the proportions I use are 1 cup water to 1/2 cup bulgar with the medium grade. Finer grades are almost like porridge so can take more water.

In Christ- Fr Raphael

[Paul Cowan]

Currently on the stove

Pot 1 has spaghetti

Pot 2 has garlic, onion, portabella mushroom, quartered brussel sprouts, sliced sun dried tomatoes, scallops, shrimp and when all this gets done cooking I am adding a few capers.

stir into spaghetti and whala; leftovers for 2 days.

Paul

[Effie Ganatsios]

The brussels sprouts we get here are quite bitter for some reason (whereas in Australia they are sweet).

Most people steam them, and then add an olive oil and lemon dressing and eat them as a salad.

[Helen M.]

Hi

I just wanted to give you all a couple easy recipes using tahini.

The first one is called Baba Ganoosh. The Lebanese people make it.

I have found something odd about this meal. When you ask women what they think of it, they say, "I love it. It's delicious!" But when you ask men, they either don't like it at all or they are indifferent to it.

1) Baba Ganoosh.

1 Small eggplant
1 jar Tahini
1 tspn Minced garlic
1/2 cup Lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste.

Cook eggplant in oven or in pot of boiling water for about 40 minutes, or until soft.

Allow to cool then peel and finely chop.

Mix it with an equal amount of tahini (but eggplant must be cooled to room temp first).

Add about a level teaspoon of garlic or more if you like.

Add about a half cup of lemon juice (more if you like, but not first time).

Salt and pepper to taste (don't overdo as you can use more on your own individual serving later) and stir together with spoon.

Serve with Lebanese bread, pita bread or up to you. Also good as a side dish or as stuffing for oven roasted capsicum or tomato.
__________________________________________________ _____________________________________

2) Sweet tahini & honey spread. Kids love this during lent.

1 jar tahini.
1 jar honey.

Stir them together in roughly equal portions.

Spread on sliced bread or toast and eat!

It makes a quick lenten breakfast and goes well with tea or coffee as a quick snack when working. Plenty of protein and energy in this.

Truly, Helen

[Karena Hryniuk]

Heres a site with a good amount of Vegan recipes for lent

http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/bulgur-celery-and-pomegranate-salad-recipe.html

In Christ
Karena

[Effie Ganatsios]

Helen, we make your Baba Ganoosh here too. We call it Melitsanosalata - Eggplant Salad.

I always roast the eggplants and then when they are cooked I take them out of the oven and scrape the meat from inside them, discarding the skins. I think eggplants taste a lot better this way than when you boil them.

Effie


Hi

I just wanted to give you all a couple easy recipes using tahini.

The first one is called Baba Ganoosh. The Lebanese people make it.

I have found something odd about this meal. When you ask women what they think of it, they say, "I love it. It's delicious!" But when you ask men, they either don't like it at all or they are indifferent to it.

1) Baba Ganoosh.

1 Small eggplant
1 jar Tahini
1 tspn Minced garlic
1/2 cup Lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste.

Cook eggplant in oven or in pot of boiling water for about 40 minutes, or until soft.

Allow to cool then peel and finely chop.

Mix it with an equal amount of tahini (but eggplant must be cooled to room temp first).

Add about a level teaspoon of garlic or more if you like.

Add about a half cup of lemon juice (more if you like, but not first time).

Salt and pepper to taste (don't overdo as you can use more on your own individual serving later) and stir together with spoon.

Serve with Lebanese bread, pita bread or up to you. Also good as a side dish or as stuffing for oven roasted capsicum or tomato.
__________________________________________________ _____________________________________

2) Sweet tahini & honey spread. Kids love this during lent.

1 jar tahini.
1 jar honey.

Stir them together in roughly equal portions.

Spread on sliced bread or toast and eat!

It makes a quick lenten breakfast and goes well with tea or coffee as a quick snack when working. Plenty of protein and energy in this.

Truly, Helen

[Effie Ganatsios]

Tahini - sesame spread - is very nutricious and also lowers your cholesterol if it's too high.

It's a good choice for Lent, especially for children. Sesame bars with sesame and honey are also a favourite here.

I bought a bottle of sesame oil a while back but the flavour is a little strong for salads in my opinion.

Effie

[Olga]

Effie, sesame oil is used as a flavour boost in Asian cooking, but is always used sparingly, because of its strong taste, no more than a few drops.

[Helen M.]

Helen, we make your Baba Ganoosh here too. We call it Melitsanosalata - Eggplant Salad.

I always roast the eggplants and then when they are cooked I take them out of the oven and scrape the meat from inside them, discarding the skins. I think eggplants taste a lot better this way than when you boil them.

Effie

I agree Effie. I only gave the boiling option for people who don't have time to heat the oven or build a fire in the backyard (if they have one--hee, hee).

Sincerely, Helen

[William]

Thanks for the Baba Ganoosh recipe. I'll try it tonight. It has been a long time since I tried making it. A Jordanian friend once told me how to make it, but I think you need to cut some slashes in it if you are going to bake it. Mine blew up all over the oven!

[Effie Ganatsios]

I made the following eggplant salad today. It is one of our favourites.

Bake the eggplants. Scrape the pulp from the baked eggplants and chop it finely. Add tomato slices, capsicum peppers sliced thinly, parsley finely chopped, garlic finely chopped, and a couple of onions, thinly sliced - I slice them into rings but this is up to you. Toss the salad.

All the above vegetables are from my garden and taste wonderful.



Dressing : olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper.

This salad needs to be prepared a few hours before you serve it. It tastes even better if you prepare it the day before.


You can also add some chopped purslane to the salad. I always thought this plant that grows all over my garden was a weed and energetically removed it each year. A couple of years ago my neighbour saw me removing some of it and said that she used it either boiled or raw in salads. I looked it up and found that it was a very beneficial "weed".

"Purslane contains more Omega-3 fatty acids than any other leafy vegetable plant we know of. Purslane is a good source of vitamin E, A and C and omega-3 fatty acids which help build cell membranes, especially of the brain and eyes, and reduce inflammation and blood pressure. It is reputed to be the richest vegetable source of omega-3 fatty acids (which lower lipid levels in the blood). The principal type of omega-3 fatty acid is linolenic acid. It has six times more vitamin E than spinach. Omega-3s aid the body in the production of compounds that effect blood pressure, clotting, the immune system, prevent inflammation, lower cholesterol (LDL), prevent certain cancers and control coronary spasms. In addition recent studies suggest that Omega- 3s may have positive effects on the brain and may aid in such conditions as depression, bipolar disorder, Alzheimer's disease, autism, schizophrenia, attention deficit disorder, hyperactivity and migraines. "

Our weeds are God's medicines.

Effie

[Paul Cowan]

At chez Cowan tonight the menu consisted of

pan fried mushrooms, red pepper, onion, bokchoy, marinated artichokes all mixed with penne pasta. I seasoned with the brisket rub found in the Texas Social Group.

Yes I gorged on it. I gotta work on that. (That's a prayer request)

Paul

[Effie Ganatsios]

At chez Cowan tonight the menu consisted of

pan fried mushrooms, red pepper, onion, bokchoy, marinated artichokes all mixed with penne pasta. I seasoned with the brisket rub found in the Texas Social Group.

Yes I gorged on it. I gotta work on that. (That's a prayer request)

Paul

Sounds wonderful. Paul, no matter how much you gouge, except perhaps for the penne pasta, I don't really think it would matter. You would just be supplying your body with more of the vitamins and minerals its needs.

I sometimes slice all the garden vegetables that are on hand and just saute them in a little olive oil. I start with onions and a little garlic, then mushrooms (bought), then slices of green and red peppers, then thin slices of tomatoes.


I add salt, pepper, thyme, oregano and paprika. I simmer it until the juices have evaporated. I sometimes serve it at this stage, but sometimes I sprinkle a little feta cheese on top and then put it in the oven until the cheese melts. I also sometimes use sliced Gouda, but it doesn't taste as nice.


I am having a dinner party tomorrow night for my husband's family. We didn't celebrate his nameday because he was sick with the flu so I thought I would honour him in this way.

Paul, what's a brisket rub? I am making a marinade this morning for the lamb roast. My marinade is very simple, garlic, olive oil, lemon, salt and pepper. I am going to sprinkle some dried rosemary in it as well. I may add some sweet paprika because it is used in almost everything here and everyone loves it. It gives any meat or vegetable dish a nice but very elusive flavour.

Reading through the recipes on this thread I am also going to make some of Helen's eggplant dip. My husband just brought me a couple of late eggplants from the garden. Small but just what I need.

The weather here is really crazy. It is very, very mild and it is the 1st day of November. It is usually snowing by this time.

Happy first of the month as we say here.

It will soon be time for our Christmas fast.

On the 5th of November each year, I also put up my cabbages for the sauerkraut we use for our special Christmas stuffed cabbage dish. We are famous for this dish all over Greece. Some might say we are infamous for it, but that's because some people don't know a good thing when they see it. Sort of like Vegemite which is no longer Vegemite but some chemical concoction made by Kraft.

Effie

[Paul Cowan]

Hi Effie,

A brisket rub is the dry seasonings we rub, liberally, onto a brisket before we slow cook it. It is much as your liquid marinade but with dry ingredients. Here is the recipe.

2 Cups Salt
2 Cups Garlic Powder
1 Cup Pepper
1 Cup Paprika
1 Cup Onion Powder


A little goes a long way!

[Alice]

Dear Paul,

Your vegetable pasta sounds yummy. Pasta lends itself to many Lenten items including legumes..especially white beans and chick peas. My family loves the Greek dish orzo with chick peas. I also learned an Italian recipe for pasta fassule (sp?) with pasta shells, white beans, olive oil, tomato paste, garlic, and I use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. Ofcourse all these dishes are even better when not fasting and when some good Reggiano Parmiggiano or sharp Greek cheese can be grated on top.

Dear Effie,

Regarding your vegetable dishes sauteed in olive oil and baked w/feta cheese on top: YUM. For any one here who has not tried this, you must...a good feta cheese lends itself well to sauteed vegetables--my favorite is eggplant. :-)

As one ancient Greek philosopher said: olive oil is liquid gold! A fresh, good extra virgin quality one really gives flavor to food. I find that the problem in the States vs. Greece, is that the turnover is not as great, the distances for import far, and the incredible aroma of freshness is, unfortunately, not quite the same.

Alice

[Paul Cowan]

As one ancient Greek philosopher said: olive oil is liquid gold! A fresh, good extra virgin quality one really gives flavor to food. I find that the problem in the States vs. Greece, is that the turnover is not as great, the distances for import far, and the incredible aroma of freshness is, unfortunately, not quite the same.

Alice

As long as we are talking olives here, I HATE OLIVES. But when I was on Athos, I truly enjoyed them after a couple of days. However, when I got to a monestary that served green olives I about threw up. Canned or bottled olives here in the sates are disgusting. Even at the local mediterranean grocery store, they are pretty aweful. I do like olive oil, though in moderation. I guess I am just too used to canola oil.

[Alice]

As long as we are talking olives here, I HATE OLIVES

Dear Paul,

I know alot of people who dislike olives but are okay with olive oil...

Olive oil is a must when fasting! In Greece, fasting dishes are called 'ladera' or 'with oil'.

I wonder what the Slavic traditions of fasting foods are. I have never heard any Orthodox fastiing recipes other than Greek/ Middle Eastern Lenten dishes.

I would love to know...

In Christ,
Alice :)

P.S. ...I just read the rest of your post. Olive oil has many more health benefits than Canola--which is not really an oil known to nature the same way as olive oil. Stick to olive oil--your heart and every other organ in your body will thank you. :)


Canola is a type of edible oil derived from plants initially bred in Canada by Keith Downey and Baldur Stefansson in the 1970s. The oil is extracted from a group of cultivars of rapeseed variants from which low erucic acid rapeseed oil and low glucosinolate meal are obtained. The word "canola" was derived from "Canadian oil, low acid" in 1978.[1][2] The oil is also known as "LEAR" oil (for Low Erucic Acid Rapeseed).[3]

[Paul Cowan]

But we are specifically restriced from olive oil during fasting. And from what I read supposedly all oil when fasting. My mother could be a olive oil lobbyist for all her pushing me to use it in all my cooking.

I don't think other peoples fast as strictly as Orthodox do and this is why we don't hear much about their cultures. I have a boss who fasts more for diet control, but he says also religious, but he is Baptist. (I was impressed by this and it opened the door for me to share my belifs with him) His fasting is to go liquids only for several days then back to a normal diet. Not quite the same as us but I suppose a start. I am sure other cultures Hindu, Buddhist, and other cultures do fast as is their religious custom and they too have recipes they use when they do.

From what I understand RC fast from all meat but fish on Fridays during Lent. Perhaps Ken Rae can chime in here on the RC fasting rules?

My best recipes are when I open the fridge and cook whatever is lenten in it in the same pot. Similar to my 5 can casserole recipe in another thread. Go to the cupboard, grab the first 5 cans you see, put them all into the same pot and cover with cheese. A batchelor's gourmet!

Paul

[Alice]

Dear Paul,

Different traditions of Orthodoxy and different spiritual fathers adhere to the 'oil' part of the fast differently. In Greece and in the Greek Orthodox tradition in the U.S., generally, olive oil is used during fasting periods. Also, I have been to an Athonite monastery in the U.S. during a fasting period, (which one, I cannot remember) and I remember that oil was used even in the food they offered.

However, I do not wish to scandalize...this is just my experience in one jurisdiction and ethnic tradition of Orthodoxy.

When in doubt, speak to your spiritual father.

In Christ,
Alice


My mother could be a olive oil lobbyist for all her pushing me to use it in all my cooking. ...your mother is a smart woman, and one should always listen to their mother! *wink*

[Olga]

As one ancient Greek philosopher said: olive oil is liquid gold! A fresh, good extra virgin quality one really gives flavor to food. I find that the problem in the States vs. Greece, is that the turnover is not as great, the distances for import far, and the incredible aroma of freshness is, unfortunately, not quite the same.

Alice

Dear Alice

I can assure you that, though the distances for shipping are even greater, Greek olive oil imported to Australia still tastes magnificent. It is a great pity that southern Australia does not yet have an olive oil industry the rival of the Mediterranean. With time, this will come.

[Effie Ganatsios]

Re Olives : I am not especially fond of olives myself but a few years ago a friend in the Peloponesse gave me a jar of home cured olives. They were delicious! He told me how they were made so I will give you the recipe. Just hope I haven't forgotten any of the steps.

1. To get the bitterness out you need to leave them in water for a while. I think that you need to change the water 3 or 4 times.

I'm not sure about the length of time you need to do this, but it is more than a few days. You need to keep doing this until the olives are no longer bitter.

2. You then put them in brine to which you have added sliced carrots, celery, various condiments - not sure which ones but obviously pepper, some garlic.

It takes a while for the olives to be ready but when they are the commercial ones just do not compare.

You can probably find a more reliable recipe on the Internet. The above is from memory. Actually in addition to the already cured olives, he also bought me some olives to preserve myself (he helped me) but as this was quite a while ago, and as I didn't write anything down, I just can't remember everything he said.

We have two small olive trees in our garden (they stopped growing about 10 years ago!) but we have never had any fruit from them because of our high altitude. I use the dried leaves in teas.

Re Olive Oil

The best olive oil I have ever had was in Australia. AND it was imported from Greece! It was also very expensive but worth the price because our best oil is exported. We get our olive oil from the friend I have already mentioned so I know that it is pure and that it hasn't been tampered with.

The best way to use olive oil is raw of course in salads. When you use it in food you need to add it in the last 5 minutes of cooking time. Of course this is not always practical because many of our recipes require that you saute what's you're cooling in olive oil. My doctor's dietician told me to saute everything in a little water or even wine and then add the olive oil at the end. I tried it and nobody liked it. So, back to the old, unhealthy, delicious way.

One tablespoon of olive oil a day is more than enough for our health.

Down in the Peloponesse where they produce olive oil, our friend told me that the old people always used to drink a tablespoon of olive oil in the morning on an empty stomach.
I have since learnt that this is an ideal way to keep your liver healthy and detoxed.

It continually amazes me how much knowledge and wisdom are hidden in traditional ways. This is true of course not only in Greece but in all other countries.

I also believe that the best way to keep healthy is to eat less than you think you need and also to eat things grown in your own part of the world.

An example of the above : Eskimoes, when they lived their traditional way, were healthy. They didn't eat vegetables or fruit or any of the things we think are essential. They ate a lot of fat and meat. And yet they were healthy. If a person living in a tropical climate ate as they did, he would soon die.

Our fasting periods are one of the great benefits of our religion.
Apart from the spiritual benefits of fasting we can also enjoy the physical benefits - as long as you stay away from bread!!!
A lot of people put on weight during the fasting periods because they consume so much bread.


Effie

[Effie Ganatsios]

Dear Paul,

Your vegetable pasta sounds yummy. Pasta lends itself to many Lenten items including legumes..especially white beans and chick peas. My family loves the Greek dish orzo with chick peas. I also learned an Italian recipe for pasta fassule (sp?) with pasta shells, white beans, olive oil, tomato paste, garlic, and I use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. Ofcourse all these dishes are even better when not fasting and when some good Reggiano Parmiggiano or sharp Greek cheese can be grated on top.

Dear Effie,

Regarding your vegetable dishes sauteed in olive oil and baked w/feta cheese on top: YUM. For any one here who has not tried this, you must...a good feta cheese lends itself well to sauteed vegetables--my favorite is eggplant. :-)

As one ancient Greek philosopher said: olive oil is liquid gold! A fresh, good extra virgin quality one really gives flavor to food. I find that the problem in the States vs. Greece, is that the turnover is not as great, the distances for import far, and the incredible aroma of freshness is, unfortunately, not quite the same.

Alice

Yes, Alice. I forgot to mention the eggplants.

I have found that the dishes from all the Mediterrean countries are similar and are all very healthy because the ingredients are fresh. My doctor (sorry to mention him so often but he has opened my eyes to so many things that I was unaware of before) told me not to use anything that is manufactured and if there is something that I absolutely need, then I must read what is in it. It is amazing the junk they put in absolutely everything. If sugar is anywhere in the first three ingredients then don't even go near it. The sad thing is that children consume so much of this junk and their mothers don't even realize what their children are putting into their bodies. I never used to read the labels of what I bought, but I do now.

A tip for those living in Greece. Trata is the only company that has kept it's fish products pure. All the others, even Rio Mare, which I love, add a lot of things that have no business being there. Tuna salad is an ideal diet choice, but not when it is full of additives.

Effie

[Effie Ganatsios]

Hi Effie,

A brisket rub is the dry seasonings we rub, liberally, onto a brisket before we slow cook it. It is much as your liquid marinade but with dry ingredients. Here is the recipe.

2 Cups Salt
2 Cups Garlic Powder
1 Cup Pepper
1 Cup Paprika
1 Cup Onion Powder


A little goes a long way!

Thank you Paul. As you mentioned the ingredients are about the same except that they are in a dry form.

My lamb has been marinating all night and by the time I put it in the oven this afternoon it will be just right.

It's 8.30. The sun is shining, the house is absolutely clean and beautiful, I made a spanokopitta yesterday and roasted a meatloaf and chicken roll afterwards...... my beef kapama has been simmering since 6 o'clock this morning AND I need to get off the computer and get ready for church because we have a 40day memorial service and lunch afterwards today. I am going to trust my kapama to my son during my absence. God help me!

Did I mention that I don't know which part of my body hurts more.

Effie

[Paul Cowan]

Effie,

Set a place for me at dinner. I am on my way to the airport right now. Don't worry if I don't arrive before breakfast. I like leftovers.

RE; eating things grown nearby.
Honey bees ranched locally (http://www.monachos.net/forum/showpost.php?p=61409&postcount=47)use the pollen of the local plants and when we consume this it reduces our affects from allergies.

Paul

[Effie Ganatsios]

Effie,

Set a place for me at dinner. I am on my way to the airport right now. Don't worry if I don't arrive before breakfast. I like leftovers.

RE; eating things grown nearby.
Honey bees ranched locally (http://www.monachos.net/forum/showpost.php?p=61409&postcount=47)use the pollen of the local plants and when we consume this it reduces our affects from allergies.

Paul

Paul, I think I mentioned that some 40 or so beehives are brought regularly each year to the pine woods next to our house. The last 2 or 3 years they were absent but this year the beekeeper has brought them back. I asked him about the lost years and he told me that for some reason he lost his queens or something. I read that this is happening all over the world.

Following this long (too long) introduction, I wanted to tell you about his theory concerning his bees and the fruits and vegetables grown in our area. He believes that when we consume the things grown in our area we are helping our immune system because the plants and everything else (including everything his bees produce) have developed their own defence system against the pollutants in the area.

I had never heard this theory before, but this man also gives lectures on bees and bee-keeping on our local TV station and he is also very knowledgeable about the ecology and the problems we have in our area, so I am inclined to believe him.

Come any time, you will be very welcome. We had a terrific time. Friends, relatives, getting together, remembering past experiences that were pleasant or amusing, drinking your own wine, eating your own food, listening to wonderful music, and being happy, are what life is all about. In one word - Love.

Effie

[Nina]

Paul, I think I mentioned that some 40 or so beehives are brought regularly each year to the pine woods next to our house. The last 2 or 3 years they were absent but this year the beekeeper has brought them back. I asked him about the lost years and he told me that for some reason he lost his queens or something. I read that this is happening all over the world.

Following this long (too long) introduction, I wanted to tell you about his theory concerning his bees and the fruits and vegetables grown in our area. He believes that when we consume the things grown in our area we are helping our immune system because the plants and everything else (including everything his bees produce) have developed their own defence system against the pollutants in the area.

I had never heard this theory before, but this man also gives lectures on bees and bee-keeping on our local TV station and he is also very knowledgeable about the ecology and the problems we have in our area, so I am inclined to believe him.

Effie

Yes here too there is an arboretum which has two beehives in an effort to counter the sudden disappearing of bees. Also if you purchase Häagen-Dazs ice cream they also have this worldwide problem written on the containers for public awareness and I think they are helping in the cause of bees. Are they disappearing because of the chemicals that are everywhere?

[Effie Ganatsios]

Yes here too there is an arboretum which has two beehives in an effort to counter the sudden disappearing of bees. Also if you purchase Häagen-Dazs ice cream they also have this worldwide problem written on the containers for public awareness and I think they are helping in the cause of bees. Are they disappearing because of the chemicals that are everywhere?

It is not really known why they are disappearing, Nina.

The Germans have found that when they place a mobile phone near the hive the bees will not enter. So some people say that the mobile phones and antennas might be to blame.

Others say that the various pollutants are to blame because if a bee comes back with nectar that is polluted with something, the bees guarding the hive will at first try to drive it away, and if that doesn't work they will kill it.

Bees are amazing creatures/insects and it is terrible that we might be destroying them, which in turn will mean that we are really destroying ourselves because our fruit trees and other plants, including flowers, need these miraculous creatures.

I know you like honey, Nina. You can be sure that if you buy it from a bee keeper it will be pure. Glucose is sometimes added to commercial honey for economic reasons so you need to be sure that the brand you buy has not had this added to it.

My husband also loves honey and he uses it instead of sugar whenever and wherever he can, except for his coffee.

Effie

[Nina]

Hmm interesting about radiation and bees... never thought of that...



I know you like honey, Nina. You can be sure that if you buy it from a bee keeper it will be pure. Glucose is sometimes added to commercial honey for economic reasons so you need to be sure that the brand you buy has not had this added to it.
My husband also loves honey and he uses it instead of sugar whenever and wherever he can, except for his coffee.
Effie

My daddy has two beehives somewhere where the nature is still unspoiled and his older brother who is retired and lives near by takes care of them and his own bees. I always use the honey from there. :) I wonder how long it will continue though...

Bees are extremely important for our life and hopefully nothing bad will happen to bees worldwide. Often I go to the little apiary here at the arboretum and look at the bees, I observe them in the flowers around there and it is amazing to just look at this miracle of God. I never did this before, because I guess I was taking things for granted, but since I heard about the problem with bees I started thinking more about them and when we go there with my friends and their children for walks I make sure to bring the children and instill in them love for the bees. It is amazing how many things we can teach to children because of bees. Those are really miracles from God in many aspects.

[Anthony]

Last time I was in Greece I visited a friend's father, who has hives on Thassos, and he gave me a large jar (in fact a very large jar) as a present. It was only when I tasted that that I realized how much the normal outlets for Thassos honey adulterate it, as you say, with sugar (glucose, whatever).

But I really wish you guys would stop reminding me of Greek food. You will have me on the next flight from Hannover to Thessaloniki - and I have work to do here.

[Effie Ganatsios]

Last time I was in Greece I visited a friend's father, who has hives on Thassos, and he gave me a large jar (in fact a very large jar) as a present. It was only when I tasted that that I realized how much the normal outlets for Thassos honey adulterate it, as you say, with sugar (glucose, whatever).

But I really wish you guys would stop reminding me of Greek food. You will have me on the next flight from Hannover to Thessaloniki - and I have work to do here.

Thassos honey is famous, Anthony. It is a pine honey.There are different types of honey - it depends on where the bee hives are placed and from what plants or trees the bees get their nectar from.

Blossom honey (anthomelo) is delicious, but you can get forest honey (dasomelo), thyme honey, etc.

A couple of months ago we visited a mountain retreat which is famous for its water and its vast variety of herbs (a lot of which I had never even heard of). I bought a jar of honey that was supposed to be good for diabetics because the nectar was harvested from a bitter herb that helps this condition. My husband is very sceptical and told me to be careful because he said that bees don't harvest nectar from just one particular kind of herb. The honey I bought is very bitter - not like honey at all.

Nina, my husband is also interested in establishing perhaps just one hive for our garden (the beekeeper's hives are not here in the spring when we need them... all the hives in Kozani are transported to the fruit growing areas in Veroia and Naoussa to pollinate the trees there), but he knows nothing about the mechanics of such a venture and is a little wary.

Effie

[Olga]

Thassos honey is famous, Anthony. It is a pine honey.There are different types of honey - it depends on where the bee hives are placed and from what plants or trees the bees get their nectar from.

Blossom honey (anthomelo) is delicious, but you can get forest honey (dasomelo), thyme honey, etc.

My late father kept bees as a hobby for about ten years. Depending on the season, the bees would visit various plants and trees in flower, resulting in a range of flavours and aromas. The local trees in the bees' territory included almond groves (late winter), pine trees, and eucalypts (spring). But the finest honey was that made from oregano flowers in high summer. There were quite a few Greek and Italian families in the area, and some had good-sized oregano bushes. Sweet, but with a very interesting spicy, savoury twist.

On the other hand, honey made from daisies is truly horrible. It tastes like old dust.

[Nina]

Yes you are right that is important where the bees go for the honey to be wonderful, and also it depends on personal taste. Yes, oregano honey is yummy, and I would add also mountain-tea honey, orange flowers honey, acacia honey and so on.

[Eugenia Gotsis]

Greetings!
X-mas fast will soon be upon us and my quedtion is:
Is gelatine based sweets(jello and like) fastable or not?
I have asked various priests and they're not even sure.
I have seen in a couple of fasting cookbooks, but I know
it is an animal by product.
Help!
Eugenia

[Father David Moser]

Is gelatine based sweets(jello and like) fastable or not?
I have asked various priests and they're not even sure.

Ask your priest (and no one else) and do as he instructs.

Fr David Moser

[Anthony]

Effie, you once mentioned one kind of honey as being particularly healthy, but I can't remember which it was. (Thyme maybe?)

[Effie Ganatsios]

Anthony, did I mention it here on this thread recently, or did I mention it in the past?

All pure honey taken in small amounts is said to be healthy. This is what bee keepers claim. Others disagree with them.
For a diabetic a tiny teaspoon of pure honey can do no harm (remember, I said tiny!).

I can't remember the name of the herb that is supposed to help diabetics (I was told only the Greek name and that it was a local herb - I know that it was not a common herb because I would have recognized the name) and which the bees supposedly harvested the nectar from to make the honey I bought at the mountain resort.

What is supposed to be very healthy is Royal Jelly. My bee keeper presented me with a tiny little jar which I keep in the deep freeze in order to keep it's beneficial qualities intact. He also gave me a tiny, tiny little plastic scraper that I use to scrape off a tiny piece, which I then put under my tongue until it melts. I have not noticed any rise in my blood sugar levels after consuming this.

You can find some very interesting information here

http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=96

This bee keeper is a good neighbour. He will not accept any money for anything he gives us but I get past that by giving him lots of our home grown vegetables...................

[Anthony]

Anthony, did I mention it here on this thread recently, or did I mention it in the past?

This was some time ago, Effie. I have a vague recollection of thyme, but maybe not.

I was amused to read (somewhere else) that wild thyme is a good cure for hangovers...



This bee keeper is a good neighbour. He will not accept any money for anything he gives us but I get past that by giving him lots of our home grown vegetables...................

The old Greece. :)

[Eugenia Gotsis]

Ask your priest (and no one else) and do as he instructs.

Fr David Moser

Dear Father,
It still doesn't answer the classification of "jello" is it or is it not
an animal by product(gelatine being derived from bone material)
Thank you
Jenny

[Herman Blaydoe]

Dear Father,
It still doesn't answer the classification of "jello" is it or is it not an animal by product (gelatine being derived from bone material)
Thank you
Jenny

Yes, technically speaking, it is an animal byproduct, which is why vegans avoid it. Many foods also contain whey which is also a dairy (animal) byproduct. If you want to totally avoid animal products you really have to read the labels. But I think it worth mentioning that the Holy Apostle Paul was probably not a label reader.

1 Corinthians 10:24-28 (Paul C, I think this also applies to that eating with family and fasting question you had earlier).

Your priest and your conscience are usually fairly good guides.

[Paul Cowan]

1 Corinthians 10:24-28 (Paul C, I think this also applies to that eating with family and fasting question you had earlier).


Thank you Herman. Yes it does.

And yes, jello is a beef byproduct just as whey is a dairy byproduct.

[Effie Ganatsios]

Thank you Herman. Yes it does.

And yes, jello is a beef byproduct just as whey is a dairy byproduct.

The whey that is left over from the making of feta cheese is then used to make another type of "cheese" that is recommended for those who are on a diet.

The liquid that is strained from yoghurt when making your own strained yoghurt is delicious, and we drink it. I would never think of throwing it away.

Re jelly : Aren't there non-animal jelly crystals or sheets?

Effie

[Olga]

Observant Jews who follow kosher food laws can use a gelatine made from fish, though I have no idea how readily available it is. There is also agar, derived from a particular variety of kelp, and used in vast quantities as a culture medium for scientific and medical use, and a version of it is produced for human consumption, but I suspect you may have to search for it.

As for jelly crystals, Effie, I've found out that Aeroplane Jelly (memories?) does make a non-animal range of jelly crystals, where the gelling agent is derived from seaweed. There may well be other brands available where you live which do the same.

[Effie Ganatsios]

Olga, I just read the ingredient list on the back of a Yiotis gelatine sheet pack I have in my pantry. Only gelatine is mentioned. I read that when only the word "gelatine" is listed, this means the gelatine derives from animals.

I have to have a good look at the products available in my supermarket. Seaweed - agar agar - is undeniably a better food choice than "pig skin" which is sometimes used to make ordinary jelly crystals or sheets.

Thanks Olga for your information.

Effie

[Paul Cowan]

ok, so this is not exactly in line with the thread, but it fell on Meatfare Sunday, so close enough.

2 # chicken thigh meat deboned/skinned
1 # mushrooms halved
2 # peeled 1" cubed potatoes
2 cups marsala wine
2 cups water
flour and water
S&P
Basil/ rosemary (optional)

Cook in slow cooker until done. Thicken with flour and water and season to taste. Can add sour cream and/or cooked rice to bowl.

Yes, this was a total accident. Some of my best creations are total mistakes. I even added a few toasted pine nuts for a little crunch and flavor.

[Rick H.]

Sauerbraten Recipe


***Note: We just had this dish for the first time today. After giving up a perfectly good bottle of wine and soaking this hunk of meat in the fridge for four days . . . and after considering the total cost for this dish . . . and considering the way it smelled in the kitchen as it cooked for 2 hours, I think I will just omit this recipe and spare you all some grief!

[Paul Cowan]

Sauerbraten Recipe


***Note: We just had this dish for the first time today. After giving up a perfectly good bottle of wine and soaking this hunk of meat in the fridge for four days . . . and after considering the total cost for this dish . . . and considering the way it smelled in the kitchen as it cooked for 2 hours, I think I will just omit this recipe and spare you all some grief!

It sounds great (http://www.thespicehouse.com/recipes/sauerbraten-recipe). It looks disgusting (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sauerbraten). Just not sure about the ginger snaps on my pot roast.

[Rick H.]

I didn't mention that part did I? It did look kind of gross (just like the photo).

I noticed in the recipe you found they called for 1 cup of wine. The recipe we had called for a whole bottle, and this was one of my complaints. There are a lot of flavors there, but the wine overpowered everything and seemed to keep the other ingredients from contributiing in a balanced way. I don't want to try this again, but it seems like it would have to be better with the one cup as opposed to the whole bottle. In retrospect, I wish we would have just drank the wine and eaten the ginger snaps.

[Effie Ganatsios]

ok, so this is not exactly in line with the thread, but it fell on Meatfare Sunday, so close enough.

2 # chicken thigh meat deboned/skinned
1 # mushrooms halved
2 # peeled 1" cubed potatoes
2 cups marsala wine
2 cups water
flour and water
S&P
Basil/ rosemary (optional)

Cook in slow cooker until done. Thicken with flour and water and season to taste. Can add sour cream and/or cooked rice to bowl.

Yes, this was a total accident. Some of my best creations are total mistakes. I even added a few toasted pine nuts for a little crunch and flavor.

Paul, this sounds delicious! I am going to try it. I don't have marsala wine though - is this a sweet wine? I usually just add our own wine to whatever I am making that calls for wine.

Effie

And Paul, I often make up my own recipes. This become easier and easier with the passage of time.

In Greek cooking we use an egg and lemon sauce in quite a few dishes.

I always used to beat the egg whites until they were stiff, then added the yolks slowly beating all the time and then the lemon juice a tablespoon at a time. Again continuously beating. It used to take me ages - not to mention giving me a sore arm each time. The above is the way my mum made this sauce and one that most women use.

One day I was feeling lazy and adventurous - mainly lazy.

I put one egg, 1 tablespoon of flour, 1-2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice, a little olive oil in the blender. Blended everything thoroughly, and then added the hot liquid from my soup (the egg and lemon sauce was for soup that day) slowly spoonful by spoonful into the sauce. When the sauce was hot I added it slowly to the soup. The last two steps need a little beating but nothing compared to beating the egg whites, etc.

It's important that you use the juice of whatever food you are preparing to "warm" up this sauce before adding it to your saucepan because the egg will curdle if the mixture is cold when it is added. This sauce is added at the last minute. I switch off the stove and let it cook a little before serving.

Delicious and no sore arm. All my family now use this method. See what laziness creates???

Effie

[Olga]

No sore arm, Effie, but who ends up washing the blender? :P I might also mention that, for those who are trying it for the first time, it is VERY important to add the warm or hot stock VERY SLOWLY to the egg mixture, or else you'll end up with scrambled eggs. Also, if making the sauce the "old way", use a metal bowl if you have one. That way you'll be able to feel the temperature of the sauce as it's being made, so that when it is added to the saucepan, it won't curdle. (Tips from various Greek yiayies)

Effie, marsala is a sweet dessert liqueur, a bit like liqueur muscat or port.

[Effie Ganatsios]

No sore arm, Effie, but who ends up washing the blender? :P I might also mention that, for those who are trying it for the first time, it is VERY important to add the warm or hot stock VERY SLOWLY to the egg mixture, or else you'll end up with scrambled eggs. Also, if making the sauce the "old way", use a metal bowl if you have one. That way you'll be able to feel the temperature of the sauce as it's being made, so that when it is added to the saucepan, it won't curdle. (Tips from various Greek yiayies)

Effie, marsala is a sweet dessert liqueur, a bit like liqueur muscat or port.

Hi Olga. I should have said that I use my little Phillips food chopper - a miracle gadget if you ask me. There are exactly three pieces/parts to wash. Easy.

The slow adjustment of temperature is something that I mentioned in my post and is very, very important. Otherwise you will indeed end up with scrambled eggs................

I can get port here, so I will try that. Thank you.

Effie

[Stephen Wendland]

Does anyone have a good recipe for vegetable burgers, bean burgers or both? I am looking for an easy or basic recipe that I can build from.

[Anthony Stokes]

This is my best Lenten recipe, although it's not really mine. I got it from my priest, who got it from a matushka at another parish. I made it yesterday for church coffee hour and again for my family. Everyone loves it.

Sbdn. Anthony

Red Lentil Soup with a Spicy Sizzle

6 teaspoons (t) oil (divided)
2 medium onions (chopped)
3 cloves of garlic (or more; finely chopped)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
8 cups hot water or vegetable broth (George Washington Golden broth)
1 1/2 cups red lentils (rinsed)
1/3 cup bulgar wheat
2 tablespoons (T) tomato paste
1 bay leaf
3 tablespoons (T) lemon juice
salt, pepper to taste (more salt needed if you use water instead of broth)
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (red pepper)

In a pot heat 2 t oil. Add onions and cook for a few minutes. Add garlic and cumin, and sauté for one minute. Add broth (or hot water), lentils, bulgar wheat, tomato paste, bay leaf. Bring to boil and simmer, stirring occasionally. Cover and cook over low heat until lentils and wheat are very tender (20—30 minutes). Discard bay leaf. Stir in lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

Hot sauce: heat remaining 4 t oil in small pot and stir in paprika and cayenne pepper. Be careful not to overheat and burn the spices. Drizzle about 1/2 t of sauce into a bowl of soup, mix, and eat. Can put sauce directly into the pot before serving, but beware: soup will be too hot for the taste of some!

[Kseniya M.]

My husband says this has a vaguely Indian flavor. I like it. It's super simple.

1 c. quinoa seed
1 yam, peeled and chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
4-5 c. water

Put all ingredients in a crockpot. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. Serve with bread (goes great with homemade wholewheat).

[Irene]

This is my best Lenten recipe, although it's not really mine. I got it from my priest, who got it from a matushka at another parish. I made it yesterday for church coffee hour and again for my family. Everyone loves it.

Sbdn. Anthony

Red Lentil Soup with a Spicy Sizzle


Thanks for sharing Subdeacon Anthony, it looks interesting and nutritious. I think I have about two, only, lenten recipes I use repeatedly all lent: Vegetarian Curry and Vegetable Pasta, I think I'd like to try yours :D

[Anthony Stokes]

Thanks for sharing Subdeacon Anthony, it looks interesting and nutritious. I think I have about two, only, lenten recipes I use repeatedly all lent: Vegetarian Curry and Vegetable Pasta, I think I'd like to try yours :D

It is very good. Red Lentils can be hard to find sometimes. You usually have to go to a health food grocer or farmer's market, or an Indian grocer. Most grocery stores, at least where I live, only carry green and brown lentils.

I like to eat it with fresh bread, but I've recently started putting it over basmati rice, and that is very good as well.

Sbdn. Anthony

[Rick H.]

It is very good. Red Lentils can be hard to find sometimes. You usually have to go to a health food grocer or farmer's market, or an Indian grocer. Most grocery stores, at least where I live, only carry green and brown lentils.

I like to eat it with fresh bread, but I've recently started putting it over basmati rice, and that is very good as well.

Sbdn. Anthony


Dear Sbdn. Anthony,

That does sound good, I'll have to try that. I make two lentil soups myself. I'll have to try to get at least one recipe up.

When you talk about putting this over basmati that sounds even better. Most folks that I introduce to basmati rice think it is very good.

In Christ,
Rick

[Anna Stickles]

Michael has done a little research and both soy and buckwheat are good as far as complete proteins. They now have the roasted soy beans in the snack isles at the store which my kids love. Unfortunately I haven't found a good source of buckwheat groats here. When we lived in CO I used to make these for the kids for breakfast. Does anyone know of an online supplier?

Out of the nuts, almonds are among the highest in protein.

We have a tradition of pancakes on Sat morning and I have found out that they still come out good even without the eggs.

1/2 c white flour
1/2 c whole wheat flour
1/2 c buckwheat flour
1/2 c Rye flour
1/4 c raw wheat germ
1/4 c ground flax
1 1/2 ts baking powder
1/2 ts baking soda
2 ts sugar
1/4 ts salt

mix dry ingredients thoroughly (for fluffier pancakes add an extra 2 TB of white flour and another 1/2 ts of baking powder)

mix together

1 c water + 2 ts vinegar (Its good to let this sit a couple minutes to mix)
1 c soy milk
1-2 TB of oil
2 TB tahinin or peanut butter (or you can substitute oil for these)
1 to 1 1/2 ts vanilla (depends on type of vanilla - suit your taste)

gently stir into dry ingredients - do not beat

(you might even be able to get away with all tahini and no oil for these, but I haven't tried it since we only make pancakes on Sat.,


PS. I have found it useful at times just to mix up a big batch of the dry ingredients (except the flax - I grind that fresh) and put it into a container for later use.

these are also good with blueberries or nuts added

[Anna Stickles]

1 c chopped onion
1/2 med green pepper chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
16 oz can of tomato puree
8 oz of tomato sauce
2-3 ts chili powder
1/2 ts dried basil
salt and pepper to taste
16 oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 c TVP
1/2 c bulgar, cooked
1/2-1 c water depending on how thick you like your chili

saute onion, garlic and green pepper in a little water in a large pot
add rest of ingredients and simmer for 15-20 min. This is thick and filling. For more protein use all TVP instead of half and half TVP and bulgar.

[Anna Stickles]

Here's another quick, easy and healthy recipe we like. These muffins can be frozen moderately well (they do become a slight bit more mushy) and microwaved for a quick snack.

2, 15 oz cans garbanzo beans drained and mashed
1/2 c sunflower seeds
3 c cooked brown rice
1 large onion chopped
1 lg carrot shredded
1 c shredded zuchini
1/2 c bread crumbs
2-3 TB soy sauce (depending on your tastes)
1 ts thyme
1/4 ts pepper

combine all ingredients well and put into muffin tins. bake 375 for 20 min. makes about 12 muffins

[Stephen Wendland]

Here's another quick, easy and healthy recipe we like. These muffins can be frozen moderately well (they do become a slight bit more mushy) and microwaved for a quick snack.

2, 15 oz cans garbanzo beans drained and mashed
1/2 c sunflower seeds
3 c cooked brown rice
1 large onion chopped
1 lg carrot shredded
1 c shredded zuchini
1/2 c bread crumbs
2-3 TB soy sauce (depending on your tastes)
1 ts thyme
1/4 ts pepper

combine all ingredients well and put into muffin tins. bake 375 for 20 min. makes about 12 muffins

Anna, Do you think that these could be flattened and fried in a pan? Do you have a recipe for a vegetable or bean burger? I asked above but no one replied. Morning star is good but I would like to make my own.

[Paul Cowan]

Stephen,

Try this link (http://fooddownunder.com/cgi-bin/search.cgi?q=bean+burger). You can also google bean burger and get a miriade of recipes.

[Kseniya M.]

8 oz rice milk (or soy milk, if you prefer)
1 medium banana, peeled and chopped
1 medium apple, peeled and chopped

Pour rice milk into a blender. Add banana and apple slowly, blending until mixture is smooth and foamy.

Serves 2.

[Anna Stickles]

Anna, Do you think that these could be flattened and fried in a pan? Do you have a recipe for a vegetable or bean burger? I asked above but no one replied. Morning star is good but I would like to make my own.

Yes, in fact this is what the original recipe suggested doing with it. I'm a health nut, though, and even before becoming Orthodox was trying to keep the fats and sugar in our diet to a minimum so I don't fry stuff and the muffin idea was my no oil alternative. The older kids and I don't even put syrup on the pancakes but just have them as is.

BTW: what I listed above actually should make more like 16 muffins.

( I couldn't remember whether I used 2 or 3 cans of garbanzo beans for 24, but was able to check since I was making it for our potluck tonight)

[Michael Stickles]

Do you have a recipe for a vegetable or bean burger? I asked above but no one replied. Morning star is good but I would like to make my own.

Stephen - in addition to Anna's garbanzo muffin recipe, there are plenty of vegetarian/vegan burger recipes online. I found a number of them at About.com (http://vegetarian.about.com/od/veggieburgerrecipes/Vegetarian_Veggie_Burger_Recipes.htm), The Veggie Table (http://www.theveggietable.com/recipes/veggieburgerindex.html), Happy Cow (http://www.happycow.net/recipes_burgers.html), and VegWeb (http://vegweb.com/index.php?board=323.0), just to name a few.

In Christ,
Michael

[Fr Raphael Vereshack]

Does anyone have lenten recipes that only involve two to three ingredients?

For some of us our eyes glaze over if we see more than this in a recipe.

I think that this would be a very good project in fact- the three ingredient recipe book- Lenten; non-Lenten...

In Christ- Fr Rapharl

[Father David Moser]

Does anyone have lenten recipes that only involve two to three ingredients?

For some of us our eyes glaze over if we see more than this in a recipe.

I think that this would be a very good project in fact- the three ingredient recipe book- Lenten; non-Lenten...

Here is a recipe that is about as close as I can come:
Black Bean Soup with Crispy Tortillas
So that I don't cause Fr Raphael's eyes to glaze over I will divide this recipe into its two component parts:

Crispy Tortillas:
vegetable oil (for frying)
3 6" Corn Tortillas cut into narrow wedges
Kosher Salt

In a medium saucepan, heat 1/2 inch of vegetable oil over moderately high heat until a deep fry thermometer registers 350. Add the tortillas and fry, stirring occasionally, until crisp and lightly golden, about 1.5 min. Using a slotted spoon, ttransfer the tortillas to paper towels to drain; season with salt.

Or for simplicity you could just go out and buy commercial tortilla chips in the store - but where's the fun in that?

Now the second part:
Black Bean Soup:
1 onion - diced into 1/4" pieces
1 tsp ground cumin
2 15oz cans black beans
2 tbls chopped cilantro
freshly ground black pepper
(OK there's 5 ingredients - but if you don't count the pepper thats 4 OK?)

In a medium soup pot, heat tbls of oil from frying the tortillas. Add onion and cook over moderate heat until softened, about 6 min. Add the cumin and cook for 1 min. Add the beans and their liquid and 1.5 cups water. Bring to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened, about 15 min. Stir in 1 Tbls of cilantro and season with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls nd top with a few tortillas. Sprinkle with the remaining cilantro and serve.

It is suggested that this soup would be good if paired with a luscious earthy Argentine red wine such as 2005 Catena Malbec.

This recipe btw is out of Food and Wine mag (April 2009) where they routinely have simple recipes along with their more complex ones. This particular section has a number of recipes that are all about 5 ingredients (but not all lenten - but you know there is food after lent...)

Fr David Moser

[Michael Stickles]

Does anyone have lenten recipes that only involve two to three ingredients?

For some of us our eyes glaze over if we see more than this in a recipe.

I think that this would be a very good project in fact- the three ingredient recipe book- Lenten; non-Lenten...

There are some of those online too - I found three-ingredient recipe listings at About.com's "Busy Cooks" page (http://busycooks.about.com/od/fiveingredientrecipe1/a/threeingredient.htm), Cooks.com (http://www.cooks.com/rec/search/0,1-0,three_ingredient,FF.html), Suite101 (http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/kids_in_the_kitchen/22330), Recipe Secrets (http://www.recipesecrets.net/forums/recipe-exchange/13902-three-ingredient-recipes.html), and My Crockpot Recipes (http://www.my-crockpot-recipes.com/Crockpot-Three-Ingredient-Recipes.htm). Be forewarned, though - some "three-ingredient" recipes may actually have four to six ingredients since they don't consider water, flour, oil, salt, pepper, or spices as "ingredients" for the purpose of counting to three. Also, the majority are not Lent-compatible (though a few I looked at are).

There are also a good number of cookbooks which contain only three-ingredient recipes - Amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=three+ingredient+cookbook) lists quite a few (link goes to search results for "three ingredient cookbook").

Michael

[Irene]

Does anyone have lenten recipes that only involve two to three ingredients?

For some of us our eyes glaze over if we see more than this in a recipe.

I think that this would be a very good project in fact- the three ingredient recipe book- Lenten; non-Lenten...

In Christ- Fr Rapharl

That's true Father :) In fact in Australia a couple of women have become quite well known for a their cookbooks called Four Ingredients (http://www.4ingredients.com.au/). I doubt very much that they are of the vegan or fasting variety. But it could be an idea too for a fund raiser, to put such a book together?. There was a summer fast (Nativity) where I worked full time, the kids were away and from memory I just ate store bought vegan pasties every night. I was too tired to think and it didn't seem to matter for just myself.

[Paul Cowan]

Does anyone have lenten recipes that only involve two to three ingredients?

For some of us our eyes glaze over if we see more than this in a recipe.

I think that this would be a very good project in fact- the three ingredient recipe book- Lenten; non-Lenten...

In Christ- Fr Rapharl

Ask and ye shall receive Fr.

Go to the cupboard, close your eyes and grab the first 3 cans you touch. You can open your eyes now, but you are NOT allowed to put them back or choose a replacement. You must use these 3 cans as it was providence you touched these specific 3 cans.

Open them
Dump them into a pot
Boil them
Eat them.

There you go. a 3 ingredient recipe. S&P optional.

Now for the cookbook idea....hummm interesting. project.

Paul

[Effie Ganatsios]

8 oz rice milk (or soy milk, if you prefer)
1 medium banana, peeled and chopped
1 medium apple, peeled and chopped

Pour rice milk into a blender. Add banana and apple slowly, blending until mixture is smooth and foamy.

Serves 2.

I can get coconut milk here but not rice milk or soya milk.
Could I use this? Only one way to find out - experiment.......

I love smoothies. They are easy to make, fill you up, and are very nutritious.

I have been thinking of consuming only vegetable juice one day a week. Does anyone have any favourite combinations?

Effie

[Olga]

A clarification to our non-American members: Garbanzo beans are also known as chick peas, and cilantro is coriander, a strongly-flavoured herb resembling parsley in appearance, a staple of Asian cooking, particularly Thai.

[Olga]

Oooh, yes, coconut milk! Where would I be without it? Curries, laksa, all sorts of good lenten dishes. Just don't put it in your coffee or tea .... :P

[Vasiliki D.]

Who needs to not fast when there are such great recipes out there ... I think I have fallen into the temptation of gluttony just reading thsi thread! Mmmmmmmmm

[Anna Stickles]

Does anyone have lenten recipes that only involve two to three ingredients?

For some of us our eyes glaze over if we see more than this in a recipe.

I think that this would be a very good project in fact- the three ingredient recipe book- Lenten; non-Lenten...

In Christ- Fr Rapharl

1 can refried beans
1 c cooked rice
tortillas

mix beans and rice, spread on tortillas role up and eat.
If you are really ambitious you can add lettuce and/or onion to it.

[Kseniya M.]

I can get coconut milk here but not rice milk or soya milk.
Could I use this? Only one way to find out - experiment.......

I love smoothies. They are easy to make, fill you up, and are very nutritious.

I would think that coconut milk would be quite tasty in a smoothie, but then, I love coconut anything. Please do experiment and let us know!


Does anyone have lenten recipes that only involve two to three ingredients?

For some of us our eyes glaze over if we see more than this in a recipe.

I think that this would be a very good project in fact- the three ingredient recipe book- Lenten; non-Lenten...

In Christ- Fr Rapharl

My smoothie recipe only has 3 ingredients!

Father, your eyes must have been glazing over reading the thread; you spelled your own name wrong. *giggle, duck and run*

-Kseniya

[Michael Stickles]

Go to the cupboard, close your eyes and grab the first 3 cans you touch. You can open your eyes now, but you are NOT allowed to put them back or choose a replacement. You must use these 3 cans as it was providence you touched these specific 3 cans.

Open them
Dump them into a pot
Boil them
Eat them.

There you go. a 3 ingredient recipe. S&P optional.

"Clear the cupboard" casserole! That brings back memories - I haven't had that since college (when 3 cans or boxes was often all I had in the cupboard, hence the name).

[Kseniya M.]

"Clear the cupboard" casserole! That brings back memories - I haven't had that since college (when 3 cans or boxes was often all I had in the cupboard, hence the name).

Of course, you might be in a bit of a pickle if you haven't cleared all the beefaroni out of the cupboard before the beginning of Great Lent...

-Kseniya

[Fr Raphael Vereshack]

Many thanks to all for their three ingredient recipes. They all work quite well I think (especially the wine in Fr David's recipe- not too much preparation needed there).

I'll try to see what I can do about actually getting down to the cooking though. I suspect that what I really need is a lenten cook since most times I cook like Paul's description of reaching into the cupboard (one day it was a mouse that jumped out- really).

Maybe we need a lenten meal on wheels or a food order service via Fed Ex.

In Christ- Fr Raphael

[Seda S.]

Who needs to not fast when there are such great recipes out there ... I think I have fallen into the temptation of gluttony just reading thsi thread! Mmmmmmmmm

I must confess something, humbly begging everyone in this community to forgive me.

Each time I see this thread or any other, speaking about food, I feel somewhat irritated and say in my mind, 'How can they talk on different kinds of food and recipes so much? Aren't they tired of it?' Then I feel sorry, because I understand that I have judged you. But the same happens next time I see this thread. I usually ignore this thread. But today I was curious to see what is going on in this Eastern Orthodox section :). The result is amazing. I read some posts and now I don't want to eat. That's an amazing thing for me, as I like to eat very much. So I decided that each time I feel I want to eat but it's better to not, I'll come here to read your wonderful recipes.
I hope, this evening I'll just drink a cup of tea and it will be enough for me. I'm not hungry any more :).

Thank you very muuuuuuch :).

[Paul Cowan]

But today I was curious to see what is going on in this Eastern Orthodox section :). The result is amazing. I read some posts and now I don't want to eat. That's an amazing thing for me, as I like to eat very much. So I decided that each time I feel I want to eat but it's better to not, I'll come here to read your wonderful recipes.
I hope, this evening I'll just drink a cup of tea and it will be enough for me. I'm not hungry any more :).

Thank you very muuuuuuch :).

Not a problem. One man's temptation is another man's salvation. Always here to help show just how close I am to the edge you are able to steer away from. If you start getting hungry even after reading all the food threads, give a call. I got plenty more recipes to turn your stomach.

Paul

[Effie Ganatsios]

Chickpeas also lower your bad cholestrol levels.

"In a small study, people who ate roughly 25 ounces of chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans) per week for 12 weeks showed an improvement in their total cholesterol levels compared with when they ate a chickpea-free diet for 4 weeks. And that's not all: Their insulin levels also improved, and they lost a small amount of weight -- without dieting or exercising."

In the weekly diet sheets my doctor gave me years ago for my diabetes, one day a week is a dried bean, lentil or chickpea day................. I usually make bean soup (fasoulada) or lentil soup on this day. I have never tried chickpeas although they are a favourite dish here. We eat dried chickpeas as a passotempo and I add a handful to my barrels of sauerkraut in late October each year.

I am going to try the following chickpea recipe next week. This recipe is the traditional chickpea recipe although they can be prepared in many ways - there is even a recipe for chickpea patties in my Lenten recipe book!

Ingredients :

1/2 kilo chickpeas
1 litre vegetable stock
1/2 cup olive oil
2 cloves of garlic chopped
1 onion chopped
3 leeks (the white part -sliced finely)
2 celery sticks finely sliced
some thyme or rosemary
3 tablespoons tomato paste (home made is best)
salt and freshly ground pepper

Cover the chickpeas with salted water and leave them for 12 hours
Strain and rinse well under running water
Put them in a saucepan with the vegetable stock and boil until soft

In another saucepan saute the garlic, onion, and other vegetables in the olive oil until soft. Add the rosemary or thyme, the chickpeas and their liquid, the tomato paste (use 1/2 cup of the chickpea liquid to liquify the tomato paste before adding it).

Taste the mixture - the chickpeas might be salty because of the salted water they were in for 12 hours. If needed add salt and lots of freshly ground pepper (depends on how spicy you want this dish to be).

Cover the saucepan and simmer until the sauce thickens. When it is ready there won't be any extra liquid - just a thick, delicious sauce.

Serve hot.

Effie

Although it is not in the recipe, I am also going to add some paprika. I find that this spice makes most dishes even more tasty and whenever onions, garlic and tomatoes are part of the dish, paprika is suitable.

[M.C. Steenberg]

Does anyone have lenten recipes that only involve two to three ingredients?

Dear Father,

Here's a recipe for the like minded:

LENTEN CARROT DISH

Ingredient: 1 carrot.

Directions: Wash carrot. Eat.

[Effie Ganatsios]

Dear Father,

Here's a recipe for the like minded:

LENTEN CARROT DISH

Ingredient: 1 carrot.

Directions: Wash carrot. Eat.

In the mountains of Epirus there is a large mushroom that tastes better than steak, so I have been told.

When Elder Paisios was building a small monastery near Konitsa he left the building one morning to walk to the nearest town. He had no money and no food that particular day. But he had God. As he started walking, he noticed a mushroom that must have sprung up overnight. Thank you God, he said, for providing me with my meal for this day.

Effie

[Fr Raphael Vereshack]

Dear Father,

Here's a recipe for the like minded:

LENTEN CARROT DISH

Ingredient: 1 carrot.

Directions: Wash carrot. Eat.

Now there's a recipe I can relate to!

In Christ- Fr Raphael

[Alice]

Now there's a recipe I can relate to!

In Christ- Fr Raphael
Okay, I have to admit that I have never found this forum to be one that allows for too many chuckles, nor did I think that our administrators had much of a sense of humour, but perhaps I have been wrong, because this truly tickled my funny bone!!! :-)



Originally Posted by M.C. Steenberg http://www.monachos.net/forum/images/misc/quote_magn.gif (http://www.monachos.net/forum/showthread.php?p=76682#post76682)
Dear Father,

Here's a recipe for the like minded:

LENTEN CARROT DISH

Ingredient: 1 carrot.

Directions: Wash carrot. Eat.


Alice

[Stephen Wendland]

Dear Father,

Here's a recipe for the like minded:

LENTEN CARROT DISH

Ingredient: 1 carrot.

Directions: Wash carrot. Eat.

I believe that the original question was, whether or not anyone had a recipe involving "two or three ingredients". Also I would personally peel the carrot before eating, which would further complicate things.

[M.C. Steenberg]

Dear Alice, you wrote:


...nor did I think that our administrators had much of a sense of humour...

Quite right, quite right. 'The moderators of this forum have no sense of humour of which we are officially aware.'

INXC, Dcn Matthew

[Kseniya M.]

Quite right, quite right. 'The moderators of this forum have no sense of humour of which we are officially aware.'

INXC, Dcn Matthew

O.O

HUMOR?????? In an ORTHODOX forum??????

*faints*

-unconscious Kseniya

[Peter S.]

In our parish we talk more about food and cooking when it's a fast, he he :)
Anyone else who has had the same experience? (Maybe I have said this before.)

Peter

[Stephen Wendland]

Several people have mentioned being tempted by this thread. I think that to a point it can be practical to discuss food and recipes, especially the kind that are quick and easy giving us time for prayer and going to services. Many of us with families, having small children can really struggle to put something on the table that the kids will eat. I personally don't give them other things if they don't finish what is put in front of them, but tonight my for year old son did not eat at all. At least with my own family, we cook pretty much every night of the year and eat together as well. Having and preparing a few interesting Lenten meals brings us together as a family and gives us more bonding time and chances to discuss what fasting truly means. Just some thoughts...I personally have no interest in Lenten chocolate cake!

[Nina]

Does anyone have lenten recipes that only involve two to three ingredients?

In Christ- Fr Rapharl

1. lentils (wash and boil)
2. red wine vinegar + (3) crushed garlic (mix and pour over the lentils)

This is the version without oil but with oil is not very difficult also. Make a sauce of oil & flour, oregano, red pepper and mix it all together.

---

Almond butter mixed with honey on toast. Protein source.

---

If fasting during hot months make cold fruit soups and sprinkle with seeds or some pieces of different fruits according to taste. Fruit soups can be: Cantaloupe, Pineapple, Honeydew melon etc.

---

Spinach and rice. Cook rice add spinach in the last 3 minutes and add seeds and/or dried berries.

[Alice]

Does anyone have lenten recipes that only involve two to three ingredients?

In Christ- Fr Rapharl




Besides Nina's excellent suggestions (almond butter is lovely--peanut butter (natural, not with added sugar, etc.--Smucker's is a very good supermarket brand) and honey is also very good.

Instead of spinach added to the rice in Nina's recipe, you can also add a bag of ready cut coleslaw from the supermarket. Add olive oil (if it is permissable for your fast) and raisins.

Here is an easy Tuscan ( I have had this at Italian restaurants, where they offer it as a dip with good quality crusty bread before ordering) source of protein: take a can of great white northern white beans (they are the small ones), drain it, mash them and add a good quality extra virgin olive oil, some salt and pepper...

Easy, tasty and healthy snack: take a ripe avocado. Split down the middle. Remove pit...sprinkle salt and pepper and eat by scooping out with a spoon! (Also makes a good and satisfying topping for a tasteless vegan veggie burger, as does store bought--or home made--hummus)

How is that for easy? *wink*

[Nina]

Easy, tasty and healthy snack: take a ripe avocado. Split down the middle. Split down the middle. Remove pit...sprinkle salt and pepper and eat by scooping out with a spoon!

I also add a bit of lemon juice to an avocado.

Sometime my husband adds a bit of ketchup on the avocado also for more taste.

[Paul Cowan]

I've never been one for tofu, but I thought I would give it a serious try this season.

I still don't much care for it.

1 block soft tofu, pureed
1 pkg onion dip mix
corn chips
refrigerate

There you go Fr. 3 ingredients

Now to make it palatable; add salt, white pepper, lemon juice and another pkt of dip mix. Have large glass of water nearby. You're gonna need it.

[Alice]

I've never been one for tofu, but I thought I would give it a serious try this season.

I still don't much care for it.

1 block soft tofu, pureed
1 pkg onion dip mix
corn chips
refrigerate

There you go Fr. 3 ingredients

Now to make it palatable; add salt, white pepper, lemon juice and another pkt of dip mix. Have large glass of water nearby. You're gonna need it.

Firm tofu sliced, dredged in a little flour and fried is delicious...for an Asian flavour, add some ginger or sesame dressing, or soy or teryaki sauce to the pan at the end......add to some brown rice and it makes for a satisfying and tasty meal, and cooked like this, one will change their mind about tofu!

Speaking of changing the mind about tofu, in the U.S., in many supermarkets, a frozen dessert product called 'Tofutti' exists. There are also Tofutti 'ice cream sandwiches', which I have tried, and are even better than the real ice cream ones....

Another ready made supermarket product which is satisfying during the fast is the Slavic food 'pierogies'...I have bought the potato and cabbage filled ones, sauteed them in oil with some onions, and they really are 'stick to the ribs' type satisfying...men who like filling foods will especially like them.

Many gourmet take out stores sell ratatouille. Buy some and mix it with pasta or eat with crusty bread.
Also, french lentil salads are popular at gourmet take out stores. These are also tasty and Lenten....

The beauty of fasting in the U.S. vs. Greece, is that the availability of so many really good quality different vegan foods (Asian, Indian, etc.) without having to cook too much, is great, and therefore, it is extremely convenient and easy to fast with little trouble or too much boredom.

I once bought some ready made 'vegan' food ( I believe imported from Germany) in Greece, and almost got sick, it was so disgusting....Ladera (oily/fasting vegan) foods are very good and delicious in Greece, but the variety becomes a bit limited after a while, and after a few weeks, I find it can get tiring and discouraging.

Although I will give credit to McDonald's in Greece, and Goodie's fast food...McDonald's has a few 'McSarkakosti' (Sarakosti:Lent) dishes (YES, you heard correctly !!!), and I hear the Goodie's does to, including, some awesome kolokithokeftedes (fried zucchini fritters/nuggets)

Alice

[Paul Cowan]

[a frozen dessert product called 'Tofutti' exists. There are also Tofutti 'ice cream sandwiches', which I have tried, and are even better than the real ice cream ones....



You've never been to Texas have you Alice?

I will seek out this frozen tofu thingy you mention, but NOTHING beats a bowl of Blue Bell ice cream. (http://www.bluebell.com/home.aspx)

I recently tried store bought fried tofu cubes with black fungus that are pretty ok.

[Alice]

You've never been to Texas have you Alice?

I will seek out this frozen tofu thingy you mention, but NOTHING beats a bowl of Blue Bell ice cream. (http://www.bluebell.com/home.aspx)

I recently tried store bought fried tofu cubes with black fungus that are pretty ok.

Paul,

I do admit that I have never been to Texas (though my husband has-- if that counts!), and I also admit that your Blue Bell ice cream sounds delish, BUT--and here is the $10,000 question-- IS IT VEGAN?!?

Let's try to stay on track with the fast and with this thread....because we still have a few more weeks to go!! *wink* --(and then you can eat Blue Bell to your heart's content!) :-)

Be well,
Alice

[Kseniya M.]

Blue Bell ice cream. (http://www.bluebell.com/home.aspx)

I have a Firefox add-on called No Script that reports this link (www.bluebell.com) as a reported attack site. Possibly a hacker managed to stick something on it? Since I'm a bit goosey about going there with all the warnings I'm getting, I'd love it if you (Paul) could tell us a bit more about it (like, is it vegan?).

-Kseniya

[Alice]

Kseniya,

I had no problem going to the site on my computer, but the reason I was teasing Paul is because it is most definitely NOT vegan--(real dairy cream)...and that is why I told him to wait until the fast is over to think about it...


We proudly make Blue Bell Ice Cream the old fashioned, traditional way, so it tastes just like it
was hand cranked.

As you'd expect, we use the finest milk, cream, sugar and other ingredients money can buy.

Ofcourse, I would love to hear Paul's description of what exactly makes it special!..and we can all salivate reading it! *wink*

The only vegan ice cream I know of is 'Tofutti' and it is very good...

http://www.tofutti.com/ts.shtml

Alice

[Paul Cowan]

IS IT VEGAN?!?

Let's try to stay on track with the fast and with this thread....because we still have a few more weeks to go!! *wink* --(and then you can eat Blue Bell to your heart's content!) :-)

Be well,
Alice

Ok, you two. I admit I got ahead of myself, I just took exception to something being purported better than something from TEXAS. (It's a cultural thing)

NO it is definitely NOT vegan. Sorry about the bad site. I had to go in through a back door myself. It really is their site. Don't know who hacked it.

Their slogan is "We eat all we can and sell the rest." In their employee breakroom, they have a walk in freezer with every kind of product they sell and it is ALL free as long as you are on shift that day. No, you can't take it home for free. So they do live up to their slogan.

I'll try to stay on topic. ^;^

[Tanya Hoadley]

Hi to all,

I couldn't help noticing that of all the threads in my unread post list, this thread has the most views... over 1200.

Hmmm or should I say Mmmm.

Anyway, here's my contribution.

Hurry up and eat before running out the door 'cause I'm gonna be late for work casserole

1) Boil water
2) Put ramen noodles in bowl
3) Add boiling water
4) Rummage in freezer and find non freezer burnt vegetables while waiting for noodles to get soft
5) Add frozen veges and as the thaw they will cool down the noodles so that you can..
6) Hurry and eat and not burn your tongue as you race out the door to work.

Tanya

[Fr Raphael Vereshack]

Without Chinese soups I don't know what I would end up eating during Great Lent.

You can also add frozen shrimp to these (make sure though you add these or the frozen vegetables to the water first before you put in the noodles as the noodles cook so fast) then add a few drops of real soy sauce.

In Christ- Fr Raphael

[Kseniya M.]

2 large carrots, peeled and chopped small
1 cup Kashi (or any whole grain)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients in a 1.5 quart (small) crockpot. Add water to cover, then add 1-2 extra cups. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

This is a lot of grain for a small crockpot, so care must be taken that the liquid doesn't evaporate off. It makes a thick and hearty stew.

[Effie Ganatsios]

I
2 large carrots, peeled and chopped small
1 cup Kashi (or any whole grain)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients in a 1.5 quart (small) crockpot. Add water to cover, then add 1-2 extra cups. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

This is a lot of grain for a small crockpot, so care must be taken that the liquid doesn't evaporate off. It makes a thick and hearty stew.

I do not know the above recipe but the ingredients are very nutricious. I do not know what Kashi is but I use Bulgar wheat now instead of rice in dishes that need rice. I saute it with a small chopped onion (olive oil or just plain water can be used for this) and then boil it thoroughly because it needs to be soft before being added to most dishes. I only use a small amount but it is delicious and even a small amount goes a long way.

"In English, kasha generally refers to buckwheat groats, but in Slavic countries, kasha refers to porridge in general, and can be made from any cereal, especially buckwheat, wheat, barley, oats, and rye. It is one of the oldest known dishes in the Slavic cuisines of the Eastern European cuisine, at least a thousand years old.[1][2]"

Apparently Kasha is buckwheat groats.
Bulgar is wheat groats.

We learn so much on this forum. I will ask in my favourite natural foods shop for buckwheat groats. The owner imports so many wonderful things that she is sure to have them - and if she hasn't she will get them for you. Last week I bought a bottle of pure cranberry juice from Germany. The cranberry juice in the supermarkets has had sugar added to it and is therefore forbidden. Yesterday afternoon I had a refreshing drink of a little of the above cranberry juice (it is concentrated) on a couple of ice cubes topped with a can of Souroti - mineral water (the best). Lovely..........................

3 ingredients : concentrated German cranberry juice, mineral water, and icecubes..................

The women here make a liqueur using cranberries, tsipouro (pure home made alchohol) or vodka, and sugar. Delicious and very good for the stomach, but not so good for everything else.

Effie

[Kseniya M.]

I do not know the above recipe but the ingredients are very nutricious. I do not know what Kashi is but I use Bulgar wheat now instead of rice in dishes that need rice.

When I refer to Kashi, I'm referring specifically to a 7-grain+sesame mix available in the US (it claims to be complete protein), but you can substitute any grain or combination of grains that will thicken a stew. I also like millet in stews (it's good to toast millet in a dry pain for 5 minutes before adding it to the stew). Barley or brown rice would work very well too.

This particular stew came out very tasty.

I've been concocting various stews based on the following formula:

a few cups of something starchy (potato, carrot, winter squash, etc)
a cup of whole grain (millet, Kashi, etc)
a clove or two of garlic, minced
some herbs (thyme, sage, rosemary, etc)
some salt
throw it all in a crockpot, cover with water, add extra water for the grain to soak up, and simmer all day

These stews have been coming out very well, with one notable exception when I went a little bit berserk with the garlic. I need to find a good garlic soup recipe... (and leave out the potato).

Serve with a nice salad or some steamed veggies on the side and you have a good meal that's strictly lenten. Even my teenager has been going back for seconds.

-Kseniya

[Paul Cowan]

I need to find a good garlic soup recipe... (and leave out the potato).



-Kseniya

Try this out (http://fooddownunder.com/cgi-bin/search.cgi?q=garlic+soup) for some ideas.

[Michael Stickles]

When I have to prepare something myself, my favorites are multi-ingredient recipes that someone else has put together for me to heat up :-)

Del Monte Harvest Selections Santa Fe Style Rice & Beans (does contains light vegetable oils) - pull back corner of plastic cover, nuke for however long the box says, stir, eat!

(The things my wife makes are much better, but I don't think that helps anyone else looking for simple recipes :-)

- Michael

[Anna Stickles]

Well here we are again, maybe we can come up with a few more interesting recipes this year. It keeps the kids from getting bored with the same old stuff (ok I'll admit it I probably get bored sooner then the kids) It would be nice to gather all the recipes together without having to sort through pages of chatter, but I guess it is fun to read.
Lenten Cornbread

2 c white flour (or whole wheat flour - this makes a denser bread)
2 c cornmeal
1 ts salt
2 TB sugar
4 ts baking powder
3/4 c applesauce
2 c soy milk
2/3 c oil
mix dry ingredients, stir in wet ingredients, bake at 400 for 25-30 min in a 9x13 pan.

sauce for vegetable mix (we like it over stir-fry veggies or a broccoli, cauliflower, carrot mix)

1/4 c peanut butter
stir into this 1/2 cup hot water
add 1/4 c soy sauce
1/4 ts ginger
1 TB brown sugar
1 ts cornstarch

pour over veggies for the last minute or so of cooking and let thicken.