The proverbial fasting recipe thread

[Theophorus]

Just tried this out and mmmmmmmmmm.

quick and easy, a must try.

semi home made vegetarian chili. (canned beans used)

2 large cans of pinto beans
1 large can of chick peas
(make sure you strain the bean juice from the cans)

1 regular can of tomato sauce
1 can of vegetable broth (or water, just use the empty tomato sauce can)
2 1/2 (roughly) tablespoons of cumin
1 table spoon of garlic powder (no fresh garlic was available)
cayenne pepper to taste (about 3/4 a teaspoon in my case)
1 tablespoon of salt
1 chopped onion
2-3 chopped celery stalks

simmer for at least an hour then enjoy. Serve with fresh celery.

particularly recommended for cold and rainy/snowy days.

Feeds a family of seven.

[MariaRegina]

Xenia has a sticky fasting thread somewhere in TAW.

Maybe a mod can merge this thread with that one? Pretty please?

[Akathist]

Lets have the two thread for now, on December 26th or thereafter, I will combine and clean... I find no one looks at stickies. ANd this time of year we all could use some easy to fix fast food ideas..

[Llauralin]

I have to bring a snack to Bible study next week; anyone got a fast-firendly idea that's not too much trouble (I haven't got any pans of my own)?

[HandmaidenOfGod]

What about a platter or raw vegetables or fruit? You can usually get fruit & vegetable platters pre-assembled from your local grocery store. You'll pay a premium for having them cut up for you, but you'll save on time. :)

[choirfiend]

Hummus and pita chips (or just regular pita pieces if you lack an oven).

Cut the pita into small triangles, sprinkle with some garlic powder and sea salt (or garlic salt), spraying with veggie oil Pam if you wish and broil until toasted.

Throw in a bowl. Bring along a big tub of plain or flavored hummus.

Oreos are lenten. Veggies with hummus instead of dairy dip are good. Tortilla chips and salsa is good. PB&J on bagels. or PB&Fluff for a variation on the theme. The possibilities are endless.

[Iacobus]

There are some neat recipes from the Monastery of the Lesna Icon of the Mother of God in France, which are posted on my website. If anyone is interested, PM me and I'll send you the link.

To me, the base soup stock they make is very interesting -- they take the base and can then make about a dozen different soups from the stock.

Note that not all of the recipes they sent me are fasting, but many of them are.

Seraphim

[eoe]

Oreos are lenten.
Really?
Ingredients: SUGAR, ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE [VITAMIN B1], RIBOFLAVIN [VITAMIN B2], FOLIC ACID), PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED SOYBEAN OIL, COCOA (PROCESSED WITH ALKALI), HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, CORNSTARCH, BAKING SODA, SALT, SOY LECITHIN (EMULSIFIER), VANILLIN - AN ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, CHOCOLATE, WHEY (FROM MILK).
Milk and oil in the ingredient list.
I am not arguing with you - I just want to understand.
Cut the pita into small triangles, sprinkle with some garlic powder and sea salt (or garlic salt), spraying with veggie oil Pam if you wish and broil until toasted.
I use flatbread in a toaster to eat hummus with too. I love the stuff. There is a huge variety of flavors and once you figure out what you like it is pretty easy to make it skipping the olive oil and adding whatever flavor you like. Personally I like roasted peppers with a little heat behind them.

Again - 90% of hummus is made with olive oil so I suppose that you just avoid those? Also - the flatbread that I eat has vegetable oil lin it- is it really just olive oil or is it oil in general that is fasted from?

I also read somewhere that "Meat" included fish with a backbone. Does that mean that Shellfish are ok on meatless days?

I have not yet started any real fasting myself but I imagine it is about time that I start getting into the pattern.

Maybe someone could put together a list of foods that are avoided and pm me?

Anyhoo... back to the OT

Vegetable soup ala e

1 large onion - sliced
3-4 small-medium zucchini sliced lengthwise in quarters then chopped
1-2 small summer squash sliced lengthwise in quarters then chopped
2 cups sliced celery
1 large can tomato sauce
1 large can whole tomatoes juice and all tomatoes crushed and seeds removed
1-2 cups sliced okra
1 cup dry orzo (vegan)
Salt, pepper and cayanne to taste.
chiffonade some basil...
Splash tabasco.
splash lemon juice

Start by sweating the onions until translucent then add okra and celery and saute until celery turns bright green. Add everything but the pasta and simmer. When the veggies are 90% cooked add the pasta and cook until tender.

Feeds 1 small African nation.

[choirfiend]

Meat. Fish. Eggs. Olive oil (what this ends up meaning differs from person to person). Dairy. Wine (what this means ends up differing from person to person).

Shellfish were not considered to be alive (things without noticeable blood or backbones such as insects and shellfish weren't ''animals" according to ancient times) so shrimp etc are allowed. As one priest commented, though, is going out to a nice lobster dinner still fasting? Is reading every label down to the tiniest ingredient fasting in the spirit of the fast or legalism? Use one's common sense according to one's own need.

[eoe]

Meat. Fish. Eggs. Olive oil (what this ends up meaning differs from person to person). Dairy. Wine (what this means ends up differing from person to person).

Shellfish were not considered to be alive (things without noticeable blood or backbones such as insects and shellfish weren't ''animals" according to ancient times) so shrimp etc are allowed. As one priest commented, though, is going out to a nice lobster dinner still fasting? Is reading every label down to the tiniest ingredient fasting in the spirit of the fast or legalism? Use one's common sense according to one's own need.
Thanks Choirfiend. I was afraid that this would be the case.

I don't drink wine on a nightly basis so giving it up would be trivial - does that mean that I can chug beers and have martini's?
I might notice if I used olive oil vs veg oil but I doubt that anyone else in my family would - so that also becomes trivial.
I am lactose intolerant and eat eggs only rarely if they are not an ingredient. Again - trivial.
While I am alergic to shrimp I could eat scallops and oysters for the rest of my life and not complain - again making the fast trivial.

I don't think that it would be right to go crazy like this tho. I suppose I need to talk to a Priest.

Since I managed to jump in again I suppose I need to kick in another recipe....

Lets see...
I am going to cheat and use my recipe from the other thread...

Grilled Portobella Mushroom Fajitas:

(I am no good at measuring stuff so you will have to figure out how much of the ingredients you will need)

In a cup mix 1/3 lime juice ,1/3 worchestershire sauce and 1/3 balsamic vinegar - add a little freshly ground pepper. This will be your glaze. Practice will tell you how much to make.

In a large - well seasoned - cast iorn skillet begin by slowly carmelizing lots of sliced onion on a moderate heat with a healthy pinch of salt (the salt pulls the water out and helps the carmelization process). If you try to rush it the onions will burn because you have no oil (if you allow yourself vegetable oil life will be easier here). When the onions have reduced and are browning glaze with small amounts of the glaze, allowing the glaze to evaporate and reduce befoe you add more.
While you are cooking the onions start grilling some large portobella mushooms starting gills side up. Spoon a little of the glaze onto the fins (just don't go overboard) and salt/pepper them. You will only turn them once.
When the onions are a nice deep brown and glazed nicely - add lots of sliced poblano pepper (or bell pepper if you can not find the poblano) and cook them until they start to turn a brighter green. When they change color it is time to add chopped tomato.

Garnish with some chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lime. Slice the portobellas into nice thick strips and serve with lard free tortillas and maybe some soy cheese. (Or serve over some wild rice maybe?)

(on non fast days you can make this with grilled pork tenderloin and ribeye steak with some nice queso fresca cheese)

[choirfiend]

Sounds good....any ideas on workable substitutes if you don't like mushrooms lol? I'm a big fan of tempeh, but I dont know about the flavors...and Tofu would have to be fried/dried for increased solidity before using it if you wanted to try tofu...

[Theophorus]

Grilled Portobella Mushroom Fajitas:

(I am no good at measuring stuff so you will have to figure out how much of the ingredients you will need)

In a cup mix 1/3 lime juice ,1/3 worchestershire sauce and 1/3 balsamic vinegar - add a little freshly ground pepper. This will be your glaze. Practice will tell you how much to make.

In a large - well seasoned - cast iorn skillet begin by slowly carmelizing lots of sliced onion on a moderate heat with a healthy pinch of salt (the salt pulls the water out and helps the carmelization process). If you try to rush it the onions will burn because you have no oil (if you allow yourself vegetable oil life will be easier here). When the onions have reduced and are browning glaze with small amounts of the glaze, allowing the glaze to evaporate and reduce befoe you add more.
While you are cooking the onions start grilling some large portobella mushooms starting gills side up. Spoon a little of the glaze onto the fins (just don't go overboard) and salt/pepper them. You will only turn them once.
When the onions are a nice deep brown and glazed nicely - add lots of sliced poblano pepper (or bell pepper if you can not find the poblano) and cook them until they start to turn a brighter green. When they change color it is time to add chopped tomato.

Garnish with some chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lime. Slice the portobellas into nice thick strips and serve with lard free tortillas and maybe some soy cheese. (Or serve over some wild rice maybe?)

(on non fast days you can make this with grilled pork tenderloin and ribeye steak with some nice queso fresca cheese)

That looks like really worth trying, though the "reduction" bit sounds a little scary. Is this something I can turn away from if a two year old found a staple or is sucking on a penny and starts to run and hide?

[choirfiend]

Just turn the heat off when you turn away so it doesnt burn and it shouldnt be a problem!...It's just letting some of the water in the mix steam out of the sauce, so it "reduces" in volume and gets thicker. You can do it!

[prodromos]

In Greece there is a cut of meat (beef) called psaronefri (literally "fish kidney" - because it is shaped somewhat like a fish and is taken from near the kidneys?). We wondered whether it might be considered fasting ;) :D

[WhatIsTruth]

Seitan is really good for asian stir-fry dishes....:) Just plop that and some of your favorite asian veggies and wala!

Btw..Seitan is made of wheat gluten. You can find it with the Tofu in your grocer's produce dept. I haven't seen it frozen.

[ProCommunioneFacior]

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[Akathist]

Keep in mind that some parish's have different standards about what is allowed or not, espeically in what to bring for fellowship meals.

My church has no problem with hummus, and any oil is fine except olive oil. But alcohol is not (and we do like Vodka in my church at times)... But I know there are other churches where any kind of oil is frowned on.

Someone made these taste philo dough triangles with spinach and tofu fillings and a couple older Russian women were shocked... because usually melted butter is used with the philo dough. But the person making it used clarified vegetable margerine... never the less, they made a couple negative comments. But the Priest just served himself three triangles of it and praised her for it, and after that there was no more talk about it from anyone.

Talk to your priest... because I know when I first started I was big into reading incredients lists and my Priest said to cool that or I would put too much focus on the food and not enough on the real reason for fasting.

Ok, since I commented I need to include a recipee....

I don't cook much since I live alone now...

But sometimes I go to Taco bell and order a bean burritoe with no cheese or quacamoela or sour cream... but the lettuce and tomatoes, etc. I think one could make a burritoe like this at home. (Though honestly, I just go buy one.)

I like kidney beans (or red beans, etc) and sometimes I buy a box of red beans and rice and add a can of kidney beans to it and use their seasonings.

I had a salad at the hospital (for my mom, not me) which consisted of Kidney beans and chick peas, tomatoes, cucumbers, cauliflower with fat free italian dressing (no oil).

[MrJim]

Do the children participate in the fasts?

[choirfiend]

To a greater or lesser degree. Maybe they forgo desserts. Or the TV is turned off. Or they save their change to donate to a charity. Wednesday and Friday may be pasta nights. Or during the lenten seasons, perhaps meat is abstained from except for school lunches, which are hardly accomodating. Children with developing bodies generally do not follow the fasting rules which were created for monks;)

[MrJim]

To a greater or lesser degree. Maybe they forgo desserts. Or the TV is turned off. Or they save their change to donate to a charity. Wednesday and Friday may be pasta nights. Or during the lenten seasons, perhaps meat is abstained from except for school lunches, which are hardly accomodating. Children with developing bodies generally do not follow the fasting rules which were created for monks;)

OK, my wife was wondering about that.

[ProCommunioneFacior]

OK, my wife was wondering about that.

So was I.

So when you all fast, you make two meals, a meal for yourself and a meal for your children?

[Tsarina]

Who was the genius who mentioned apple slices and peanut butter? I remember reading that somewhere last week on TAW.

I tried it the other day, brilliant stuff! :)

[choirfiend]

No, people would generally make one meal. I'm talking in utmost generalities here--different families will do very different things. Breakfast before school might be cereal with milk and fruit. The family dinner that evening might be salad, bread, and vegetable soup but the kids would drink a glass of milk with it, and they would have a ham sandwich and a string cheese for lunch at school. Kids don't need much meat to get the protein they need for a day, especially if they drink milk at every meal like we had to in my family:)

You can still share common foods at one meal and have the kids complete their nutritional requirements at another. They can take part in fasting by restricting meat and/or dairy from part of their diets without making it total.

Or, you might do something like kids fast from meat on Wed and Friday during Lent and/or year round. It's not difficult. You get a cheese or PBnJ sandwich instead of your ham one. You're used to getting veggie soup or spaghetti on Wed and Fri.
You cut out desserts for Lent. You turn off the TV/computer. They go to church with you for Presanctifieds on Wed and Fridays. There's plenty that they do during Lent---it's not all about following the monastic rule or complete fasts from meat and dairy. It's part of what the family does without making anyone excluded. It doesn't usually feel like an "us" and "them" thing until you're an older child who does do a more adult thing and skip the meat at lunch, too, while your younger siblings are eating it. It's very easy to accomodate everyone together.

However, growing up as vegetarian in a house of meat-eaters was never very accomodating for me!! I lived off of side dishes.

[Kassiane]

I saw Zatarain's rice mixes in a post somewhere and tried the Spanish Rice mix and it was great! Thanks everyone. My first fasting experience.

Also, a spice I've found that just makes everything taste great, especially rice, beans, fish, etc. is Tony Chachere's. It is also a Louisiana cuisine-type food. You can find it at Wal-Mart. I'm telling you, I can't believe how good it is and makes anything taste better. It isn't hot either, just a wee bit spicy, and I'm a spicy food wimp, so if it's okay for me, it isn't too hot. It's kind of salty, but I think they make a low-salt one, too.

Kassiane

[Akathist]

About kids and fasting, my Priests kids do a modified fast. They drink milk with every meal but only one glass and water is after that. They eat salad with just vinegar no oil and no other dressing, and have meat with only one meal a day and I think they don't have meat on Wed and Fridays at least some of the time. Dairy is just limited, but not eliminated.

BTW, pregnant women and others who need modification for whatever reasons also do not follow the fast fully, but within a family, those who can follow it woudl be expected to try to.

[ProCommunioneFacior]

Cool, thanks for the information.

[eoe]

So when you all fast, you make two meals, a meal for yourself and a meal for your children?
Just as an fyi there are MANY recipes that are quite easy to do this with.

An example is what I made last night.. FYI: I have not started to fast yet. I am a neophyte and the nativity fast seemed the wrong thing to cut my teeth with.. anyhoo....

Measurements are crazy wild guesses because I never measure anything.
1.5-2 cups sliced onion - more is ok.
2 medim zucchini quartered lenghtwise and then cut into 1" pcs
1-1.5 cups quartered crimini mushrooms (Those of you that don't like mushrooms are really making life hard on yourselves)
1 cup roma tomatoes - quartered lengthwise, seeded and sliced (seeds = juicy mess if you leave them in)
1 box bowtie pasta (farfalle)
Chiffonade of basil - to taste

Start by putting the sliced tomatoes in a bowl, toss with some basil and coat nicely with balsamic vinegar - allow them to marinade....

Get the pasta water boiling (use salt!)....

Start off by saute'ing the mushrooms in non-olive oil
When the shrooms are nicely browned toss in the onions and begn to carmelize them (you want brown not black) - hint: salt sucks the water out of stuff.
When the onions have begun to turn brown move the onions and shrooms to one side of the pan and throw in the zucchini.
When you add the zucchini it is time to start boiling the pasta.
As soon as the zucchini has browned on one side toss in a few tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and deglaze the pan - carefully mixing everything in the pan. Add tomatoes, toss one more time and kill the heat (I like my veggies to have some crunch left in them - you can continue cooking the veggies if you like them softer - just don't overdo the tomatoes)

When the pasta is done (al dente of course) drain and return to pot. Add veggies and toss. Garnish with chiffonade basil.

Now... While all this was happening I also grilled a chicken breast for my son. When everything was done I sliced the chicken breast and added a bit of crumbled feta cheese to his. Voila! Fast meal for the adults and normal meal for the eating machines.

[Tsarina]

About kids and fasting, my Priests kids do a modified fast. They drink milk with every meal but only one glass and water is after that. They eat salad with just vinegar no oil and no other dressing, and have meat with only one meal a day and I think they don't have meat on Wed and Fridays at least some of the time. Dairy is just limited, but not eliminated.

BTW, pregnant women and others who need modification for whatever reasons also do not follow the fast fully, but within a family, those who can follow it woudl be expected to try to.

Interesting, thornygrace. I was wondering about this today, and here is your post which clears it up for me. :D

Furthermore, i'm wondering at which age can a child start to fast?

[choirfiend]

When it becomes clear that it is appropriate for them. Same as when children should start to go to confession, though that might not be the time as when to begin fasting. Everyone has something they can do as spiritual discipline, even little ones, and this does not necessarily have to do with what they eat.

In my family, there was never a time when Wed and Fri were not pasta nights. The baby in the highchair might have been eating his Gerber's mashed liver, though.