Cooking for Lent - need some ideas

[Khaleas]

Ok, I'm one of those persons whose mom would not let me cook when I lived at home. Supposedly I would make too much of a mess.
So literally when I moved out I had no clue how to even boil potatoes.

Anyways, I guess I've expanded a bit since then but one thing that I don't know how to do are the different 'cookable' greens, such as mustard greens, collard greens, swiss chard. Which ones do you like (how would you describe the taste?) and how do you cook them? Any good recipes would be great!

Other recipes I'd like to have are good soups.... I have a crockpot but would like to make something else in it than chili. ;)

[Mary of Bethany]

The only "greens" I really like is spinach. But I think you would cook them all about the same. The trick is not to cook them too much. Just "sweat" them either with a little oil or butter/margarine until they're limp, and season them the way you like.

But then I'm no great cook either, so maybe you'll want to get another opinion. :D

As for soups, I'd like to have some good recipes, too.

Mary

[kamikat]

Here's my Lenten favorite, a potato and leek soup. I will also add a splash of unsweetended soy milk right before blending to make it a little creamier and to add some protein. I usually make a double quanity and freeze it in 2cup plastic containers. It does very well in the freezer.
http://www.care2.com/channels/solutions/food/2448

[kamikat]

Here is also another favorite, vegan cream of broccoli soup
Ingredients
400g/14oz Broccoli, cut into florets
1 Onion, cut into 8
1 Garlic Clove, halved
300ml/10fl.oz. Vegetable Stock
25g/1oz Plain Flour
450ml/15fl.oz. Soy Milk
1 tbsp Soy Sauce
2 teasp Freshly chopped Basil
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions

1. Reserve a large handful of the broccoli florets and place the remainder in a large saucepan together with the onion, garlic and stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat a little and cook for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

2. Allow to cool a little then transfer to a food processor together with the flour. Process until smooth. Return the soup to the saucepan, add the remaining ingredients and the reserved florets and cook over medium heat for 8-10 minutes. Adjust the seasoning and serve immediately as a starter

[kamikat]

Here's one the whole family loves! This one gets a little mushy if frozen and reheated, but still tastes good. Serve it over couscous or rice.
Tagine Batata Hloowa (tagine of yams and carrots)
30 pearl onions
1 tb olive oil
1 1/2 lb yams or sweet potatoes
1 . peeled & cut into 1-inch
1 . chunks
2 lg carrots; peeled & cut into
1 . 1-inch pieces
2 c vegetable broth & 1 vegetable bouillon cube
1 . dissolved in
2 c water
1 tb honey
1/2 ts ground cinnamon
1/4 ts ground ginger
1/2 c prunes; pitted
1 salt & pepper to taste
1 tb sesame seeds
1 . for garnish

Instructions

One of Morocco's best known tagines, this dish is usually made with
lamb. In this meatless version adapted from "The Vegetarian Table of
North Africa" (Chronicle Books, 1996), Kitty Morse substitutes
carrots and yams. Cook the vegetables until they are almost
caramelized and the sauce is syrupy. Serve this fairly sweet stew
with both grilled or sauted tempeh and/or brown rice.

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 400oF. Bring several quarts of water to a boil in
a large saucepan. Add the onions and cook 3 minutes. Drain and
refresh the onions in a bowl of cold water until cool enough to
handle. Peel the onions.

Heat the oil in a heavy, enameled cast-iron casserole or small Dutch
oven with a tight fitting cover. Add the onions and cook, stirring
occasionally over medium-high heat until tender, 6 to 8 minutes.

Add the yams and carrots to the pot. Add the broth, honey, cinnamon,
ginger and prunes as well as the salt & pepper to taste. Stir the
mixture to blend. Cover and place the pot in the oven. Bake until the
vegetables are tender, about 45 minutes.

While the tagine is baking, place the sesame seeds in a small skillet
set over medium heat. Toast, stirring often, until the sesame seeds
smell fragrant. Sprinkle the toasted seeds over the tagine just
before serving. Serve hot.

The tagine may be refrigerated for 1 day.

[Akathist]

Khaleas, I don't know about things with greens in them but I absolutely LOVE my slow cooker and use it all the time and any of the soups I saw above could be done in the slow cooker. Just reduce the amount of water a bit (you can always add more later to thin it if needed). I just cover the vegetables with water when making soup. This makes a "Stoup" as RR says... thicker then a soup, kind of like a stew. Then I add just enough boiling water to thin without cooling.

Put the ingredients in the slow cooker in the morning at breakfast time, then put it on low and it will be ready for supper.

I make a mean bean soup:

1 pound dried navy beans or great northern beans, washed and drained (you can barboil then in advance if you want (wash and then boil for 10 full minutes over the stove, then drain and add to the crock pot)
3 medium potatoes, pealed and cut into very small pieces
2 medium onions, chopped
1 or 2 carrots pealed and diced
3 or 4 stalks chopped celery
2 large cloves garlic, minced
if you have it, three or four peppercorns, if not, then pepper to taste and salt to taste.
1 or 2 bay leaves
paprika to taste (I usually garnish the top of the boal of soup with a tiny bit of paprika)
When it is not a fasting time, I like to add a ham bone and some cut up ham to it from the very beginning.
Use water to just cover the ingredients plus another inch as the beans will expand. (If I have it, I like to add at least one can of vegetable broth during the fast and when not the fast, I always use two cans of chicken broth or stock.)I like my bean soup just as it comes out of the crock pot but some people like to use an emersion blender to smooth it out just before serving. (I don't own one but I like to see the pieces of vegetables.)

Also, I once added alittle left over spinish to this recipie and I thought it was really good to taste but the color of the soup was changed and I didn't like how it looked. But you could add any left over veggies.

Don't skip the potatoes in this... this will reduce the acidity of the beans which will help with digestion if you know what I mean.

[Akathist]

Slow cooker baked beans:

INGREDIENTS:

one small bag of white beans (I like northern beans)
1 small to medium chopped onion
2 tbsp. butter (skip during the fast)
2-3 tbsp. brown sugar
1 salt (put some salt in then before serving taste and add more.)
1/4 tsp. powdered ginger (I think regular ginger could be used but I always have used the powdered.)
1/4 tsp. dry mustard (if you don't have dry mustard, squirt some yellow mustard in.. around a tablespoon.)
sprinkle some dry thyme in
1/4 c. molasses (when it isn't a fast time, I coat my measuring spoon with oil then measure the molasses. During the fast, I make do and know it will be messy.) Also, I like a bit more then this molasses but start with this much then add more if next time.I soak the beans over night for this recipie.. cover with water put on the counter and then in the morning, drain and rinse and put into the crock post.

Just barely cover the beans with water as this is meant to come out very thick.

Another note: if you like a more tomatoey baked beans, add one or more tablespoons of tomatoe paste in the morning with the rest of the ingredients. Sometimes, I just squirt in some ketchup.

I also like to add kitchen bouguet to this recipie. I think that this might not be fast friendly. I am out of it so can't read the incredients but I think it has none fast friendly stuff in it like Worchesturshire sauce.

edited to add: if you can use a liner for your crock pot consider it for this as it is often a very hard recipie to wash up afterwards.

[Akathist]

Slow cooker spaghetti sauce:

Chop of one carrot very small
One or two stalks of celery chopped tiny
Two onions regularly chopped (not so small)
If you have them, cut up some mushrooms or add some canned mushroom pieces (optional)
If you like it, add some zuchini. I like to use the frozen kind but I am lazy, I am sure fresh would work too.
One or two cans of diced tomatoes (for most families I would say you would need at least two cans. I make a smaller version with just one big can typically.)

Put everything in the slow cooker in the morning on low. Then when you get home from work, add dry italian seasonings (20 minutes before serving time) (If you want this can be added in the morning but I think the taste is weaker when I do that.) I also usually add some garlic at this time too but I love garlic!

Cook your noodles on the stove top....
enjoy.

(When not in a fast time, you can add a pound of frozen hamburg to this. When you get home, just break up the hamburg and let cook another 20 minutes.)

[Akathist]

Slow cooker potatoes and lentils.

(Ok, you need the stove top too!)

One large or meduim sized potatoe per person (cook extra they warm up later very very well.) Wash then pierce several times with a fork. Cover in aluminum foil and place into slow cooker. Cook on low (no water!) from morning until supper.

20 minutes before serving the meal:

Chop of an onion really fine. Add chopped celery if you have some extra too. Add to a non stick skillet and dry sautee until they start to sweat out their juice. (If not a fast time, I use a bit of oil and a pat of butter.) Add one or two cans of lentils (depending upon how many people). (Now, you can cook the lentils from dry but don't add them until they are cooked.)

Now you can choose what flavor you want. I often get the "sloppy joe" mix and use that, or you can use some chili powder and tomatoes for chili like lentils, or add taco seasonings, or have them more plain and add water or vegetable stock.

Let the cooked lentils simmer for 20 minutes to combine all the flavors (be sure to add some kind of liquid to the skillet when you add the lentils btw.) Then pour this over the baked potatoes.

Another Lenton hint: I cook oatmeal or cream of wheat for breakfast during Lent. I know you can make this in the slow cooker but I tend to make it on the stove or microwave. If you want, add soy milk. I like to mash up a banana and add it to oatmeal sometimes for a different taste, or add rasins or chopped up dates. Most nuts taste good in oatmeal but I prefer walnuts. For added nutrient especially in cream of wheat, I sprinkle in "Wheat Germ".

For a Fast friendly dessert: cut up some firm apples (I like macintosh but any firm one would do), add to the slow cooker with some brown sugar and cinnaman. This can't cook all day if you cut them up as it becomes just too cooked. If you want to cook this all day, don't cut the apples up but core them and fill the middle with brown sugar and add some cinnamon. (When it isn't fasting time, I add butter) Maple Syrup can be used too. I like to add rasins, dates and nuts too and I sprinkle the top when I serve with Wheat Germ. If you make this by cutting the apples up, add them with a bit of water in a meduim sized pan (add the dry fruit now if using) and cook until tender then add the sugar, etc and simmer a bit more before serving.

When in doubt, remember peanut butter and bread!

[choirfiend]

Those are nice recipes! You ladies should consider adding them to the stickied "Fasting recipes" thread.

[Akathist]

Good idea Choirfiend. I have to sign off now but I will copy and paste them into that thread later.

[Theophorus]

http://www.campbellskitchen.com/images/specialty/pace/madeWith_10818.gif


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http://www.jardinefoods.com/images/products/0-22531-50701-8-150.jpg

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http://www.directoalpaladar.com/images/guacamole.jpg

[kamikat]

Hey, Theo, that's cheating :D

(I do admit to consuming more than my fair share of guacomole during Lent)