www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall Food - Recipes Lenten Recipes!

CIX!

Alright Chaps... we're in Cheesefare week... how about some recipes to keep us going through the fast?

I'm still trying to figure out if Stingrays (or Ray-Fish as others call them) are permissible in Lent, as they have no bones - only cartilage. Here's mine for barbecued stingray -

Take stingray steaks (they'll have a definite top and bottom side, seperated by a layer of cartilage but leave that there, it's easily disposed of in the eating. They're best barbecued atop charcoal, but they can be roasted in the oven too, I imagine.

A pic of raw stingray steaks is here http://www.mum-mum.info/pics/kf03_13.jpg

The real kick comes from the relish, and each family has its own recipe, but dried shrimps, small onions and a mix of chilli forms such as belachan (Malay shrimp paste), small chillies, dried chilli and some ready chilli sauce. Some lemongrass, garlic and lime too. All these are blended to form a smooth paste in the blender... then fried to release the flavour.

They're REALLY good.

picture of the dish at http://www.asiacuisine.com.sg/nacws/2003-07/images/20i.jpg

Food variety during Lent is always an issue. That recipe sounds delightful. I'll see if I can find one equally so...

Barbecued Shrimp with Strawberry Mint and Cucumber "Salsa" ( adapted from Berries:ACountry Garden Cookbook, substituting shrimp where they use salmon, margarine where they use butter)

Prepare Salsa one hour ahead of time...

1 Enlish or seedless cucumber, finely chopped
1 green onion, thinly sliced
2 Tablespoons fresh mint, cut into thin strips
3 to 4 Tablespoons seasoned rice wine vinegar
2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and finely diced

Mix everything except strawberries, cover, and chill for an hour. Add strawberries just before serving.

Barbecue Sauce:

1 stick all vegetable oil margarine
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon honey
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Jumbo Shrimp (cocktail size or larger)

Melt margarine with garlic over low heat. Stir in honey, soy sauce, and lemon juice and cook for two minutes. Set aside.

Skewer shrimp


When coals are ready, brush on BBQ sauce, grill turning once (watch carefully not to overcook! )and brushing other side...shrimp only need a couple of minutes till opaque

Unskewer, serve with salsa on top.

ARe you saying you're not eatn' normal fast this year?

At least the topic isn't "Fast Food"

Does anyone have recipes for a diabetic who is on a low carb, high protein diet. Right now the diabetes is controllable with diet and we'd really like to keep it that way...so any tips would really be appreciated.

Vie

Vie...

Your profile says writing from Catholic tradition: If you are eating fish (some Eastern Catholics do not), a nice, easy recipe:

Salmon Slices with Walnut or Hazelnut Vinaigrette
Serves 6

7 Tablespoons walnut or hazelnut oil
6 salmon medaillions, 3/4 inch thick
salt
fresh ground pepper
2 shallots, chopped very fine
2 tablespoons finely chopped walnuts or chopped tosted hazelnuts (depending on which oil you use)
1 1/2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar or 1 tablespoon sherry mixed with 1/2 tablespoon cider vinegar
2 Tablespoons chopped parsley

Brush skillet with one tablespoon of the oil. Heat it well. Sear the salmon pieces on one side. Turn over, season with salt an pepper, ans sear on the second side. Cover and let the fish cook in the hot pan, in its own juices and off the heat, for 6 to 8 minutes. Remove to a dish.

To the skillet add the remaining 6 tablespoons of oil. Squeeze the shallots in the corner of a towel and add them. Add the nuts, the vinegar, and salt and pepper. Whisk well to homogenize and pour evenly over pieces of fish. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve lukewarm, or marninate overnight to serve cold the next day.

This makes a great diabetic meal with a spring greens salad. And served cold over salad packs well to take to work the next day, too!

Prayers for your health...

Gaudior

ladyhawke - a tip on diabetes. The Hay System of eating has been found to be very good for diabetics - it's also called Food Combining.

some details are at

http://www.synergy-health.co.uk/articles/haydiet.html

and

http://www.weight.co.uk/food-combining.html

my own father is diabetic and finds it's helped his energy levels greatly.

Hi Ladyhawke!

Also remember that you are FORBIDDEN from fasting if by fasting you are putting your health at risk.

Many diabetics CANNOT eat only 3 meals a day and must eat 4-5 smaller meals.

You may want to consider consulting your physician AND your spiritual advisor concerning this and see if another form of penance can be worked out if fasting is not an option.

When I was first diagnosed as being diabetic, I was told that I could not do the Great Fast as they were trying to get my diabetis under control. I spoke with my spiritual Father and was given other spiritual exercises to do in place of fasting.

Hope this helps...

mark

Indeed...It is IMPERATIVE to speak to one's Spititual Father prior to beginning the Fast...as if he is aware of helth issues he will modify your fasting immediately. NOT to do so is to put your physical self in danger through pride in wanting to carry out the rigors of the fast. That pride is not a good tool, a praiseworthy desire to serve God by honoring His Fasts as laid out by His Church. It is a means used by Satan to injure our health during the Fast.

Also, it is not ours to say, I have diabetes, heart problems, etc, ~I~ will modify my fast. That too, is a tool of the Evil One. One knows one is prohibited from fasting when ill, so as not to cause harm to oneself. However, this is done with the blessing of one's Spiritual Father, who will of course tell you not to fast from food, but advise you of ways to enhance your spiritual growth during the fast. In this way, you remain obedient to the Church, and do now fall victim to the snares Satan lays for the unwary at this time more than ever.

Gaudior, in humility

Shlomo Gaudior,
Also, one of the best things to do is look at other cultures that Fast. Since I am of Lebanese descent, I eat touboli, hummus, etc. Very good foods that are low in fats, high in protins and the like.

Consult your doctor, and have them design a Lenten diet for you.

Poosh BaShlomo,
Yuhannon

Dear Gaudior,

I am very impressed with your gourment recipes! I will try them, they sound DELICIOUS!
BTW, since you may be close to my area, come to my church for pre-sanctified on Wednesday evenings...we will be having lenten meals afterwards in the church hall. All are invited.

Dear Yuhannon,

So you are of Lebanese descent? My best friend in my early high school years was also of Lebanese descent. I shared many tasty meals with her family...taboule, kibbe,a special pita with zatar (yum!), etc. Until this day, Lebanese foods hold a very important place on my family's Lenten table. I just bought a great hummus (with pine nuts) which my husband and I have found to be the best prepared one yet from a local supermarket. I will also have taboule tomorrow on Clean Monday. Other times during Lent we have baba ganoush, and our shared (Greek and Lebanese) stuffed grape leaves (dolma).

I am very lucky in that my suburban New York supermarkets offer all of these middle eastern dishes already prepared in the refrigerated section.

The only drawback I find is that these are so delicious that one cannot stop at one small portion, and they do pack on the calories! There are many Greek dishes that also cater to the fast.

I highly recommend these two cuisines (Greek and Lebanese), as well as Japanese and Chinese, (shrimp w/cashews for instance) as options for dining on the go, or dining out, during the fast.

With love in Christ,
and every blessing for Lent,
Alice

And Gaudior is the more fortunate in that the local Lebanese market is close, the local Lebanese restaurants offer marvelous food (one delivers) and, frankly, the local Chinese place does too...

Oh, multi-cultural cuisine during Lent is no stranger. I usually cook at home, though, it is easier.

Dear Alice, I thank you, but never travel during the Great Fast. I am not in your area, though I have been. My own obligations keep me tied to parish very closely during the Great Fast. I am glad you appreciate the recipes, though! I will keep posting them until someone gets bored!

Gaudior

Hi everyone!

I tried something a little different the other day. I found a website that has a lot recipes for diabetics and of the recipes was for a salad made with mixed lettuce greends, small can salmon, small can of mandarin orange slices in their own juice and orange juice. You just mix everything together and sprinkle a little bit of orange juice over it as a dressing. It was FANTASTIC!! Very light and simple to make!

Hope this helps....

mark

Thanks everyone...
Actually, it's Glenn who has diabetes and he really enjoys the Fast, but knows that he has to fast within his health limits...he was doing a type of modified Atkins which won't work for the fast, so I thought I would see how others have handled this and if there was another diet, more suited to the Fast that Glenn could try, that wouldn't hurt his sugar levels...anything has got to be better than tuna everyday, right?