Brazilian Shrimp Stew and Coconut Rice

This is an amazing lenten recipe.  Go to this website for the recipe.  The coconut milk makes it so creamy that you do not even realize that you are not eating milk! 

Coconut Rice is here.  It is an unsoaked brown rice recipe.  The only thing that I do different is use 2 Tbs. margarine and 2 Tbs. olive oil.  Oh, and I just skip the whole cardamom pod thing and the saffron.

I will try to post the gluten free pizza crust recipe soon.

Until then, have a great evening (I am, in addition to making dinner, making 2 loaves of prosfora for Christmas Eve Liturgy because tomorrow I will be making Artoklassia for Christmas Eve Liturgy- our liturgy is really Christmas morning because Orthros is at 11pm and Liturgy is at midnight:)  The boys helped with the prosfora!

Penne with Sweet Pepper and Tomato Sauce AND Garbanzo soaking day 2

I made a double batch of tonight (really last nights) dinner because I went to my mom's group Christmas Party Potluck and White Elephant Gift Exchange.  Had lots of fun, came home way too late (and I was maybe the second person to leave!).

This recipe I am posting here is for a single batch (4 to 6 servings)
2 1/2 Tbs. Olive Oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 lb. ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped (or 1 can diced tomatoes- you choose how much work you would like to put into this dinner)
1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes or to taste (ok- does anyone actually own a 1/8 tsp?)
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbs. fresh chopped basil
2-3 Tbs. veggie broth or water
1 lb pasta (I used gluten free pasta)
1/2 tsp. coarse salt

heat the oil over medium heat.  add onion and cook until very tender, about 15 minutes.  add garlic and cook until onion begins to carmelize (I love love love carmelized onions). add tomatoes, bell pepper, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper, bring to a boil.  reduce heat, cover, and simmer until the red pepper is very soft (about 15-20 minutes).  Transfer the mixture to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.  return mixture to skillet and stir in basil.  reheat over low and add veggie broth or water as needed to make a smooth sauce. 

cook pasta according to package.  transfer to large bowl and toss with the sauce and coarse salt.

DH walked in the door as I was preparing to "blend" the sauce.  And he was aghast.  Why would you blend something that looked so good and chunky (remember, he does not like blended foods- see the garlic potato soup recipe).  So I partially blended the sauce.  This is delicious.  A winner to everyone but Big P.

Garbanzo soaking day 2.
drain water off of 1 day soaked garbanzo beans (no need to rinse).
add 2 Tbs. whey or lemon juice
fill with hot water
cover and let sit for another 24 hours.

Getting ready for falafel...

So if you would like to join me in making falafel at some point in the next few weeks get soakin' (your garbanzo beans, that is).

2 cups dried garbanzo beans
2 Tbs. whey or lemon juice
hot water

put garbanzo beans in bowl.  mix in whey or lemon juice.  add water.  cover and let sit over night.  repeat for another 24 hours.  rinse, drain, and store in the freezer for falafel day (coming soon, to this blog).

Cashew Vegetables (with optional shrimp)

I added shrimp to this recipe...

1 cup white or jasmine rice, cooked to directions on package (I used soaked brown rice, go here for directions)
1 lb broccoli tops, separated into small florets
1 Tbs. oil (I used coconut oil)
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup snow pease
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
1 can baby corn (I opted to leave out the baby corn)
2 Tbs. hoisin sauce (I found Gluten Free hoisin sauce)
3 Tbs. duck sauce (I left out the duck sauce b/c the duck sauce I found either had wheat in it or was made with corn syrup so instead I used Gluten Free soy sauce).
1/4 unsalted cashews
salt to taste
crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

The recipe suggests cooking the broccoli before stir frying it but I have never done that when making stir fry so I skipped that step and went right into...
Heat a skillet or wok over high heat.  Add oil and onions.  Cook 1-2 minutes then add broccoli, snow peas, bell pepper and baby corn (which I did not add).  Stir fry for 3-4 minutes (at this point I removed the veggies, added more oil, and stir fried the shrimp then continue) add hoisin sauce and duck sauce (or soy sauce) and veggies to pan and toss until everything is evenly coated.  Remove from heat and toss with cashews.  Season with salt and crushed red pepper if you like it spicy (DH added crushed red pepper to his).  Serve over hot rice.

DH says this is a keeper.  Even with all the changes that I made:)  I liked the flavor from the hoisin sauce (and I like that I found the gluten free hoisin sauce).  I may just have to keep that in stock in my refrigerator!  The boys are always more difficult to please (the are still eating dinner right now).

Potato Casserole

This is one of those recipes that you can probably add a whole lot of different "stuff" to and make it great every time. 

2 cups canned tomatoes
1/2 cup olive oil or vegetable oil
3 onions thinly sliced (I think I used one onion)
1 clove garlic, minced (I used two)
4 Tbs. parsley, chopped
1 Tbs. mint, chopped
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp pepper
4-6 large potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
4 peppers cut in 2 in. pieces
1 zucchini thinly sliced

I actually just chopped everything and mixed it well in a large bowl and then dumped it into an oven proof dish with lid (I have one of those super nice dutch ovens from Martha Stewart (what are they called, katherine?)) rather than layering each veggie (potatoes then tomato mixed with spices then zucchini then peppers and repeat).  Bake covered 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Uncover and cook until vegetables are tender. 

I can see adding green beans or summer squash or, for those who like eggplant it could go well in it. 

One thing I have noticed...

is that trying out all these great, new recipes is awesome and we are finding some keepers.  Most times, in  my everyday cooking, I will double something and then freeze it so that we have lunches ready and waiting for the next few days and/or weeks.  With these new recipes, I am not doubling (because who wants double of something that you don't like... remember the spinach, potato, garbanzo fiasco a few weeks ago?!?).  So, for tonight's dinner (and I do have DH's thumbs up for this one) I am making a double pot of lentil soup.  We are completely out of soups in the freezer for lunches in the coming weeks (and almost everyday I am eating lunch at school with either Big P or little p because of the distance and that I pick up little p at 12:30pm).  I posted the lentil soup recipe a few weeks ago.  I like it.  In fact I like it so much that I used to ask for it on my birthday growing up!  Yeah, I know, I am a little strange. 

And tonight is Cub Scout night.  It's the kind of night where you need something easy to make.  Stay tuned for tomorrow night's salmon with garlic mashed potatoes!!!

"Olive" Garden Pasta

This is what DH dubbed our dinner tonight (it's really only garden pasta).  He thought that it tasted like something from the Olive Garden. So, from now on, we will call this "Olive" Garden Pasta!

"Olive" Garden Pasta
2 Tbs Olive Oil
4 cloves garlic minced (I LOVE when a recipe calls for lots of garlic)
1 medium zucchini, finely diced (ok, I just cut it in quarters the long way and then sliced it)
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped (see note on zucchini)
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup veggie broth
1 28oz can diced tomatoes (I actually only used 1 14 oz can b/c that seemed like a lot of tomatoes)
salt and pepper to taste
Parsley
1 pound pasta cooked (we used gluten free)

Heat a deep skillet or pot over medium heat (I actually used my wok for this- my stock pot lid fits on my wok). Add oil and garlic and saute until the garlic sizzles.  Add zucchini, onion, carrot, and bay leaf. Cover and cook 5 minutes or until zucchini is tender and onion is translucent. Remove cover, add broth. Stir, add tomatoes, salt and pepper and parsley (I had dried parsley and I just shook some into the sauce).  Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until ready to serve. 

So this was super yummy and I thought of adding broccoli and I am kind of glad that I didn't- this was just fine.  Oh, wait, I did add something.  A splash of red wine.  I can't make a tomato sauce for pasta without adding red wine so I did add that splash of red wine. When I asked DH what you would change/add to tonights dinner he said, "more of it."  I actually think we do not have leftovers of this! 

Finally, last night's dinner...

Unsoaked Rice
2 cups long grain brown rice
2 Tbs. butter
2 Tbs. olive oil
4 cups broth (the recipe calls for chicken broth- I used 1/2 veggie broth and 1/2 water)
1/2 tsp. salt

Melt butter and olive oil in pan.  Add rice.  Saute rice.  Add liquid and salt.  Bring to a boil.  Boil uncovered for 10 minutes. Reduce flame to lowest heat and cover tightly.  Cook for 40 minutes (ok the recipe says 1 1/2 hours.  We have a gas stove and my "lowest:" heat setting is still a pretty hard boil so it has never taken me 1 1/2 hours to cook rice- and if I left it on the stove that long I would end up with burnt rice).

Fish Tacos
1 lb fresh or frozen fish (I used tilapia- cod would be good)
2 Tbs. margarine or butter melted
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp lime juice (or lemon juice)
corn tortillas
Salsa, guacamole, whatever you like to put on your fish tacos (except none of that yogurt/sourcream dressing because we are fasting).

Rinse fish and pat dry with paper towels.Place fish in a single layer in greased shallow baking pan. Combine margarine/butter, cumin, garlic and lime (I actually used more lime because I love lime).  Brush over fish.  Bake in a 450 degree oven 10 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Warm tortillas in the oven by wrapping in foil and placing in oven for about 5 minutes.

We also had the red kidney bean dip recipe that my sister, Katherine, had suggested.  I happened to have some already soaked/cooked red kidney beans in the freezer:)

This dinner, though a lot of work (isn't taco night, even with meat, a lot of work?  All those little add-ons to prepare and kind of a pain to make sure everything is done at exactly the same time so that all your foods are hot) is kind of worth it in the end:)  Fish Tacos also take us back to when we first met, through Project Mexico.  We did spend quite a bit of time at the fish taco place in Rosarito when we had time off from working.  DH tried to explain to Big P that we met in Mexico working at an orphanage and that we went out for fish tacos all the time- I don't think Big P quite got it all.  And I do think my home made fish tacos are better than the fried fish and mayonnaise on a tortilla that we would get at the taco shop.

Fish Tacos, Kidney Bean dip, Brown rice, and toppings...

So that was dinner tonight. And I am actually a bit tired right now and will probably not post the recipes (although the kidney bean dip I posted a few days ago- a suggestion from my sister).

I will say that it was a delicious meal (I did the Nourishing Traditions non-soaked brown rice) although I did miss having some type of sour cream/yogurt sauce on my fish:)

Tomorrow, busy day. At school in the morning to make St. Nicholas cookies for the children (for Sunday school and for Agia Sophia Academy). Hopefully I will have some time tomorrow afternoon to post tonight's dinner recipe. Saturday, another busy day... I'm helping to lead a prosfora baking workshop (the bread that we use for Holy Communion) in the morning.

Big P and papa are "Scouting for Food" on Saturday morning. little p will probably be with yiayia and pappous. So, if a Cub Scout or Boy Scout comes to your door on Saturday and asks for canned food for the hungry, please, think of my Big P out their collecting food, and give to that scout. Thanks:)

Bouillabaisse of Spinach, Potatoes, Garbanzos, and Saffron

This is our first "yuck" recipe (I don't count when Big P says "yuck") since the beginning. Not bad!

I have decided that I just don't like cooked spinach. Well, I liked cooked spinach in eggs or brownies or lasagna, but not in a soup.

But I will share the recipe...

2 Tbs. olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 pound spinach or 1 10 oz bag fresh spinach cut into 1/4 in. strips
1 1/2 lbs. small red potatoes, unpeeped, cut into 1 in. pieces
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste
1/8 tsp powdered saffron or 1/2 tsp curry powder or to taste
1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained (i actually did use canned beans... I have not had much luck soaking and cooking garbanzo beans- I do fine when I soak them for falafel (which I will post in a few weeks) but when I have had to add them to soup it seems as if I never cook them long enough)
4 thick slices peasant style bread (optional- we did not use the bread).

in a medium pot, heat the oil add the onion and cook until lightly browned. add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute. add the broth and wine; bring to a boil over high heat. add half the spinach, the potatoes, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Return to boil. reduce heat to medium boil and cook, uncovered, until the potatoes are tender (15 minutes)
Stir in the saffron. add garbanzos and remaining spinach, stirring well to combine. bring to a boil over high heat. immediately remove from heat, cover, and let stand for 3 minutes. remove bay leaf. serve (over bread if you choose).

So... it looked like a real good soup with the potatoes and beans and spinach. Except I think I don't really like cooked spinach (I know I already said that). DH thought it was bland. More saffroon? Should have gone with the curry? I do love curry. And I do agree with him. It was bland. But it also was a lot of wilted spinach. On potatoes. In a bland soup. Have I made my point? Maybe YOU like cooked spinach. I LOVE raw spinach- I love spinach salads so it's not an anti spinach thing- and I like kale- maybe I should have used kale? Kale holds it's form better, it tends to be somewhat bitter, but that would be an improvement to, uhm, bland, right?

Stir Fried Shrimp and Broccoli (and a question)...

1 lb. shrimp (you decide if you want fresh, frozen, cooked, uncooked, tail-on, tail-off)
3 Tbs. red wine vinegar
3 Tbs. soy sauce (we use wheat free soy sauce)
3 Tbs. water
1 Tbs. corn starch
1 1/2 tsp. sugar (or substitute of your choice)
1 Tbs. oil
2 cloves garlic minced
2 cups broccoli flowerets
1 cup thinly bias sliced carrots
1 small onion, halved lengthwise and sliced
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms (optional- ok, not really, but I do not like mushrooms. There, I said it, a food that I will not eat. They taste like dirt to me)
2 cups hot cooked rice (as opposed to two cups cold, uncooked rice)

Do whatever you need to do with your shrimp (you could also use scallops, if you wanted to). Set aside. Combine vinegar, soy sauce, water, cornstarch, and sugar, set aside
Heat oil in wok or large skillet. Stif fry the garlic for 15 seconds. add broccoli, carrots, and onion. Stir fry for 3 minutes. Add mushrooms. Stir fry for 1-2 minutes or until all the veggies are crisp-tender. Remove vegetables from wok with slotted spoon. Add vinegar mix to wok and bring to boil. Add shrimp or scallops and cook until shrimp turn pink or scallops are opaque. Stir in veggies, heat through. Serve over rice.

We love this. Except Big P. But he's tough to please.

Question- I need to purchase hoisin sauce and duck sauce. Is there a wheat free version of hoisin sauce? Where do I find it? and what is duck sauce and where do I find that?
Thanks (I realize I could "goodsearch.com" it and raise money for our school, but I thought I would start a dialogue with my readers:)

Spaghetti with Marinara Sauce

This is one of those recipes that I don't use a recipe to make. It's a little bit of this and a little bit of that. The nice thing about this meal is that I usually save it for busy days like today! I had a reg. dr. appt. today (everything is good), grocery shopping this afternoon, pick up at school, and, tonight is our once a month cub scout pack meeting. So we are all going (and, anyway, DH has somehow decided to be one of two assistant scout master's for the pack- he is an Eagle scout, BTW and really enjoys this scouting time he has spent with Big P).

anyhow...

I use GF pasta (if you have been following my lenten cooking blog so far, you will notice that we do not use a lot of pasta- and that's not just because we are gluten free- even before the celiac days, our fasting was more heavily beans and vegetable oriented so get out of that carb rut!!! It can be done!)

1 can diced tomatoes
1 small can tomato paste
2 cloves garlic minced
a little cinnamon
salt and pepper
oregano
water
red wine

that's about it. If I have lots of time I will saute onions and peppers and add it to the sauce. I have also been known to throw in some zucchini or yellow squash:)

This is our fast fasting option- I try to keep it all on hand at all times (big shopping trip to Costco today involved buying the bag o' garlic heads- yes, we do go through that much garlic).

Fish and Chips...

We had cod and homemade oven fries tonight for dinner. It was delish.

Pan Fried Fish
1 pound fish (I used 1 1/2 lbs cod)
1 cup flour (I used 1 cup Gluten Free all purpose mix (I make it myself:)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup beer or milk (I used Gluten Free beer)

Rinse fish and pat dry with paper towels. Combine four, baking powder, salt, and beer and mix until smooth. Dip fish into batter. Fry fish in oil (I used olive oil) about 2 minutes on each side until goden brown. Serve. yum!

The homemade french fries are from this site. And remember, after you cute your potatoes- ALWAYS DRY YOUR POTATOES WITH A CLEAN KITCHEN TOWEL! That makes them crispy and they won't stick to the pan!

Vegetable Soup...

Ok, so there are probably about as many different versions of vegetable soup as there are people who have inhabited the earth since creation. In fact, I have at least three different versions of "vegetable soup" that I make during fasting times. This is a new version (as in, I have never made it until tonight). And, of course, I changed little things here and there depending on what I have on hand(I do not happen to have Old Bay Seasoning so I looked it up online and sort of made up my own version of it).

Here it is... another vegetable soup recipe:)
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots peeled and thinly sliced
2 ribs celery chopped
3 medium red skinned potatoes, diced
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 tsp. Old Bay Seasoning (see above)
1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes in juice
3 cans broth
salt and pepper to taste
5-6 oz. spinach or baby spinach

Heat a deep pot over medium heat. add oil, onion, carrots, celery, potatoes, bay leaf, and Old Bay Seasoning. Cover pot to cook veggies about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. add beans, tomatoes, broth and season with salt and pepper. Simmer for about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in spinach. Serve when spinach wilts.

Ok. I did not have spinach so we did this without the spinach. But we would like to try it with the spinach. I used 2 cups veggie broth and added about 1 cup water so I used less broth/water than the recipe called for which I think is fine. We like a thick soup anyway. I did not use canned beans. Back when I made the Vegetarian Chili, I had soaked a combination of black beans, pinto beans, and kidney beans. I did not use all the beans for the chili so I put them in the freezer. I pulled the bag o' beans out of the freezer and used that (it was probably 3 cups of cooked beans). We liked this soup. It is very good; very hearty with all these veggies. You could probably add all sorts of other veggies (grean beans, peas, etc). This is a keeper recipe and it is actually better than my stand by vegetable soup recipe. Yay!

In other news... a friend of mine from church mentioned when I started this recipe blog that it reminded her of the movis Julie and Julia. At that point my only knowledge of that movie was that it was about a woman who sets out to make everything in Julia Child's cookbook. I didn't realize she blogged about her experience. Another friend mentioned that the movie was playing at the $3 theater last night so we went to watch it. It is very cute. I very much enjoyed it. I don't know that I would have the discipline to do something like this for an entire year and my reason for doing this is different than Julie's reasons... I am doing this to add to my recipe collection of good Lenten meals instead of eating lentil soup every night (even though we ate that last night:) Depending on how I am doing by thte time Nativity rolls around, I "might" continue to post new recipes for regular meals because we all do get stuck in that cooking rut. I would love to venture out and make new dishes for my family. AND we also have diet restrictions and I am always on the lookout for new ways to turn gluten filled foods into gluten free foods.

I do promise, though, that I will never post things about my relationship with my husband. You won't know when we have an argument; I just can't do that to him.

Anyway, enough ramling from me. Tomorrow we are having FISH for dinner!!! WooHoo! You know you are Orthodox when you get excited about fish:)

Lentil Salad...

Please forgive me... posted the sweet potato souffle yesterday and then time just went into superspeed and I lost track of it (until I was in bed and thought, should I go post our dinner recipe?) AND then, after I typed up the recipe at school today, the internet went down and I lost it all! So, here it is...



Lentil Salad

1/2 pound lentils
1 bay leaf
1 large tomato, diced
1/4 cup chopped parsley
3 Tbs. olive oil
juice of 1/2 a lemon
splash red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic minced
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. allspice
1/4 tsp. coriander
1/2 tsp. paprika
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbs. tahini (optional)

Cover lentils in a pot with water and add bay leaf. Boil then simmer for 20 minutes until tender. Rinse in cold water and drain. Combine lentils with tomato and parsley. Mix oil, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, and spices together. Pour dressing over lentils and coat evenly. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with tahini (use a little water with the tahini if it is too thick).

We really like the dressing on this. I added a cucumber and was feeling in the mood for shrimp so I sauteed shrimp in olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic. DH did not like the lentils. He felt like he was eating a bowl of lentils. His suggestion is to not use lentils at all and to make this a pasta salad and maybe add a can of rinsed/drained garbanzo beans. He did say to keep the shrimp in it.

Vegetarian Chili

This is such a family favorite that we do not ever have meat chili. And when we were at some friends house for dinner one night and they served meat chili, we were surprised at how much we also like meat chili!

Vegetarian Chilis
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 bottle of beer (we use Gluten Free beer- Bard's Tale or Redbridge)
3 to 4 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 Tbs. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. pepper
several dashes hot pepper sauce
1 15 oz can of pinto beans
1 15 oz can white kidney beans
1 15 oz can red kidney beans
(all beans drained and rinsed)
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen whole kernal corn
1 1/2 cups chopped zucchini or yellow squash

I put everything except the zucchini/squash in a crock pot on low all day. I did not use canned beans but I soaked black beans, red kidney beans, and pinto beans last week (according to bean soaking instructions in last week's post). I measured out 1 cup of each of the beans, added whey or lemon juice, and covered with warm water. I cooked the beans for 4 hours the next day. Then measured out 6 cups of the bean mixture for today's chili. The rest I put in the freezer for another time:)

About an hour before dinner slice the zucchini/squash and add to crock pot. Serve with tortilla chips or cornbread (I haven't made the cornbread, yet, but it's only 5pm so I still have time to decide if I want to make it or not).

Baja Fresh dinner at Home and vegetable broth recipe!

One of our favorite meals is to do "Baja Fresh" beans and rice at home. So this isn't a new recipe for us, but it is one that we all like. I soaked pinto beans over the weekend and cooked them for four hours on Monday then froze them. Pulled out the frozen beans this morning and fried them up for dinner tonight.

Basic Beans
2 cups beans (black, pinto, kidney, white, etc.)
warm water
2 Tbs. whey or lemon juice
4 cloves garlic, mashed
salt and pepper

cover beans with warm water. Stir in whey or lemon juice and leave for 12-24 hours. Drain, rinse, and place in a large pot (or in the crock pot:) and add water to cover beans. Bring to a boil and skim off foam. Reduce heat and add garlic. Simmer for 4-8 hours (when using the crock pot I will put the beans in in the morning and let them cook for 10 hours). Add more water as necessary. Season to taste.

Refried Beans (Note: we do use oil during the fast for cooking)
4 cups basic beans (see above)- i've done this with black beans or pinto beans
3/4 cup oil (the Nourishing Traditions book says lard or duck fat but, hey, this is lenten:)

mash beans. melt lard (or pour oil into pan). add beans and cook, stirring constantly. I always add salt and pepper at the end. after eating these I will never buy refried beans in a can. These are so much more flavorful (and we never eat refried beans with lard or duck fat because this is one of our lenten dishes).

We eat this with Rice...
Soaked Brown Rice
2 cups brown rice
4 cups warm water
4 Tbs. whey or lemon juice
1 tsp. sea salt
2-4 Tbs. butter (we do use Earth Balance margarine)

Place rice, warm water, and 4 Tbs. whey or lemon juice in a pot. Let sit for 7 hours (I just let it sit from sometime in the morning until an hour before dinner time). Bring to boil (after sitting- not you, the rice), skim, reduce heat, stir in salt and butter, cover tightly and let cook approx. 45 minutes. I bet you could use some vegetable broth in place of part of the water (although it's really good rice without using veggie broth).

We serve the beans and rice with sliced tomatoes, salsa, guacamole, jalapeno peppers (DH likes the peppers- I don't), and corn tortillas.

Veggie Broth
12 cups water
a couple of onions coarsely chopped
a couple of carrots coarsely chopped
a couple stalks of celery coarsely chopped
some cloves of garlic peeled
any other veggies you might have on hand
salt and pepper

I put all of this in my crock pot and cook on the lowest setting for a long time (anywhere from 10-20 hours). strain it through flour sackcloth and store in the freezer.

Polenta with Roasted Veggies

1 small zucchini, diced
1 medium onion diced
1 baby eggplant trimmed and diced
4 cloves garlic minced
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 or 3 sprigs rosemary (I used oregano because we don't really like rosemary)
salt and pepper to taste
1 roll polenta (16 oz)- I made my own on the stove.
olive oil or cooking spray to coat polenta
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes

I didn't use eggplant but I did add in one summer squash, diced and some of the Trader Joe's frozen pepper mix (love that frozen pepper mix!).

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
Combine zucchini, onion, eggplant, and garlic in bowl. Drizzle with olive oil to coat vegetables. Season with rosemary (or oregano:), salt, pepper and toss to combine. spread as an even layer on a 1/2 of a cookie sheet.

slice polenta (or in my case, cook polenta according to instructions) let "set" in pan and cut into small squares. Place on the other half of cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil or spray with cooking spray and salt.

warm diced tomatoes in medium pan over medium heat. add roaste veggies and toss to coat. on a serving dish, layer polenta slices with roasted vegetables.

Ok. DH really liked this dish. I also added a splash of red wine to the diced tomatoes and some cinnamon (I always put cinnamon in tomato sauces). I liked it, too. I should have sliced the polenta smaller but I could also see doing this recipe and using GF spaghetti noodles instead of polenta (the roasted vegetables would be awesome in a spaghetti sauce).

Salmon with potatoes and salad...

Tonight we had salmon. This is Big P's nouna's recipe. I guess we do use one "fake" food... we use Earth Balance margarine during the fasting times.

1 lb. Salmon
2 Tbs. butter (or margarine) melted
2 Tbs. white vinegar
2 Tbs. ketchup
1 Tbs. Worcestshire Sauce (we use wheat free soy sauce instead)

combine above ingredients, brush salmon with sauce, broil 6 in. from heat for 15 minutes or until finished.

Oven Potatoes
decide how many potatoes you will need to cook (this is something I throw together because it is basic so there is no measuring:)
Peel potatoes and cut into quarters (or smaller if you want them to cook faster).
dry peeled potatoes with a clean towel.
put in pan.
mix in 4 Tbs. olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Put in 400 degree oven for 30-40 minutes or until they are done to your liking:)

salad is just whatever you want salad to be... lettuce/spinach, tomatoes, cukes, carrots, peppers, but, no feta:(

Day One Nativity Fast: Broccoli and Pasta

I made this on Sunday night for dinner...
1 cup water
1 pound broccoli florets (I bought a bag of frozen chopped broccoli)
1/4 cup olive oil
5 cloves garlic minced
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 pound GF pasta (we like the Ancient Harvest brand of pasta) cooked
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste

bring 1 cup water to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. Add broccoli and steam 3-5 minutes. drain and set aside.

Heat olive oil and saute garlic and red pepper flakes for a few minutes. add broccoli and pasta, nutmeg, salt and pepper. toss together for a few minutes. serve.

OK- dh thought it needed more garlic. I thought I could add green peppers, zucchini, onions and maybe pine nuts. plus more garlic:) This would be a good side to fish.