Epicurean De-Lite: Spiritual Food

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Spiritual Food

I've had a rough time focusing on the spiritual aspects of Lent this year. I'm ashamed to say that I got side-tracked, distracted, and bogged down with various issues, worries, and concerns. It's not the first time that has happened either. But it's the first time that one night - one wonderful evening of fellowship - could help get me back on track, especially after having sunk as low as I had. I mean, I have been worried sick (no pun intended) about my health, the problems in Japan (we have relatives in Fukushima Prefecture), and my youngest son's baseball fundraiser (I completely lack the "selling" gene).

We had a guest speaker at our church tonight - a wonderful man of God named Peter Gilquist, who spent several years seeking for the church that he could call home. His journey from his days in Campus Crusade to the Orthodox Christian faith was enlightening, sometimes humorous, and always quite riveting. With over half the fast left, it was the incentive I needed to refocus, and re-evaluate my priorities.

Between our Vespers service and Fr. Gilquist's testimony, we all enjoyed a Lenten meal provided by the members of our parish. Of course everything was Vegan (except the shrimp) and it was perfectly delicious in it simplicity. We had shrimp with cocktail sauce, homemade hummus with pitas, stuffed grape leaves in a lemon sauce, tempenade with TLC crackers, guacamole with tortilla chips, bowls of fruit, and a chickpea and pepper salad. I didn't have any dessert, but it looked so good - more than likely provided by "My Vegan Baker", whose link is in the right column of this Blog. Anyway, tonight's spread gave me ideas for those nights when we've either had a big lunch or just want to munch on some finger food while watching the final 4 duke it out during March Madness. Hope you all stay warm during this rather cold weekend (snow is still in our forecast for tomorrow!).

Until next time, happy and healthy eating!

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Vegetable Rice, Potato Curry, and Naan

Greek Tilapia with Manestra and Baby Squash

Crumb-Coated Chicken Thighs served with asparagus and baby corn

This chicken recipe is a favorite from Light & Tasty magazine, August/September 2003. It's a healthy, yummier, homemade version of shake 'n bake. In a large zip-lock bag, combine 1/4 cup dried bread crumbs, 1 t. salt, 1 t. ground cumin, 1 t. paprika, 1 t. chili powder, 1 t. curry powder, and 1/4 t. ground pepper. Add 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, 1 at a time, shaking until well coated. Place on a baking sheet coated with nonstick cooking spray. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Turn chicken pieces. Bake 15-20 minutes longer until done. Serves 4

Glazed Ham, Candied Yams, and Mashed Cauliflower

Boneless ham with a cranberry, maple glaze, lightened candied yams, and mashed cauliflower round out this "holiday" meal that was oh-so-good on a cold, snowy night. The yams are my mom's recipe - parboil, peel, and slice the yams. Place them in a lg. baking dish, cover them with orange juice, sprinkle generously with brown sugar, put some cinnamon and a touch of nutmeg on top, and dab some "light" butter on them. Then bake at 350 degrees (covered for one hour) then uncover and continue cooking until tender. The mashed cauliflower is just that - mashed, lightly salted cauliflower - and it is becoming a favorite in our house. Enjoy!!

Lamb Kofta with Harissa Yogurt Sauce

You will be proud of yourself when you make this simple dish. It is little homemade lamb sausages (sounds elegant, doesn't it?) served over saffron basmati rice. The sauce, which you can either dip the meat into or else drizzle over the meat, is a delightful blend of yogurt, roasted red pepper and seasonings. It's from the same Cooking Light issue as last night's dinner and is also Middle Eastern - April 2010. And it has been a family favorite since I first made it about 9 months ago. Ground lamb is not the easiest ingredient to find, but if you live near a Wegman's, they often carry it. I always serve it with baby zucchini on the side. Hope you'll try it!!

Spicy Chicken Shawarma

This delicious Lebanese dish was something my husband and I had recently tried at a restaurant in Gainesville called Nora. I was thrilled to find a recipe for it in my April 2010 edition of Cooking Light magazine and I must say that this one tasted just as good. The tahini sauce was especially yummy and could be served with falafels as well. One filled pita has 402 calories and about 11 grams of fat. The photo in the magazine showed it being served with red grapes, which I wanted to do as well, but I couldn't find any domestic grapes at the supermarket. I plan to do a Blog on what produce should be bought organic and which don't have to be. Then you'll understand my problem with Chilean grapes. I served it with mango, banana, and kiwi instead and it was wonderful!

Dessert Night - Hot Fudge Pudding Cake

This decadent, lusciously gooey pudding/cake has approximately 200 calories and 1 gram of fat per serving. It is made with Dutch baking cocoa - the only source of fat in the recipe. I challenge you chocolate lovers out there to try it, so here goes: In a large bowl, mix 1 cup flour, 3/4 c. sugar, 3 T. Dutch baking cocoa, 2 t. baking powder, and 1/4 t. salt. In another bowl, combine 1/2 cup fat free milk, 1/3 cup prune baby food, and 1 and 1/2 t. vanilla. Stir into dry ingredients until moist. Spread in an 8-inch baking pan coated with cooking spray. Combine 1/4 cup plus 2 T. brown sugar, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1/4 cup cocoa and sprinkle evenly over the batter. Then carefully pour 1 and 1/4 cup boiling water over the top. DO NOT STIR. Bake 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve warm and enjoy. Serves 9

New Orleans-Inspired Jambalaya

Jambalaya is a Cajun dish that is made with chicken, smoked sausage, and shrimp, and is served with Tobasco sauce on the side. This version, which is made with turkey smoked sausage and skinless, boneless chicken has 425 calories and 8 grams of fat for a very generous serving. I usually serve it with succotash, but chose lima beans tonight. This is a family favorite! I have received several requests for this recipe and tried to copy it below. It's all there, but did not come out as neat as I had hoped. If you can't read it, it can be accessed by using the website at the top of this page. .

Jambalaya (From Cooking Light Magazine, December 2004)

Ingredients: 2 teaspoons vegetable oil, 1/4 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces, 1/4 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 1 cup chopped smoked turkey sausage (about 4 ounces), 1 cup chopped onion 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper, 1/2 cup chopped celery, 1 garlic clove, minced, 1 1/2 cups uncooked long-grain white rice, 2 3/4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth, 2 teaspoons paprika, 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper, 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained, 1/4 pound large shrimp, peeled, deveined, and chopped, 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions, Preparation: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt and black pepper. Add chicken to pan, and cook 5 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Remove chicken from pan; cover and keep warm. Add sausage to pan; cook 5 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Add 1 cup onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic; cover, reduce heat to low, and cook 12 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in rice; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add broth, paprika, thyme, and red pepper; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes. Add chicken and tomatoes; cook, uncovered, 10 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Stir in shrimp; cover and cook 5 minutes or until shrimp are done. Remove from heat, and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Sprinkle with green onions

Epicurean De-Lite

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Spiritual Food

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