Lenten Recipes

OK, I am NOT a huge resource of Lenten recipes, but I do have a few that are favorites of ours through this season of the Fast. So here they are...

My hummus recipe is basically this one. Over time I have adjusted the amount of seasonings I put in it (usually a little extra garlic, lemon, salt, pepper, cumin) and I usually add just a tiny bit of cayenne. Last year, if I must confess, we went through two #10 restaurant supply cans of garbanzo beans making hummus. Yikes!

My sis-in-law Heather has a "Wendy's" chili recipe that Chris & I really like. This time of year, I don't put any meat in it (although I usually add some cooked TVP - see my recipe below). Also, I use red beans & black beans instead of the pinto & kidney beans, but that's just a personal preference of mine - I'm not a big kidney bean fan.

Another one of my other favorite Lenten dish is Majedra. Thanks to Kh. Krista West for this recipe! It took me a long time to make the first time I ever tried it as I didn't quite get the timing down on the onions, lentils & rice. But I am getting better at it! I'm still getting used to some of the middle eastern flavors, so I cut back on the allspice just a bit.

Madjedra (The classic Middle Eastern lentil and rice dish)

2 cups dry lentils
1 cup rice (I use brown basmati rice)
3 large onions
5-6 T. olive oil (or more, depending on taste)
Salt and pepper
Allspice

To the lentils, add 8 cups water and some salt. Boil the lentils halfway until done. While the lentils are boiling, chop 2 of the onions and sauté in half of the olive oil, sautéing until a little beyond golden brown. When the onions are almost done, add ½ T. allspice and 1 t. salt and sauté a little more. Set onions aside. When lentils are halfway done, add the rice and boil until the rice is almost done (stir and add water as needed). Turn down the burner to simmer off the last liquid 10-15 minutes and add salt, pepper, and about 1/2 T. allspice along with the sautéed onions.

Take the last onion and slice it into rings. Sauté it in the remaining olive oil until very brown (almost black). Use the onions rings as a garnish when serving.

TVP Crumbles (Ground meat substitute) again, the thanks goes to my sis-in-law, Heather for this!

1. Prepare/soak a batch of TVP according to the directions (For Bob's Red Mill TVP: to rehydrate the granules, pour 7/8 cup boiling water over 1 cup TVP. Stir and let stand 5 to 10 minutes.)
2. Add a small amount of "Kitchen Bouquet" (optional) to the soaked TVP until it becomes a darker tan color (this will add some flavor & color to the TVP - it is a vegetable based flavoring agent)
3. Fry TVP in skillet over med-low heat with 1-2 T of oil, turning regularly until some of the excess moisture is cooked off and the TVP is closer to the moisture/consistency of cooked ground meat. I'm not sure how to describe this, as it's more of just a "feel."
4. Approx 12 oz of cooked TVP = 1 lb of ground "meat" in recipes

Notes:

• I use Bob's Red Mill TVP as I pick up the Bob's in bulk at the Mill Store!
• The TVP will stick to the pan if you're not using a non-stick pan. Don't worry if it does, just keep scrape it off the bottom and keep going!