Thinking of Lenten rituals, I remember back when I was in college and gave up french fries for Lent. My roommate, Kim, busted me eating a bag of McD's frys around 1am, one post-party evening. She said, "Stop! You gave those up!!" and I remember shouting back, "Well, i'm glad you are not GOD because HE will forgive me!" (Don't argue with anyone holding a loaded bag of fries at 1am. Or for that matter, don't argue with anyone loaded with a bag of fries at any time! Badumbum.) In hindsight, maybe I should have given up drinking instead of the fries! HA! Sorry Kimmie Jo!
Lent reminds me of St. Patrick's day, a good fish fry and self-sacrifice. Last year, I gave up Diet Coke. WOW, hardest thing ever, next to childbirth and gallbladder problems. Some of my friends are giving up Pop, TV, Facebook (yikes!), and even sweets! Very impressive. But one thing you don't have to give up is eating a nutritious meal during lent this year. So if you are religious, vegetarian, or both, here are a few of my Lenten Favorites for your enjoyment:
Panini (or a grilled cheese)
Always a crowd-pleaser. Dress it up with some slices of tomatoes and pair it with a cup of soup, delicious! But what makes a grilled cheese into a Panini? The press, and a crusty loaf of bread. No Wonder bread here please, unless you enjoy your sandwich 1/2 inch thick. Apparently a pressed and toasted sandwich is much fancier than your regular-old Grilled Cheese. See below for a delicious and hearty recipe.
Gnocchi
A potato dumpling. I have a homemade recipe that is wonderful and inexpensive. But truth be told, I found gnocchi ready made at the grocery store. So if you want to just toss it in the sage brown butter recipe below... you have one fabulous and FAST Lenten meal.
Pasta
Always an easy Lenten meal. Toss it with marinara or alfredo sauce. Serve it with a salad and a crusty loaf of garlic bread. Yum. But meatless pasta sometimes needs a little boost. See below for an awesome Italian Pasta Stir Fry recipe that is delicious. Fresh parmesan cheese and a glass of red wine and you may forget you were sacrificing anything.
Fish & Fries
I know I said it is not just about fish, but some of us do love a good fish fry. And it is an easy one. You can always go out for this, but if you check in your grocers frozen section there are some tasty battered fillets. Pop on a baking stone and heat up in your oven with some quick fries and you have a meal fit for a toddler! HA. Really, I love a fish-stick once in a while. And when you bake your fries in the oven instead of going for the fast food fries - you save half the fat and half the calories. One better than that even is make your own fries. Slice, lightly coat in olive oil and sea salt and roast in your bar pan. Delicious!
Tired of the fries? sub some Italian Roasted Vegetables. See Recipe below.
Recipes:
Grilled Vegetable Panini
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
2 garlic cloves, pressed
8 slices (1/2-3/4 inch thick) sourdough bread
1 medium red bell pepper
1 small red onion
1 medium eggplant
1 medium yellow summer squash
1 medium zucchini
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
8 slices (1 ounce each) Provolone cheese
Directions:
1. Melt butter in microwave on HIGH 20-25 seconds or until melted; add garlic. Brush one side of each slice of bread with butter mixture; set aside.
2. Slice bell pepper crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick rings. Slice onion crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Cut eggplant, yellow squash and zucchini lengthwise into 1/2-inch slices.
3. Heat Grill Pan over medium-high heat. Lightly spray pan with vegetable oil using Kitchen Spritzer. Place bell pepper and onion into pan. Season with salt and black pepper. Cook 3-4 minutes on each side or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Remove from pan; set aside and keep warm. Spray pan again with vegetable oil. Cook eggplant, yellow squash and zucchini 3-4 minutes on each side or until crisp-tender. Remove from pan; set aside and keep warm.
4. To assemble sandwiches, arrange four pieces of bread buttered side down; top each with 1 slice cheese, 2 slices each eggplant, yellow squash, zucchini and bell pepper rings, and 1 slice red onion. Top with remaining cheese and remaining bread, buttered side up.
5. Heat pan over medium heat. Cook sandwiches 1-2 minutes on each side or until cheese is melted and grill marks appear on surface of bread, turning once with Nylon Turner. Serve immediately.
Yield: 4 sandwiches
Nutrients per serving: Calories 490, Total Fat 30 g, Saturated Fat 15 g, Cholesterol 60 mg, Carbohydrate 38 g, Protein 21 g, Sodium 960 mg, Fiber 5 g
(C)The Pampered Chef, Ltd. 2012
http://www.pamperedchef.com
Italian Roasted Vegetables
Ingredients:
1 pound unpeeled red potatoes (3-4 medium)
2 large carrots
1 large yellow summer squash
1 large zucchini
8 ounces fresh large mushrooms
1/4 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves, pressed
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Cut potatoes in half lengthwise using Crinkle Cutter; cut each half lengthwise into 1-inch-wide wedges. cut carrots diagonally into 2-inch lengths. Cut summer squash and zucchini into 2-inch pieces. Cut mushrooms in half.
2. Place vegetables in large bowl; toss with oil. Press garlic over vegetables using Garlic Press. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning, salt and black pepper; toss to coat evenly.
3. Spread vegetables in single layer on Stoneware Bar Pan. Bake 40-45 minutes or until golden brown and crisp-tender, stirring after 20 minutes.
Yield: 6 servings
Nutrients per serving: Calories 170, Total Fat 9 g, Saturated Fat 1.5 g, Cholesterol 10 mg, Carbohydrate 21 g, Protein 4 g, Sodium 210 mg, Fiber 3 g
Fiber 4 g
Homemade Gnocchi
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups prepared instant mashed potatoes, cooled
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2-2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup marinara pasta sauce, warmed
Directions:
1. In (8-qt.) Stockpot, bring water to a boil. Combine mashed potatoes, egg and salt using Small Mix 'N Scraper(R); mix well. Add 1 1/2 cups of the flour and mix until dough begins to form into a ball. Turn dough out onto smooth side of lightly floured Large Grooved Cutting Board; knead lightly until smooth. Sprinkle additional flour over surface as needed to form a dough that is not sticky or dry.
2. Divide dough into six equal portions; roll each portion into a 1/2-inch-thick log across full length of cutting board (below, left).
3. Using Pizza Cutter, cut each log into 3/4-inch pieces, forming pillow-shaped gnocchi (below, right).
4. Carefully drop gnocchi into boiling water. Once gnocchi rise to the surface, cook 2 minutes (about 4 minutes total). Drain in large Colander. Serve with warm marinara sauce.
Yield: 4 servings
Nutrients per serving: Light: Calories 370, Total Fat 9 g, Saturated Fat 4.5 g, Cholesterol 70 mg, Carbohydrate 60 g, Protein 11 g, Sodium 640 mg, Fiber 2 g
Cook's Tip: For a heartier main dish, add 2 cups diced cooked chicken or 1/2 pound cooked and crumbled Italian sausage to gnocchi, if desired.
To make homemade mashed potatoes in Rice Cooker Plus, combine 3 cups peeled and diced russet potatoes, 1/4 cup water and 1/2 teaspoon salt in rice cooker. Microwave on HIGH 7-8 minutes or until tender. Mash until smooth using Nylon Masher.
Gnocchi with Sage Brown Butter
Ingredients:
1 recipe Homemade Gnocchi
1 tablespoon Pantry Basil Oil or olive oil
1 tablespoon butter (do not substitute margarine)
3 tablespoons snipped fresh sage leaves
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Romano cheese
Coarsely ground black pepper
Additional sage leaves (optional)
Directions:
1. Prepare gnocchi as recipe directs, omitting marinara sauce. Heat oil and butter over medium heat in (12-in.) Skillet. Add sage and cook 1 minute or until butter just begins to brown. Add cooked gnocchi. Cook without stirring 4-5 minutes or until gnocchi are golden brown on one side.
2. Remove from skillet; spoon onto serving plates. Grate cheese over gnocchi using Deluxe Cheese Grater. Top with coarsely ground black pepper; garnish with additional sage, if desired.
Yield: 4 servings
Nutrients per serving: Calories 410, Total Fat 16 g, Saturated Fat 8 g, Cholesterol 80 mg, Carbohydrate 55 g, Protein 11 g, Sodium 540 mg, Fiber 2 g
Italian Pasta Stir-Fry Ingredients: 8 ounces linguine, uncooked 2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped 1 medium onion, chopped 1 medium zucchini, sliced 1/4 cup snipped fresh parsley 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 large garlic cloves, pressed 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 ounce (1/4 cup) grated Parmesan cheese Directions: 1. Cook pasta according to package directions; keep warm. Slice zucchini with Ultimate Slice & Grate. Chop onion and tomatoes using Food Chopper. Snip parsley using Kitchen Shears. 2. Heat oil in Stir-Fry Skillet. Press garlic with Garlic Press into Skillet; stir-fry 15 seconds. Add zucchini and onion; stir-fry 2-3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add tomatoes, parsley and seasonings. Heat 1-2 minutes, stirring gently until heated through. 3. Remove from heat. Stir in warm pasta; grate Parmesan cheese over pasta using Deluxe Cheese Grater. Toss lightly and serve immediately. Yield: 6 servings Pampered Chef |
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