Lentils with Spinach

By: Don Ghiz

Difficulty: 3 / 10

Fast Type: Oil & Wine Permitted

Ingredients:

• Mujadara recipe or Rishta recipe: 10 oz chopped frozen spinach

Instructions:

1. Lentils and spinach are like bacon and eggs. As an alternate to plain mujadara or plain rishta, add a pkg of frozen chopped spinach during the cooking. A bit less water will be requires because there is so much in the spinach. Add a little salt for the added ingredient. Yummy!

Green Bean Stew

By: Don Ghiz

Difficulty: 4 / 10

Fast Type: Oil & Wine Permitted

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup oil
• 1-2 clove garlic
• 1 medium onion
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon, (optional)
• 1 lb. frozen chopped green beans
• 8 oz tomato sauce
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Chop onion and garlic. Fry in oil. Add green beans, seasonings, 1/2 cup water and tomato sauce. Cook until beans are tender. May be served over cooked rice. In Arabic, this is Lubyi.
2. Don't be afraid to add a drained 303 can of garbanzo beans for extra protein. Read on.
3. This recipe may also be modified using a lb of diced okra in place of the beans, substituting coriander for the cinnamon and adding an add'l clove of garlic and the juice of a lemon. Then call it Bamyi.

Sesame Tahini & Tahini Sauce

By: Don Ghiz

Difficulty: 3 / 10

Fast Type: Strict Fast

Allergies: Sesame Seed

Ingredients:

• 3-4 cups Hulled, or Unhulled sesame seeds: For sauce: add to the Tahini, 1 clove garlic; juice of two lemons, water

Instructions:

1. Tahini is normally made with oil, but we can make is, and just as good, without any oil. Hulled sesame tahini is a bit sweeter than hulled, but either can be added to a food processor without any oil or water and blended through stages of refinement until it becomes a thick semi-liquid paste.
2. To make Sesame Tahini, add 1 clove garlic, salt to taste, juice of two lemons, to the prepared paste and blend until thick. Water may be added to adjust pour.
3. Now that you have Lenten sesame tahini, you can blend with a drained can of garbanzo beans to make hummus; bake and bone a white texture fish, flake on a plate, pour tahini sauce over, and dress with chopped parsley, or chopped nuts, or, my favorite, pomegranate seeds. Another suggestion is to roast salted eggplant until well cooked and blend with tahini sauce. This is called baba ghannu. Pita chips or fresh pieces of pita bread finish the dips.
4. You may also buy store bought tahini if oil is in your diet. There is likely no olive oil in store bought.

Basic Spaghetti Sauce

By: Don Ghiz

Difficulty: 2 / 10

Fast Type: Strict Fast

Ingredients:

• 2 (14 oz) cans crushed tomatoes
• 2 tsp oregano
• 2 tsp minced or powdered garlic
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Instructions:

1. Mix all ingredients in a saucepan and simmer for 30 min. Oil adds flavor, but not necessary.
2. This sauce may be used with 1 lb spaghetti, cooked, to make a side dish, or as is. Shellfish may be added to increase protein.

Eggplant Stew

By: Don Ghiz

Difficulty: 3 / 10

Fast Type: Oil and Wine Permitted

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp oil for frying
• 1 white onion
• 1 black eggplant
• 1 (303) can garbanzo beans
• 1 (14 oz) can crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• salt and pepper to taste, about 2 tsp

Instructions:

1. 1/2 inch dice the onion and fry in oil until soft in a 1 gal pot. Peel and 1 inch dice raw eggplant, drain garbanzo beans. To the onions, add these and remaining ingredients, add a little water if necessary to cover. Cook over med/low heat until eggplant is very tender, almost dissolved. May be served as a stew or over cooked rice or pasta. (Cinnamon is a common Arabic spice. Don't be afraid, it cooks in and you won't taste it.)

Mujadara

By: Don Ghiz

Difficulty: 3 / 10

Fast Type: Oil and Wine Permitted

Ingredients:

• 1 large white onion
• 1/4 cup avocado or vegetable oil (olive if not fasting)
• 2 cups lentils (brown, green or black (my favorite, but expensive)
• 7-8 cups water
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1/2 cup raw rice; or 1/2 lb egg noodles (see note in recipe)

Instructions:

1. Heat the oil and add the grated onion. Cook on med-high heat until onion is chocolate color, stirring constantly towards end to avoid burning. Add lentils and stir to absorb oil. Add water, bring to boil and cook over med heat about 45 min, adding rice, if using, after 30 min. Alternatively, boil with 8 or more cups water and add egg noodles after 30 min. More rice may be used, adjusting water accordingly.
2. (Note: when using rice, the dish is called Mujadara and it will absorb the 7 cups water as it cools to make a dry, solid food. When made with noodles, it is called, Rishta, and usually served as a soup, so it may need more water to taste. Black pepper is never added to either dish, but I won't tell anyone if you do. There are many variations of this recipe, with some calling for cumin, bay leaves, black pepper, and whatever).

Red Lentil (Dal) Soup

By: Don Ghiz

Difficulty: 2 / 10

Fast Type: Strict Fast

Allergies: Optional Shrimp

Ingredients:

• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp Panch Puran Spice (easy to find in Indian or Asia markets)
• 3 Indian bean pepper, or 1 Serrano, minced
• 1 cup Red Lentils, rinsed
• 6 cups, more or less, vegetable stock
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3 tomatoes, diced
• 3 cup spinach, chopped (fresh preferred)
• 1/2 cup white rice
• small peeled shrimp (optional)

Instructions:

1. In an oven-proof pan, roast garlic, Panch Puran, and hot pepper until fragrant. (Alternately, fry in coconut or avocado oil.)
2. Transfer to a gallon size pot on stove, and add stock and red lentils. Bring to boil. Add diced tomatoes and spinach and continue cooking until lentils are broken down, about 45 min.
3. Add shrimp if using, Simmer until shrimp are cooked. Serve over boiled rice or add raw rice 20 min before end.

Spicy Tomato Soup

By: Mayada Al-Jamal

Difficulty: 2 / 10

Fast Type: Oil and Wine Permitted

Ingredients:

• 1 med onion, thinly sliced
• 1 lg garlic gloves, minced
• olive oil or Avocado oil
• 1(28-oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1(46-oz) can tomato juice
• 1(46-oz) can V-A
• 1 tsp tobasco
• 1 T. Worcester sauce
• 1 T soy sauce
• Black pepper

Instructions:

1. Saute onion and garlic in small amount of olive or Avocado oil untill soft. Add all other ingredients. Heat on medium untill barely boiling. Ladle into soip bowels. Top with cheese if not during fasting period

Madras Lentils

By: Carolyn Roorda

Difficulty: 1 / 10

Fast Type: Strict Fast

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 yellow onion, finely diced
• 1 red bell pepper, finely diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
• ¼ cup tomato paste, 60 g
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp cumin
• ¾ tsp salt
• ½ tsp ground coriander seed
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper
• 4 cups vegetable broth, 1 L
• 1 cup dry black lentils, can sub brown lentils, 180 g
• 1 15-oz can kidney beans, drained, 425 g
• ½ cup canned coconut milk, 120 mL
• To serve: cilantro, naan, rice

Instructions:

1. View Recipe

White Bean Basil Hummus

By: Carolyn Roorda

Difficulty: 1 / 10

Fast Type: Strict Fast

Ingredients:

• 1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 cloves garlic*, chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 6 large basil leaves
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for drizzling on top
• Water to thin, if necessary

Instructions:

1. Add beans, garlic, lemon juice, basil, salt and pepper in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a couple of times until the mixture looks somewhat chopped. Add in the 3 tablespoons of olive oil while the machine is still running. Let process until the mixture is creamy.
2. If the mixture appears to be too thick, add in a tablespoon of water at a time to thin it out. Add more salt and pepper to taste, as necessary. Drizzle the top with a tiny bit of olive oil. Serve with extra basil on top and pita chips. (Ambitiouskitchen.com)

Easy Red Lentil Soup- Kid Approved

Difficulty: 2 / 10

Fast Type: Strict Fast

Ingredients:

• Coconut oil
• 1 pound carrots
• 1 pound sweet potatoes
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 tablespoon grated ginger (or ½ teaspoon ground dried ginger)
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• 1 cup dry red lentils
• 1 can coconut milk

Instructions:

1. Peel and dice carrots and sweet potatoes into desired size
2. Heat a medium pot over medium heat and warm the oil. Add the sweet potatoes and carrots and stir. Cook, covered, for 10 minutes.
3. Stir in the salt, turmeric, ginger, stock, and lentils. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cover. Cook 10-15 minutes or until the lentils are soft and starting to break down.
4. Stir in the coconut milk and puree smooth. (You can also serve this chunky!) Serve warm.

PA Dutch Shoo-Fly Pie

By: Lydia Martin

Difficulty: 2 / 10

Fast Type: Oil and Wine Permitted

Ingredients:

• 3/4 c molasses
• 1/2 tsp soda
• 3/4 c boiling water
• 1 1/2 c flour
• 1/2 c brown sugar
• 1/4 c shortening (crisco)

Instructions:

1. Add soda to water, then pour mixture into molasses (this will be the “molasses” half of the pie)
2. Combine flour and sugar, cut in shortening to make crumbs (this will be the streusel half of the pie)
3. In a 9” pie shell, pour 1/3 molasses, 1/3 streusel, 1/3 molasses… until all has been used.
4. Bake at 375 for 35 minutes. Serve warm for gooey molasses, room temperature for set molasses. Does not need refrigerated.
5. Due to the streusel element, this makes a nice breakfast addition too, rather like coffee cake!

Honey Garlic Soy Glazed Salmon

By: Carolyn Roorda

Difficulty: 2 / 10

Fast Type: Fish Permitted

Ingredients:

• 4 salmon fillets, about 6 ounces (170g) each
• 1/3 cup (80ml) reduced sodium soy sauce (or regular)
• 1/3 cup (113g) honey
• 1 Tablespoon (15ml) sesame oil (or olive oil)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced (or 2 teaspoons jarred/minced)
• 1 teaspoon peeled minced fresh ginger
• optional for garnish: chopped green onion and/or sesame seeds

Instructions:

1. Marinate the salmon: Place salmon fillets into a large zippered food storage bag or shallow dish/container. In a medium bowl, whisk soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger together. Pour about half of the mixture (just eyeball it) over salmon. Turn salmon to coat. Seal the bag/cover the dish and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes and up to 4 hours.
2. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375°F (191°C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, parchment paper, or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.
3. Line the marinated salmon fillets on the baking sheet, skin side down. You can hold onto this used marinade—see step 5. Bake salmon for 15–20 minutes or until done, which is 10 minutes per inch thickness measured from the thickest part of the fillet. (Salmon is considered done when an instant read thermometer reads the center of the thickest part as at least 145°F (63°C).) Feel free to turn your oven to broil for the last minute to really crisp the edges.
4. Meanwhile, as the salmon bakes, pour the remaining unused marinade into a small saucepan or skillet over medium-high heat. If you want, you can add the remaining (used) marinade as well. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 3–4 minutes or until slightly thickened. Keep a close eye on it because it can quickly burn. It will bubble up a lot as it reduces. Remove from heat.
5. Drizzle thickened glaze over baked salmon and serve with optional garnish.