A Brief Explanation of the Fasting Designations 
  •   Strict fast (speak to the Priest as to his guidance on these days)
  •   All dairy products, eggs, fish, wine, and oil allowed
  •   Fish, wine, and oil allowed
  •   Wine and oil allowed
  • No Symbol means the day is Fast Free

Breads

Loaf Bread 

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup warm (not hot) water
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 2 teaspoons or 1 envelope of active dry yeast
  • 2 1/4-2 1/2 cups AP flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions 

Place the sugar and yeast in a large mixing bowl, then pour the water over it and stir to combine. Wait around ten minutes or so until the yeast has “bloomed”. It will look like a yeasty layer of “stuff” on top of the water. If it doesn’t happen after ten minutes, odds on your yeast is old and dead, or the water was too cold or hot. Once the yeast has bloomed, add the flour and stir to combine until a dough has formed. This is a fairly “wet” dough, and it’s ok if it’s a bit sticky. Cover the mixing bowl with a clean tea towel and set it in a warm place in your kitchen to rise for about an hour, or until the dough has doubled in size. Once the dough has doubled in size, put it onto a floured surface and knead it for a while until the air has been knocked out of it and it’s more compacted. I use a bench scraper to do this because this dough is a bit sticky but doing it by hand is just fine. Grease and flour a loaf pan and place your kneaded dough into the pan, and re-cover it with your clean towel, let it rise again for another 30 minutes or so until the dough has risen to about the rim of the pan. Preheat the oven to 450. Once the dough has risen, place into your preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until the loaf is golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

 

Vegan Cornbread

Ingredients

  • 1 cup organic cornmeal
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1 flax egg (see recipe below under Desserts)
  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • 1/3 cup melted smart balance (vegan butter)

Instructions

Combine the cornmeal, flour, sea salt, and baking powder together in a bowl.

In a separate bowl, combine the maple syrup, flax egg, coconut milk, and melted smart balance.

Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently whisk to combine.

Pour into a greased 8” pan.

Bake in a preheated 425 degree oven for 18-20 minutes, until golden and gently browned on the top.

Meals

Mediterranean Baked Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients

BAKED SWEET POTATOES

  • 4 medium (~1/3 lb each) sweet potatoes*
  • 1 15-ounce can chickpeas (rinsed and drained)
  • 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp each cumin, coriander, cinnamon, smoked (or regular) paprika
  • 1 pinch sea salt or lemon juice (optional)

GARLIC HERB SAUCE

  • 1/4 cup hummus (or tahini)
  • 1/2 medium lemon, juiced (1/2 lemon yields ~1 Tbsp juice)
  • 3/4 – 1 tsp dried dill (or sub 2-3 tsp fresh per 3/4-1 tsp dried)
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced (3 cloves yield ~1 1/2 Tbsp or 9 g)
  • Water or unsweetened almond milk (to thin)
  • Sea salt to taste (optional // I didn’t need any)

TOPPINGS (optional)

  • 1/4 cup cherry tomatoes (diced)
  • 1/4 cup chopped parsley (minced)
  • 3 Tbsp finely chopped red onion
  • 2 Tbsp lemon juice

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (204 C) and line a large baking sheet with foil.

Rinse and scrub potatoes and cut in half lengthwise. This will speed cooking time. Otherwise leave whole and bake longer (approximately double the time (45 min – 1 hour).

Toss rinsed and drained chickpeas with olive oil and spices and place on a foil-lined baking sheet.

Rub the sweet potatoes with a bit of olive oil and place face down on the same baking sheet (or another baking sheet depending on size).

While the sweet potatoes and chickpeas are roasting, prepare your sauce by adding all ingredients to a mixing bowl and whisking to combine, only adding enough water or almond milk to thin so it’s pourable.

Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Add more garlic for more zing, salt for savoriness, lemon juice for freshness, and dill for a more intense herb flavor. I found mine didn’t need anything else.

NOTE: If you don’t have hummus, tahini (which you can DIY!) will make a great base substitution for the sauce – just adjust the seasonings to accommodate the lack of flavor tahini provides.

Also prepare the parsley-tomato topping by tossing tomato, parsley, and red onion (optional) with lemon juice and set aside to marinate.

Once sweet potatoes are fork tender and the chickpeas are golden brown – roughly 25 minutes – remove from the oven.

For serving, flip potatoes flesh-side up and smash down the insides a little bit. Then top with chickpeas, garlic herb sauce, parsley-tomato salad, and chili garlic sauce (optional). Serve immediately.

Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa and Chimichurri

Ingredients

GRILLED FISH

  • 1.5 lbs. cod filet
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/4 tsp ancho chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp of olive oil

MANGO SALSA

  • 1 1/2 cups fresh mango, diced
  • 1/4 cup diced red onion
  • 1/4 cup diced fresh cilantro
  • 1 tbsp diced jalapeno
  • 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
  • salt to taste

TACOS

  • 1 cup thinly sliced purple cabbage
  • 12 corn tortillas
  • 2 avocados, sliced

CHIMICHURRI

  • 3/4 cup fresh cilantro
  • 1/4 cup fresh oregano
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 tsp cumin
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp lime juice
  • 3 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

GRILLED FISH

Heat grill to medium high heat, about 375°-400°F.

In a small bowl, add cumin, garlic powder, smoked paprika, ancho chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt and olive oil. Gently mix with a spoon.

Pat the cod dry, rub spice blend onto the fish.

Place fish on the grill and grill for 3-5 minutes per side. (DO NOT TOUCH WHILE IT’S GRILLING OR YOU’LL HAVE A MESS)

Once the fish is done, remove from the grill and let rest.

MANGO SALSA

To a small bowl add mangos, red onion, fresh cilantro, jalapeno, lime juice, and salt to taste. Gently toss to mix all the ingredients. Set aside.

CHIMICHURRI

To make the chimichurri: add 3/4 cup fresh cilantro, fresh oregano, garlic clove, red pepper flakes, ¼ teaspoon cumin, red wine vinegar, and 1 tablespoon of lime juice to a small blender. Pulse until the herbs are finely chopped. Add in the 3 tablespoons of olive oil, pulse until everything is combined.

LET’S PUT EVERYTHING TOGETHER

Assemble your tacos: add one corn tortilla, 1-2 oz. of cod, top with mango salsa, purple cabbage, 2 slices of avocado, and chimichurri sauce.

Revithia (Chickpea Soup) 

Ingredients 

  • 2 cups dried chickpeas                                                               
  • 1 tsp. paprika                                     
  • ½ cup olive oil                                                                               
  • 1 tsp. thyme       
  • 2 large onions, diced                                                                  
  • 1 tsp. oregano
  • 1 carrot, diced,                                                                             
  • ¼ cup parsley, chopped
  • 1 stalk of celery, diced                                                           
  • ½ lemon, sliced
  • 3 bay leaves                                                                                   
  • 8 cups vegetable stock
  • 3 cloves of garlic                                                                           
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Soak chickpeas overnight in a bowl with water and baking soda.  Add enough water to cover the chickpeas by about 2 inches.  The next morning, strain and rinse the chickpeas. Set aside.

In a large pot, heat olive oil.  Add onions, garlic, carrots, celery, bay leaves, thyme, and paprika.  Sauté for about 15 minutes for the vegetable to soften.

Now add chickpeas, vegetable stock, parsley, and slices of lemon.  Bring to a boil and simmer low-medium with the lid slightly ajar for 2 ½ to 3 hours until the chickpeas are tender.

Remove the bay leaves.  You may also choose to remove the lemon rind that is remaining as it can be a little bitter if you bite into one!

Add oregano, salt, and pepper to taste.  

Note:  I take an immersion blend and process about a cup of the chickpeas to make the soup a little thicker but this is optional. 

Cheater Shrimp Risotto (contains oil)

Ingredients

  • 3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 or so carrots, peeled and diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup Arborio or plain white rice
  • 1 lb. peeled and deveined shrimp
  • At least four cups of vegetable or shrimp stock
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Fresh parsley for garnish

Instructions

Heat the oil in a large skillet. Sautée the shrimp until ALMOST cooked, remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Sautée carrot and onion until they begin to get soft, add the garlic and cook for another couple minutes or so. Don’t let it burn! Add the rice to the oil and vegetable mixture and stir for a minute, letting rice toast for a bit. Add about 1/2 cup of liquid, stir until absorbed then add another 1/2 cup. Continue this process until rice is cooked. You might need more liquid than 4 cups. Water is acceptable if you run out of stock, and white wine is excellent in this if it’s a wine day. Season to taste, add shrimp back in until cooked. Garnish with lemon juice and parsley. 

White Bean Chili

Ingredients

  • 4-6 cups vegetable broth
  • garlic powder, to taste (1 tsp to start)
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1lb white beans (cook prior) or 6-8 cans of a mix of great northern and cannellini beans (partially drain)
  • 16oz tub of fresh salsa (from the produce section)
  • limes

Instructions

Add all ingredients but the limes in a stock pot. Simmer on low for 30-60 minutes. Longer is better. Stir occasionally to ensure nothing is sticking to the bottom. Serve with sliced limes and tortilla chips.

Buffalo White Bean Soup

Ingredients

  • Cooked great northern beans (I commonly use approximately 1lb)
  • 4-5 medium yukon gold potatoes, cubed
  • 1-2 medium sweet potatoes, small cubed
  • 1 small red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 jalapeño, minced with seeds removed (I use if I have it on hand)
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 4-6 cup vegetable broth
  • 1 (13.5 oz) can coconut milk (I typically omit)
  • 1/2-3/4 cup Frank’s Red Hot (or the tabasco sauce of your preference)
  • 2 Tbsp coconut oil (or olive oil)
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • pinch of cayenne
  • for garnish:  sliced green onion, avocado, jalapeños 

Instructions

Melt the oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add the onion, bell pepper, jalapeño, and potatoes, sautéing until the onions are almost translucent.  Add the beans (halfway or so mashed) and then pour in the hot sauce and broth.  Add seasonings & give it a good stir. (Alternatively, you could add the beans in un-mashed and use an immersion blender at the end to achieve the desired consistency. I’ve done both and just like the potatoes un-messed-around-with.)
Bring the mixture to a simmer, then cover.  Continue to simmer covered on "low" for 25 minutes - or the potatoes are soft - stirring occasionally. Can serve now (yum!) or simmer longer, if you have time, for optimal flavor.
If adding - now stir in coconut milk and warm soup until heated through.
Serve hot, topped with your choice of garnish. Soup is also good served cold the next day as a chip dip.

Spicy Thai Shrimp Soup

Ingredients

  • 1-2 TBS of coconut or olive oil
  • 12-20 oz of peeled small raw shrimp
  • 6 green onions sliced thinly
  • 2 large carrots grated
  • 1 red pepper cut into matchsticks
  • 3 TBS ginger freshly minced or finely grated
  • 1 TBS lemongrass freshly minced (optional - a lovely addition but harder to find)
  • 1 TBS garlic minced (can be fresh or jarred)
  • 8 oz mushrooms sliced (optional - I always omit)
  • 2 cans coconut milk 
  • 4-6 yukon gold potatoes or sweet potatoes cut into thin wedged portions (number used depends on size of potatoes)
  • ½ cup cilantro chopped (optional - I always omit because I detest it)
  • 1 tsp curry powder
  • Pinch ground cayenne
  • ½ tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1 TBS Sriracha (I use more like 2+ TBS - can also use Sambal Oelek, if desired)
  • 2 TBS fish sauce (I use more like 2½ TBS)
  • 4-6 cups vegetable stock basically enough to cover the other ingredients 

Instructions

In oil, soften the green onions and carrots.  Add shrimp, fish sauce, lemongrass, ginger, and garlic—cooking thru.  Remove shrimp and set aside (if you want them to not be overcooked). Then add stock, coconut milk, sliced mushrooms, red peppers, and potatoes.  Salt and pepper, to taste.  Finish by adding cilantro, curry, cayenne, red pepper flakes, and Sriracha.  Cook until potatoes are tender.

Seafood Chowder

Ingredients

  • 2T oil
  • 1 diced onion
  • 3-4 carrots, diced
  • 3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 4-5 potatoes, diced(we use russet, but it doesn’t matter what kind) 
  • 6C veggie or seafood stock
  • 3-4t Old Bay Spice (we use a lot more than that, but can adjust to taste)
  • 1/4t cayenne pepper (optional) 
  • 1lb shrimp 
  • Crab, lobster, etc 
  • 1/2C coconut milk (optional) 

Instructions

Sauté onions, carrots, and garlic in pot until tender. Add in potatoes, stock, and spice. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 20 minutes or until potatoes are soft. Lastly, add the shrimp and other seafood of your choice. Can add coconut milk at the end before serving if desired. 

Veggie Soup 

Ingredients

  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 3 potatoes, diced 
  • 1 can diced tomatoes
  • 1 8oz can tomato sauce 
  • 1 can corn (don’t drain)
  • 1 can green beans (don’t drain)
  • 1 can peas (don’t drain) 
  • 1 can kidney beans and/or black beans (rinsed and drained) 
  • 1C lentils (optional) 
  • 1T garlic powder
  • 3t ground cumin
  • 3-4t chili powder 
  • 2t paprika 
  • 1t oregano 
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • (Can use pre-made taco seasoning instead of spices) 

Instructions

I throw all ingredients into a crockpot and let cook for several hours. If doing on stovetop, sauté the first two ingredients until soft and then add all other ingredients and let simmer for 30 minutes to an hour. 

Shrimp and Butternut Squash in Coconut Milk Broth

Use a pound of firm water-packed Tofu drained and cut into ½” cubes, in place of shrimp for a vegetarian dish.

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup vegetable broth,
  • 1½ teaspoon brown sugar,
  • 1 teaspoon salt,
  • 2 teaspoons tomato paste,
  • ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper,
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper,
  • 1 (14-ounce) can light coconut milk,
  • 2 cups (3/4 inch) cubed peeled butternut squash,
  • 1 cup (1 x ¼ inch) julienne-cut red bell pepper,
  • 1 pound large shrimp, peeled, deveined, and halved lengthwise,
  • 2 cups hot cooked basmati rice,
  • ¼ cup fresh lime juice,
  • 3 tablespoons minced cilantro.

Instructions

Combine first 7 ingredients in a large saucepan, stirring with a whisk. Stir in squash and bell pepper, bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until squash is just tender.
Stir in shrimp; bring to a boil.  Cook 1 minute or until shrimp are done, stirring occasionally. Stir in rice, lime juice, and cilantro. 

Spinach, Onion, and Tofu Stir-Fry

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 7 oz cubed tofu
  • ½ large onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup dry roasted peanuts
  • 2 tsp dry basil
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 2 Tbsp soy sauce
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp red pepper
  • 3-4 cup fresh spinach, chopped

Instructions

Place the oil and tofu in a large frying pan and cook for about 5 minutes on medium heat.

Add peanuts, onion, and pepper – cook until onions are translucent.

Add garlic, basil, and black/red pepper. Cook for an additional two minutes.

Add the soy sauce and spinach. Cook just until the spinach is wilted. Serve with rice.

Quick & Easy Chickpea, Tofu, and Spinach Curry

Ingredients

  • 1 Tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 2 large garlic cloves, crushed or finely minced
  • 2 Tbsp (or more) fresh ginger, grated
  • 8 dried unsulfured apricots, diced
  • 3 heaped Tbsp curry powder
  • 2 cans coconut milk
  • 2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 500g firm tofu, patted dry and cubed
  • 3 cups packed baby spinach
  • 2 tsp coarse sea salt

Instructions

Heat the coconut oil in a wide pot over medium heat.

Add the onion, garlic, ginger, and apricots – sauté for a few minutes, until onions are soft and translucent.

Add curry powder and mix well. Allow the spices to toast for a minute without letting them stick to the bottom of the pan. 

Add the coconut milk and season with sea salt, mixing well.

Add the rest of the ingredients (excepting the spinach), let it come to a boil, and then reduce the heat to a low simmer. These are all ingredients that only need 5-8 minutes to heat up and absorb the flavors. By then, the coconut milk will have also reduced and become a creamy, velvety sauce.

Add the spinach leaves one cup at a time and mix them in right before turning off the heat. They will wilt down in a matter of seconds and the curry is ready to serve! Serve over rice. Recommend serving with some lime wedges and cilantro.

 

Desserts

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (268g) peanut butter, smooth or crunchy is fine but can’t be “natural”
  • ⅔ cup (120g) light brown sugar
  • ½ cup plus 1 ½ tbsp (120g) sugar
  • 1 flax “egg”
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 1 4oz bar of baking chocolate (chopped into small chunks)

Instructions

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F with the oven racks in the upper-middle and lower-middle positions. Line two half sheet pans with parchment paper. Don't use Silpats; the cookies will spread too much.

Combine the peanut butter and both sugars in a large bowl. Use a wooden spoon to stir together, then smush the mixture on the sides of the bowl several times to incorporate the sugar. (I often just do this in a stand mixer)

Add the flax egg, baking soda, vanilla, and salt. Stir until really smooth. (If you'd like to make the dough ahead of time, you can cover the bowl with plastic and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.)

Use a 1 1/2-tablespoon-sized disher to scoop the dough out into 16 rounds, evenly spacing 8 dough rounds per sheet. Using a fork in a mash-and-swipe motion, make cross-hatch patterns in each dough round. After being cross-hatched, each cookie should be about 2 1/2 inches in diameter.

Bake until just set, about 10 minutes, rotating the baking sheets between the racks after about 5 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the sheet pans, set on wire racks, for at least 10 minutes before devouring. 

Flax Egg (for Egg Replacement in Baking)

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp of flaxseed meal (ground flaxseed)
  • 2 ½ tbsp water

Instructions

Add flaxseed meal and water to a dish and stir. Let rest for 5 minutes to thicken. Add to recipes in place of 1 egg (as the original recipe is written).