We
present a small collection of fasting recipes tried out and recommended by our
parishioners. When posting these recipes we had in mind to give our readers
healthy ideas on how to enhance their Lenten meals. However, we remind you that
the best fasting foods are those prepared in a simple way, without extravagant
preparation and lots of exotic ingredients, as this leads to self-gratification,
which is what fasting is definitely not about. You can read about the fasting typicon and find general articles on fasting, especially its very important spiritual aspect at:
Here
we would just like to share a few practical tips from our own experience: In
order to avoid monotonous nutrition during the fast, which can lead to apathy or
nervousness, one needs to plan ahead. Do your shopping well before the fast
begins. Make a list of unperishable items that you will be able to use: have
lots of rice, pasta, grains (wheat, buckwheat, flour – and it’s best to buy
bulk), beans, dehydrated vegetables, nuts (watch out for allergies!), etc. There
is nothing worse than opening your fridge or pantry the first day of the fast
and finding nothing you could use. So – plan ahead. When
we are fasting, we tend to forget some very simple, yet wholesome and tasty
foods, for which we don’t really need recipes. Allow us to remind you of the
humble baked potato – it works great during the fast, topped with margarine,
onions, sautéed mushrooms, or even with nothing but a pinch of salt. Likewise,
don’t forget roasted peppers (recipe included in our collection, just because
it’s an all-time Serbian favorite), roasted garlic as a spread, roasted
mushrooms, you can roast practically any vegetable. Oh, yes, and did we mention
baked apples, topped with honey and a few chopped nuts? Use
your imagination. Try combining beans with rice, pasta, or other types of beans,
not to mention various vegetables. They all work well together. Incidentally,
beans are an excellent source of protein. So are soya chunks and peanut butter,
as well as all kinds of nuts (however, beware of snacking). When
buying canned foods, read the labels! Sometimes a certain type of can looks as
though its contents are perfect for a fasting meal, but if you read the label,
you find it contains all kinds of mysterious ingredients such as whey powder,
milk solids, etc, etc, which are a lenten “no-no.” Jello and other gelatin-based foods are NOT fasting, as they
are made from animal bones. On
a no-oil day (in the Serbian Church this means no olive oil, OR ANY OTHER KIND
OF OIL, including margarine), you can thicken a soup or vegetable dish by adding
some cornmeal, bran flakes, or even instant mashed-potato flakes. We
are planning to add more recipes to our collection, so please visit us again and
check for updates. |