More fasting recipes for Advent

The Byzantines do not fast from alcohol and do not fast on the weekends. By the way, it is so much easier to fast and abstain when everyone in the parish is doing it....the beauty of being Byzantine.

Meatless Chili and if you skip the cheese, you can eat this on the non-dairy days as well as the non-meat days. I served with corn bread, of course. Most of my recipes, which I have learned from others, took no more than 45 minutes, as I was a working mum.

• Prep/Total Time: 30 min.
• Yield: 4 Servings

102030

Ingredients

• 1 can (16 ounces) hot chili beans, undrained
• 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) Mexican stewed tomatoes
• 1 cup frozen corn, thawed
• 1/2 cup chunky salsa
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped green pepper
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped sweet red pepper
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 4 tablespoons fat-free sour cream
• 4 tablespoons shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese

Directions

In a large saucepan, combine the first nine ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Top each serving with sour cream and cheese. 

Another good thing to eat when fasting is vegetarian curry. Here is one recipe out of many. I omit the corn and serve with nan bread, which is really cheap here and in England.

Ingredients

1. 1 tbsp vegetable oil
2. 1 onion, thinly sliced
3. 1 garlic clove, crushed
4. 5 tbsp mild curry paste
5. 400ml can coconut milk
6. 150ml vegetable stock
7. 125g fine green beans, trimmed
8. 1 large sweet potato, cut into chunks
9. 175g baby corn, halved lengthways
10. 1/2 small cauliflower (about 375g), broken into small florets
11. 100g ground almonds
12. 410g can green lentils, drained

Directions

1. 1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and sauté the onion and garlic for 5-6 minutes, until softened. Stir in the curry paste and fry for 2 minutes.
2. 2. Add the coconut milk, stock, beans, potato, corn and cauliflower. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 10 minutes, until the vegetables are just tender.
3. 3. Season to taste, then stir in the ground almonds and lentils. Simmer for a few minutes more until warmed through. Serve with plain boiled rice

A third really easy recipe for fasting is for bean burritos. If the family is really hungry, make Spanish rice with these.

Filling
1 (14 ounce) can refried beans (I use fat free)
1 teaspoon chili powder or 1 teaspoon ground dried chile
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
3 -5 dashes garlic powder
hot sauce
1 cup hot cooked rice (I usually omit) (optional)
8 ounces cheddar cheese or 8 ounces monterey jack pepper cheese, shredded or thinly sliced (I use low fat)
your favorite salsa
1 package flour tortilla 

On the non-dairy days, omit the cheese and substitute onions and vegies. |Lentil soup was also a staple in my family.