If you have long wanted to try fasting, but the thought of a bland and monotonous Lenten menu stops you, then you are simply unfamiliar with our step-by-step recipes for Lent. After all, if you approach the preparation of meals for fasting rationally and at the same time with imagination, you can get a varied and very tasty set of dishes for every day. Of course, it cannot be said that such food will not be very different from what you are used to, but the very taste of properly prepared lean food will definitely appeal to even gourmets. And do not forget that in addition to traditional monastic recipes for Lent, literally every day new options for healthy Lenten dishes appear, more adapted to the taste preferences of modern people. So, below you will find simple and delicious recipes for fasting for lay believers with step-by-step instructions and photos. Also from our article you will learn what you can cook and eat during Lent, and what foods you absolutely cannot eat.
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Basics of the diet during Lent 2017 for the laity by day with examples of recipes
Before we begin to describe specific examples of recipes, it is worth saying a few words about the basics of the diet of lay believers during Lent 2017. To begin with, we note that Lent lasts 47 days and the heaviest (with days of hunger strike) are only the first and last weeks. In the remaining weeks, the diet is divided into 3 groups:
- dry eating, when you are allowed to eat only uncooked dishes without oil (Monday, Wednesday, Friday)
- boiled vegetable food without oil (Tuesday, Thursday)
- boiled food with butter (Saturday, Sunday)
Based on these basic rules, a Lenten menu is drawn up for the entire week. It is also worth noting that the basis of the diet during Lent for the laity by day (examples of recipes below) should be exclusively natural foods. It is advisable to consume as much fresh vegetables and fruits as possible, homemade preparations for the winter, and home-made fermented products. The latter, by the way, are very rich in vitamins, in particular C, which is very important in conditions of reduced immunity in early spring. Below you will find examples of delicious, healthy and fairly easy-to-prepare dishes for every day for the menu during Lent. We are sure that their taste will pleasantly surprise you, and these recipes themselves will definitely be included in your cookbook.
Delicious and simple salad for every day of Lent, step-by-step recipe with photos
First, we present to your attention a step-by-step recipe with photos of a delicious and simple salad for every day of Lent. It is based on affordable products - vegetables and fruits, so this salad can be prepared every day. But with one amendment - on all days except weekends, the dressing should be made only from lemon juice without oil. Find out how to prepare a delicious and simple salad for every day of Lent from the step-by-step recipe below.
Necessary ingredients for a delicious salad for every day of Lent
- potatoes - 3-4 pcs.
- pomegranate - 1 pc.
- walnuts (shelled) - 200g.
- red onion - 1 pc.
- cilantro - 1 bunch
- pepper
- vegetable oil
- lemon juice
Instructions for a delicious and simple salad recipe for every day of fasting
A simple recipe for the first course for the Lenten menu, step by step
Hot dishes must be included in the Lenten menu to ensure normal functioning of the stomach during Lent. As a rule, cabbage soup and light vegetable soups serve as first courses. The simple recipe for the first course for the Lenten menu, which we offer you below, belongs to the second category. The basis for this first dish for the Lenten menu is a simple recipe for vegetable broth. The quantity and type of vegetables in this recipe can be changed at your discretion.
Necessary ingredients for the first course recipe for the Lenten menu
- potatoes - 4-5 pcs.
- champignons - 0.5 kg
- carrots - 2 pcs.
- onion - 1 pc.
- flour - 2 tbsp. l.
- vegetable oil
- dill
- parsley
- Bay leaf
- ground black pepper
Instructions on how to prepare the first dish for the Lenten menu using a simple recipe
Cabbage cutlets for the Lenten menu, step-by-step recipe
Cabbage cutlets for the Lenten menu, a step-by-step recipe for which awaits your attention below, are an excellent option for a delicious snack. Such cutlets can be either an independent dish of Lenten cuisine or a good addition to porridges and boiled potatoes. Even though these meatless cutlets are made from cabbage, they are just as filling and flavorful as their meat counterparts. See for yourself by following our next step-by-step recipe.
Necessary ingredients for cabbage cutlets for the Lenten menu
- cabbage - 500 gr.
- onion - 1 pc.
- semolina - 30 gr.
- flour - 30 gr.
- garlic - 2 pcs.
- dill
- vegetable oil
- breadcrumbs
- pepper
Instructions for a step-by-step recipe for cabbage cutlets for the Lenten menu
Vegetable stew with lentils - step-by-step recipe for the menu during Lent
Another option for a tasty and healthy second course for the menu during Lent is vegetable stew with lentils. In general, lentils are a very underrated legume in our everyday cuisine. In the meantime, it is very useful and can greatly diversify the Lenten menu. Find out how to cook vegetable stew with lentils from the step-by-step recipe for the menu for Lent.
Necessary ingredients for vegetable stew with lentils in Lent
- potatoes - 3-4 pcs.
- tomatoes - 3 pcs.
- onion - 1 pc.
- carrots - 1 pc.
- lentils - 1/3 cup
- cabbage - 1/2 pcs.
- pepper
- vegetable oil
- spices to taste
Instructions for a step-by-step recipe for vegetable stew with lentils in Lent
Recipe for raw date dessert for every day of Lent, step-by-step instructions
Probably the most common misconception regarding nutrition during Lent is the idea that sweets are completely excluded from the Lenten menu. In fact, you can and even need to eat sweets during Lent, but only natural ones and without eggs. The simplest options for healthy and permitted desserts are honey and dried fruits. But for those who prefer desserts with more complex flavor combinations, we offer a recipe for raw date sweets for every day of Lent. The recipe for raw date dessert for each day of fasting is very simple to prepare and can be easily repeated using the following step-by-step instructions.
Essential Ingredients for Raw Date Dessert for Lent
- dates - 300 gr.
- walnuts/peanuts/cashews - 150 gr.
- cinnamon - 1 tsp.
- cocoa
- kerob
Instructions for a raw date dessert recipe for each day of fasting
On a note! If the variety of dates is dry and they do not give much liquid, you can add a little water or liquid honey for stickiness.
Delicious “Minutka” cookies - a step-by-step recipe for simple baking during Lent
Lenten baking can also be delicious, such as the simple Minutka cookie recipe below. The cookie dough is prepared from three simple ingredients, and you can choose absolutely any filling to suit your taste. But the best tasting “Minutka” cookies from the step-by-step recipe for simple baking in the post below are made with homemade thick jam. Read on to find out how to prepare this simple, quick and delicious delicacy.
Necessary ingredients for lean delicious Minutka cookies
- flour - 300 gr.
- sparkling water - 1/2 cup
- vegetable oil - 1/2 cup
- jam for filling
Instructions for a simple recipe for delicious Minutka cookies in Lent
Lenten food: recipe for meatless meatballs for Lent 2017, video
As you can see, Lent recipes can be simple and delicious at the same time. And in general, Lenten food, like all meals during Lent 2017, is rich in salads, baked goods, and second and first courses. Our next video recipe for Lent - meatless meatballs, also applies to Lenten food and is sure to please the lay faithful. Such lean food (recipe for meatless meatballs for Lent 2017), although not a monastery recipe, is perfect for an every day menu.
Lent is a very important time for Orthodox people. This is not only a time of spiritual cleansing and prayer, but this period also involves serious food restrictions.
Most people who decide to fast simply refuse foods containing animal fats, primarily meat, poultry, butter, milk and eggs. And on some days there is also fish. Of course, if you fast according to all the rules, then in this case there are more strict restrictions, but they will be discussed in one of the following articles.
And today we’ll talk about recipes in which we will not use animal fats. And there are actually quite a lot of such recipes. You can cook a lot of delicious dishes without using meat, and at the same time eat well and, most importantly, not feel hungry.
At the same time, we must try to ensure that each dish contains many useful substances, microelements, and vitamins. Lent lasts a long time, we all work, study, and it is important that we have enough strength and energy for all this.
That’s why today’s menu includes such recipes—nourishing, healthy, and most importantly, delicious.
Now Maslenitsa is in full swing, and every day we prepare pancakes for every taste. But we cook them mainly with milk, kefir, and of course with eggs. Although there are But it’s one thing without eggs, but how to cook them without milk.
It turns out that it is possible, and very tasty, using soy or almond milk. Let's see how to do this.
We will need:
- wheat flour - 1 cup
- flaxseed - 1 tbsp. spoon
- soy or almond milk - 250 ml.
- sugar - 1 tbsp. spoon
- baking powder - 1 teaspoon
- soda - 0.25 teaspoons
- salt - 0.25 teaspoons
- apple cider vinegar - 1 teaspoon
- vegetable oil - 1 tbsp. spoon
- vegetable oil - for frying
Preparation:
1. Grind flaxseed into flour in a coffee grinder. Then pour it with 2.5 tbsp. spoons of flour and let stand for 15 minutes. You will get a thick jelly-like mass that will replace eggs.
2. Sift the flour into a deep bowl along with baking powder.
3. Add salt, sugar and soda and mix.
4. Mix soy or almond milk with vinegar. We will have a fermented milk product that replaces kefir.
5. Pour the milk into the flour mixture. Mix thoroughly until all lumps are dissolved. Then add vegetable oil and then flaxseed flour infusion. Stir again until smooth.
If the dough turns out to be thick, you can add a little warm water. If you want the pancakes to be thin, make the dough thinner.
6. Heat the frying pan over high heat, then grease it with oil and let it warm up too. Pour a portion of the dough and bake first on one side, then on the other, until golden brown.
7. You can serve it with honey. Enjoy eating!
Roasted pumpkin and olive salad
This is a hearty and healthy salad, filled with vitamins, and also delicious.
We will need:
- pumpkin pulp - 300 g
- arugula or leaf lettuce - 100 g
- black olives, pitted – 50 g
- green onion - 2 pcs
- dried oregano - a pinch
- olive marinade - 1 tbsp. spoon
- olive oil - 1 - 1.5 tbsp. spoons
- pepper - to taste
Preparation:
1. Put the oven on preheat, we will need a temperature of 180 degrees. Meanwhile, peel the pumpkin and cut into 2 x 2 cm cubes. Sprinkle it with a little freshly ground pepper for flavor and drizzle with olive oil.
2. Bake for 20 - 30 minutes until the pumpkin is soft. Then take it out and let it cool completely.
3. Rinse the arugula or lettuce, drain and dry with a paper towel. Then place on a large flat plate.
4. Add pumpkin, olives cut into rings, finely chopped onion, and sprinkle with oregano.
5. For the dressing, mix the remaining olive oil with the olive marinade and pour it over the salad. Mix carefully and enjoy eating!
Pickled beet appetizer
We will need:
- beets - 1 kg
- onion - 1 pc.
- vegetable oil - 100 ml
- table vinegar 9% - 200 ml
- salt - 0.5 tsp
- pepper - a pinch
Preparation:
1. Rinse the beets thoroughly with a brush. Then wrap it in foil and bake in the oven for about 1 hour. The temperature should be 210 degrees.
2. Cool the finished beets and cut into thin strips.
3. Cut the onion into very thin half rings.
4. Prepare a pan, add beets mixed with onions into it. Season with salt and pepper, add vinegar. Stir gently so as not to damage the beets.
5. Sterilize glass jars; to do this, just scald them with boiling water. And fill them tightly with beets. Leave some space at the top for oil. Pour it into the jars; it should cover the beets by about 2 cm.
6. Cover with plastic lids and store in the refrigerator.
These beets can be eaten as an appetizer, as an addition to side dishes, or used as a dressing for lean borscht. Or you can simply spread it on bread and eat it as a small snack.
Soup - green pea puree
We will need:
- frozen green peas - 450 gr
- potatoes - 4 pcs.
- celery - 2 stalks
- carrots - 1 pc.
- onion - 1 pc.
- dried mint - 1 teaspoon
- salt, pepper - to taste
- vegetable oil
- croutons for serving
Preparation:
1. Wash and peel potatoes, onions and carrots. Cut the potatoes into small pieces, the onion into small cubes, grate the carrots.
2. Finely chop the celery. Thaw green peas.
3. Pour two liters of water into a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Add the chopped potatoes and cook for 10 minutes, then add the green peas and celery. Cook for another 10 minutes.
4. Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the onion until golden brown, then add the carrots and simmer all together for another 5 minutes.
5. Then put the contents into the pan with the vegetables, add mint, salt and pepper to taste. Cook everything together for 5 - 7 minutes.
6. Grind the vegetables in the soup using an immersion blender until pureed. Serve with croutons, which you can make yourself.
Soups - purees are very tasty and nutritious. In addition to this soup, you can prepare it, and you can use it both fresh and frozen.
You can also cook. If you have frozen wild mushrooms in your freezer, then you are guaranteed a healthy lunch. And if you haven’t prepared any supplies, or there’s nothing left, then this soup will turn out very tasty using champignons. Fortunately, they are now sold both fresh and frozen all year round.
In addition to pureed soups, you can also prepare regular soups. And almost any - and , and , and . We cook everything as usual, but without meat.
But I’d like to talk separately about soups with legumes - this is both a soup and as delicious as lentil soup. Such soups are tasty and nutritious, both with and without the use of meat products. And this is no coincidence, legumes are rich in protein, they are simply a storehouse of useful vitamins and microelements.
Lentil soup
Unfortunately, few people now cook with lentils. But in vain, these are not only the most delicious dishes, but also the healthiest. Today we will also have a potato casserole with minced lentils on our menu, and now for soup.
You can cook this soup with meat, it’s delicious, or you can cook it during Lent. Moreover, this will not affect the taste in any way.
We will need:
- green lentils - 1 cup
- potatoes - 3 pcs.
- carrots - 1 pc.
- celery root - 100 gr
- onion - 1 pc.
- garlic - 2 cloves
- lemon - 0.5 pcs
- tomato - 2 - 3 tbsp. spoons
- soy sauce - 1 tbsp. spoon
- spices - to taste
- salt, pepper - to taste
- vegetable oil - 3 - 4 tbsp. spoons
- greens for serving
Preparation:
1. Sort the lentils and rinse thoroughly. It is necessary to sort it out, as there may be small stones in it.
Fill it with two liters of cold water and put on fire. Let the water boil, reduce the heat and skim off the foam if necessary. Cook for 15 minutes.
2. Cut the potatoes into small cubes. Carrots and celery into thin strips, onions into small cubes or thin half rings. Chop the garlic. Cut half a lemon into thin slices.
3. Heat 1.5 - 2 tablespoons of oil in a frying pan and fry the potatoes in it over medium heat. Frying time should be about 10 minutes. At the same time, it must be stirred periodically.
4. Then place the potatoes in the pan with the lentils.
5. Pour the remaining oil into the same frying pan and fry the onion first, then the carrots and celery. The sauteing time will be 5 - 7 minutes. 2 minutes before readiness, add spices. Ground cumin and coriander are good for mung bean. You can also add paprika, it will give a good color and add flavor.
6. Add the tomato and fry everything together for a couple more minutes. If you add store-bought tomato paste, add a little water as it is thick and will burn in the pan. If you add grated tomato, or, then water will not be needed.
7. Place the stewed vegetables with tomatoes in a saucepan with soup. Pour in soy sauce and add chopped lemon. Let it boil and cook everything together for 15 - 20 minutes.
8. 5 - 7 minutes before readiness, add salt. After turning off the heat, let stand and brew for 10 - 15 minutes.
9. When serving, remove the lemon slices; they have given up their juice and have become ugly, so they will spoil the appearance. Pour the soup into cups. Sprinkle with fresh herbs.
In Turkey, lentil soup - chorba - is pureed. Therefore, if you wish, you can also make puree soup from it by grinding the contents with an immersion blender.
I must say that this kind of soup is prepared thick, it really takes a spoon. They simultaneously replace both the first and the second. They give you a wonderful feeling of fullness and after them you don’t want to eat for a very long time. And it’s even better not to talk about the taste, since it’s impossible to describe it in words. Just cook it once and you will understand everything yourself.
Granola
Granola is homemade muesli made from oatmeal, nuts, dried fruits and honey. This tasty and healthy breakfast is often prepared in America, and recently it has become very popular here. And it is no coincidence that granola is simply a storehouse of various vitamins, microelements and beneficial substances that have a great effect on metabolism. And such a product will definitely not be superfluous during Lent.
We will need:
- oat flakes – 300 gr
- mixed nuts - whatever you have - 200 gr
- pumpkin seeds - 70 gr
- sunflower seeds - 70 gr
- almond petals - 50 g
- honey - 150 gr
- large orange - 1 pc.
- olive oil - 3 tbsp. spoons
- ground cinnamon - 1 teaspoon
- raisins – 100 gr
- flaxseed - 1 tbsp. spoon
- salt - 0.5 teaspoons
Preparation:
1. Prepare a mixture of nuts, here you can use any nuts - hazelnuts, almonds, walnuts, cashews, etc. They need to be chopped, but left in fairly large pieces; you can use a blender for this.
2. Squeeze the juice out of the orange, you should get 150 ml and mix it in a saucepan with honey and butter.
3. Put the mixture on the lowest heat, add salt and cinnamon. Stir and heat until the honey is completely dissolved and the mass becomes homogeneous.
4. Pour oatmeal into a large bowl, add sunflower and pumpkin seeds, as well as almonds and chopped nuts.
5. Pour the honey mixture into the bowl and stir until all the dry ingredients are evenly coated.
6. Cover a baking tray with baking paper and place the entire mixture on it in an even layer.
7. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and place a baking sheet in it. Bake for 40 - 50 minutes. Remove and stir every 10 minutes. It is necessary that all ingredients are baked evenly.
Muesli bars are prepared in the same way. If you want to cook them, you only need to stir the contents once. When the mass is ready, let it cool slightly and cut into squares or rectangles in the form of bars.
8. When a dark crust appears on the surface, the granola is ready and can be taken out.
9. Let cool, add raisins and flaxseed. Mix and pour into a jar for storage. Store for no more than two weeks.
10. Eat for breakfast, served with milk.
And below is another recipe that may also be useful to you.
This is a simpler recipe with fewer ingredients, and you can choose which one you like best. Or cook them in two versions at once. The fast lasts a long time, so granola will not be superfluous.
Millet porridge with fruits
We will need:
- millet cereal - 0.5 cups
- sugar - 2 teaspoons
- salt - a pinch
- ground cinnamon - a pinch
- pear (any dried fruit can be used) - 1 pc (200 g)
- apple - 1 pc.
- parsley or mint
Preparation:
1. Rinse the millet thoroughly in plenty of cold water. Then pour it into a saucepan and add cold water so that it completely covers the cereal. Boil. Then drain the water and rinse the millet under running water.
2. Pour water over the millet again, this time we will need 1.5 cups. Bring to a boil, add salt to taste, then reduce heat and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes. During this time, the porridge should be completely ready.
3. Grind the porridge in a blender bowl until smooth.
4. If you use fresh fruits, then they must be peeled and cut into slices. If you use dried fruits, you must first boil them in a small amount of water so that they steam.
You can also use any canned fruit.
5. Place chopped fruits or steamed dried fruits on a plate. Place millet porridge on top. Sprinkle with cinnamon, pour over honey.
6. Serve garnished with a sprig of mint or parsley.
The recipe is very simple and easy to prepare. You can skip the step of grinding the porridge with a blender, this will turn out even faster.
You can also cook rice without millet. It turns out very tasty with vegetables, onions and carrots. So tasty, aromatic and very filling. My son is a vegetarian, and I very often cook this pilaf for him.
And in addition to rice and millet, delicious porridge can be prepared from pearl barley.
Barley with baked pumpkin and thyme
We will need:
- pearl barley - 1 cup
- pumpkin – 1 kg
- onion - 1 pc.
- garlic - 1 clove
- salt, pepper - to taste
- fresh or dried thyme - 1 teaspoon
Preparation:
1. Rinse the pearl barley thoroughly and soak in 1 liter of cold water for several hours, or overnight.
2. Wash the pumpkin and remove the peel and seeds. Then cut into 2 x 2 cm cubes.
3. Place the pumpkin prepared in this way in a baking dish, sprinkle with vegetable oil and sprinkle with half of the prepared thyme.
4. Preheat the oven to 220 degrees and bake the pumpkin in it for 30 minutes. Place the finished pumpkin on a plate.
5. Cut the onion into small cubes. Fry it in a small amount of oil in a thick pan for about 4 minutes.
6. Add pearl barley to the onion, from which all the water has previously been drained and rinsed under running water. Add chopped garlic and 1 liter of boiling water. Cook over low heat for 20 minutes until all the liquid has completely evaporated.
7. At the end of cooking, add salt and pepper to taste. And immediately close the pan with a lid.
8. Then remove from heat and cover with a towel, leave to infuse for another 15 - 20 minutes.
9. Add baked pumpkin and mix gently. Place on plates and sprinkle with remaining thyme.
If you don’t have thyme, then it’s okay, you can use basil or parsley. Or just use dry herbs, such as Provençal. By the way, they also contain thyme.
Pumpkin with champignons and celery, stewed in a frying pan
- pumpkin pulp - 300 gr
- champignon mushrooms – 300 gr
- celery root - 250 gr
- onion - 1 pc.
- soy sauce - 1.5 tbsp
- salt, pepper - to taste
- vegetable oil - 2 - 3 tbsp. spoons
Preparation:
1. Peel and rinse the celery root. Then cut the onion and celery into small cubes.
2. Also cut the pumpkin into cubes measuring 2 by 2 cm.
3. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the onion for 3 - 4 minutes. Then add the pumpkin and fry everything together for another 5 minutes.
4. Add celery and simmer the contents for 5 - 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Fry the chopped mushrooms in a separate frying pan. I use mushrooms, but you can use any fresh or frozen mushrooms.
If frozen mushrooms are used, it is not necessary to defrost them. You can put it in the pan straight from the freezer.
6. After the mushrooms are fried, add them to the frying pan, mix everything, salt and pepper to taste and add soy sauce. Simmer everything together for another 5 minutes.
7. Serve hot; if there are pumpkin seeds, you can sprinkle them on the dish.
The same dish can be prepared without celery. And if you want to make it more nutritious and satisfying, you can use potatoes instead.
Potato and Lentil Casserole - Shepherd's Pie
Everyone loves it, no matter how they cook it. We prepared it too, and even in several different versions. But they were all prepared with minced meat. And today we have a Lenten menu, so I have an excellent recipe for you, tested. When you eat such a prepared casserole right away and don’t realize that it is vegetarian, the appearance and, most importantly, the taste will be similar to the usual one.
When I first cooked it for my son, he couldn’t believe for a long time that it didn’t contain a single gram of meat, and he spent a long time picking at it with a fork, looking for what was wrong with it. But I didn’t pick anything up, since everything in it is as it should be.
We will need:
- potatoes - 10 pcs (large)
- white cabbage – 300 gr
- onion - 1 pc.
- green lentils - 1 cup
- tomato - 1 piece (large) or tomato
- vegetable broth
- salt, pepper - to taste
- spices - to taste and desire
Preparation:
1. Peel the potatoes and boil until tender in salted water. Pour the broth into a separate pan.
2. Rinse the lentils in running water, add water, add salt and cook until tender for about 30 minutes. It is best to use green lentils.
3. Peel the onion and cut into cubes. Cut the cabbage into strips.
4. Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the onion in it until golden brown. Then add the cabbage, fry briefly and pour in the broth. Cover with a lid and simmer until done.
5. At the end of the stew, add the tomato to the pan and simmer everything together for another 5 minutes.
6. Then add the lentils and simmer everything together.
7. Mash the potatoes. During fasting, you can add a little butter, milk or hard cheese. But we are cooking during Lent, so we don’t add any of the above.
8. I will bake the casserole in a springform pan, which will make it easier to take it out of later. Grease the bottom and sides of the pan with vegetable oil and add half of the mashed potatoes.
9. Grind the lentils and cabbage through a meat grinder, thereby obtaining lentil mince. Place it on the potato layer and smooth it over the entire surface.
10. Place the remaining mashed potatoes on top.
11. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees, then place the pan in it and bake for 25-30 minutes, until the surface of the casserole is slightly browned. To make the crust even browner, you can grease the top with vegetable oil.
12. Take out the finished form and let it cool slightly. Then open it and cut it into segments, eat with pleasure!
In order not to spoil the mold with a knife, its bottom can be pre-lined with a piece of parchment paper cut to size.
Dumplings with potatoes and mushrooms
Well, what about without dumplings? This is a favorite dish that is used not only during Lent. And we have already cooked, very tasty and appetizing. By the way, the recipe also gives an option for preparing an excellent dough.
Today we’ll make the filling more complicated and also prepare dumplings with mushrooms. Mushrooms are known to be pure protein. And during Lent, in the absence of meat, it will come in handy.
By the way, in order not to overlap with the previous recipe, today we will prepare everything differently.
We will need:
- potatoes - 500 gr
- fresh or marinated mushrooms (any) - 200 gr
- dill - 50 gr
- flour - 700 gr
- salt - to taste
- vegetable oil - 2 tbsp. spoons
Preparation:
1. Peel the potatoes and cut them into cubes or small slices. Pour in a small amount of water; it should only slightly cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook for 20 minutes. There is no need to salt the water.
2. Drain the potato broth into a separate pan and salt it to taste. It should be approximately 500 ml. decoction
3. If you use salted or pickled mushrooms, then place them in a colander to drain excess liquid. Then cut them into small pieces
If you use fresh mushrooms, then you must first cut them into pieces and fry them in a small amount of oil.
4. Crush the potatoes into puree; you can use a blender for this. Then add mushrooms and chopped dill. You also need to add salt and pepper. If the mushrooms are salted, then this may not be necessary. In any case, rely on your taste.
Mix the filling.
5. Now let's start preparing the dough. To do this, add vegetable oil to the warm potato broth and add sifted flour in parts. Each time it must be mixed thoroughly.
When all the flour has been added, the dough should be placed on a table sprinkled with flour and the dough should be thoroughly kneaded, kneading it for at least 5 - 7 minutes. It should turn out sticky, but don’t let this scare you. Cover the dough with film or a bowl and let it stand at room temperature for 15 - 20 minutes.
6. Pour flour onto the table, knead the remaining dough again, then cut off a piece and roll it into a rope 2 - 3 cm thick. Then cut it into small pieces 2 - 3 cm long, depending on whether the dumplings are large or small You will cook.
7. Using your hands, form each piece into a small cake, flattening it with your hand. Then roll out thin small cakes.
8. Lay out the filling and connect the edges, you can roll them into a pigtail or simply connect the edges with cloves.
9. Pour water into a large saucepan and bring it to a boil, add salt. Carefully place the dumplings in it, one at a time, and carefully mix with a slotted spoon so that they do not stick to the bottom.
After the water boils again, you need to wait until all the dumplings float to the surface. Now you need to reduce the heat and cook them for another 2 minutes.
10. Place on a plate with a slotted spoon and serve.
You can use fried onions in oil as a dressing. It turns out just super delicious!
Potato gnocchi with pumpkin
Gnocchi are Italian dumplings that use flour, semolina, and potatoes as ingredients. And they fit perfectly into the Lenten menu.
We will need:
- potatoes - 200 gr
- pumpkin pulp - 200 g
- garlic - 2 cloves
- flour - 2 - 2.5 cups
- olive oil - 2 - 3 tbsp. spoons
- nutmeg - a pinch
- fresh greens
- salt, pepper - to taste
Preparation:
1. Peel the potatoes and pumpkin and cut into 2 by 2 cm cubes. Pour in cold water so that it just covers all the vegetables. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
2. Pour the vegetable broth into a bowl, and puree the vegetables using a blender. Let them cool a little.
3. Wash the greens, dry them and divide them into two parts. Peel and chop the garlic.
4. Add nutmeg, salt, pepper and half the herbs to the puree. Stir, then add vegetable oil and stir again.
5. Add flour in small portions, stirring with a spoon each time. Knead the dough until it becomes sticky. Roll the dough into a ball, cover with film and let rest for 10 minutes.
6. Separate part of the dough from the overall piece and roll it into a thin sausage 2 cm wide. Cut the sausages into circles, make a dent with your finger. Work on a floured table.
7. Place the gnocchi on a floured tray and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
8. Heat water in a large saucepan, salt it and place the gnocchi in it. Stir with a slotted spoon so that they do not stick to the bottom. Once they float to the surface, cook for another three minutes.
9. When serving, drizzle the gnocchi with oil, sprinkle with garlic and remaining fresh herbs.
Chickpea hummus
We will need:
- chickpeas - 500 gr
- sesame - 3 - 4 tbsp. spoons
- olive oil – 70 ml
- garlic - 3 cloves
- lemon - 1 pc.
- salt, red pepper - to taste
- paprika ground cilantro or parsley for garnish
Preparation:
1. Grind sesame seeds into flour in a coffee grinder, add a spoonful of olive oil and mix. We will get tahini paste, it is the main ingredient for hummus. Sometimes you can buy it in a store, but it is sold extremely rarely here.
2. Soak chickpeas overnight in cold water. Then rinse it in running water and put it in a saucepan. Fill with water to the top, bring to a boil, then drain.
3. Fill with water again, bring to a boil and drain. And then do the same thing again.
4. Then fill it with water again and bring to a boil. Add the whole garlic clove and cook for 1.5 - 2 hours. Then pour the broth into a separate bowl.
5. Pour boiled chickpeas with cold water, set aside three full tablespoons, and put the rest in a blender bowl and puree, adding sesame paste and a little pea broth.
6. Add the two remaining and chopped garlic cloves, squeeze out the lemon juice and pour in the remaining oil. Beat the mixture until it becomes a light puree.
7. Place the hummus on a plate, sprinkle with fresh herbs, pour over the oil and garnish with the remaining whole peas. Sprinkle red pepper and paprika on top.
8. Serve with fresh vegetables and pita bread or bread.
Lenten buckwheat cutlets
It happens that sometimes boiled buckwheat remains. You cook porridge, don’t eat it right away, and it sits in the refrigerator. It’s a shame to throw it away, but I don’t want to eat it anymore. And then I started cooking with it. And if it’s not during Lent, then with the addition of a small amount of minced meat.
The cutlets taste as if they were entirely meat.
I started cooking the same cutlets with minced fish, and they also turn out very tasty. By the way, on some days during Lent you can eat fish, in which case you can cook buckwheat cutlets with fish.
But since my son does not eat meat, I prepared cutlets for us with the addition of minced meat, and for him with the addition of potatoes. Since he loves both, he always eats them with great pleasure.
When I started preparing today’s article, I started watching the video and saw a familiar recipe. And I decided not to describe it, but to include this video in the article.
And for Lent, this is just the right recipe. So take it to your piggy bank and cook with pleasure!
Lenten apple muffins
We will need:
- large apples - 3 pcs.
- banana - 1 piece
- flour - 200 gr
- sugar - 5 - 6 tbsp. spoons
- vegetable oil - 4 tbsp. spoons
- baking powder - 1 teaspoon
- cinnamon - 1 teaspoon
- raisins or nuts - optional
Preparation:
1. Wash the apples, dry them and cut them into halves. Remove the core, do not peel the peel. Bake in the oven at 180 degrees for 15 - 20 minutes. You can also bake it in the microwave. The apples should become soft.
2. Let cool slightly, then use a spoon to scoop out all the pulp. Slice the banana and mash everything with a fork until smooth.
3. Add vegetable oil and mix.
4. In a separate bowl, mix sifted flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and cinnamon. The muffins will turn out very tasty if you add dried fruits with nuts or seeds, or just one thing, to the dough.
5. Add puree to the dry mixture and mix. If it was not enough to obtain an elastic dough, you can add a little apple juice. Mix the whole mass until smooth.
6. Grease the prepared muffin tins with vegetable oil and fill them 2/3 full. Bake for 30 minutes at 180 degrees.
7. Remove from the molds and serve.
Vitamin smoothie
Using the same principle as this recipe, you can prepare smoothies from different fruits and berries, as well as their combinations.
We will need:
- large oranges - 4 pcs.
- bananas - 3 pcs.
- red grapefruit – 1 pc.
- mango - 1 piece
Preparation:
1. Wash all fruits. Squeeze juice from oranges and grapefruit. Peel bananas and mangoes and cut the pulp into smaller pieces.
2. Place the pulp in a blender bowl, add juice there and beat until smooth.
3. Serve in glasses with a straw. You can decorate with a sprig of mint or slices of orange or banana.
You can use apples, pears, kiwis, tangerines and all commercially available fruits for smoothies. You can also make smoothies with the addition of vegetables.
This is the menu we have for today.
Along with such simple and everyday dishes as dumplings and pancakes, I tried to give lesser-known recipes such as hummus, gnocchi and granola. So your Lenten breakfasts, lunches and dinners will be even more varied and tasty with them.
I hope that you liked today’s recipes, and that by cooking them you won’t go hungry. All the recipes turned out just right - satisfying, nutritious and very tasty.
Bon appetit! And fast for HEALTH!
19/04/2017 19:49
Great Lent is 40 days of both spiritual and dietary abstinence. However, this is not the only post of the year. There are also Peter's Fast, the Assumption Fast, and the Nativity Fast. And each of them requires certain dietary restrictions.
During the weeks of fasting, many housewives are happy to limit themselves in food, following a diet for the sake of losing weight, but at the same time they are seriously worried about the diet of the rest of the family members. And for good reason - after all, many men and children resist the Lenten table and may reject another lunch consisting of porridge and boiled beets.
Contrary to the established opinion about crackers and water, meals during fasting can and should be varied and nutritious. To do this, meat, eggs and dairy products should be replaced with lean counterparts, and then lunch will no longer look unappetizing.
Here are 15 delicious dishes that you can prepare during Lent.
1. Oatmeal jelly - a replacement for yogurt
Not everyone likes oatmeal jelly, and almost no one prepares such a dish during Lent. Because of this, few people know that sour jelly is very similar to yogurt.
To prepare, you need to take a standard package of oatmeal (400 g) and a crust of rye bread. Place the ingredients in a two-liter jar and fill with cold water. The jar should be left for 12-24 hours, stirring occasionally.
Then strain the oatmeal through a sieve, pour the liquid into a saucepan and cook over low or medium heat. The mixture must be stirred constantly to prevent it from burning. Pour the hot jelly into jars and place in the refrigerator.
2. Rice with honey and nuts with lean milk
Lenten porridge can be made very tasty and nutritious without adding sugar to it. You can also cook porridge in water - the taste will not suffer much from this. If you are used to cereals with milk, you can take soy or peanut milk.
Peanut milk is easy to prepare – grind the nuts into very fine crumbs, add water, mix and strain.
Rice porridge needs to be salted (after cooking) and add honey and your favorite nuts. You can please your loved ones on holiday with such a healthy and tasty dish.
Even Lenten cookies can be tasty, healthy and satisfying.
For cookies you need oatmeal, frozen cranberries or jam, and vegetable oil. Oatmeal should be fried in sunflower or coconut oil, then placed in a sieve and allowed to drain off excess fat.
Grind the oatmeal in a blender (you don’t have to grind everything, depending on your taste), mix with the berries. Form the dough into flat cakes, place on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven until golden brown.
4. Broccoli stew with peas and avocado
This “green” stew will come in very handy during Lent. It will help replenish energy, as well as vitamins.
Take fresh broccoli, you can also add cauliflower to the dish. To add variety to the stew, add green beans.
When the broccoli, beans and green peas are cooked, you can add the avocado and season the dish with garlic sauce. Serve hot.
5. Nutella
What would breakfast be without Nutella? The classic version of this delicacy is not lean, as it contains milk powder. We offer an alternative recipe without the use of animal products.
To prepare, you will need whole hazelnuts, honey, cocoa powder and coconut oil. Hazelnuts need to be soaked overnight in cold water. In a blender, grind the hazelnuts into fine crumbs, add cocoa powder to taste, a little butter, just a little honey (or maple syrup) and vanilla if desired.
Grind to a paste and add to lean pancakes mixed with soy milk, or spread on a loaf. Yummy! Try it!
6. Sandwich with lean bean mayonnaise
Let's get back to our sandwich. A meatless sandwich should be satisfying to satisfy your hunger for a long time.
For the sandwich we will need lettuce, rye or whole grain bread, canned beans, cucumber, and tomato to taste. Cut the vegetables into small slices, mash the beans in a plate and add butter and salt. Now the beans will act as lean mayonnaise.
Grease the bun itself with bean mayonnaise, and place all the vegetables evenly on top. Cover with the second part of the bun (or bread). Bon appetit!
7. Kale chips
Lent has begun and you want some chips? Regular potato chips are considered lean, but they have little benefit.
You can make chips from white cabbage that you can eat without worrying about your health. To do this, you need to disassemble the head of cabbage into sheets, cut into pieces and grease with oil. Season the future chips with salt and pepper and place on a baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and dry the chips until done.
This idea is popular not only during fasting, but also during weight loss. These candies are very sweet, they are perfect for tea, and will not harm your figure.
The easiest option is to grind nuts and dried fruits, and then roll the balls in coconut flakes. There is another option, no less tasty.
Take a dried fruit without a pit (for example, dried tangerines will not work, but prunes are just right) and cut a hole with a knife. Place a small nut like hazelnut, almond or peanut inside. The future candy should be coated with honey and then rolled in coconut flakes, sesame seeds or poppy seeds.
Such Lenten sweets will appeal to both adults and children. Be careful - the candy is too sweet!
In Rus', many different pies were prepared during Lent. The peasants added to the filling everything that was left from the meal: porridge, pickles and mushrooms. Pies were eaten instead of bread with soup and main courses.
Salty pies can be prepared with cucumbers, stewed fresh or sauerkraut, mushrooms, potatoes, buckwheat or rice. To make the pies tastier, the filling should be fried in a frying pan with vegetable oil.
Apples, pumpkin, carrots with honey, jam or frozen berries go great in sweet pies. Pumpkin pies are especially delicious, even though many people don’t like this vegetable.
Pie dough should be yeast: Put a teaspoon of yeast in a bowl, grind it with sugar, add a glass of water and knead into a thin dough. When it rises, you can add salt and flour to the desired thickness.
10. Lenten borscht
Lent is a time of restrictions, and many, especially men, want hearty food. Unfortunately, the classic borscht recipe contains meat and is not suitable for Lent. But what happens if you replace meat with mushrooms?
Borscht with mushrooms is more reminiscent of mushroom soup, and therefore it is necessary to add beets, parsley and beans to it. You need to prepare borscht in the same way as classic, removing only the stage of cooking the beef.
11. Dumplings
Meat and completely non-lean dumplings can be replaced with dumplings. They can be with anything: potatoes, mushrooms, cranberries or raspberries. On some major holidays, fish is allowed, so on such days you can cook dumplings with fish.
For the dumpling dough you only need flour, water, oil and salt. This dough does not require yeast.
All ingredients must be mixed carefully and thoroughly, gradually adding flour to salted water. You need to mix flour into the resulting dough until it stops “absorbing” it into itself.
This dish came to us from Lithuania. It has a very unusual taste and fills you up quickly. Be sure that you will like this porridge!
First you need to boil the pearl barley. Before cooking, pearl barley is soaked overnight. In the morning you can drain the water and cook it. Please note that this process will take a long time.
Next you need to grate the raw potatoes. Place barley and grated potatoes in a hot frying pan greased with vegetable oil. Fry the glass porridge until golden brown.
The Lithuanian dish must be served warm, first garnished with fresh herbs.
13. Salad with mushrooms and pine nuts
To prevent vitamin deficiency from taking away all your strength during fasting, you need to fortify yourself with a vitamin salad. The mushrooms in its composition will be saturated with healthy and high-quality vegetable protein.
To prepare the salad you will need blue onions, mushrooms, spinach and pine nuts. Finely chop the onion, pour boiling water over it and place in a bowl. Finely chop the spinach and mushrooms, add pine nuts. The salad can be dressed with garlic sauce or olive oil. You can also garnish it with arugula or basil.
14. Potato pancakes (cutlets)
Potatoes have long been used to prepare a variety of dishes: chips, French fries, casseroles. You can make cutlets from this product during Lent.
To prepare the cutlets you will need potatoes, flour, onions and carrots. Carrots need to be fried together with onions in a frying pan. Please note that these ingredients must be chopped very finely so that whole pieces of onion do not end up in the cutlets.
The fried mixture must be mixed either with mashed potatoes (make sure there are no lumps in it), to which no water has been added, or with finely grated raw potatoes. In the first case you will get pancakes (cutlets), in the second - classic potato pancakes.
From this “dough” you need to make small cutlets, then place them in a hot frying pan and fry until golden brown.
15. Salad with crab meat and corn
On some days, a fasting person can afford fish. Mostly such days are Sundays and holidays.
And as you know, crab sticks are made from surimi - minced white fish meat. Corn and sweet peppers are ideal for this product. The salad is perfect for a second course and will fill you up for a long time.
To prepare the salad you need crab meat or sticks, canned corn, red or yellow pepper and herbs. You can season the salad with mashed ripe avocado paste.
Come up with new and original ideas, try new dishes - and then the Lenten table will not look unappetizing or make you want to buy grilled chicken. Also, do not forget that children and the sick are allowed indulgence, and in addition, spiritual cleansing is more important than abstinence during fasting.
Bon appetit!
Lenten dishes represent a category of foods that Orthodox Christians eat on special days of fasting, when it is not allowed to eat meat, eggs, dairy products, sweets, or drink alcohol. Such a limitation in products, it would seem, should have made the table too meager. However, in reality, this is far from the case! Even from the vegetables and fruits we are familiar with, you can make a real culinary masterpiece. In general, the category of Lenten dishes is very diverse and is replete with thousands of all kinds of recipes, as you can see by studying this section of our website.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner during Lent
Lenten food, like ordinary food, can vary in purpose. This means that there are dishes for both breakfast and lunch, as well as dinner. In addition, such dishes can be quite everyday, that is, designed for every day, and they can also be festive. Therefore, even for a birthday during Lent, you can prepare a wonderful festive table. It will turn out, we assure you, very tasty. Your guests won't even notice that some products are missing!
In addition, Lenten dishes are very diverse in type. So, for example, you won’t have to exclude snacks, first courses, or main courses from your diet. You can even indulge in sweet treats if you prepare them wisely. And even our favorite cutlets may not leave the Lenten table if the meat is replaced with fish or, for example, lentils.
Thus, even by eliminating some foods from your diet, you can still leave it approximately the same as before fasting. And sometimes replacing some components with others makes the food more advantageous in terms of taste.
Dishes from cereals and legumes
Cereal dishes occupy an important place on the Lenten table. First of all, this is due to their satiety. Even the simplest porridge cooked in water can fill you up no worse than a piece of fried meat. In addition, such food will be much healthier.
Most often, the following cereals are prepared during Lent: buckwheat, rice, millet, oatmeal. As a rule, they are cooked as a side dish, and also added to all kinds of lean soups.
In addition to cereals, legumes (peas, chickpeas, lentils, beans) are widely used. In terms of their nutritional qualities, they are not inferior to meat, but their benefits are much greater, because in their composition you will not find “harmful” cholesterol, as well as growth hormones.
Dishes from vegetables, mushrooms and fruits
The main components of dishes during fasting still remain vegetables. They are used to prepare appetizers, salads, first and second courses. In addition to the fact that they are tasty and low in calories, they are also very healthy. Vegetables are rich in a variety of vitamins and minerals, as well as a variety of other substances needed by the body. Thus, vegetable dishes during Lent not only give believers the opportunity to demonstrate their humility before God, but also improve their health, which, perhaps, will be a reward for humility.
The most common vegetables to use during fasting are: eggplant, broccoli, zucchini, cabbage, potatoes, turnips, beets, pumpkin, spinach.
Mushrooms are a fairly popular ingredient in many Lenten recipes. They can be an excellent substitute for meat, and in addition, they can be widely used in preparing all kinds of dishes, just like the vegetables discussed earlier. The most commonly used are oyster mushrooms and champignons, which are available on store shelves all year round. However, you can also use wild mushrooms if you have the opportunity.
Also in this context, one cannot fail to mention fruits. They are usually consumed on their own, as a substitute for desserts. In addition, they can also be components of some sweet dish.
The most common fruit in our area is apples, however, you can safely eat overseas fruits on fasting days. So you don’t have to limit yourself in consuming pineapples, bananas and other gifts of nature. In addition, they will be very useful for maintaining health!
Fish and seafood dishes
During fasting, meat can be replaced not only with plant foods. On some days, which are not particularly strict, you can eat all kinds of fish. It could be river, sea or even oceanic. It doesn't matter. As you probably know, you can cook a real masterpiece from fish! So in the event of any celebration that falls during Lent, you can please your guests and yourself with fish in any culinary preparation that you prefer.
It is also allowed to consume seafood during fasting: shrimp, squid, mussels, oysters, seaweed, etc.
Baking on fast days
Baking on fasting days, like many other dishes listed earlier, can remain on your menu. All you need is to cook it using lean dough, which does not contain milk, butter or eggs. Its base is any flour of your choice (traditional wheat, buckwheat, corn or any other). Other Ingredients: Water, Baking Soda, Yeast, Salt.
From this lean dough you can make any baked goods: pancakes, pies and pies, pizza, rolls, etc. The filling can be vegetable, fruit, mushroom or fish.
Results
Fasting is not just a restriction in food, it is your ability to show bodily humility and spiritual humility. However, this does not mean at all that you should starve yourself and exhaust your body. Therefore, be careful when creating a Lenten menu for every day, trying to make it balanced. Remember that health comes first!
We hope that the photo recipes on our site will help you create a tasty and varied diet during Lent.
Fasting for a believer is a special time, a time of prayer and deep thoughts.
During this period, a person’s diet changes greatly, and serious restrictions are imposed on him. With improperly organized nutrition during fasting, a deterioration in the general condition and even exacerbation of certain diseases is possible. On the other hand, fasting is a time of cleansing, including physical cleansing. Therefore, from a medical point of view, fasting is a completely reasonable event, only with the caveat that you need to approach it thoughtfully.
Let me make a reservation right away that you can find out about the spiritual meaning of fasting by contacting your spiritual mentor. Here I want to look at the post from a nutritionist's point of view.
Basic principles of proper nutrition during fasting
- The main rule is the exclusion of all animal foods: meat, fish, poultry, milk and dairy products, eggs. Respectively, The basis of the diet will be plant products– grains, legumes, vegetables, fruits, nuts, mushrooms.
- Try not to let your diet. Don't skip breakfast, don't forget about snacks.
- In the absence of animal foods, which are rich in protein and promote a long-term feeling of fullness, frequent bouts of hunger are possible. During this period, there is a great temptation to overeat baked goods and sweets. However, there is no talk of any cleansing in this case. To avoid feeling hungry, eat regularly and include in your daily diet foods rich in complex carbohydrates and containing plant protein - whole grains and legumes.
- Particular attention should be paid during the period of fasting soy products. There are a great variety of them now - soy milk, tofu cheese, all of this should be included in your diet.
- Sometimes it's not so difficult to start a post correctly as to end it. It would seem that everything is over, the prohibitions have been lifted, you can eat forbidden foods. However, I want to warn you against overeating after fasting. Gradually begin to include animal foods in your diet after fasting. and be sure to combine it with plant foods - vegetables and grain products.
Lenten menu for the week
MONDAY
Nutritionist's comment:I would like to start the Lenten menu with a traditional breakfast in an unusual design. Oatmeal contains complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber, vegetable proteins and B vitamins. To maintain health, an adult should consume at least 400 g of vegetables daily (preferably more). Unfortunately, few people can boast of such a diet. One way to enrich your menu with vegetables is light vegetable salads. These salads are “light” both in execution and in terms of calorie content. In addition to vegetable protein, lentils contain folic acid and iron. In the recipe for green beans, butter must be replaced with olive oil. |
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
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