Lent - An Odyssey of Food

So for Lent, we have given up eating out. This means that the food responsibility lays all on me now. This is a lot of pressure. And it's Lent, so there will be meatless days. Pressure.

My original intent was to blog daily, but life happens. So now, since I have some time, it's time to present the last 3 days and a preview of what we're having today. Don't get drool on your keyboard...

Ash Wednesday

On Ash Wednesday, we went "Vegan." Ok...we didn't, because we caved to the yumminess that is cheese, but still...the intent was there. First up: Pico de Gallo.

Super simple and completely yummy. This is a huge recipe, so I usually halve it.

• 6 Roma (plum) tomatoes, diced (seeded - MUST take seeds out)
• 1/2 red onion, minced
• chopped fresh cilantro (I never measure my herbs, I just use what looks good to me)
• 1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced (recommended that you wear rubber gloves when working with peppers...especially the seeds...that stuff doesn't just "wash away")
• 1/2 lime, juiced (don't cheat and use the stuff in the plastic lime...that is from concentrate and doesn't taste nearly as fresh)
• Fresh garlic clove, minced (again, I use what works for me, because I LOVE garlic)
• garlic powder
• cumin

• salt and black pepper (I use all seasonings "to taste" and only ever measure in baking circumstances...)

Hear is where the Pico gets tricky.  Are you ready?  Brace yourself...
Take the ingredients, mix them together in a bowl.  Refrigerate at least 3 hours before serving.  Seriously...that's it.  That recipe will yield "12 servings" of Pico.  That's a lot of fresh salsa.

Fried Plantains

"What the hell is a 'Plantain'?" you ask? A plantain

is kind of like a banana, but it generally lower in sugar and cooked.  They are usually used when they are still green, or unripe, and are, therefore, quite starchy.  They're used a lot in Latin American and Caribbean cooking.  If you've never had one, go to the grocery store right now, buy one, fry them, and eat them.  Then stop back here and thank me.


The hardest part about plantains is getting it out of the skin.  Since the best time to use them is before they ripen, the skin is tough and, at times, still stuck to the flesh of the fruit (somewhere, juvenile minds are exploding...).  Once the skin is off, slice the fruit into chips, sprinkle with lime juice, season (I generally use whatever spice I'm using on my main dish, but fresh cracked black pepper is super yummy), place in a saute pan with some oil in a single layer.  Fry one side, flip, and fry the next side.  Serve with your main dish and enjoy a yummy starch that is neither rice nor potatoes.  You're welcome.

Last but not least:  the Vegan Fajitas.  First thing you need to do is mix the marinade.

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• dried oregano
• chili powder
• ground cumin
• garlic powder
• 1-2 tsp white sugar.

So mix that all together in a large bowl.  Then chop veggies:

• 1 large portobello mushroom cap (stem, no stem; quills, no quills...all up to you.  I personally use both)
• 1/2 red onion, sliced
• 1/2 yellow onion, sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, cut into thin strips
• 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into thin strips
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips

Put the veggies in the marinade and toss to coat all the veggies. (The mushrooms will soak up A LOT of the marinade, so you may need to add more, as you see fit.)  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes but not more than 24 hours.

Rinse and drain:

• 1 (8.75 oz) can whole kernel corn (the small one...trust me)
• 1 (15 oz) can black beans

Now heat some oil (olive, veg, canola...whatever!) in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Drain the vegetables and saute until tender, about 10-15 minutes.  Stir in the corn and beans; increase the heat to high for 5 minutes to brown the vegetables.

Generally, I make rice (or cilantro rice...you know....like Chipotle), then stack my "fajitas" to resemble burritos, using the Pico de Gallo and, of course, cheese...which then takes the "vegan" out of the title.  But they are so YUMMY that way.  Sorry, vegan-ites, I cannot give up cheese.

 

And there you go....DINNER!!!