“Fasting Is A Medicine” – St. John Chrysostom 4th Century

I just realized that the Lenten Season is nearly upon us . . . again! There always seems to be that slight feeling of dread about what we can’t have in order to be sacrificial during Lent. Yes, we should ‘give up’ things in order to strengthen our spiritual resolve, but we can add things to our life, during Lent, to bring about change in our outlook, too.

Our family always does meatless on Wednesdays as well as the mandatory Fridays of Lent. We also try to stick to the ‘old-fashioned’ notion of fasting. We have our three meals a  day and avoid snacking. It is always interesting to note, during the first few days of Lent, how many times we actually find ourselves absentmindedly putting food in our mouths.

That is our ‘give ups’ of Lent. This year, however, I’m thinking I’d like to put some more positive spins on the six weeks. I’m going to be a better steward of our grocery budget taking more time and creativity in meal preparation. I usually fix a decent meal for my family but am thinking about watching the health aspect more and incorporate more healthy foods in a way that will add to their nutrition as well as their happiness. I guess I want to cut down on the unnecessary edible extras (like fats and sweets) yet present an acceptable meal that is enjoyed. It is sort of like the ‘good’ way of fasting where you wash your face and put on a smile so people don’t know you are being penitential thus making your sacrifice more meaningful as you aren’t looking for admiration.

Anyway, I’m going to spend time researching meatless recipes and healthy recipes recipes this week in preparation for the next six weeks. I’m hoping that some of the habits we put into play will last us beyond Lent, too. Seems like the incorporation of extra prayers and healthy habits that remain kind of give you a good report card for Lent!

I’ll share any meatless recipes I discover and enjoy. Anyone with like-minded ways, is welcome to also give us the benefit of their experience.

“It is better not to fast and be thereby humbled, than to fast and to be self-satisfied therewith.” Pascal Pensees 17th century

Lenten Pasta Meal – Fridays in Lent

Lenten Pasta Meal

1 pound spaghetti

10 peeled cloves of garlic

1/2 stick butter

3 eggs, slightly beaten

Freshly ground pepper

Fresh basil (optional), shredded in strips

Salt to taste

1 cup freshly grated Romano or Parmesan Cheese

 Smash the garlic with the flat of a knife blade and finely chop. Smashing the garlic helps release the flavor. Very gently saute the garlic in the butter until the garlic is soft but not browned.

 Meanwhile, boil the spaghetti until it is just barely done. It will cook a bit more in the final preparation and you don’t want mushy pasta. Drain, and put spaghetti back in the pot. Add the garlic/butter and mix thoroughly. With the stove set on a low flame, add the eggs and quickly stir them in so they cook and spread out evenly. Add the cheese, pepper, and basil and mix. Add salt and serve immediately.

 This is a nice meal for a meatless Friday and goes well with a big salad and some sour dough bread, lightly toasted.

 Interesting thing about Fridays and no meat. Everyone (I hope!) strictly observes them during Lent but seem to think that it does’t apply the rest of the year. Unfortunately, many pastors have not been clear on this. Meatless Fridays have not exactly been changed but we are offered the option of choosing another form of penance for Friday. Too many Catholics I have talked to seem to view meatless Fridays as a thing of the past. The ‘rule’ is that unless you come up with a definite alternative, you should still refrain from meat. We have found it more of a penance and less of a strain on our brains to observe all Fridays as a meatless day.

Lent is Fast Approaching . . .

I know, it seems like we just put away the Christmas decorations and we are already into February. And, as Catholics, when we see Valentine’s Day on the horizon, we tend to think ahead of the heart-shaped boxes of chocolate and flowers and realize Lent is around the corner. We also know that meatless Fridays will be mandatory and not left to our own discretion as to what sacrifice we might want to make on that day as during the rest of the year. With that in mind, friends and I start thinking about and sharing meatless meals. In our family, we do meatless on Wednesdays and Fridays during Lent. It doesn’t sound that difficult but when you also need two, meatless work lunches for your husband, too, it keeps you on your toes.

A friend shared an gnocchi meal idea with me but it called for using a mix for the gnocchi. Now, gnocchi is an Italian dumpling of sorts and all it contains are potatoes, flour, and a bit of egg. We both figured we could probably make our own and at much less expense. This is a recipe I came across that seems simple.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/perfect-potato-gnocchi-recipe.html

Once you’ve accomplished the preparation of a batch of gnocchi, you have many possibilities for serving it. You can saute it in browned butter with a sprinkling of Parmesan just before serving. Tossing the hot gnocchi with some Pesto to give you a real Italian side dish. Often, it is just served with a dousing of good pasta sauce. I’ve even toyed with the idea of frying them until they have a crisp crust.