Cilantro Marinated Shrimp Tacos
Makes 6 tacos.
Marinade
a little less than 1/2 c olive oil (or other oil of your choice)
1 bunch coarsely chopped cilantro, woody stems removed
5 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1/2 tsp salt
juice & zest from 1 lime
1/2 lb small medium shrimp, shells & head removed, de-veined
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup vermouth
6 corn tortillas
Fillings
These can be whatever you like with tacos.
1/2 red bell pepper chopped
1 green onion chopped
1 avocado, sliced
4 lettuce leaves (cabbage), chopped
In a blender or using an immersion blender, puree the olive oil, cilantro, lime juice, zest & garlic. Season the cleaned shrimp with a generous pinch of salt, mix and cover with marinade and refrigerate for 30 min.
In a saucepan heat 2 tbs olive oil and sauté onions for about 10 mins or until they are browned and caramelized. Put onions aside. Add 2 tbs olive oil and heat medium. Dip shrimp in flour and cook in oil for 3 min on each side. Once you put the shrimp down, don’t touch until you turn them over so they get a nice crusty sear. When done, place in bowl and cover with foil to keep warm.
While the onions are caramelizing, brush the tortillas with olive oil and warm in a separate pan. Place in covered container to keep warm.
Add 1 tbs oil to the pan that you used for the shrimp and the previously caramelized onions. Then add the vermouth to de-glaze the pan. Cook the vermouth down and add the remaining marinade. Cook for 3 mins.
Assemble your tacos using the cooked shrimp, sauce and fillings. This is also good on top of salad versus tortillas.
Submitted by Tiffany M.
Crabby Rice (O-, GF)
Makes 4 – 6 servings.
Ingredients
1 package “Near East” rice with almonds mix
1 can crab meat
1 tomato, chopped
Vinegar and/or lemon juice to taste
Salt and pepper
Directions
- Cook rice according to package directions, omitting the oil
- Place into a serving dish
- Add the crab meat on top, without mixing into the rice
- Add chopped tomato on top of the crab, without mixing into the crab or rice
- Sprinkle lemon juice and/or vinegar to taste, sprinkle with salt and pepper
Submitted by Paraskevi W.
Eggplant Ratatouille with Clove Rice (slow cooker, GF)
Makes 6 servings.
Ingredients
In crockpot:
¼ c. oil
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 eggplant, peeled & sliced into small cubes
3 carrots, chopped
2 zucchini, peeled and sliced
½ pound mushrooms, cut in half
1 TBS. dried parsley
1 can tomato sauce
2 cans diced tomatoes
Note: the goal is to cook the eggplant until it is soft and saucy, so the thinner the eggplant pieces, the better (carrots, too) otherwise they will have a little too much texture when done. It is nice to keep the mushrooms a little larger so you have a chewy, “meaty” texture to bit into.
On stove:
1 ½ cups rice (white, long grain)
3 cups water
6-8 whole cloves
Directions
Add ingredients in order listed to crockpot. Turn crockpot on LOW for 8 hours. (if you are in a hurry, 4-6 hours may work well, depending how hot your crock pot gets)
During the last half hour of crock pot cooking, make rice: In a medium saucepan, add rice and water; bring to boil and place cloves on top of rice.
Simmer rice, covered, for 25 minutes or until done.
Remove cloves and enjoy a scoop of rice with the ratatouille on top!
* This recipe is actually a variation of a traditional Middle Eastern Dish (rather than a true Provencal Ratatouille) called “Imam Baybldah.” My mother told me the story behind this dish: Literally, it means “The Imam Swooned” – the imam’s first wife died and his second wife couldn’t cook anything he liked. One day she was preparing an eggplant dish and burned it. With fear and trepidation, she served it to him petrified he would be enraged. Instead, he swooned and said, greatly pleased, “Ah! Finally! You made something just as good as my first wife!”
Submitted by Rachel D.
Five Layer Dip (O-)
Serves 4-6.
This is great for a quick dinner with very little prep time. The ingredients and amounts are a guideline. Add more or less or none – or add your own ingredients. To keep the mouth-watering fresh taste, always use fresh cilantro and resist the fasting-temptation to add soy cheese, tofu, etc. as you don’t need it. This tastes even better as a leftover.
Ingredients
2 cans black beans, drained & rinsed (Trader Joe’s Cajun style black beans work well, too)
Enchilada sauce – 1 can favorite brand or 1 bottle Trader Joe’s “Red Sauce” J
2 avocados, sliced (optional: sprinkle with lime juice & salt)
1½ c. lettuce, chopped
1-2 16 oz. jars salsa
1 can sliced black olives
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
Chips for dipping or tortillas for wrapping
Directions
- Heat beans and enchilada sauce in sauce pan, simmer 3-5 minutes. Put in bottom of 8×8 glass container. (The heating and simmering can be skipped if you are in a hurry.)
- Layer remaining ingredients:
- bean-enchilada mixture (cooled)avocado
- lettuce
- salsa
- olives
- fresh chopped cilantro
- Dip a chip or wrap in a tortilla!
Submitted by Rachel D.
Fried Tofu
Ingredients
one pound of regular tofu
canola oil
1/2 cup flour
green onions
salt and pepper to taste
Dipping Sauce (optional):
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 T brown sugar
1 T hot sauce
Directions
Fill a small saucepan with canola oil about an inch and a half and heat on high.
Cut tofu into 1 inch cubes and dip into flour. If I have time I may put two plates over block of tofu to squeeze out the liquid to have it denser. (20 min)
Once oil is hot with a slated metal spatula or spoon put in about 5-10 of your floured cubes. When they float to the top and are slightly tanned take them out and put on a plate with napkin to soak up oil. Repeat until all are fried.
Chop green onion and put over tofu with salt and pepper. Mix soy sauce, brown sugar and hot sauce in a small bowl for dipping.
This goes well with sticky rice and sautéed veggies on the side as well.
Submitted by Melissa K.
Greek Bean Casserole, GF
I made these beans for dinner tonight. I think Petros really loves fasting food more than non-fasting. 🙂 These are really rich, and I don’t really follow a recipe, but here goes:
Prep the Night Before
2 cups large lima beans. Clean teh beans, wash under cold water and soak overnight.
The Next Day
¼ cup olive oil (I use Canola when fasting)
1 large onion sliced thin
2 cups carrots
6 large cloves of garlic finely sliced.
1 ½ cups tomato sauce
3 cups water
1 tsp oregano
salt and pepper to taste
Drain and rinse beans, put in saucepan and boil or 30 min. (Set aside in a bowl when done), In the meantime while the beans are cooking, sauté the vegetables in the oil for 10 minutes. When done, (in a pan I cook the beans in, ) add the garlic and veggies, stir and add to the beans. Add in the tomato sauce, Toss to combine all ingredients. Place in a 9×12 glass baking dish. .Cover tightly with foil. Place on bottom rack of oven@ 375 for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake another 20 minutes.
This is a “play-it-by-taste” recipe. I make modifications all the time. I make it w/o veggies since Petros doesn’t eat cooked vegetables! I sometimes add a small can of V8 juice You need to add water and stir every so often. I ususally cook it a lot longer on a slower oven, Petros loves this dish:) It really smells wonderful while cooking:)
I also make the sign of the cross in oil over the dish before it bakes. Not to much though. Just a little something I always do. The olive oil makes it sooooo good!
Submitted by Susan B.
Kalzoni or Greek Lenten Pita
Makes 6 -8 servings.
Ingredients
1 package Trader Joe’s herb and garlic refrigerated pizza dough
2 medium or large onions, thinly sliced
1 large bell pepper: red, orange, yellow or green
1 package of sliced mushrooms
3 T. oil
Oil for drizzling
Marinara sauce (optional)
Directions
Remove dough from refrigerator, set out for 20 minutes at room temperature
Preheat oven to 375
Saute sliced onions, mushrooms and bell peppers in the 3 T. oil, and let cool
Roll out dough on a lightly floured board into a rectangular size; about the size of a jelly roll cookie sheet
Oil a cookie sheet and place the dough in the pan
Add the prepared vegetables onto the dough and spread out over half of the dough, lengthwise, and then covering up the vegetables with the remaining half of the dough
Pinch the dough edges together and drizzle oil over the top of the kalzoni or pita
Place in a hot oven for about 20 to 30 minutes until lightly browned and crusty
Remove from oven, slice and serve with marinara sauce if desired
Submitted by Paraskevi W.
Kung Pao Shrimp
Serves 4.
This recipe pulls together very quickly, especially if you pre-measure ingredients.
Ingredients
1 c. vegetable broth
3 TBS. oyster sauce (available at Fred Meyer’s ethnic/asian food aisle)
2 tsp. hot sauce (optional)
2 tsp. cornstarch
2 TBS. vegetable oil
1 lb. extra-large uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
½ c. dry-roasted peanuts (or cashews)
1 red bell pepper, seeded & chopped
3 garlic, minced
1 TBS. grated fresh ginger (1 tsp. dry)
Steamed rice or noodles to serve 4
Directions
1. Prepare rice or noodles.
2. Whisk broth, oyster sauce, hot sauce, and cornstarch in bowl. Set aside.
3. Heat 1 TBS. oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking.
4. Add shrimp and peanuts and cook until shrimp are spotty brown, about 2 minutes. Transfer to plate.
5. Add remaining oil and bell pepper to empty skillet and cook until lightly browned, about 3 minutes.
6. Stir in garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
7. Stir in broth mixture and bring to boil.
8. Add shrimp and peanuts and simmer until sauce has thickened and shrimp are cooked through, about 1 minute.
Adapted from Cooks Country, Oct/Nov 2007
Lemony Lentils (GF)
Here’s one of our favorites–the kids even eat it! 🙂 We eat this on rice or with flatbread. Leftovers are good in soup or burritos.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil (or omit and sauté garlic in a little water or broth)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups yellow or brown lentils, sorted for debris and rinsed
4 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
Grated peel from 1 lemon (yellow part only)
1/4 cup lemon juice
Salt and pepper
Chopped cilantro and lemon wedges
Directions
1. Melt butter in a 3-quart pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and stir until just beginning to brown, about 1 minute.
2. Add lentils and stir to coat with butter, then add broth. Simmer, covered, until lentils are tender but not mushy, 20 to 30 minutes. They will thicken as they cool.
3. Stir in ginger, lemon peel, juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Serve with chopped cilantro and lemon wedges on the side.
Submitted by Jill H. Adapted from Sunset Magazine, March 2006
Lenten Enchiladas (O-)
Great with steamed corn and fresh fruit!
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
Corn or flour tortillas or Middle Eastern flat bread
2 – 15 oz cans of Rosarita chili and lime refried beans
1 jar of Safeway brand mild red enchilada sauce (contains no oil)
1 small onion, thinly sliced (optional)
1 small bell pepper, red or green, thinly sliced (optional)
1 small can of sliced olives
2 to 3 green onions, thinly sliced
Guacamole
Directions
- Preheat oven to 325
- Spoon some sauce into a 9×13 glass baking dish to cover the bottom
- Lay down tortillas or flat bread over the sauce in one layer
- Spoon some more sauce over the tortillas or flat bread and spread on half of the beans
- If using the onion and bell pepper, microwave them until soft and add over beans
- Spoon additional sauce over the beans (and onions and peppers, if using)
- Add one more layer of tortillas or flat bread
- Pour remaining sauce over entire pan
- Add sliced olives and green onions
- Cover and bake for 30 minutes until sauce is bubbly
- Cut and serve with spoonfuls of guacamole on top of each piece
Submitted by Paraskevi W.
Middle Eastern Night (GF)
These are the components of Middle Eastern Night in our home. I used to buy the falafel mix but most of them contain wheat (and other things). I found and adapted a recipe for us that does not contain wheat! And these are the best tasting falafel I have ever made (stop making those just add water mixes right now and go make this falafel). It does take more work and planning (soaking the beans at least two days ahead of time), but it’s worth it!
Falafel
Ingredients
2 cups garbanzos
water
4 Tbs whey or lemon juice
4 large cloves garlic
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. coriander
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. baking powder
1 cup oil
Directions
So the 2 cups garbanzos, water, and whey/lemon juice is for the soaking of the beans. You soak these beans twice (2 Tbs. whey/lemon juice for the first soak and 2 Tbs for the second soak).
After you have your soaked/rinsed beans either make the falafel or put the beans in a freezer bag or container and put in freezer. I will do this a lot (esp. during fasts) so that I know I have beans on hand.
I use my food processor for this job: Add 1/2 the garbanzos to food processor. Add 2 cloves garlic and 1/2 tsp. of each of the spices. Do not add oil (that is for cooking). Pulse until reduced to a coarse paste. The mixture should be finely ground enough to form into a ball (and then flatten – that’s how I make my falafel) and hold its shape but it does not need to be entirely smooth. Dump falafel mixture into a bowl and repeat with the rest of the garbanzos and spices. Mix the two batches together, cover, and put in refrigerator for 1 hour. Form into patties and cook in oil. Serve with hummus and sliced veggies (tomatoes, cucumbers, etc). We do not use pita bread (does anyone have a gluten free pita bread recipe?) I have read that you can serve it with corn tortillas but that just doesn’t sound appealing to me. So we just dip our falafel into the hummus and eat with the veggies.
Juddrah
Sometimes I will also make juddrah as the side dish (although, this ends up being a lot of beans eaten in one sitting). You can soak your lentils, just not as long as the other beans… to soak lentils… put amount of lentils you will need for recipe into a bowl, cover with warm water and stir in 2 Tbs. whey or lemon juice. Let sit for 6 or 7 hours then drain and rinse and continue with your recipe. I suggest initially decreasing the water that you cook with and adding later as you cook because the soaked lentils can and will cook faster with less water. Just keep an eye on it:)
Ingredients
1 cup uncooked lentils
4 cups water (but use less if using soaked lentils)
2-3 large onions chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup uncooked rice (if you use cooked rice, use less water)
1 Tbs. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
2 Tbs. lemon juice
Directions
Chop onions. Heat oil in pan. Add onions. Saute until carmelized/almost burnt. Add water, lentils, and rice. Cover and cook (ok, I usually use brown rice and it will take longer than 20-25 minutes but I don’t remember how long) until rice and lentils are cooked, stirring occasionally. Add salt, pepper, and lemon juice.
Hummus
I tried this once with soaked garbanzos and it just wasn’t smooth enough for my family (and, hey, my boys will eat hummus so why mess with a good thing, right?)
Ingredients
1 can garbanzo beans, reserve juice
1 1/4 tsp. tahini
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 large clove garlic, minced (I usually use at least 2)
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbs olive oil (optional)
Directions
Heat beans over medium heat until they come to a boil. I use a slotted spoon to remove the beans (put beans into a bowl) and reserve the juice. Add the next 4 ingredients to the beans. Now, add about 1/2 the reserved juice (more if you like a runnier hummus, less if you like a pastier hummus). I have this milk shake attachment to a hand chopper (electric) that I use to mix the hummus but I have also done this in a blender. Blend until creamy and very smooth. Serve with vegetables, tortilla chips, rice crackers.
Submitted by Christina B.
Shrimp Creole (GF, O-)
Ingredients
2 Tbsp oil or margarine
1 chopped onion
1 garlic clove
1 chopped green pepper (optional)
1/2 c sliced celery
1 small can tomato sauce
1 tsp chili powder
1 C water
Directions
- Sauté the ingredients up through the celery.
- When softened (about 7 min), stir in the remaining ingredients.
- Simmer 30 minutes while cooking rice. Add water if necessary. Then add 1/2 to 1 lb fresh cooked shrimp. Serve with rice.
Submitted by Thomaida H. from her mom
Stuffed Peppers
Strict-Fast Optional.
Ingredients
5 peppers (green, red, orange, yellow – you choose!), cleaned out & cut in halflengthwise
¼ c. olive oil (or 1/3 c. veg. broth)
1 onion, chopped
¼ c. chopped fresh parsley (or 1 TBS dried)
2 cloves garlic, minced
14 oz. can tomatoes, peeled and diced
1 c. uncooked rice
1 c. vegetable broth or water
1 can cannellini beans (or 1 can corn)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375
- Arrange halved peppers in bottom of 9×12 baking dish
- Saute onions in oil, medium heat, until softened, 3-5 min. If using vegetable broth instead, simmer.
- Add parsley & garlic, continue to cook 2 minutes.
- Add tomatoes, blend well.
- Add rice, salt & pepper, mix.
- Gently add beans or corn.
- Spoon into pepper halves. Place extra in the baking dish around the peppers.
- Pour vegetable broth or water over peppers and cook for approximately 1 hour (until rice is done). Cover with aluminum foil and remove it the last 15 minutes (or if your family like it “crunchy”, don’t put any foil on it).
Note: this is a great dish to throw in other vegetables, too – eggplant and zucchini are great for stuffing. Tomatoes make a nice addition: After you put the rice mixture in the peppers, slice some tomato wedges and nestle them between the peppers. They will roast while cooking.
Adapted from Food for Paradise, published by St. John the Russian Orthodox Church.
