Showing posts with label Lent. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lent. Show all posts

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Uh oh... it's Friday. In Lent. What's for dinner? Recipe #2

**In case you missed last week's meatless meal, be sure to check out this recipe for Tomatillo Salsa Baked Fish.

I first found this recipe a few years ago on the Gluten-Free Goddess website. If I were making it for my MIL, I'd go ahead and do the GF version, otherwise I'd likely use a mix of flour and corn tortillas.


SWEET POTATO AND BLACK BEAN ENCHILADAS (gluten-free version)

Green Chile Sauce:
1 cup light vegetable broth (I have also used chicken broth)
1 tablespoon arrowroot starch dissolved in a little cold water (I just use cornstarch, or even flour)
1 generous cup chopped roasted green chiles- hot or mild (I use the canned kind)
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cumin or chili powder, hot or mild, to taste

Filling:
1 15-oz can black beans, rinsed, drained
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
Fresh lime juice from 1 big juicy lime
2 heaping cups cooked sweet potatoes, smashed a bit, but still chunky (you can cube them and soften them. If you make homemade baby food, bake several potatoes, set aside a couple for this, and purée the rest!)
1/2 cup chopped roasted green chiles
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder, or curry, mild or spicy, as you prefer
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

To assemble:

2-4 tablespoons light olive oil or vegetable oil, as needed
8 white corn tortillas
Shredded Monterey Jack cheese

-Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Choose a baking dish that will hold 8 enchiladas.

-Make your Green Chile Sauce by combining the broth, dissolved arrowroot (or cornstarch), green chiles, garlic and spices in a sauce pan and heating over medium-high heat. Bring to a high simmer. Simmer until thickened. Taste test. Set aside.

-In the meantime, using a mixing bowl, combine the drained black beans with minced garlic and lime juice. Toss to coat the beans and set aside.

-In a separate bowl combine the lightly smashed sweet potatoes with the chopped green chiles; add the spices. Season with sea salt and pepper.

-Pour about 1/4 cup of the Quickie Green Chile Sauce into the bottom of the baking dish.

-Grab a skillet and heat a dash of oil. Lightly cook the corn tortillas to soften them - one at a time - as you stuff each one. (Note: sometimes I just soften them a bit in the microwave between damp paper towels and then soak for a minute or so in the sauce so that I don't have to make them oily at all)

-Lay the first hot tortilla in the sauced baking dish; wet it with the sauce.

-Spoon 1/8 of the sweet potato mixture down the center. (Note: to make really yummy, add some cream cheese down the center as well)

-Top with 1/8 of the black beans.

-Wrap and roll the tortilla to the end of the baking dish.

-Repeat for the remaining tortillas. Top with the rest of the sauce.

-If you like, top with shredded Monterey Jack cheese.

-Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the enchiladas are piping hot and the sauce is bubbling around the edges.


This tastes unbelievably amazing-- people usually can't figure out what it is exactly that they're eating, but know they want seconds... and thirds.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Uh oh... it's Friday. In Lent. What's for dinner? Recipe #1

This is going to be my weekly Lenten post for Thursdays. You'll have time to plan dinner for Friday, plus it will give me a reason to start putting up recipes again on my cooking blog (which has been sorely and sadly neglected).

Recipe #1 is soooooooo easy that you'll wonder why you've never made it before. It's one of those last-minute recipes that can be doubled with no extra work (Amen to that!).

TOMATILLO SALSA BAKED FISH

1 lb tilapia fillets
1 c tomatillo salsa
1 c shredded cheese
1/2 c crushed tortilla chips
salt and pepper
oil or non-stick spray

- Preheat oven to 450°. Wash and pat the fish dry. Line baking sheet with foil and spray with non-stick spray (or just use a non-stick sheet and oil it a bit). Season fish with salt and pepper.

- Lay fish on baking sheet and top each with about 1/4 cup salsa. Bake 12-15 minutes.

- Remove from oven and sprinkle each fillet with about 1/4 cup cheese and 1/8 cup chips and serve.

Substitutions: No tilapia on hand? Try basa or another similar fish. You can also replace the tomatillo salsa with regular salsa. Instead of the chips, you can use bread crumbs. I've said it before and I'll say it again-- any recipe (other than baked goods) that is completely inflexible has no place in my kitchen. :-)

The fish also makes great tacos for lunch the next day. Simply put some fish in a corn tortilla and add a dollop of sour cream-- fancy, easy, and delicious!

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Letter #1 to my Lenten Prayer Buddy


Dear Prayer Buddy,

I have been praying for you far longer than since I found out you were "mine" to pray for this Lenten season. Something about your story touched me very early on, and I connected with you and felt a strong desire to pray for you, because somehow it also felt like praying for me.

Please know that you will have my daily prayers and my daily Lenten rosaries (this will hopefully give you extra extra graces, because it's been tough lately for me to make it past 3 decades, and I'm determined to set aside more time and really be focused and steady in my prayer life).

As Lent begins today with Ash Wednesday, I've chosen a portion of today's Responsorial Psalm as the prayer that I will say each morning for you, and for myself as well. I hope my meager prayers will be enough to effect some positive change in your life.

A clean heart create for me, O God,
and a steadfast spirit renew within me.
Cast me not out from your presence,
and your Holy Spirit take not from me.

Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.

Give me back the joy of your salvation,
and a willing spirit sustain in me.
O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.

Blessings on you!

Lisa
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