Fasting Suppers for Advent

My repeating menu plan, seven weeks in all.

1) BBQ tofu on buns with tomatoes, lettuce, pickles, onions. chips or pretzels.
2) Mexican rice, tortilla chips, carrot sticks
3) Roasted winter vegetables, biscuits, coleslaw
4) Felafel in pitas with lettuce, tomatoes, shredded carrot...
5) Meatless chicken nuggets, plum sauce, broasted potatoes with carrots, and corn
6) Zuchini pancakes, noodles with KT's cheezy sauce, green beans
7) Fish sticks, french fries, jello salad

8) Veggie burgers, raw veggie platter with dips
9) Sweet and sour TVP, on rice, corn, green salad
10)Baked Potatoes, 'bacon' bits, green onions, (baked yam) broccoli salad
11)Hardy Polish soup, NY Times no-knead bread
12)Fried bean burritos, carrot salad
13)Spring rolls, veggie fried rice, mushroom chow-mien, deep fried prawns
14)Honey garlic salmon, fancy rice, non-mayo coleslaw

15)Burrito casserole, green salad
16)Honey garlic stir-fry, rice
17)Tofu and green beans with mushrooms on noodles
18)Winter Veggie and grain bake, buns, carrot sticks
19)Mushroom stew; bread, biscuits or dumplings
20)Pyrogies ('bacon' bits, green onions), cabbage salad
21)Pineapple shrimp curry on rice with bread

22)Tacos (lettuce, tomato, refried beans, 'cheese' tortilla chips, TVP)
23)Fried rice, green beans, carrot/apple salad
24)Spaghetti and sauce, garlic bread, green salad
25)Pizza (sauce, veggies, 'cheese', hummus, olives)
26)Veggie pot pie with pie crust, bean salad
27)Rice casserole, bread, broccoli
28)Popcorn shrimp, french fries, pasta salad

29)Western 'beef' and corn bake, green beans
30)Baked lentil casserole, tortilla chips
31)Naan Melts, (veggies, 'cheese', olives) apple slices
32)Honey garlic Udon noodles with tofu and mini corn
33)Veggie pot pie with biscuit topping, raw carrots
34)Waffles, huckleberry sauce
35)Tuna casserole, and grapes

36)Rice-a-roni with veggie smokies, corn
37)Taco salad (TVP, refried beans, tomatoes, lettuce, 'cheese', black beans, corn, chips
38)Marinated tofu, sauteed mushrooms, biscuits
39)Rigatoni broccoli bake with KT's cheezy sauce
40)Pancakes, blueberry or apple topping
41)Chili and cornbread
42)Salmon with cheater aoli sauce, in pastry, with rice mix and green beans

43)Potato salad, corn chips, cucumber slices, buns
44)Mashed potatoes, 'gravy', roasted carrots, broccoli salad
45)Borscht and bread
46)Grilled 'cheese' sandwiches and tomato soup
47)'chicken' strips, plum sauce, corn, rice mix
48)Asian tofu salad with peanuts and no knead bread
49)Shrimp and asparagus with yellow rice

Pinapple shrimp curry - serves 8

1 small fresh pineapple
1 lb. (454g) precooked frozen shrimp
1 clove garlic - minced
1/2 cup minced onion
1 carrot shredded
sunflower oil

2 cups dry rice - cooked

2+ Tbsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. coriander
salt and pepper

Start the rice first.

Heat the oil, sauté the onion and garlic. Add the shrimp, cover, cook till well heated, stirring often. Add the carrots, stir and heat. Add the pineapple that you have peeled, cored, and cut into tidbits; heat. Add the spices, stir well. Add the cooked rice then serve.

Stir-fry Grated Zucchini - serves 4-6

1 little green zucchini
1 little yellow zucchini
1 large cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. fresh dill, minced
sprinkle of salt and pepper

Grate the zucchini with your largest holed grater. Heat the oil and garlic, add zucchini and toss till tender done. Add dill, salt, and pepper.

Pasta Sauce

This has been a standby for us this Lent.  It is a hearty and filling sauce and is especially nice with linguine.

2 T. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 t. red pepper flakes
1 large onion, chopped
2 portobello mushrooms, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped
1 T. dried basil
salt
2 T. balsamic vinegar
2 large cans crushed tomatoes

Heat oil, saute garlic and red pepper flakes until fragrant. Add the onion and saute until begins to soften. Ad the remaining vegetables, spices, 2 teaspoons of salt and saute until the vegetables give off some liquid, about 5 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the vegetables to the insert of a slow cooker. Stir in vinegar and tomatoes. Cover and cover on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.  Season with salt and pepper.
(I puree the sauce at this point and then there are no complaints about the mushrooms or cooked peppers!  And it's been a hit with everyone.)

Makes 8 cups. 

Vegan 5 Spice Cookies - 40-48 cookies

4 1/2 cups flour
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. 5 spice powder
1 1/3 c. honey
1 cup vegetable oil

extra sugar for rolling the cookies in

Sift the dry ingredients together. In another bowl mix the wet ingredients together. Gently mix the two together, do not overmix. Roll the dough into 1 inch balls, roll them in sugar, place on greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-13 minutes. Cool on a towel before serving.

A really nice tea break cookie with a hint of anise flavouring, yum.

Cream of Aspargus Soup

1 onion - minced
3-4 cloves garlic - minced
olive or vegetable oil

Heat in soup pot till the onions are transparent. add:

2 bunches asparagus - sliced about 4 cups or more
1-2 cups water

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer till the veggies are mushy, really.

Meanwhile make the cream sauce:

Melt 1/2 cup vegan margarine
Add 1/2 cup flour
Whisk and simmer for a bit
Whisk in 4 cups rice milk, slowly
Keep heating and whisking while it thickens, then add:

3 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/8-1/4 tsp. black pepper

Add the cream sauce to the well cooked veggies. Take an immersion blender and cream the soup. Add as much water as needed to get the consistency you want.

Shrimp & Asparagus with Yellow Rice (serves 8)

454 gram package frozen shrimp (large)
3 cloves garlic- diced small
1/2 small onion - diced small
thumb sized piece of ginger - peeled, sliced and diced small
vegetable oil

1 package snow peas (2c?)- cut in half
1 cup mushrooms (10) - cut in quarters
2 bunches asparagus - cut into 2 inch lengths

salt and pepper
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/2 tsp curry powder

2 cups raw parboiled white rice
1/4 tsp. turmeric

In a large saucepan heat water till boiling, add rice and turmeric, reduce heat and simmer til done. While this cooks prepare the veggies and shrimps. Drain the rice before adding it to the completed veggie mix.

Heat vegetable oil in a very large fry pan, stir in garlic, ginger, and onion. Stir for a little bit then add the frozen shrimp. Cover and let cook, stirring occasionally till shrimp are cooked. Add the asparagus and stir fry 4 minutes, add the mushrooms and snow peas, stir. Cover till cooked (2 minutes). Add salt, pepper, soy sauce, and curry powder. Stir well. Add rice. Serve.

Marinated Tofu with Balsamic-glazed Mushrooms - Serves 4

1 block of frozen extra firm organic tofu

marinade:

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced fine

1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 Tablespoon Balsamic vinegar

1 Tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon yellow mustard

dash of pepper

topping:

6 mushrooms sliced fine

¼ onion sliced in strips

1 clove garlic, minced fine, optional

1-2 Tablespoons Balsamic vinegar

olive oil

Put block of tofu in hot water to defrost. Whisk the marinade ingredients together and allow to sit.

Once the tofu is defrosted, press out as much of the liquid as possible. Cut the block into 4 parts, then each of these parts into 3 slices. Total of 12 slices. Place these into a ziploc bag and pour the marinade over. Seal the bag and toss about carefully to coat well. Let sit and flip over every once in a while.

In a heavy skillet heat olive oil and fry the tofu until very well browned, flip and do the other side too. (Over done is tasty.) Set aside the tofu in a single layer in a baking tray. Keep hot.

Turn the heat down under the skillet and heat another dash of olive oil, toss in the toppings and saute, add the Balsamic vinegar. Stir well until reduced. Spoon over the tofu slices.

Aioli Sauce

Cheater recipe :o)

1 cup Mayo
2 cloves garlic minced fine
zest of 1 lemon
juice of same lemon
(salt and pepper if desired I didn't)

stir together and serve with fish or fries or....

Coat salmon fillets with it, wrap them in puff pastry, and bake. (til done)

If you use veganaize you can enjoy it during Lent too ;-)