Lent 2013 Challenge Day 44: Good Friday Krabby Stuffed Potatoes

Outwardly, this seems luxurious for Good Friday: Seafood? Really? With white wine? When seen in the light of using stuff up in the fridge, though, hopefully the indulgence factor drops. I also based this on a family recipe that called for a can of condensed lobster bisque, but we’re aiming for from-scratch per the rules.

I had wanted to have some deep, meaningful reflections for the most solemn day of our faith year… but between choir practices and making sure Mr. M was equipped to manage a loud, squirmy preschooler through collective hours of Triduum doings… stuffed potatoes with salad it as good as it got. Humility can just show up in the form of a recipe without a reflection.

Wait. Did I just give a reflection in spite of the humility? Sheesh, you can’t even dress me up, much less take me out.

Krabby Stuffed Potatoes (prep time: 3 min + 15 minutes)

5 baking potatoes, scrubbed and baked in the slow cooker on low 6-12 hours
1 T butter
1 T flour
1 t salt
1/4 t black pepper
1/4 c white wine or vegetable stock
1 8oz can PLAIN tomato sauce
1/4 c heavy cream
1/2 c shredded sharp cheese
1/2 lb “krab” pollock seafood flakes

As your potatoes are baking in your slow cooker, melt butter over medium heat. In a small bowl, whisk flour with salt and pepper. Sprinkle seasoned flour over butter, then whisk in wine/stock. Let that reduce over medium-high for about 3 minutes, then whisk in tomato sauce and cream. Once that’s all bubbly, fold in cheese and stir until melted and smooth. Fold in “krab” and heat through.

Cut potatoes open on their individual serving plates, then pour “krabby” stuffing inside.

Speaking of humility, it tasted way better than this picture looks.

And, folks, there you have it: a meatless, cheapo Lent for 5. I shall post our obligatory “I Learned Something Today” reflection sometime soon. Stay tuned, Mackerelsnapper fans. Erm, all three of you.

OH! Gluten-free friends? Corn starch for the flour should work.

 

Lent Challenge 2013 Day 43: Bread Alone?

Ah, the Lent Challenge.  Boy, that takes me back.  All of four days ago, we were still fasting and so busy with the Triduum that it took me until Easter Monday to finish the blogging of it all. Just as our Jewish older sibs get rid of all the chometz (every single crumb of leaven) in the house heading into Passover, we thought it would be kind of meaningful to use up all the bread in our house in anticipation of Good Friday.

Slow Cooker, you’re my hero!

Slow Cooker “Quiche” (prep time:  10 minutes)

8 c cubes of leftover breads (I say “breads” because we used everything we could:  naan, pita, rolls, leftover French bread, etc.)
2 broccoli crowns
1 onion
1 c chopped celery
1 c shredded mozzarella
1/2 c parmesan cheese
4 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 c milk (if your “quiche” seems dry, add more milk until it is at least malleable)
1 t salt
1/2 t black pepper

 

Chop broccoli stems in your food processor first, then chop the florets, to make sure they’re all chopped evenly. Then go ahead and chop your onion in there, too.  Combine all ingredients in a large bowl until well-mixed.  Spray your slow cooker liner with cooking spray.  Pour in “quiche” and cook on low 4-5 hours.

This makes an ENORMOUS batch.  It can be halved easily, but as this was an experiment, I don’t know how that would affect the cooking time.

Lent 2013 Challenge Day 38: Breakfast for Anytime

This really only works with the rules if you have a food processor to do your shredding and chopping.  We chopped a whole onion and shredded three potatoes (skins and all).  We mixed all that together and dumped it into our cast iron pan with a good, generous splash of oil.  Stirring it up occasionally, wait until the potatoes really start to brown, then let them sit and glue themselves together a bit.  With a heavy metal spatula…

… flip the whole thing over, in sections if it breaks up (which it will), and let it all get just as brown and crispy on the other side.

Meanwhile, scramble some eggs (or fry them, but since we’re on a time limit, scrambling is faster).  Serve it all up with some sliced fruit.  Just in under the 20 minute wire, and you get a nice picture of Spinal Tap out of it.  Enjoy!

“Waitaminute, Mrs. Mackerelsnapper, OP,” you say.  “Isn’t using a food processor cheating?”  Perhaps.  But remember that our goal is to save up enough money with our fasting to buy kitchen appliances for our local food cupboard to give to families in need?  “Oh, yes,” you reply.  “That’s right.”  Someone REALLY nice even gave us a sizable donation so that we can donate more than the bare minimum.  In about a week, we’ll go shopping and give you an update on what we were able to scrounge.

Lent 2013 Challenge Day 36-37: Nothing to see here, people.

Really, there isn’t.  Late Thursday afternoon I had all the kids out for haircuts, so Mr. M made pizzas for us using the par-baked crusts spoken of in last weekend’s food prep post.

Last night, I had to use up the rest of that monster bag of bargain kale before it went south, so I made sauteed kale with mushrooms (bought on sale last week, also going south) and garlic.  I deglazed the pan with a bit of white wine, having forgotten to take out a container of vegetable stock to thaw.  Meanwhile I had angel hair cooking in our microwave pasta cooker… and I’m starting to give up on that thing.  I don’t know what I’m doing wrong, but all but the first two batches of pasta I’ve made in that thing have been just this side of inedible.  They’re gummy and mushy and gross.  So, we had food last night, and it was all by the book, but it wasn’t very tasty.  Alas.  There wasn’t enough Parmesan cheese in the world to save it.

Lent 2013 Challenge Day 35: Veggie Curry with Suddenly Naan

A very dear FB friend shared a recipe with me for a microwave curry made with potatoes.  I was all geared up to make that… and then… um, no potatoes left.  Alas.  I had to improvise. So, this is based on her recipe and is not an entirely original idea.  Also, I freely admit this one went over the 20 minute time limit. However, I am confident that with more careful planning, this could all be whipped out within 20.

I’ll start with the Suddenly Naan, because the main dish is prepared during the dough’s resting time.

Suddenly Naan (total time: 20 minutes)

1 c whole wheat flour
1 ½ c unbleached bread flour
½ t baking soda
½ t baking powder
½ t sugar
½ t cumin
½ t garlic powder
½ c milk
½ c yogurt
1 T oil
1 beaten egg
Oil for frying

Combine dry ingredients and seasonings in a mixer bowl. In a separate bowl, combine milk, yogurt, oil and egg. Using dough hook, mix wet ingredients into dry and keep mixing until dough pulls away from pan. With floured hands, form dough into four equal balls and let rest, covered, for 10-45 minutes.

[Disclaimer: During this time is when I put together the rest of the meal. We may have gone over our 20 minutes by about 5… but for homemade naan, I regret nothing.]

After resting time, heat a heavy skillet with lid over medium-high heat. On a well-floured surface with a well-floured rolling pin, roll out each dough ball as thin as you can get it. Pour a splash of oil into the skillet. Place one dough disc in heated, oiled skillet and COVER IMMEDIATELY. Cook for 2-4 minutes per side, covering during cooking. Repeat with remaining discs. Keep warm and covered with a cloth until ready to serve.

Now, what’s this for?

That, my friends, is a “silly band” around the one cup mark on a measuring cup.  First I poured in 1/2 c milk, then I told my  toddler to add scoops of yogurt until it all reached the green band.  Then we added the egg, oil, and mixed it together.  Just an idea on how even someone who can’t read yet can help in the kitchen.

Note: This really could have used some salt. I’ll add about 1 t next time fo sho. To veganize, I would like to try making this with veggie stock and vinegar for the milk/yogurt plus ground flaxseed with water for the egg.

Vegetable Curry* (prep time: 15 minutes)

3 carrots, chopped
1 15oz can of diced tomatoes, undrained
2 c cauliflower florets, cut into small, bite-sized pieces
1 ½ c shredded cabbage
2 T fresh cilantro
1 T minced garlic (we used more than this, as usual)
1 t curry powder
½ t powdered ginger
½ t coriander powder
½ c vegetable stock
1 cup cooked rice

Combine all ingredients except rice in a microwave-safe bowl with cover. Microwave, covered, on high power for 10-12 minutes or until vegetables have reached desired tenderness. Stir in rice. This is particularly good with a dollop of plain yogurt.

*Feel free to substitute any other vegetables: I’d like to try zucchini, yellow squash, white potatoes, sweet potatoes, etc.

Lent 2013 Challenge Day 34: Inaugural Feast

Yesterday was the inauguration of Pope Francis, on the Feast of St. Joseph, which is my husband’s feast day as well. We usually have some sort of meat on St. Joseph’s Day, because traditionally in our diocese, the bishops lift the Lenten restrictions so we, especially our area’s large Italian community, can feast instead of fast. I had a moment of thinking we’d be justified in breaking the rules on this very special day and getting some actual steak. I mean, Pope Francis is from Argentina, the Land of Beef. What better way to celebrate, right? However, given that the man asked his countrypeople to stay home and give the money they would’ve spent on plane tickets to the poor, buying a steak didn’t really fit the spirit of the day.

So, vegetarian recipes from a country of cattle farmers? We made baked cheese empanadas to go with a slow cooker of pasta fagioli.

Slow Cooker Pasta Fagioli (prep time: 10 minutes; cook time 4-8 hours)

1 small onion, finely diced
3 c chopped kale (I’ve seen recipes calling for swiss chard or baby spinach in place of the kale)
2 t olive oil
1/4 c red wine
1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
2 c vegetable stock
1 15oz can cannellini beans, drained
3/4 c small pasta (we used orzo, but ditalini is traditional)
1 generous tablespoon of minced garlic
1 tsp each of dried parsley, orgeano, basil and thyme leaves
1/4 t ground black pepper
2 bay leaves

Sautee onion and kale in olive oil over medium-high heat until onions just start to brown and kale turns bright green. Add red wine to pan, cover and reduce heat to medium-low for 3-5 minutes. Add pan contents plus remaining ingredients to your slow cooker and cook on high 4 hours, low 8 hours. Top with Parmesan cheese, reminding us of the sawdust on the floor of St. Joseph’s carpentry shop.

Baked Cheese Empanadas (time: 20 minutes)

1 package of prepared pie crust, just below room temperature
Parmesan and shredded cheddar cheese

Roll out the crust and cut into triangular quarters. Place about a tablespoon of cheese in the center of each triangle. With a finger dipped in water, trace around the outside of each triangle, then fold in half to seal. Crimp edges with a fork as shown and pierce the top of each empanada with a knife 2-5 times to avoid explosion. Bake at 425F for 12 minutes or until golden brown.

   

Many thanks to the older member of First Shift for doing the hand modeling.

Strictly speaking, the empanada recipe breaks the time limit rule as well as the “no processed foods” rule, but it was to educate the kids on Pope Francis’ home country as well as his vow of poverty.

Lent 2013 Challenge Day 33: Curried Rice by the Dashboard Light

Last night’s adventures included a visit to a homeschoolers’ used curriculum sale. It was early enough in the evening that I could not have made it if I had waited until Mr. M’s train returned him home. Thus, we had to pick up Mr. M at a train station along the way and go to the sale as a family. That ended up being a good thing, because the rest of the family found better goodies than I could have done on my own. Had we not been playing by the Lent 2013 Rules, however, we would’ve just picked up something for dinner along the way. That was not an option last night.

Instead I made Chickpea Curry In A Hurry, a nutritious one-dish meal. Erm, one Thermos meal. We packed this up in our Thermoses and threw in a few tall, lidded cups of lemonade. It wasn’t paradise, but it was certainly satisfying.

So here we go!

Chickpea Curry in a Hurry (prep time: 20 minutes as long as you’ve made your rice ahead of time)

1 15oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 sm onion, finely diced
1 tsp salt, divided
2 T oil, divided
1 1/2 c plain yogurt
1/2 c mayonnaise
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp ginger powder
1 1/2 c cauliflower florets, chopped
1 medium yellow bell pepper, diced
1/2 c vegetable stock
1 c prepared rice

In a small bowl, toss chickpeas with paprika and black pepper and set aside (this will help the flavors and colors get all melded and pretty).

Sautee onion and 1/2 tsp salt in 1 T oil over medium-high heat until golden brown. Combine browned onion with yogurt, mayonnaise, curry and ginger (again with the melding and the pretty). Set aside.

In the same skillet, sautee seasoned chickpeas, diced pepper and cauliflower over medium-high heat for about 3-5 minutes. Pour remaining 1/2 tsp salt and vegetable stock over all. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover, simmering for 3-5 minutes. Remove lid and stir in yogurt sauce and rice.

Don’t let the long list of ingredients scare you. This is one of the easiest recipes ever. We usually make this with chicken or eggplant, but it’s just as awesome with chickpeas. If yours is another busy family that can’t seem to find a way to avoid picking up fast food on your way to choir practice or soccer games or contortionist class, Thermoses are a really good investment.

 

Lent 2013 Challenge Day 30-31: Kale-o-rama! And I may be turning into a pizza crust.

Not a whole pizza, mind you. Just the crust.

Yesterday our Little Flowers Girls Club, in lieu of having a meeting, celebrated the birthday of one of our original members. I helped out the hosting family by making par-baked pizza crusts. In other words, I made one double-batch of dough cut into sixteen equal pieces, baked for 10 min at 425F then stored in an empty bread bag. When it was party time, we let the kids top their crusts as they like and bake 8-10 min at 425F or until browned to your liking.

While I was with First Shift at said party, Mr. Mackerelsnapper made us a pan of kale with onions and garlic (pretty much the link there but without the sweet potatoes), served with some bread on the side. Because only three of us were eating, as First Shift had been fed at the party, we had about two servings left over. What to do, what to do…

Well, today is Saturday: Lenten Food Prep Day. So far I’ve emptied the stock bag and made a pot of rice, which is an activity that takes more than 20 minutes, thus breaking the Lent 2013 Challenge Rules. All of that work totaled up to about 45 minutes. That still gives me an hour and fifteen minutes. With any luck I’ll make either some bagels or some pita.

With the rest of my time I made ANOTHER double-batch of pizza dough, separated those into a total of four crusts, and par-baked them as above. While those were baking, I used this awesome find from the produce bargain bin…

…and made another batch of kale with onions and garlic, this time without adding beans. When the pizza crusts were finished their first bake, I set two aside to cool and be frozen for use next week. The other two I topped with last night’s kale leftovers and today’s newly cooked batch. I sprinkled some mozzarella (frozen in bulk, of course) on those and baked them the rest of the way (10 more minutes at 425F). Voila—lunch!

(Somebody took us out to dinner tonight, so dinner wasn’t our “by the rules” meal for the day.) Vegans:  skip the cheese.  Gluten-free?  Use one of those fancy cauliflower crusts, which, btw, I’ve been meaning to try.  Any reviews?

Two weeks of Lent remain. Usually Easter means ham… but this year, I could really use a big, thick steak….

 

 

Lenten Challenge Day 27: Pink Pasta

This one’s easy, too.  We used half of the batch of alfredo leftover from Saturday, mixed it with two cups of weekend-made tomato sauce, and tossed it with more microwaved spaghetti.  Cheap, easy, and not too bad on the nutrition.

Lenten Challenge 2013 Day 23: The “..it Just Got Real” Post

I was wondering when this would happen: when the food would run out, now that we no longer have the budget to stockpile. It happened today. Corn oil and olive oil: all gone. Cous cous: one serving left. Potatoes? Gone. Instant brown rice? Thin pasta that cooks quickly? Fresh vegetables? Gone, gone and gone. Well, we still had enough rice to make a decent dinner… but we didn’t have enough time.

Here’s what we did to stretch out what we have left:

1. Placed our last three sweet potatoes, scrubbed and pierced, into the slow cooker. As I was making the rest of the dinner, scooped out the insides and let the preschooler mash in some butter and cinnamon sugar.
2. Found two thin tilapia fillets in the freezer. Took them out to thaw this morning. Sprinkled them with salt, pepper and curry powder, then steamed these in the microwave over one cup of vegetable stock and about half a cup of mead we had in the fridge, waiting for a reason to be gone from this earthly plane. (6 min on high power)
3. Took the remaining half of a bag of frozen broccoli and the handful of carrot sticks leftover from lunch. Chopped up the carrots and mixed them with the broccoli in a microwave-safe bowl. Took the remaining cup of vegetable stock, poured that into the nearly dead jar of minced garlic. Swished it all around and then poured it all on top of the veggies. Covered and microwaved on high for 8 minutes.
4. Spread some freezer-burnt bread with butter and garlic powder and pan-toasted it.

Was it luxurious? Was it clever? Was it creative? No. Was it food? Yes. It was also an opportunity to talk to the kids about how many families in our own town have to eat like this all the time, and not by choice: no leftovers, and the grown-ups gave much of their tilapia to the kids.

I was able to get groceries after dinner, so that’s a relief (yay cous cous!), but it was a real eye-opening dinner.