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Lenten Recipes

Note: This page will be updates as various recipes are submitted/collected. This is a mixed bag of recipes, which will be added to until there's enough of them to catagorize. Please help with your contributions of Orthodox holiday recipes!

Index:

St. Phanourios Bread (Fanouropita)
Rizopita Me Karydia Ke Stafides (Greek Lenten Pie)
Amygdalota Sifneika (Lenten Greek Almond Cookies)
Bojti Halikraleves (Hungarian Lenten Row Soup)
Maltese Kwaresimal (Lenten Almond Cakes)
Polish Lenten Mushroom Cutlets (Kotelty)
Spanakopita Nistisimi (Greek Lenten Spinach Pie)
Tahinopita (Greek Lenten Tahini Cake)
Keik Nistsimo (Lenten Greek Cake)
Topig (Armenian Lenten Chick Pea Kofta)
Tart de Brymlent (Medieval English Lenten Tart)
Armenian No-Cook Itch Pilaf

St. Phanourios Bread (Fanouropita)

Ingredients:

Procedure:

  1. In a large, heavy bottomed saucean, combine all igredients listed from orange juice to cloves.
  2. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for exactly ten minutes -- any longer, and you'll have a good carmelized smelling door stop instead of a cake.
  3. Set pot in cold water to cool mixture completely.
  4. Sift into cooled syrup flour, baking powder and baking soda.
  5. Beat vigorously for eight to ten minutes (Takes muscles! We use a wooden spoon for this.) or until batter is smooth and bubbly.
  6. Stir in orange peel.
  7. Turn into well greased 7 " fluted pan or 8" loaf pan.
  8. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup sesame seeds (optional; skip if you like).
  9. Bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
  10. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup brandy and cool cake in pan. Bring to church to have blessed, and then share with parishioners or the poor. (Posted: Indiana Listserv by Matanna@AOL.COM)

Rizopita Me Karydia Ke Stafides (Greek Lenten Pie)

Ingredients:

Syrup

Procedure:

  1. Soak the rice for 5 minutes in water to cover.
  2. Drain and saute in the margarine until glistening.
  3. Pour in the water and cook over low heat for about 12 minutes, or until it becomes very soft and has absorbed all the water.
  4. Turn the cooked rice into a bowl and let cool a little.
  5. Preheat the oven to 375 F.
  6. Mix the walnuts, raisins, cinnamon, and cloves with the rice and stir well. 
  7. Brush a 14 x 9 1/2 -inch baking pan with margarine and lay in 2 sheets of homemade or 8 sheets of  commercial phyllo, brushing each sheet with margarine. Let about 2  1/2 inches of dough hang over the edge of the pan, and trim the rest.
  8. Pour the filling into the pan, smooth  it with a spatula, and lay in the remaining sheets of commercial or 2 sheets of homemade phyllo, brushing each sheet with margarine. Trim the top sheets to no more than 1/2 inch larger than the pan all around.
  9. Brush again with margarine, and turn the hanging phyllo  inward to seal. Using a very sharp knife or a razor blade, score the top layers to mark the desired sizes of the pieces you will cut later.
  10. Place in the oven, and bake for 1 hour, or until golden brown on top. 
  11. After baking for 30 minutes, start preparing the syrup. Place the sugar, water, lemon juice, lemon peel, and cinnamon stick in a saucepan, bring to a boil, and turn down the heat. S
  12. Simmer until the pie is baked.
  13. The moment you take the pie out of the oven, discard the lemon peel and cinnamon stick, and pour the syrup over the pie. Be very careful-the syrup can bubble vigorously and can burn you.
  14. Cover the pie with a clean kitchen towel and let cool completely before serving. This rice pie tastes much better the next day and keeps well for at least a day. (Author's note: This is a Lenten sweet pie that is prepared in Metsovo, but this recipe is my interpretation. Instead of using olive oil, I have used margarine because I think the taste of olive oil is much too strong. Needless to say, it is infinitely better if the phyllo is homemade. - AGLAIA KREMEZIS www.estaitoronline.com)                   

Amygdalota Sifneika (Lenten Greek Almond Cookies)

Ingredients:

Procedure:

  1. In a large heavy pot, heat the ground almonds, sugar, water, and orange flower water.
  2. Stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture no longer sticks to the bottom and sides of the pan, 5 to 8 minutes.
  3. Let cool slightly, then wetting your fingers with orange flower water, take tablespoonfuls and shape the biscuits to form small pears about 11/2 inches high. Keep the mixture covered while you work because it dries out quickly.
  4. Sprinkle the biscuits with confectioners' sugar until they are completely covered.
  5. (Chef's note: There are many varieties of amygdalota. In some, the ground almonds are mixed with flour, butter, or eggs and baked. In others, the cookies are not baked at all; the almonds are mixed with rosewater,  then shaped and left to dry a little before being dredged in confectioners' sugar. Almond cookies that use no butter or eggs are one of our many Lenten sweets, which Greeks prepare especially on Clean Monday, the first day of Lent. This recipe was given to me by Mrs. Maria Salmaltani, the owner and cook of one of the best old tavernas in Kiffissia, a posh Athens suburb. Although Mrs. Salmaltani comes from Paros, she told me that this recipe originated on Siphnos, another Cycladic island, probably the most beautiful one. - AGLAIA KREMEZIS www.estaitoronline.com)

Bojti Halikraleves (Hungarian Lenten Row Soup)

Ingredients:

Procedure:

  1. Peel vegetables and cut into small pieces, and together with salt, bay leaves and peppercorns cook them in 2 qts water till they are almost soft.
  2. Make a roux with butter and flour, cook for only a few minutes, leaving it very light.
  3. Add paprika and whip 1/2 cup cold water into the roux.
  4. Pour roux into the vegetable mixture and bring again to a boil.
  5. Reduce heat to a simmer. Add fish pieces and fish head, and simmer soup for 10 minutes.
  6. Add row and cook for another 5 minutes.
  7. Pour in the vinegar; just before serving stir in the sour cream.
  8. Adjust salt and vinegar to your taste.
  9. (Note: During Lent most Hungarians eat a lot of fish. There are almost always little bits of fish meat, bones and heads left over and that's when this soup would be a good beginning for a Lenten meal.)

Maltese Kwaresimal (Lenten Almond Cakes)

Ingredients:

Optional

Procedure:

  1. Toast the almonds on baking sheet for about 5 minutes at 400F.
  2. Reset the oven for 350F.
  3. Grind one-third of the almonds.
  4. Mix the ground almonds with the flour, sugar, and cinnamon.
  5. Add the orange extract and the rinds. Mix well.
  6. Blend in the slivered almonds.
  7. Gradually, add enough water to make a stiff dough (the dough will be sticky).
  8. Form the dough into cake about 7 inches long, 2 inches wide and 1 inch thick.
  9. Bake for 35 minutes.
  10. Optional: While they are still hot, brush the Kwaresimal with honey, and sprinkle with slivered toasted almonds.
  11. Let the cakes cool for about 20 minutes, then with a serrated knife cut them into slices about 3/8 inch thick.
  12. (Variations: Here are a few of the classic variations: Hazelnuts can be substituted for the almonds. You can if you prefer all of the nuts, or fewer of them. You can also insert some whole blanched almonds. Remember the more nuts you grind to a powder, the more liquid you will need to make the dough; and the fewer nuts you grind, the less liquid. In Malta these cakes would often be made with orange-flower water, which is hard to obtain here. Orange extract or liqueur (or other liqueur or rum) can be used as a part of the liquid.)

Polish Lenten Mushroom Cutlets (Kotelty)

Ingredients:

Procedure:

  1. Chop the mushrooms in a large frying pan, saute them with the onions in 3 tbsp of butter.
  2. Soak the cubed hard rolls in milk for about 10 minutes. Add to the mushroom-onion mixture.
  3. Blend in the eggs, parsley, salt and pepper.
  4. Form the mixture into cutlet-shaped patties, each patty should take 3 to 4 tablespoons of the mixture.
  5. Press the patties onto the breadcrumbs.
  6. Fry in butter until crisp and brown on both sides.
  7. (Variation: You could substitute dried mushrooms for part or all of the fresh mushrooms. They are a favorite among the Polish for their rich and interesting flavor.)

Spanakopita Nistisimi (Greek Lenten Spinach Pie)

Ingredients:

Pastry

Procedure:

  1. Start by making the pastry. Sift the flour with the salt and baking powder.
  2. Mix in about 6 tablespoons water, a little at a time, until the dough is gooey, but not wet.
  3. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus another teaspoonful, and a little more flour, if needed, to make a cohesive mass.
  4. Knead the dough for 5 to 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
  5. Cover it and set aside to relax for an hour or two.
  6. For the filling, separate the curly endive leaves, so the vegetable will cook in the same time. Steam the spinach and endive together in a large pan, in the water clinging to the leaves, plus just an extra 1/2 cup. Turn the leaves over occasionally, so they wilt evenly.
  7. When they are wilted, but not mushy, drain them in a colander, pressing firmly with the back of a wooden spoon to remove as much excess liquid as possible. (Reserve the liquid for use in soup, or drink with a squeeze of lemon juice, as the Greeks do.)
  8. Saute the scallions in 2 tablespoons olive oil, until barely soft. Add a few tablespoons of water if they stick to the pan.
  9. Roughly chop the cooked spinach and curly endive and finely grate the zest from the lemon.
  10. Then toss the cooked vegetables with the scallions, parsley, dill, lemon zest and 1 tablespoon lemon juice, salt, and pepper, adding 3 tablespoons olive oil.
  11. Set aside until you are ready to fill the pastry.
  12. Choose an ovenproof earthenware or glass baking dish 2 to 2-1/2 inches deep and about 2-quart capacity and brush the inside with oil.
  13. Divide the pastry into two unequal parts, and then again into halves. On a floured surface roll out one of the larger pieces of pastry. This should be large enough to line the dish, coming up and over the sides - this should make it very thin.
  14. Fit it into the baking dish and brush it with olive oil. Do the same with the second piece of pastry, placing it on top of the first, and brush again with olive oil.
  15. Sprinkle the tablespoon of rice or cracked wheat over the bottom, to soak up excess juices, and fill with the spinach and herb mixture.
  16. Roll out the remaining two pieces of pastry, separately, to fit the top of the dish. Place the first on top of the spinach, brush with olive oil, then place the second on top of that. Prick the pastry with a fork in an attractive pattern and brush the entire top with olive oil.
  17. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake in an oven preheated to 350 F for 45-50 minutes, until golden brown. (Source: Karen Mintzias)

Tahinopita (Greek Lenten Tahini Cake)

Ingredients:

Procedure:

  1. You can replace tahini with peanut butter, the smooth, creamy variety.
  2. Grease a 20 cm (8 inch) tube pan or a 20 x 30 cm (8 x 12 inch) slab cake pan with melted margarine or oil.
  3. Chill in refrigerator until required.
  4. Beat tahini, sugar and orange rind for 10 minutes, then gradually beat in orange juice.
  5. Sift dry ingredients twice and fold into tahini mixture.
  6. Blend in walnuts and sultanas.
  7. Dust chilled cake pan with flour and turn batter into pan. Spread evenly and knock base of pan on table top to settle batter.
  8. Bake at 350 F for 55-60 minutes for tube pan, 45 minutes or so for slab cake.
  9. When cooked, invert cake in its pan onto cake rack and leave for 2-3 minutes before lifting pan from cake. Cool cake and cut in slices or squares to serve. Store cake in a sealed container. (Source: Tess Mallos)

Keik Nistsimo (Lenten Greek Cake)

Ingredients:

Procedure:

  1. Sift flour into ceramic bowl and mix the baking powder; scoop out a well in center.
  2. Heat oil in frying pan and pour into the flour.
  3. Add raisins, sugar, nuts, orange peel, cognac, baking soda dissolved in the orange juice, and cinnamon.
  4. Mix to make a stiff dough.
  5. Put into a buttered tube pan or baking pan and bake in preheated 300 F. oven for about 1 hour.
  6. As soon as you remove it from the oven, sprinkle with the cinnamon and confectioner's sugar.

Topig (Armenian Lenten Chick Pea Kofta)

Ingredients:

Procedure:

  1. Soak chick peas in the cold water for 24 hours, in a cool place if weather is warm.
  2. Remove the skins by taking a handful at a time and rubbing with the palms of both hands so that the chick peas actually rub against one another. Drop back into bowl and take up another lot. Skim off the floating skins as they accumulate. (why not just leave the skins on, if this sounds like too much trouble!) Drain well.
  3. Pass the skinned chick peas through food grinder twice, using fine screen. Alternatively, place in food processor container in 2 lots and process to a paste
  4. Peel skin from boiled potatoes and mash finely with a fork. Combine with ground chick peas, add salt and a good grinding of white pepper. Blend thoroughly and keep aside.
  5. Put sliced onions in a pan with the water, cover and steam over medium heat for 10 minutes, then remove cover and leave until moisture evaporates.
  6. Turn into a bowl and cool.
  7. Add allspice, cumin, pine nuts, and currants to the onion. Blend well, then mix in tahina, and salt and pepper to taste.
  8. Take 4 pieces of unbleached calico or similar cloth, each about 50 cm (20 inches) square and scald in boiling water.
  9. Cool a little, then wring out well. Open out a square of cloth on work surface and put a quarter of the chick pea paste in the centre.
  10. Spread evenly with a spatula to a 20 cm (8 inch) square and place a quarter of the filling in the centre, spreading it a little. Bring each corner of the paste over the filling by lifting up corners of cloth. Paste should enclose filling in envelope fashion.
  11. Smooth joins to seal well. Make a single tie with each pair of diagonally opposite corners of cloth, then tie a second time. Complete another 3 topigs in the same way.
  12. Half fill a large pot with water, bring to the boil and add about 1 tablespoon salt. When briskly boiling, lower prepared topigs into pot and return to the boil.
  13. Cover and boil steadily for 12-15 minutes or until topigs float and feel firm to the touch. Lift out immediately and place on a tray, draining off water in tray.
  14. Untie and invert topigs onto platter. Leave until cool.
  15. When ready to serve, pour a little olive oil over each topig and dust lightly with cinnamon or paprika. Garnish platter with lemon wedges and parsley. To serve, cut each topig in half, then slice in thick pieces. Olive oil and lemon juice are added to individual taste. NOTE: Ready-skinned chick peas are available at some Armenian and Greek food stores. These look like split peas, but are larger and nut coloured. (Source: Karen Mintzias)

Tart de Brymlent (Medieval English Lenten Tart)

Ingredients:

Procedure:

  1. (Cubeb, an aromatic pepper commonly used in medieval times, can still be bought in many spice shops.)
  2. Preheat the oven to 425F and bake the pie crust for 10 minutes. Let cool.
  3. Cut the fish into 1 1/2" chunks, salt lightly ands sprinkle with 2 tbsp lemon juice. Set aside.
  4. Melt the butter in a large, heavy skillet and toss the pear and apple slices in it until they are lightly coated.
  5. Combine the wine, lemon juice, brown sugar, spices and dried fruits, and add to the mixture in the skillet.
  6. Cover and simmer about 15 minutes or until the fruit is soft but still firm. Check the flavoring, and drain off excess liquid.
  7. Paint jelly on the pie crust.
  8. Combine fish chunks with fruit and place the mixture in the crust. Bake at 375F for 15-25 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily.

Armenian No-Cook Itch Pilaf

Ingredients:

Procedure:

  1. Mix bulgur, tomato sauce and water. Wait until liquid is absorbed. Add the rest of the ingredients to taste.