I had people over for dinner last night, wholly out of the spirit of Lenten denial and all. A number of preferences, dietary restrictions (Lenten and otherwise) at play along with my Southern Pride (tm) which requires that having people over involve an utterly fabulous meal.
So much for self denial.
So I came across a recipe for Lent from an Eastern Orthodox website; modified it a bit for my cooking style, and was very pleased with the results.
Since I know some among you are keeping Orthodox fast, here's the recipe (as I modified it):
Orange Shrimp and Scallops with Arabic Spices
Fill baking dish with 1-2 lbs shrimp and/or scallops (used both and it was awesome good)
Add red potatoes (I boiled them a bit in the microwave first so that they wouldn't need more cooking than the seafood did.... overcooked seafood has the texture of those gloves my grandmother used for doing the dishes)
And little rolly-polly peas (there, now I can say I fed them veggies)
Sprinkle liberally with orange zest (original recipe called for lemon, but I don't care much for lemon)
Sprinkle liberally with parsley, garlic (minced and fresh), onion (minced)
Salt, pepper, and cayenne as much or little as you like
1-2 tsp of cumin, sprinkled over the top
And about two or three tablespoons of lime juice and about a quarter cup of orange juice.
Bake at 350 degrees until seafood is done through and serve over hot rice. We had fruit and spring greens as a side dishes.
One of the side effects of general giving stuff up for Lent for me has always been an exploration of new foods and what's out there. There is so much abundance and variety in God's bounty. I know that's not the real reason for Lent's disciplines, but it sure is an interesting side effect. If nothing else, I find it makes me thankful.
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