Helpful List for Lenten Pantry Staples

I keep forgetting that Great Lent this year begins on February 23 for us Orthodox Christians.  It seems so early this year, and I admit, I don't like having early Lent and an early Pascha.  We've had snow before on Pascha when it's been early, and although the tone of Lent for Orthodox is that of a "bright sadness" (a somberness, but with an eye towards the glory of Pascha), dreary wintery weather just makes it harder for me on many levels...I'm more tired, my energy levels are low, and all I feel like doing is sleeping--not exactly a productive way to spend Lent.  :)  Anyway, I came across a helpful list of items that may help Orthodox Christians (and Catholic and Protestants observing Lenten practices as well) to prepare before Clean Monday begins on February 23, 2015; I added a few things here and there to the list.

I will be challenged this Lent as I have been maintaining a paleo diet with the autoimmune protocol.  Paleo eliminates all grains, dairy, legumes, refined sugars, starches, and limited fruit, and the autoimmune protocol adds to the restrictions by including nuts and seeds, eggs, limiting or restricting fruit, alcohol, and all nightshade vegetables.  Lenten fasting of course eliminates all meat, dairy, eggs, allows oil and alcohol on limited days, and only allows fish once during Lent, on Palm Sunday (April 5 this year), so, I have no idea how I'm going to proceed.  I'm glad to have noticed Lent started early so I can try to get together a plan now.

Also, there is a very helpful calendar that details each day of the fasting periods and days throughout the year and what is allowed (i.e., "wine and oil day", "fish wine and oil day", etc.) HERE, along with the daily Scripture readings, and saints commemorated each day (along with a detailing of the lives of some of the saints commemorated).

Wishing you all a productive and blessed Lenten season.

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/orthodixie/2014/02/ye-old-lenten-pantry.html

 

Stocking a Lenten Pantry

Here’s some items that can help stock a Lenten Pantry …

• dried fruits (raisins, currants, apples, cranberries, apricots, prunes, coconut flakes)
• fresh fruits and vegetables
• candied peels, mixed
• dried beans (black beans, soy beans, navy beans, red kidney beans, great northern beans, mung beans, etc)
• dried legumes (red lentils, green lentils, brown lentils, chick peas, black eyed peas, split peas, etc)
• seeds (pumpkin, sesame, sunflower, poppy)
• nuts (almonds, cashews, peanuts, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios, walnuts)
• herbs and spices (peppercorns, old bay seasoning, mint, others to your taste)
• herbal teas
• flavored coffees
• frozen juice concentrates
• carob (chips, chunks and powder)  [many dark chocolates are dairy free]
• nondairy creamers (liquid and dry)
• nondairy whipped topping
• rose water
• baking cocoa
• lenten flavored baking chips
• non-alcoholic wines and sparkling waters
• canned fruits and vegetables
• tomato juice, sauce, paste (and V-8)
• canned beans and legumes
• a variety of pastas (check labels for content)
• lenten breads (purchased or homemade)
• soy products (soy milk, tofu, tempeh, soy sauce, etc)
• lenten bouillon cubes (vegetable, mushroom, onion, etc)
• vegetarian gravy mixes
• curry powder
• ketchup, mustards, pickles, relishes, chutneys
• lenten mayonnaise (no eggs, no whey) [Vegenaise® is one store brand, or, you can make your own easily and cheaply; recipe HERE]
• asian sauces (black bean, garlic, peanut, etc)
• taco sauces and relishes
• lenten margarine (no milk, no whey) [Earth Balance® is one store brand--even works well for baking--or, you can make your own easily; recipe HERE]
• egg replacer (no whites!)  [A list of vegan egg replacers for baking can be found HERE]
• tahini (sesame seed paste), peanut butter
• flavored vinegars (apple cider instead of alcohol)
• vegetable oils (sunflower, soy, peanut, sesame, walnut, etc)
• honeys, jams, maple syrups, corn syrup
• barley, cornmeal, oats, wheat germ, wheat
• rices (brown, cracked, whole, wild, etc)
• flours (rice, bleached, wheat, all-purpose, etc)
• vegetarian chili (canned)

Lenten Ingredient Concerns

Noodles … Be careful of packaged noodles, most have part of egg or milk in them. Replace noodles with pastas or vegan noodles.

Mayonnaise … Most brands have milk, egg, or both. [Vegenaise® is a reliable vegan mayonnaise, or, make your own--recipe HERE]

Margarines … If you really want to fast, check your margarines for whey products. A soy margarine is always free of whey. Some vegetable oil margarines are also lacto-free.  [Earth Balance® is a reliable vegan margarine--it even works great for baking!--or, make your own--recipe HERE]

Eggs … If absolutely necessary, use an egg substitute. It tends to make recipes more difficult; you may wish to just get a better recipe rather than determine how much egg substitute it takes to make your recipe work. [A list of egg substitutes used in baking can be found HERE]

Cheeses … Placing a small bowl of shredded cheese on the table for the [pre-fasting aged] children is an acceptable way to make their meals more appealing to them; as well as adding to the lack of calcium that a vegan diet inherently has.

Broths … Meat broths can be replaced with vegetable broths. If you use bouillon cubes, remember not to add any salt to your recipes, as the cubes are very salty.

Gelatin, Jell-o and Marshmallows … While these products were once considered animal, the process to create these removes the finished product so far from the animal make-up that Orthodox Rabbi’s consider it Kosher for non-meat uses. This seems good enough for most Orthodox Christians. (Vegetable based gelatins are also available.)   [For what it's worth, I respectfully disagree with this particular listing.  The same can be said for using ghee during fasting periods, because supposedly, "all the dairy has removed".  To me, it seems this is legalizing and justifying the usage of these animal products...gelatin is an animal product, period.  Best to talk to your spiritual father about partaking of gelatin, Jell-O, and marshmallows during Lent.]

Peanut Butter & Tahini … what can I say?

Chocolate … is really milk chocolate and can be replaced with cocoa or carob (chocolate chips can be replaced with carob chips).  [again, many forms of dark chocolate are dairy free...bars, chips, etc. ...just check the labels]

Alcohol … Apple Cider is a great substitute for white wine, and sometimes sherry or red wine.

Desserts … As a host during lent, remember that many people give up desserts and sweets, so keep fresh fruit in a decorative bowl or basket on your table for your guests. The diabetic guests will also appreciate this.

Lenten Breakfast Items

• fruit kabobs
• lenten waffles with jam or syrup
• peanut butter and honey on bagels
• fruit salad
• applesauce cake
• tahini and honey on toast
• lenten pancakes
• lenten muffins
• fresh fruits
• baked apples
• baked grapefruit
• cereal and vanilla soy milk
• cinnamon toast
• "good morning coffee cake" [recipe HERE]
• kasha (or grits)
• granola with applesauce
• granola with pie filling
• oatmeal with raisins and syrup or jam

Believe it or not, applesauce works great as a milk substitute on cereals … and, equally hard to believe, OJ sometimes works just fine.  [I haven't tried either of these cereal toppers, but interesting to note]