Fasting Recipes in the Orthodox Church

[Philothei]

Thanks Akathist,

Here is a recipe for those more adventurous that want to make an artoclasia (blessed bread service) ....

[FONT='Calibri','sans-serif']4 pkgs of active dry yeast, 4 cups warm water, 1 ½ c. sugar, 2 c. water, ¼ cup fresh lemon juice, Grated rind of 1 lemon, 2 tsp. anise seed, crushed, 1c. vegetable oil, 1 tsp. salt, 18-20 c. unbleached all-purpose flour, 1 tsp anise seed boiled in ½ c. water and strained, silvered almonds.[/FONT]

Steps:
-In a large bowl combine yeast, 4 cups warm water and 2 tablespoons of the sugar.
Cover with plastic wrap and let stand to proof (until foamy) about 15 minutes.
-In a saucepan combine the remaining sugar with 2 cups water and heat until sugar melts. Let cool to lukewarm.
-Add the lukewarm sugar mixture to the bowl with the proofed yeast; stir in the lemon juice, lemon rind, crushed anise, vegetable oil and salt. Gradually add flour, mixing well after each addition.
-Add just enough additional flour to make soft dough.
-Transfer dough to a floured surface (I would make sure the surface is “warm” *this is G. suggestion&#8230and knead it, incorporating a little more flour if dough is sticky.
-Knead until smooth. Shape into a large ball and place in an extra large bowl which you have coated with non-stick cooking spray. (if you do not have a bowl large enough to accommodate the rising of the bread, divide dough in half and place in two large bowls).
-Cover and place in a warm, draft-free area until doubled in bulk.
-Punch down. Divine into 5 equal portions and shape each into a ball. Coat two large baking sheets. (or five 9-ince round cake pans) with nonstick cooking spray, set loves on sheets (or in cake pans), leaving room for expansion when placed on baking sheets. Pat each ball gently to form a nice round shape.
-Cover and let them rise until doubled in bulk (important I think….)
-Lightly brush each bread with the anise water.
-With the almonds, make a cross atop each bread. Bake breads in a preheated 350 oven until golden, 40-45 minutes. Transfer to racks to cool. Makes 5 round loaves.
Hope it works....

Philothei

 

[Monica child of God 1]

It's actually quite different in my parish, so you definitely have to get guidance from a spiritual father. I don't know if it's a difference between jurisdictions (some more strict than others), or between priests. So far, when I've asked about fasting, I've heard nothing about fasting from food completely, except before taking the Eucharist, or about skipping meals during Lenten periods. You fast as you're able. It sounds like most people in my parish--even my priest--fast only from meat. You're also supposed to pray and read your Bible more, but nothing else is restricted, including marital relations. Though if you want to restrict these things, you're allowed. And there is no fasting for the sick or pregnant. So there is no "everyone does it this way" fasting in Orthodoxy.

Yes, you should have guidance from your priest and no one's fast is anyone's business. Having said that, the classic fasting discipline is as follows

1. On weekdays (Monday to Friday inclusive) during the seven weeks of Lent, there are restrictions both on the number of meals taken daily and on the types of food permitted; but when a meal is allowed, there is no fixed limitation on the quantity of food to be eaten.
   1. On weekdays in the first week, fasting is particularly severe. According to strict observance, in the course of the five initial days of Lent, only two meals are eaten, one on Wednesday and the other on Friday, in both cases after the Liturgy of the Presanctified. On the other three days, those who have the strength are encouraged to keep an absolute fast; those for whom this proves impracticable may eat on Tuesday and Thursday (but not, if possible, on Monday), in the evening after Vespers, when they may take bread and water, or perhaps tea or fruit-juice, but not a cooked meal. It should be added at once that in practice today these rules are commonly relaxed. At the meals on Wednesday and Friday xerophagy is prescribed. Literally this means 'dry eating'. Strictly interpreted, it signifies that we may eat only vegetables cooked with water and salt, and also such things as fruit, nuts, bread and honey. In practice, octopus and shell-fish are also allowed on days of xerophagy; likewise vegetable margarine and corn or other vegetable oil, not made from olives. But the following categories of food are definitely excluded:
      1. meat;
      2. animal products (cheese, milk, butter, eggs, lard, drippings);
      3. fish (i.e., fish with backbones);
      4. oil (i.e., olive oil) and wine (i.e., all alcoholic drinks).
   2. On weekdays (Monday to Friday inclusive) in the second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth weeks, one meal a day is permitted, to be taken in the afternoon following Vespers, and at this one meal xerophagy is to be observed.
   3. Holy Week. On the first three days there is one meal each day, with xerophagy; but some try to keep a complete fast on these days, or else they eat only uncooked food, as on the opening days of the first week. On Holy Thursday one meal is eaten, with wine and oil (i.e., olive oil). On Great Friday those who have the strength follow the practice of the early Church and keep a total fast. Those unable to do this may eat bread, with a little water, tea or fruit-juice, but not until sunset, or at any rate not until after the veneration of the [Plashchanitsa] at Vespers. On Holy Saturday there is in principle no meal, since according to the ancient practice after the end of the Liturgy of St. Basil the faithful remained in church for the reading of the Acts of the Apostles, and for their sustenance were given a little bread and dried fruit, with a cup of wine. If, as usually happens now, they return home for a meal, they may use wine but not oil; for on this one Saturday, alone among Saturdays of the year, olive oil is not permitted.

The rule of xerophagy is relaxed on the following days:

1. On Saturdays and Sundays in Lent, with the exception of Holy Saturday, two main meals may be taken in the usual way, around mid-day and in the evening, with wine and olive oil; but meat, animal products and fish are not allowed.
   
2. On the Feast of the Annunciation (March 25) and Palm Sunday fish is permitted as well as wine and oil, but meat and animal products are not allowed...

--from OCA.org

If fasting has been relaxed we should recognize that it is out of economia.

M.

 

[Philothei]

bump.... for more recipes?

 

[Lukaris]

This is bare basics but cheap & worth 3 servings. 2 cups of minute rice and canned vegetable soup; 3 days of dinner meals for a single like me. Spaghetti & marinara sauce is good for about 2 or 3 straight dinners supplemented with a bag of salad. If in mixed company & going to fast food place, Burger King has a veggie burger or rice w/ broccoli & garlic sauce at a Chinese eatery works well. I know, these are more of meal plans than recipes.

 

[Philothei]

Every suggestion counts and when you end up eating and preparing the same food over and over all suggestions are welcome

 

[drrepper]

Pretty good thread!

 

[Anhelyna]

Just been given a rather nice veggie soup recipe by my youngest daughter

1 Litre vegetable stock [ use a cube for this ]

into a LARGE pan throw roughly cut up brocoli spears , green beans [ haricots verts ] mange tout peas , a large onion [ yes as big as you can get ] 1 chili [ fairly hot , deseeded of course ] half a pepper and several leaves of green cabbage [ remove the thick rib and tear up into about 3 ]

Add the veggie stock , bring to the boil and then simmer for about 30 mins then liquidise.

The colour is green [ well look at what was in it ] but it has quite a 'bite' thanks to the chili.

I also added some garlic and some dried italian herbs .

Eat with a nice crusty , tasty bread roll - and enjoy

You can thicken it a bit by adding some root vegetables I would think - I was going to leave doing that till later in the year.

 

[rdhosken]

A really tasty soup can be made from asparagus stalks -- you know, the parts that aren't very tender. My wife cuts off the asparagus tips from 1 lb. of asparagus down to where the stalks start getting tough, and we save those for later. Then she cuts up the stalks into 1/2" pieces and runs them through the blender, shreds a carrot, a potato and an onion, adds water to the desired thickness, salt and garlic powder to taste, and boil it up. Yum!