Lenten recipes

Time for us to consider meatless dishes, at least during the Lenten season. For health purposes as well, fish and vegetables are the best. We went through our files and found some meatless recipes to share with our readers. They are all easy to follow and are delicious.

Pasta with anchovies and mushrooms. You need 200 gms of pasta – either spaghetti, fetuccini or penne, cooked and drained; half of the contents of one can of anchovies, which must be shredded into very small fiber-like strips using a fork; 30 grams fresh mushrooms, your choice – button, shitake or Swiss brown, boiled in two tablespoons of water and sliced thin; one-fourth cup olive oil – it is permissible to use pomace, the third press; one half head native garlic (if big, otherwise use a whole head), crushed; one tablespoon pesto sauce. Heat the oil, add the garlic, slightly sautéing it, without fully roasting. Add the mushrooms, mix well. Then pour in the anchovies, including part of its oil, mix, then add the pesto sauce and liquid from boiled mushrooms. Do a taste test and add a dash of salt if lacking in flavor. Shortly before serving, combine sauce and noodles, covering the pasta well with the mixture. Serve with parmesan cheese. Voila! Great pasta dish!

Fish fillet – either cream dory, tilapia, sole and hito – will be ideal for your Lenten meals. The simplest thing to do is wash them, cut into serving pieces and drain of excess water. Season with juice of calamansi, salt and pepper.

From there, you can play around with a variety of dishes. This is one of them – fish fillet with fennel and steamed French beans. Season the fillet with salt and pepper, let stand for a few minutes. Chop the fennel bulb, including the pin-like leaves, and fry in olive oil. Take out and fry fish, turning once. Combine with fennel, mix well, then add grated cheese. Cook for another two minutes and serve with steamed French beans which should be brushed with butter. Note that fresh fennel is now available and so are French beans.

Another fish fillet recipe – cut fish into one-inch wide and 4-inch long pieces. Combine 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, one half head of crushed garlic in one-fourth cup olive oil. Marinate the fish. You can either grill or fry. Add the capers (25 gms), pour the remaining sauce and serve.

 If the price of prawns does not go much higher than where it is at the moment, from P580 up a kilo, this dish will be a pleasure to have on your tables: shrimps in spices and herbs. Get at least half a kilo of shrimps, peel and drain, then slightly season with salt and pepper. Sauté in butter, then add 1 teaspoon of paprika, 1 teaspoon of dried tarragon, one tablespoon dry wine, a tin of all-purpose cream and grated cheese. Super!

Now, we all know vegetables and fruits are ideal to compliment any main course. Vegetables can be roasted, grilled, baked or simply sautéd in oil and garlic. Go a bit farther and add oyster sauce or sesame oil and you’ll get a new flavor. Fresh fruits are invigorating. Used in salads, nothing can be more refreshing.  

On a day out, have a “green” non-meat lunch or dinner in a quiet place like Le Bistro Vert in Makati. Their excellent resident chef Sao whips up “sustainable” dishes using nature’s treasures. Our choices? A salad of cheese, watermelon, alfalfa, olives and thyme in lemon vinaigrette dressing; penne primavera of capsicum, zucchini, fresh basil and tomatoes; pan-seared dory with herb cream, small capsicum, haribots and carrots; Thai-style dory cakes; and apahap fillet with buro mustasa. All between P295 and P350.

For readers who inquired about the Wescobee cider vinegar with honey, the following are some of the stores that carry it – Makati Supermarket, Landmark, Unimart, Robinsons, Hi- Top and Bora Mart in Boracay.

Have a healthy Lenten season.

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