The holidays are behind us and has probably left some of you feeling the effects, if you know what I mean. For the last few years I've joined many others in The Daniel Fast.
You might think of fasting simply as not eating, but there are several different types of fasting. The Daniel Fast is a partial fast centered on the Old Testament account of dietary practices in the Book of Daniel.
The Daniel Fast focuses on eating fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes (beans and peas), and lots and lots of water. Basically you are eliminating meat, fish, eggs, all dairy products..yep, cheese😮, fried and processed food, all bread containing yeast, all solid fat (butter, shortening) and again you only drink water...no carbonated drinks, coffee, tea, or alcohol. I like to concentrate on what you can eat; so here are some of my favorite recipes.
LET'S GO TO THE GROCERY STORE
First, clean out the fridge and cabinets of all temptations, remember you can freeze that expensive steak or those chicken wings as a reward for finishing your fast.
Make your grocery list before you go to the store so you can stay focused. Look at all this delicious healthy food!!! Although you want to eat mostly fresh fruit and vegetables you can have whole wheat tortillas and pasta, organic peanut butter, brown rice, and rice cakes, in moderation.
ROCK'S OVEN ROASTED VEGGIES
I roasted a big batch of my favorite veggies. Choose the vegetables you like, just remember to adjust the cooking time based on the size and type you choose.
In the pan on the right I have sweet potatoes and turnip bottoms...they're similar in texture so the cooking time will be the same.
In the tray above on the left, I cut the potatoes and turnips into smaller pieces, and put them on the outside of the tray; the cooking time will be the same as the peppers, okra, cauliflower, and my favorite jalapeno peppers.
Drizzle the veggies with a good quality oil ...I used Rock's Herb Herb de Provence Spicy Olive oil. You'll find that recipe in my cookbook Rock's Soul Food Sunday. rockssoulfood.com/shop
Wrap your roasted veggies in a wheat tortilla, add some fresh Pico de Gallo for a perfect lunch treat.
LILL'S FAMOUS VEGETERIAN SPAGHETTI
Lill is my friend and soror of over forty years DELTA SIGMA THETA in the house! She has made her famous vegetarian spaghetti for her friends for many years. But she got notoriety when her son Jonathan and his TSU track team went to Atlanta for a Track Meet. Jonathan announced to his coaches and teammates "My Mama can make us spaghetti" and the rest is history.🤣
Lill's Spaghetti is full of fresh vegetables of your choice.
The key is to make sure to sauté your vegetables to perfect tenderness, some will require more cooking times than others. This is Lill's recipe in her own words.
You start your vegetable spaghetti sauce with chopped fresh or frozen vegetables (you determine the amount of veggies) which include onions, garlic bell peppers green yellow red orange a little celery finely chopped broccoli, cauliflower, squash, zucchini, cut okra, green beans carrots sweet corn, mushrooms and any other vegetables of choice. Do a mild stir fry of your hearty vegetables first in grape seed oil or canola oil and season with Italian spice thyme, sea salt and Spike (which is a vegetable season all) if you don't have spike just regular season all then you toss your zucchini squash and okra at the end so they won't become too soft. Once the vegetables have reached a desired texture add in 1 large jar and one medium sized jar of Prego spaghetti sauce or Paul Newman's marinara sauce, allow to simmer on medium heat stirring occasionally. Your choice of pasta whole wheat or vegetable pasta bring to a boil for 7 minutes or until it reaches the desired texture. Enjoy! Lill
SPICY THREE BEAN CHILLI
This chili has been one of my favorite recipes for years, even when I'm not on the Daniel Fast. It has just enough spice and is perfect for a cold rainy day with a good book.
The prep is really easy, with only a few ingredients.
You can use Vegetable Broth or water, but not chicken broth. If you use water, be sure to taste it and add more seasoning if needed
Be patient and let your chili simmer down until you have a rich gravy, top with some fresh green onions and enjoy!
This would be delicious with a big piece of crusty garlic bread...oh well I settled for a Sea Salt Rice Cake.😏
Well folks, this will be my last blog for this season...but I am coming to you with a whole new look for the spring. Chao for now. If you have any questions in the mean time email me evelyn@rockssoulfood.com.