Lenten Soul Food

For this post I have borrowed from a column that appeared in St. Anne's monthly newsletter, The Announcer, in Lent 2011.  The Church Lady used to write about all sorts of things that people had questions about -- red doors, or children in church, or "Who Is Saint Anne Anyway?", to name a few.


If you have questions you would like answered by the Church Lady, please send them to saintannesmn@gmail.com, and they will be forwarded to the Church Lady. She may allow me to post them here on my blog.


                                                                    Blessings, Lydia +

Dear Church Lady,

I know Lent is supposed to be about self-denial and fasting.  Is it OK to enjoy good food, even during Lent?

Signed, Foodie

The Church Lady replies:

First of all, dear Foodie, Lent is not “about” self-denial and fasting. It’s about forming habits of humility, generosity, and love. Self-denial and fasting are two spiritual disciplines that people have found helpful for thousands of years. Other disciplines include prayer, study, giving, and acts of kindness.  These and other disciplines are tools for us, to help us become better disciples.

If you want to know more about fasting, check out the book Soul Feast: An Invitation to the Christian Spiritual Life  by Marjorie J. Thompson, or the mid-20th century classic, Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth by Richard J. Foster. Both have wonderful short chapters on the spiritual benefits of fasting.

But your question was really about food. And YES! It’s OK to enjoy food during Lent. There are even traditional foods associated with Lent.  

• Pretzels are a non-fat bread, first created by monks, who shaped the dough to resemble arms crossed over the chest in a traditional prayer posture. 
• Hot Cross Buns are sold around the world during Holy Week.  
• Simnel Cake (recipe below) is traditional for the 4^th Sunday in Lent, called “Refreshment Sunday” or “Mothering Sunday.” Coming approximately halfway through the 40 days, it is a small break from the rigors of Lenten discipline, including fasting. In medieval England, it was a day to honor Mother Church, Jesus’ mother, and all mothers. Servants were given the day off to visit their mothers, and the story goes they took this sweet treat with them.  

And let’s not forget time-honored tradition of church suppers during Lent!  St. Annians enjoy wonderful food on the Wednesdays of Lent, when we gather for supper, classes, and Holden Evening Prayer. The meals are simple -- soup, bread, fruit -- but hearty and delicious.  At a recent Wednesday, Mitzi Addis’ Turkey Chili (recipe below) disappeared in a hurry.

You can find lots of good “Lent-approved” recipes in the St. Anne’s 25^th Anniversary Cookbook, now discounted to $10. 

SIMNEL CAKE

For the 4^th Sunday in Lent

¾ c butter

2 c sugar

4 eggs

2 c flour

½ t salt

grated peel of 1 orange

½ c raisins

1 can (12 oz) almond filling (may use almond paste instead)

Preheat oven to 300.  Grease and flour a 9x13 pan.

Cream butter and sugar, add eggs one at a time, beating well.

Combine flour, salt, orange peel, and raisins.

Add to butter mixture and beat lightly to combine.

Spread ½ of batter into prepared pan.  Spread almond filling over, then spread with remaining batter.

Bake at 300 for 1 hour.  Dust with powdered sugar, or make a thin icing of powdered sugar, vanilla or almond flavoring, and milk or water.  Drizzle icing over when cool.  Cut into small bars or squares (it’s very rich).

SOUTHWESTERN TURKEY CHILI

from Mitzi Addis

1 pound ground turkey

1 cup chopped onion

½ cup chopped celery

1 cup of chopped red pepper

3 cloves minced garlic

2  16 oz cans diced tomatoes with chili spices

2  16 oz cans black beans

1  16 oz can kidney beans

1  16 oz corn with bell pepper  (Mexicorn)

1 Tbsp. Oregano

1 Tbsp. Ground Cumin

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. Allspice

Cilantro as a garnish - optional

Sour Cream as a garnish

Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese as a topper - optional

Place all the beans in a colander and rinse and drain.

In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat a little vegetable oil (1 tbsp).  Add onions and celery and lightly brown, stirring frequently.  Add the ground turkey.  Cook over medium-high heat, breaking up pieces until no longer ping.  If brown bits form on the bottom of the pan add a little water (1 tbsp. at a time) and scrape up the browned parts.

Stir in the pepper an garlic and continue to cook about 10 minutes stirring frequently and adding small amounts of water to bottom of pan to keep the brown bits from burning.

Stir in tomatoes, beans, corn, oregano, cumin, salt and allspice.  Reduce heat, cover pot and simmer 25 minutes stirring occasionally.

Serves 6 to 8 as a main dish or more as a side dish.