Friday's Menu

In this post from last year, I wrote about why Catholics abstain from meat on Fridays. Here is a little excerpt:

The Church, in her wisdom, commands Catholics to abstain from meat in order to control the desires of the flesh, to raise our minds more freely to God, and to make satisfaction for sin. We are to deny ourselves, not because meat is evil, but for the glory of God and the good of our souls. It is a good practice to meditate on the Passion of Christ when we are fasting or abstaining, so that we can best induce in ourselves a proper contrition for our sins. The Baltimore Catechism teaches that fast and abstinence are pleasing to God only when we also refrain from sin and engage in good works.

I try to keep Friday meals fairly simple, in keeping with the above. Tonight I am making something called Jerked Tofu, which I am hoping will please my vegetarian daughter. The recipe sounds really appealing. I am serving it with a simple fried rice, which is a mixture of fried brown rice and stir-fried shredded carrots, a little onion and some thawed green peas. Oh, yes, and some soy sauce mixed in. Very simple to prepare.

What do you make on Fridays? I'd be interested in hearing. Cooking is one of my favourite hobbies.

Moonshine and Grace

Yesterday, I went to the the Low Mass because I wanted to get an earlier start to my day. I had to bake some pies to take to a neighbour's house for a dinner invitation. I made two pies, an apricot/blackberry pie, and a rhubarb/strawberry pie. The dinner was excellent-our neighbour is somewhat of a chef, and the company was pleasant (except, why oh why does everyone have to swear?) It is such a travesty that people take the name of Jesus Christ in vain so casually. Many people use the name of Our Lord to emphasize their point, as if it helps to get their meaning across in a more effective manner. The English language is full of so many colourful and descriptive words that to resort to swearing to emphasize one's point is liking serving moonshine after a fine dinner when you should be serving cognac.

Back to the Mass, though. Have you ever heard a timely sermon that seems geared towards your exact needs at that moment? This past week I had to work with someone very difficult, an experience I am not in a hurry to repeat, and one that I found extremely trying. In his sermon, the priest chose the topic of why God allows evil to happen, and he explained how, through grace, God always brings about some greater good, even though we may not recognize it. All this I have heard before, and I was just following along, though somewhat distracted. Where I really tuned is is when he told us that when we are encountering a difficult day or a difficult person, we are not to despair, because God will give us the grace we need to get through that particular day. This was exactly what I needed to hear! We need only to ask for God's help in recognizing and using those graces so that we handle our situation appropriately. It seems so simple, doesn't it?

I think I will add this little prayer of St Philip Neri's to my morning routine, "Oh, God, let me get through today, and I shall not fear tomorrow.”

Fish Friday

Corinthians 1:27 But I chastise my body, and bring it into subjection: lest perhaps, when I have preached to others, I myself should become a castaway.

Polly Protestant: Hey, Katie, do you want to go out for dinner tonight? I'm feeling like I want a good, juicy steak! I'd love for you to come with me.

Katie Catholic: Um, sure, but can we go somewhere where they serve fish? It's Friday, and I can't eat meat on Fridays.

Polly Protestant: Why is it exactly that Catholics don't eat meat on Friday's anyway? What's up with that?

Katie Catholic: Um, I'm not really sure of the particulars - I just know that abstaining from meat on Friday's is something we are asked by the Church to do. (yes, I know the curernt regulations allow one to substitue a penance or prayer)

Would you be able to answer that question appropriately? From the dawn of Christianity, Friday has been signalized as an abstinence day, in order to do homage to the memory of Christ suffering and dying on that day of the week. The Baltimore Catechism teaches us that all flesh meat, including meat soup and gravies are forbidden on days of abstinence. Flesh meat is the meat of all warm-blooded land animals, including birds and fowls, so unless one is excused or dispensed, they are obliged to observe the abstinence days of the Church.

The Church, in her wisdom, commands Catholics to abstain from meat in order to control the desires of the flesh, to raise our minds more freely to God, and to make satisfaction for sin. We are to deny ourselves, not because meat is evil, but for the glory of God and the good of our souls. It is a good practice to meditate on the Passion of Christ when we are fasting or abstaining, so that we can best induce in ourselves a proper contrition for our sins. The Baltimore Catechism teaches that fast and abstinence are pleasing to God only when we also refrain from sin and engage in good works.


Here is an absolutely fantastic, easy to prepare recipe from Chatelaine Magazine that is now my favourite fish dinner. It is so good that I wonder if it really is penance to eat fish on Fridays. I am making it tonight because we have company over, but usually I try to make a really plain meal on Fridays.

Caramelized Salmon
Preparation time 5 minutes
Refrigeration Time 30 minutes
Cooking time 30 minutes

Makes 2 Servings

Ingredients

• 2 salmon steaks , at least 1 in. (2.5 cm) thick
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) granulated sugar
• 4 tsp (20 mL) maple syrup
• 1-1/2 tsp (7 mL) water
• 1-1/2 tsp (7 mL) vegetable or olive oil
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) fish sauce
• 3/4 tsp (4 mL) hot red-pepper flakes
• 1 garlic clove , minced
• 1-1/2 tsp (7 mL) cracked black pepper
• 1-1/2 tsp (7 mL) fried shallots
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) chopped cilantro
• 1 green onion , thinly sliced

Directions:

1. Pat salmon steaks dry with paper towels. Place fish on a plate or in a dish. Evenly sprinkle with 1½ tsp (7 mL) granulated sugar. Turn fish and sprinkle opposite side with another 1½ tsp (7 mL) sugar. Refrigerate, uncovered, at least 30 min.
2. When ready to cook, stir remaining 1 tbsp (15 mL) sugar with maple syrup and water in a large frying pan (not non-stick) set over medium-high heat. As soon as it starts to bubble, stir in oil, fish sauce, pepper flakes and garlic. Reduce heat to medium. Add sugar-coated salmon. Sprinkle half of cracked black pepper over fish. Turn fish, then sprinkle with remaining black pepper. Reduce heat to low. Simmer, uncovered, turning fish halfway through and stirring sauce often, until caramelized, 25 to 30 min.
3. Remove salmon steaks to warm plates (or to a hotpot dish) and sprinkle with fried shallots, cilantro and green onion. Delicious served with jasmine rice.

Super Find!

I just found a great website for cooks in a hurry! It's called supercook.com You just punch in the ingredients you have on hand, and it displays suggested recipes. Check it out! Here's a few things I can make tonight with what I already have in my kitchen: (no running to the store or looking up recipes!)

Easy Chicken in Wine Sauce
Missy's Lazy Day Pasta
Pasta with Sweet Peppers

That's all. I'm off to cook supper now...

Spinach Strawberry Salad

Spring is a great time to make this light, refreshing, and very tasty salad. It's a mixture of spinach, strawberries and kiwi, with a raspberry vinegar-poppy seed dressing. I first tried this salad at a camp last year, and like all recipes I take a liking to, I went home and duplicated it. It's so quick and easy, anyone can make it!

Strawberry Spinach Salad

1 nine oz (225 grams) bag of spinach leaves, ready to use
2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
3 kiwi fruit, peeled, halved and sliced

Dressing
1/4 cup oil
2 TBSP raspberry vinegar
pinch of salt
2 tsp sugar
scant tablespoon poppy seeds

Toss salad ingredients gently together in a large bowl. Mix dressing separately, and just before serving, toss dressing over salad. Serves 6-8

Rum Ribs

Now that Lent is over and the joyous season has begun, it's time to try out a few yummy recipes! Here is one called Rum Ribs, and it is the best rib recipe I've ever tried. The secret to their tenderness is the way you pre-bake them, covered in foil, at 325 degrees prior to putting the sauce on them. The best rum to use is Appleton Estate Jamaican Rum. The recipe doubles easily for larger crowds. Serve these with stuffed baked potatoes, fresh asparagus, and a Caesar salad for a great meal.

Rum Ribs

1 cup brown sugar

½ chilli sauce

¼ cup ketchup

½ cup dark rum

¼ soy sauce

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp dry mustard

2 cloves garlic minced

About 3 lbs of pork baby back or spare ribs

Cut up ribs and place in a pan covered with tin foil. Bake 325 degrees for an hour and a half. Remove from pan, drain juices and return to pan. Cover with sauce and bake 350 degrees for 45 minutes, basting often. Serves 4.

Tasty Thai Salad

I credit my ability to create recipes and to cook to my mother. She didn't do much cooking, so I started baking cookies at the age of eight, and cooking for the family by the time I was twelve. ( I still remember the time I brought home baked - and slightly burnt - chocolate cookies to a school get together!) That was my first attempt at baking, and boy, did I have initiative to improve after that!

One thing I have a knack for is to taste a recipe that someone else makes, and go home and duplicate it. Here's my version of a really good Thai salad that I bought at a deli a few weeks ago. The main ingredients are obvious, but it's the dressing that had a little surprise taste to it. Peanut oil and a good quality Thai peanut sauce are what makes this salad so tasty.

Dressing
1/2 cup peanut oil
2 TBSP roasted sesame oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar (not wine vinegar)
1/3 cup peanut sauce
2-3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
pinch of dried hot red pepper seeds
salt to taste

Salad
2 packages of steamed fresh Asian noodles (300 gm), cooked according to package directions
2 grilled chicken breasts, diced (leftover chicken works well)
1 1/2 cups fresh snow peas, halved and steamed till crisp
1 large carrot, shredded
1 large red pepper, diced
3 cups fresh spinach, chopped
1/2 cup unsalted cashews (optional)
3 TBSP poppy seeds

Whisk all the dressing ingredients together. Marinate the diced chicken breast in a few tablespoons of the dressing. Let it sit while you prepare the other ingredients. If the noodles are long, after cooking, cut them shorter after you drain them in a strainer. This is easy to do if you invert the strainer onto a cutting board, then using a large knife, just slice through the cooked noodles in several places. Combine everything in a bowl. You'll probably have to mix the ingredients with your hands. Enjoy.

Simple, isn't it?