By Lucia Ferrara
The perfect meatless meal for Lent, Vegetable Frizzle, is my take on Asian-style stir-fried vegetables.
Besides being delicious, this family pleasing dish is super adaptable. You don’t have to use just the vegetables I list below. Use whatever you like or whatever you have on hand. At one time or another, I have used for this dish Bok choy, carrots, green beans, green or purple cabbage and napa cabbage. Yellow or red onions or even shallots are great additions as well. If you want a little crunch, you can also add water chestnuts.
To add protein to this meatless dish, I add a can of garbanzo beans (chickpeas). When you want to add a meat protein, almost anything goes well in this recipe: cubes of chicken, pork or beef taste great in this mix. Shrimp is also a family favorite.
The sauce is garlicy, tangy and honey sweet with just a touch of hot chili spiciness. If you like more heat, you can add more chili paste. My colleague here at the Renewal Center suggests slicing fresh jalapeño or serrano chilis into the vegetable mixture.
Any rice you like works with this dish: jasmine, long grain, short grain basmati or instant rice.
Whatever combination of rice, veggies and protein you serve up, you can count on your dinner guests of licking their plates clean of Vegetable Frizzle.
Honey Garlic Sauce:
Chop for frying:
Prepare enough rice to serve 4-6 people. Two cups of uncooked rice should be enough. Follow cooking instructions on the package.
A Meal Pray for Lent*
Lord our God,
Bless our table, our food and wine,
As well as all of us
Who sit about this table.
Come, Gracious Lord,
And join us at this feast
As we prepare to join your son, Jesus
By prayerfully entering these 40 days of Lent.
As this Lenten roadway causes us to reflect
Upon the death of our Lord,
May we also remember his victory
In his resurrection from the dead.
May this meal
Be a joyful foretaste
Of the rebirth and new life that is the promise
Of the feast of the Resurrection.
*This prayer is adapted from Prayers for the Domestic Church by Fr. Edward Hays.
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[Lucia Ferrara, the Director of Hospitality at Precious Blood Renewal Center. Share your thoughts with Lucia or ask her questions using the form below or by sending an email to info@pbrenewalcenter.org.]
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By Fr. Ron Will, C.PP.S.
September is back to school time. I’ve chosen to reflect on the Eucharistic Prayer for Masses with Children III, because you may hear this prayer if you join a school Mass in your parish.
Taizé is an ecumenical, meditative prayer experience using music, chants and scripture. We gather on the first Thursday of every month at 7 p.m. Each month we explore a different theme. The theme for September was "New Beginnings."