Recipes for March ~ Month Dedicated to St. Joseph

The Month of March is dedicated to St. Joseph, the husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the foster father of Jesus.

"The silence of Saint Joseph is given a special emphasis. His silence is steeped in contemplation of the mystery of God in an attitude of total availability to divine desires. It is a silence thanks to which Joseph, in unison with Mary, watches over the Word of God, known through the Sacred Scriptures, continuously comparing it with the events of the life of Jesus; a silence woven of constant prayer, a prayer of blessing of the Lord, of the adoration of His holy will and of unreserved entrustment to his providence. It is no exaggeration to think that it was precisely from his "father" Joseph that Jesus learned -- at the human level -- that steadfast interiority which is a presupposition of authentic justice.... Let us allow ourselves to be "filled" with Saint Joseph's silence! In a world that is often too noisy, that encourages neither recollection nor listening to God's voice."   ~ Pope Benedict XVI, Angelus, December 18, 2005

March 1st, St. David (New and Trad.):

• Daffodil Cake for St. David's Day (As well as a couple soup recipes!)

March 4th, St. Casimir (New and Trad.):

• Polish Sugar Cookies

March 17th, St. Patrick (New and Trad.):

• Blarney Biscuits
• Candied Popcorn
• Slainte'
• Irish Soda Bread
• Irish Beef and Guinness Stew
• Shamrock Mint Cupcakes
• Pistachio Mallow Salad for St. Patrick's Day
• Feast Day Sugar Cookies
• Shamrock Toasties
• Sweet Shamrock Pretzels 
• Other uses for those Saint Nicholas Cookie Cutters!
• Saint Patrick's Shamrock Cupcake Bouquet
• St. Patrick's Beans
• Saint Patrick's Day Peppermint Candy Shake

March 19th, St. Joseph (New and Trad):

• Foods for St. Joseph's Altar
• St. Joseph Salad
• St. Joseph Sfinge (Cream Puffs)
• St. Joseph's Staff
• Minestrone Soup
• Nativity Cookies
• Gingerbread Tool Box for St. Joseph the Worker
• St. Joseph Raspberry Cream Cupcakes
• St. Joseph Altar Blog Fest

March 25th, Annunciation of the Lord (New, Trad.):

• Lily Sandwiches
• Annunciation Pineapple Upside Down Cake
• Lady Day Feasting
• Annunciation Waffles

Saint Joseph, patron of the Universal Church, pray for us!

A Few Thoughts for Lent

I received an email from a reader who wanted to share a few ways to show solidarity during Lent, with all our fellow human beings who face hunger every day. 

Here are her suggestions:

1) Serve plain meatless sandwich and soup dinners 1-2x /week and explain to our children why we are doing this...

2) Try to live on the food stamp allowance equivalent to our family size throughout Lent...

3) Take the time to write a family letter once a week for the hunger advocacy of Bread for the World, eg.

4) Take any money saved from steps 1 & 2 & additional family offerings and sending it to such organizations as the local Food Banks, Oxfam, the Heifer Project, etc...

In our home, each day during Lent our children take an item from the pantry to give away to the poor.  At the end of Lent we deliver the box to our local St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry.   

Please feel free to share any other ideas you may have in the comments!

Meatless Meals :: A Simple Fish recipe for Fridays

This recipe, for Lenten Fasting and Abstinence, was submitted by Amelia. She says that it is "a very simple one that we normally do during Lent any days cause growing up in the Philippines we always have Fish or any sea food on Fridays."  Thank you Amelia!

This is very good with Cod, Mahi-mahi, Tilapia or any white fish.

Steam the fish (I just normally put them on aluminum foil or parchment paper wrap them seal and baked them for 10-15 min), then put aside and keep warm.

Heat a small pan, make sure the pan is really hot, put about 3-5 T of olive oil, heat the oil until hot.

Saute equal amount of minced ginger and garlic for 1 min. Add chopped green onion (about 3 stalks) and cook for another 1-2 min. Finally add 2T of light soy this will make a lot of sizzles. Pour hot oil mixture over fish.

Serve over rice.

Meatless Meals :: Grilled Tilapia with Pineapple Salsa

Last Friday, before heading to the grocery store, I pulled a couple cookbooks off my shelf looking for a bit of inspiration.  One of the recipes I decided to try was from Pampered Chef's 29 Minutes till Dinner. (With a 2 month old, I have to be able to get dinner ready pretty quickly!) 

In less than 30 minutes I really was able to have a beautiful AND delicious dinner on the table.   I did bake an additional tray of fish sticks (for our younger children), however next time I think I will just grill a couple more fillets since my children really liked the Tilapia too (the salsa, not so much... too many onions for our little ones, but my husband and I loved it.).

Grilled Tilapia with Pineapple Salsa

adapted from Pampered Chef's 29 Minutes till Dinner

Pineapple Salsa

• 1 medium pineapple OR 1 (20 oz) can pineapple slices or chunks
• 1/4 small red onion, chopped
• 1 serrano pepper, seeded and diced
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 tsp lime zest
• 1 tbsp lime juice

Tilapia

• 1 (1.25 oz) packet taco seasoning
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 4 boneless. skinless tilapia fillets (about 4 oz ea.)

Directions:

Heat grill pan over medium-high heat for 5 minutes.  As pan heats, prepare pineapple.

For Fresh Pineapple :: Peel Pineapple in half; cut lengthwise into two pieces and remove core.  Slice pineapple piece lengthwise into three strips.  

For canned pineapple :: drain and pat dry with paper towels before cooking to promote grill marks. 

Arrange pineapple in a single layer over grill pan; cook 2-3 minutes on each side or until grill marks appear.  Set aside on cutting board.

While pineapple cooks, combine onion, serrano pepper, cilantro and salt in a small bowl.   Add lime zest and juice and mix well.

Whisk together taco seasoning and oil.  Add tilapia; turn to coat.  Place 2 tilapia fillets onto grill pan;  cook 2 minutes on each side or until grill marks appear and tilapia flakes easily with a fork.  Remove from pan.   Wipe out pan and repeat with remaining fillets.

As tilapia cooks, chop pineapple (unless using chunks like I did) and add to onion mixture; mix well.  To serve, top tilapia with pineapple salsa.

Yield: 4 servings

Mahi Mahi- Meatless recipe for Lent week 1

I came up with this recipe last week while craving some garlic, tomatoes and feta cheese, so I decided to try this combination on the Mahi Mahi I had in the freezer for Friday's meal. It came out absolutely delicious. My husband and the kids loved it and they are very hard to please :) I'm hoping to come up with a few more meatless recipes every week during Lent for a cookbook I'm putting together with my girls.

Sautee 3 pieces of chopped garlic in 2 tablespoons of olive oil for about 5 minutes on medium heat.



Fry 4-6 pieces of frozen Mahi Mahi in the garlic oil for about 10 minutes on each side. Season with salt and pepper before turning the fish to the other side.


Squeeze the juice of one whole lime on both sides of the fish.



Pour a can of chopped tomatoes and simmer for about 5 minutes.



Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons of fresh basil.



Crumble Feta cheese on the fish and serve over a hot plate of rice or pasta. Enjoy!

Meatless Meals :: Salmon and Rice Casserole

This Meatless Meal, for Lenten Fasting and Abstinence, was submitted by Bernadine Cerny. Thank you Bernadine!


"Here's a submission that has been a favorite in my family for years. Not sure of the origin. Adults and kids alike love it! I've never had a complaint, not even from picky eaters. I usually double the recipe for groups of 5 or more."

Salmon and Rice Casserole

Ingredients:

1/4 c. finely chopped celery
1/4 c. chopped onion
1 T. butter (or oil)
2 c. cooked rice (do not salt rice)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
7 oz. can boneless skinless salmon, flaked (for doubling, my mom always used a 14-15 oz. can of bone-in skin-on salmon, scraped off the skin, and mashed the bones into the salmon, as they are soft anyway, and full of calcium), do not drain - mix in liquid while flaking
1/2 c. shredded sharp cheddar (other cheeses can be substituted, but sharp cheddar gives it more flavor)
seasoned bread crumbs, for topping

Directions:

Saute the celery and onion in butter until soft (cover with a lid to speed the process and keep the butter from drying up too quickly). Pour into baking dish and add remaining ingredients, except for bread crumbs. Stir well, top with bread crumbs and bake for 20-30 min. at 350, or until heated through and starting to bubble around edges.

Serves about 4.

Side dishes: tossed salad, sliced fruit, biscuits or french bread.

Meatless Meals :: Crustless Spinach and Mushroom Quiche

Crustless Spinach and Mushroom Quiche

Ingredients:

1 T. vegetable oil
1/2 c. onion, chopped
3 cups of spinach
1/2 cup chopped or sliced mushrooms
5 eggs
2 1/2 cups of cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9" pie pan.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium high heat. Add onions and saute. Stir in spinach and mushrooms and continue cooking for a couple more minutes.  Transfer vegetable mixture to pie pan.

In a large bowl, combine eggs, cheese, salt and pepper. Poor over vegetable mixture.

Bake in preheated oven until eggs have set, about 30 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Note:  The Quiche tastes much better than it looks. ;)  Despite the Spinach, Mushrooms and Onions, my husband and all our children (with the exception of our super picky 2 year old and nursing 2 month old) loved it and requested seconds.  Next time I'll be doubling the recipe!

Recipes for Lent ~ From the Archives

We adore Thee O Christ, and we praise Thee,
Because by Thy holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world.

Shrove Tuesday:

• Quick and Easy Mardi Gras King Cake
• King Cake for Mardi Gras
• Shrove Tuesday Pancakes
• Shrove Tuesday? Fat Tuesday? Mardi Gras?... Pancake Tuesday! 
• King Cake for Epiphany
• A Shrove Tuesday Treat: Filhoses!

Ash Wednesday:

• Ash Wednesday Beans

Prayer for Ash Wednesday

Lord, protect us in our struggle against evil. As we begin the discipline of Lent, make this season holy by our self-denial. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Breads for Days of Abstinence:

• "I am the Bread of Life..." (Artisan Bread)
• Pretzels

Meatless Meals for Days of Abstinence:  
(Information on Fast & Abstinence)

• Chicken Broth on Fridays:  Yes or No?
• Lenten Taco's or Tostadas
• Fish Tacos for Friday
• Cheese Enchiladas
• Fish Fajitas
• Meatless Meals for Lent Using Beans
• El Paso Pilaf ~ A Meatless Meal for Days of Abstinence

• Meatless Lasagna and Shrimp Creole
• Meatless Meal from Grace Before Meals
• Mahi Mahi- Meatless recipe for Lent week 1
• Shrimp Pasta

• Ember Days and Autumnal Fasting (Includes Recipe for Mom's Vegetable Bean Soup and Spinach Pie)
• St. Anthony of the Desert Soup
• Interesting Ember Day Food (Tempura and Tart in Ymbre Day)
• Brown Rice Vegetable Casserole

• Meatless Meals :: Crustless Spinach and Mushroom Quiche
• Meatless Meals :: Salmon and Rice Casserole
• Meatless Meals :: A Simple fish recipe for Fridays
• Meatless Meals :: Grilled Tilapia with Pineapple Salsa
• Meatless Meals :: Salmon Chowder
• Meatless Meals :: Rigatoni with Tuna and Sun-dried Tomatoes
• Meatless Meals :: Turkish Spinach and Lentil Soup

Please consider submitting your favorite recipes, 
for Meatless Meals on days of Abstinence, 
as guest posts here at Catholic Cuisine.  

Details for submissions can be found in the left sidebar. 

Laetare Sunday (4th Sunday of Lent):

• Simnel Cake for Laetare Sunday 

Passion Sunday (5th Sunday of Lent):

• Passion Fruit Cheesecake for Passion Sunday

Palm Sunday:

• Carling and Fig Sunday
• Fig Bibles and Palm Sundaes

Holy Week:

• Planning the Menu for Holy Week

Holy Thursday:

• Holy Thursday in the Home
• Teatime Suggestions for Lent and Easter
• A Lenten Tea on Holy Thursday (pictures here and here)
• Judases

Good Friday:

• Hot Cross Buns for Good Friday
• Hot Cross Buns - A History
• Hot Cross Buns (A Bread-maker Recipe)
• Pretzels
• Teatime Suggestions for Lent and Easter
• A Lenten Tea on Good Friday (pictures here)

Holy Saturday:

• Easter Story Cookies ~ Resurrection Cookies
• Resurrection Rolls

May you all have a Blessed and Holy Lent! 

Nothing Says "I Love You" like ...

... Banana Split Ice Cream Cake :)

My children and I made this special treat last year for our family's Valentine's Day Celebration. It was such a hit that I thought I should share it here!

Inspired by a late-afternoon Paula Deen show that was playing in the background after the kids' pre-dinner video ended, this is elegant, delicious, and unbelievably easy to pull off. It would make a wonderful birthday cake! I never looked up the actual recipe, so this may vary slightly from that offered by the show -- and I'm sure you could vary the ingredients according to your own taste, using your favorite sundae as the inspiration. Here's how we did it, using a 9" square glass baking dish:

* Butter-flavor spray, to lightly grease the baking dish (optional, but it helps)

* 16 plain vanilla ice cream sandwiches (or so, depending on the size -- ours were about 1-1/2" x 5")

* Toffee bits (found next to the chocolate chips in the grocery store)

* 4-6 ripe-for-eating bananas, peeled and sliced

* 1 (10-oz) jar maraschino cherries, drained and chopped

* 1/2 jar (about) hot fudge sauce

* 1/2 jar (about) butterscotch sauce

* 1 (8 oz) tub frozen whipped topping, defrosted

This is probably the most kid-friendly dish you'll ever prepare! Set the children to work peeling the paper off the ice cream sandwiches and slicing the bananas while you chop up the maraschino cherries. Then get ready to assemble!

Line the baking dish with half of ice cream sandwiches, cutting the last one or two in half to fit snugly into the pan. (Eager children will happily consume any cuttings that don't quite fit.)

Over this, layer the sliced bananas and the maraschino cherries; top with hot fudge sauce (preheating a bit in the microwave -- lid off, of course -- will help with pouring); eyeball the amount.

Sprinkle on a layer of toffee bits -- again, eyeball it. Be sure you reserve enough to decorate the top of the cake -- and for the kids to sample!

Over this, place the remaining ice cream sandwiches, layering as before. The top of the dish may be slightly wider than the bottom, so it may take an extra ice cream sandwich or so. I also laid this layer crosswise to the bottom layer, to ensure it wouldn't fall apart along sandwich lines when serving (though it does seem to come together very well upon freezing).

Pour butterscotch sauce atop this, then spread with whipped topping. Sprinkle the top with a few reserved toffee bits.

Place in the freezer for several hours or overnight.

Note: This dish is VERY heavy, and may be pretty drippy at this point! I put some parchment under it in the freezer to catch any spills. If you have the freezer space, it'd probably be a good idea to set the cake on a baking sheet.

To serve: Before cutting, run a warm, wet washcloth along the outside of the dish to help slightly loosen it from the pan (this also cleans up any sticky mess that may have occurred!) Using a sharp cake server or knife, cut into 16 equal squares. (Dipping the server or knife into a bowl of hot water between cuts helps!). Serve immediately. Store leftovers in the freezer, lightly covered, for a week or so (if it lasts that long!) :)

St. Valentine's Day Cinnamon Rolls

The following guest post was submitted by Lacy from Catholic Icing. Thank you Lacy!

As most people on this planet know quite well, St. Valentine's most popular symbol is the heart given that he is the patron saint of love, married couples, engaged couples, etc. Here is an easy breakfast treat we made for celebrating the feast day of St. Valentine!

Heart Shaped Cinnamon Rolls! :-)

What you need:

One can of instant cinnamon rolls

red food coloring (optional)

Take each pre-sliced cinnamon roll, and unroll it. Then, roll from both ends until it meets in the middle. Pinch the bottom for the "point" of the heart, and then bake as usual.

To add a little more fun, tint your icing pink with some food coloring and put it in a sandwich bag so you can squeeze it on in a heart shape!

Shrove Tuesday? Fat Tuesday? Mardi Gras?... Pancake Tuesday!!!

The following guest post was submitted by Lacy from Catholic Icing.  Thank you Lacy!

I was thinking for Pancake Tuesday, why not make the pancakes festive Mardi Gras colors?! :-)

Just make your favorite pancake recipe, mix in some

food coloring, and cook them like you always do!

Voila! Mardi Gras pancakes, fresh from the griddle!

You can read more about the Catholic roots of Mardi Gras here, or see more ideas for Pancake Tuesday here.

PS. I'm aware that artificial coloring is not everyone's cup of tea, so if you're not a fan, just disregard this idea. :-)

A Shrove Tuesday Treat: Filhoses!

This post was written by past Catholic Cuisine contributor Amy.



A Mardi Gras tradition in our house is Portuguese donuts! It is very similar to Portuguese sweet bread but this dough is, of course, deep fried and sprinkled with copious amounts of sugar.

The recipe can be found in Foods of the Azores Islands by Deolinda Maria Avila. There are many great recipes in this book, though it is hard to find.

Filhoses 

Ingredients:

• 6 eggs
• ¼ cup butter
• 1/3 cup sugar
• ½ cup lukewarm water
• 1 package active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon whiskey
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3 to 4 cups flour

Directions:

Beat eggs, add sugar, butter, yeast dissolved in water, whiskey, lemon rind and salt. Beat till light and add flour, kneading until smooth. Cover dough with cloth and let rise till double in bulk. Heat oil in a deep pan (I use my cast iron pan), keeping heat at about medium.



Take about 1/3 cup of dough and stretch it into an oval shape, piercing the middle. Carefully, drop the dough into oil till golden, turning only once. Remove from oil and cool on paper towels.

Serve warm sprinkled with sugar… and maybe bowl of sugar to dip them in too!!!

Enjoy!

I Heart Donuts

This post was written by Robina, at Motherly Loving, and submitted for publication here at Catholic Cuisine. Thank you Robina, and congratulations on your precious new little one!

Here is a yummy Valentine's Day tradition of ours. Yummy, enjoy.

Heart Donuts

biscuit dough - ready to use or from scratch

small heart-shaped cookie cutter or a circle of any kind for traditional round shape

1/4 - 1/2 cup cooking oil - vegetable or canola

tongs

paper towels

cinnamon and sugar mix and/or powdered sugar

Open the biscuit can and spread all the rolls out. Then using your cutter, press out a donut hole right in the middle.

Then get your pan on medium heat with 1/4 - 1/2 cup oil. Depending on how many you make, you will need more oil. You want enough oil to cover half of the donut when cooking. Place 3-4 doughy donuts into the pan and leave until the bottom is golden brown (2-3 minutes). Don't do anything else but watch these, as they cook fast and don't want them to burn. Then turn them over and cook another minute or so.

Using tongs, place the cooked donut on paper towels to drain and cool slightly. Then get your pan on medium heat with 1/4 - 1/2 cup oil. Depending on how many you make, you will need more oil. You want enough oil to cover half of the donut when cooking. Now place the donuts on a plate and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar or powdered sugar too. Or let cool slightly and cover with chocolate icing and Valentine's sprinkles.

Enjoy.