Good Friday Meal – Tomato Bisque

  It is a family tradition in my home to serve tomato soup on Good Friday.  This tradition was started by Sweetie’s Godfamily.  The children and nursing or pregnant mom gets a grilled cheese to go with their soup. 

Sweetie has named the tomato soup, Christ’s Blood.  I love that my GFG are always finding meaning in everything around them.

Good Friday (also called "Great Friday" or "Holy Friday") is the most somber day of the entire year. A silence pervades, socializing is kept to a minimum, things are done quietly; it is a day of mourning; it is a funeral. The Temple of the Body of Christ is destroyed, capping the the penitential seasons begun on Septuagesima Sunday and becoming more intense throughout Lent. Traditional Catholics wear black, cover their mirrors, extinguish candles and any lamps burning before icons, keep amusements and distractions down, and go about the day in great solemnity. ~ Fisheaters

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I’m sorry that this post is last minute.  My family has been a bit under the weather. 

The recipe below will make a bisque almost identical to that found at Safeway, yummy.  Some may question it’s appropriateness for a Lenten Meal, it’s that tasty.  I do!  However, it’s the only meal we’ll eat on Good Friday.

I triple the recipe below to feed my family, 2 adults and 4 kids.  It yields lots of leftovers but once the soup is gone, it’s gone since I’ll only make it once a year. 

This soup is good hot or cold.

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   Cut squash.  Sauté onions and garlic in butter or oil over medium-low heat until soft and golden.  Do not brown. Add tomatoes, tomato paste,  stock, butternut squash, salt, pepper, basil and thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat.

Partially cover and simmer for about 30-35 minutes, or until squash is fork-tender. 

Puree the soup with an emersion blender. Stir in cream.  Add some Tabasco sauce for a little kick. Heat the soup just to a boil, then serve.  Garnish with parmesan cheese.

I generally don’t follow this recipe (or any other recipe) to a T.  I included my variations in red. 

 

Recipe: Good Friday – Tomato Bisque

Prep Time: 15 Minutes  |  Cook Time: 30-35 Minutes  |  Difficulty: Easy  |  Servings: 6

 

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tablespoons butter or extra-virgin olive oil (I use this Olive Oil (from Carmen’s Godfamily.)  My fav is A².)
• 1 onion, chopped (Don’t worry about chopping it small for the kids.  It’s all going to be blended.)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced (I use the minced garlic that comes in the jar.  I buy it from Costco and it lasts me all year long.)
• 1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes, with liquid (Canned tomatoes with Italian seasoning for added flavor.)
• 1/4-1/2 cup roasted garlic tomato paste (Add garlic powder to reg paste.)
• 2 cups vegetable or organic chicken stock (Any stock will do.  But theses two are the healthiest choices.)
• 2-2 1/2 cups butternut squash, peeled and diced (Directions are below.)
• Salt and ground pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped (Dried Italian seasoning to taste, in place of basil and thyme.)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 to 1 1/4 cups nonfat half-and-half or nonfat yogurt (Once again, this is the healthy version.  I tend to go for taste, heavy cream.)
• Several dashes of Tabasco or other hot sauce.  (My kids don’t care for spicy so I divide the soup at the end and add hot sauce to half.)
• Parmesan cheese to garnish (cheese is not optional in my home.)

PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS:

Cut squash.  This can be a toughie.  Be sure to use a sharp knife.  Cut in half, the shorter way.  Scoop out the seeds and fibers just as you would a pumpkin.  Peel the skin with a vegetable peeler.

Sauté onions and garlic in butter or oil over medium-low heat until soft and golden.  Do not brown.

Add tomatoes, tomato paste,  stock, butternut squash, salt, pepper, basil and thyme.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat.

Partially cover and simmer for about 30-35 minutes, or until squash is fork-tender.

Puree the soup with an emersion blender (You could use a standard blender, then pour back into the saucepan.)

Stir in nonfat half and half or yogurt.

Add some Tabasco sauce for a little kick.

Heat the soup just to a boil, then serve.

Garnish with parmesan cheese.

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Holy Thursday Unleavened Bread

The following recipe was submitted by Lisa Cotter, from With Hope in the Divine Will. Thank you Lisa!

Today on Holy Thursday, or Maundy Thursday, we commemorate the Last Supper where Jesus institutes the Eucharist by giving us His body and blood in the forms of bread and wine. Our family will be having unleavened bread and grape juice at dinner to remind us of this sacred gift. (When we were first married, we went out on Holy Thursday with some friends to a middle eastern restaurant to eat lamb which was pretty cool).

This recipe would not be a recipe you could use for communion bread because it has a few more ingredients than wheat flour and water, but for our purposes as a Last Supper reminder it works great.

Here is what you will need:

1 c. flour
1/3 c. whole wheat flour
1/4 c. sugar
5 T. butter
4-5 T. milk

Step 1: Mix all of the dry ingredients.

Step 2: Cut in the butter with a pastry blender.

Step 3: Mix in the milk, until the dough is moist. You will need to use your hands towards the end.

Step 4: Roll dough onto a flour surface to 1/4 inch thickness.

Step 5: Bake in over at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Doesn't it look nice on my tray accented with grapes? Very fitting!

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Chocolate Crown of Thorns

Speaking of recipes using melted chocolate, this creative and easy project is another idea for Holy Week - possibly Good Friday. The following recipe was submitted by Evann Duplantier, from Homeschool Goodies: Resources for Catholic Homeschoolers and the St. Joseph Altar site. Thank you Evann!

A favorite lenten tradition in our home is the chocolate Crown of Thorns. We usually make one or two for our St. Joseph Altar and then save one for placement on top of our Easter cake.

Here's what you will need:

a bag of pretzel sticks
chocolate to melt (your choice)
wax paper

You can melt your chocolate on the stove top or in the microwave. We tend to use the microwave. Simply throw a handful of pretzel sticks into your melted chocolate, and mix. Remove the chocolate covered sticks one at a time before they start to harden and start building your crown on a piece of wax paper. Place the pretzel sticks at hard angles to get the thorny look. We usually make our about 6 to 7 inches in diameter.. Be sure to coat the pretzel sticks well with chocolate and you’ll end up with a solid and sturdy crown.

Use your chocolate crown of thorns to adorn an Easter cake. Or, fill it with candy eggs on Sunday, transforming your Lenten crown into a Easter bird’s nest. This project is fun for all ages, but I will warn you it is also very messy! Pin It

Chocolate Nests for Easter

Last year, on Holy Saturday, my girls and I started making our Easter Treats.  We began with Chocolate Nests.  I adapted the recipe, using candy melts instead of chocolate chips and evaporated milk, and they were so easy, turned out cute, and were loved by everyone on Easter Sunday.  We are planning to make them again this year!

Chocolate Nests 

Ingredients:  

1 bag Chow Mein Noodles
1 Bag Light Cocoa Candy Melts
1 bag of Egg shaped Candy  (We used Speckled Jordan Almonds)
1 package of Peeps (optional)

Directions:

Melt Candy in Microwave or Double Boiler.

Mix the melted chocolate into the chow mein noodles.

Make sure all the noodles are coated with the melted chocolate. 

Shape into nests, placing on parchment paper, and top with candy eggs and peeps.

Try to decide which one you are going to have on Easter! ;) 

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Easter Nest Bread

A friend of mine told me about her family's traditional Easter breakfast of braided bread with a colored egg nested inside and I decided to try it last year. It was delicious! The recipe I used is one Karen Edmisten posts over on her blog as Braided St. Lucia Bread with only a few alterations to the instructions. (Recipe below.)

First, the eggs must be raw eggs that have been colored in non-toxic food coloring or better yet, dye them using a natural vegetable dye like red cabbage or onion skins. Prepare the dough according to the directions all the way through the first rise on Holy Saturday night. Then, shape the dough into small braided rounds inserting the colored egg in the center. Place the dough nests into the refrigerator overnight. That will stall the second rise. When you are ready to bake on Easter morning, let the dough have a short second rise in a warm oven (maybe 30 minutes). Finish by baking according to recipe directions. I made a light drizzle frosting and decorated them with colorful sprinkles. The egg will cook along with the bread and can be eaten as well. Some of the food coloring will bleed onto the bread which is why you want to make sure you use a non-toxic coloring substance.

Many different cultures have some version of Easter bread with or without the decorative eggs in it. A quick search yielded many different varieties. I chose Karen's recipe because it was familiar to me and one I knew my family would like. Feel free to search for your own variety and let us know if you try it!

Saint Lucia's Braided Bread used for Easter Nest Bread

INGREDIENTS

Dough:

• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 2 1/4-ounce packages active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
• 6 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1 tablespoon finely grated orange rind
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 5 1/2 to 6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Glaze and Garnish:

• 2 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
• 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 tablespoons orange juice

DIRECTIONS

Warm the milk in a small saucepan, then pour 1/2 cup of it into a large bowl.

Add the yeast and 1 tablespoon of the sugar and let it set for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, melt the butter in the remaining milk.

Add the butter and milk mixture to the yeast mixture. Whisk in the eggs, juice, 1/4 cup of sugar, orange rind, and salt.

Stir in the flour, 1 cup at a time, until the dough can be gathered into a ball. Knead the dough on a floured surface for 10 minutes, adding more flour until the dough is smooth and elastic and does not stick to your hands.

Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl, turning it once to coat it. Loosely cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.

Punch down the dough and divide it into equal parts. Roll each part into a rope and braid the ropes together making a round.

Transfer the rounds to a greased baking sheet, pinch together the ends to form a circle, and then place in the fridge overnight.

Remove in the morning and let it rise until it has again about 30-45 minutes in a warm oven. I like to let my oven light warm it for me. Remove pans and heat the oven to 375°. Bake the bread for 25 minutes or until golden brown, then let it cool on a wire rack for about 30 minutes.

For the glaze, stir together the confectioner's sugar and orange juice in a medium bowl until smooth.

Drizzle the glaze mix over the bread. One batch made 4 nests which fed 6 people with leftovers. Pin It

Easter: What's for Dinner?

I am planning my Easter dinner menu, and I was hoping to add something new to it. I am of course making the traditional dishes my family loves. I have looked through other recipe ideas, but I want to make something tried and true. Please share your Easter dinner favorites below, either by adding a link to your blog post or in the comment box. I can't wait to read all your delicious ideas. Thank you.
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German Pancake for the Pope

This post was written by past Catholic Cuisine contributor Amy.

Saturday, April 16th, is Pope Benedict XVI's birthday!  So in order to fully appreciate our German pontiff's special day we are going all German.  Other than Brats for dinner we are going to have a German pancake for breakfast!

I adapted this from a recipe I found at Food Network a gazillion years ago.  I, of course, double it too since there are so many of us.

German Pancake

• 4 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 Tablespoons maple syrup ( you can also use sugar, but since we have someone who gave up refined sugar for Lent this works!)
• 1 cup milk
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 1 cup of unbleached all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons shortening
• Powdered sugar (optional)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.  Place cast iron skillet in oven while preheating.

In a saucepan or in the microwave warm milk with butter over medium heat till butter melts (or almost, don't let the milk boil!).  Whisk together eggs, salt, syrup, warm milk, melted butter and vanilla.  Sift flour over wet mixture and whisk till smooth.

Remove cast iron from oven and place shortening in pan.  Using a brush cover all the sides and bottom with the shortening as it melts.  Pour in batter and bake for about 12 minutes.

Lower the heat to 350 degrees F and continue to bake till nice and golden brown, about 10 to 15 more minutes.

There it is in the oven, poofing away

When you take out of the oven run a knife along the edge of skillet and serve immediately.

You can serve it with fresh fruit syrup, jam or jelly, or maple syrup.  If desired shift powered sugar over the top!

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