2 400g cans chickpeas
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp tumeric
1 tsp dried ginger
2 cloves garlic
1 400g can tomatoes
juice of half a lemon
3 tbs ground almond meal
2 tbs olive oil
salt

Combine the chickpeas, spices and tomatos and gently simmer for 20 – 30 minutes. Add more water if necessary.
Just before serving add the almond meal, lemon juice and olive oil.
Stir through.
Serve over a bed of rice.

And a salad. Salads make a meal I’ve decided. Maggie Beer (TV cook) says salads are Australia’s national dish. Eat them with everything.
This salad had baby spinach leaves, avocado, roast sweet potato cubes, grated carrot, cherry tomatoes and a dressing of a little lemon juice and a little olive oil. Some left over ground almonds might have been nice too.

Fry onion in a little oil until browned
Add pumpkin and leave to sweat for a minute
Add enough water to cover the pumpkin
Add red lentils.
Bring to the boil, then simmer until pumpkin falls apart.
Puree if you desire, but a quick stir should make it soup like.
Add more hot water until soup is your desired consistancy.
Serve with bread and baba ganouj (that’s hommus with eggplant, basically)
Yum.

So there you go.

It’s interesting that with no chocolate, alcohol or other food treats to turn to, I have to own my feelings and actions instead of obliterating the memory of them. There’s nothing to do but accept them, sit with them, or turn to God. I don’t think I’ve really done the latter yet.

One more thing, I’m sure lent is not supposed to be a self improvement plan. Is it?
It’s not about making yourself or the world better is it?
I’m not entirely sure what it is about though.
I think I’ve given up thinking, and trying. I might try just doing obedience. I’ve read some interesting things in Ascending the Heights, a layman’s guide to The Ladder of Divine Ascent. There might be something in there about obedience. I’ll have to hunt it out to share some with you.

In the mean time I’ll go back to eating toast with hommus, avocado and lemon juice.

Also, please pray for healing for a friend Tom. He is booked for major, major, major surgery tomorrow.

1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can full of water
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 chopped onion
2 cloves crushed garlic
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tbs chilli powder
1/2 tbs dried oregano
1/2 tbs cumin powder
1/2 tbs cocoa powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1 grated carrot
1 grated zucchini
A handful chopped walnuts

Place all ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to the boil.
When boiling allow to simmer for an hour or more.
Serve with rice, corn chips, fresh tomato, avocado and cucumber.

3/4 cup basmati rice
1/4 cup quinoa (a complete protein = good for you)

Place rice and quinoa in a saucepan with 2 cups of water.
Bring to the boil, then turn down to a simmer, always with the lid on.
Watch carefully. When the water is below the level of the rice and small holes appear in the surface of the rice, (just watch, you’ll see them) turn the heat off. Leave, with the lid on until all the water has been absorbed, about 15 minutes. Sometimes I boil this up before church, then leave the lid on, and 2 1/2 hours later it’s still hot enough to serve up.

1 onion cut into wedges
2 cloves garlic crushed
1 small sweet potato diced into small cubes.
1 cup broccoli florets
1 carrot sliced diagonally
1 stick celery sliced diagonally
2 leaves silverbeet/bok choy/green leafy something chopped really finely
1 handful of almonds or cashews
Tamari or soy sauce

Stir fry the onion in a little oil. When translucent, add the garlic, sweet potato, carrot and celery.
Stir fry for a couple of minutes, until the sweet potato is softening a little
Add the broccoli.
When almost cooked add the nuts and green leafy things.
Stir until leafy green things wilt, then finally add the rice.
You may need to add more oil (olive or sunflower is best) here.
Stir through with tamari or soy sauce to taste. I like Tamari heaps better. It’s subtle and not as salty.
I served it up with a packet of mini spring rolls.

Fry the onion until translucent.
Add the garlic and fry for a few seconds.
Add the diced vegetables and curry powder and a little water to help them cook.
When the water has evaporated, cool the mixture on a plate.
Cut the pastry sheets into quarters.
Place a spoonful of vegetable mixture on one half of each quarter of pastry.
Fold pastry over the vegetables, then press down edges with a fork.
Brush water or egg yolk mixed with a little water over the curry puffs, then sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Bake at 180 C until lightly browned. About 15 minutes.
Serve and eat. Don’t eat too many. Eat left overs cold the next day for lunch.

1 sliced onion
1 clove crushed garlic
1 tin chick peas, drained
1 tin diced tomatoes
1/4 cup sultanas
2 apples peeled and sliced, (2 peaches are nice too)
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp mustard
1/2 tsp cummin
1/2 tsp tumeric
1 vegetable stock cube

Fry the onion and garlic.
Throw in the rest.
Cook.
Serve with mashed potatoes.

Worcestershire sauce is not strictly vegetarian. I have found vegetarian equivalents, or given that the non-vegetarian content will hardly be in the top three ingredients, I wouldn’t worry about it.

Since some of my friends are vegan anyway, our pancake feast had vegan pancakes with chilli and coriander, topped with bring-a-plate toppings like chickpeas with coconut milk, stock and bok choy.
Then sweet pancakes with lemon and sugar and this…

1 tin of two fruits (diced pear and peaches)
1/2 cup of currants
1 splash orange flavoured liqueur, or grated orange rind
Cinnamon to taste
1 heaped teaspoons of cornflour mixed into 1/4 cup of water

Mix in all together in a saucepan, then gently heat until thickened.

Good for you cheesecake – from cheesefare

2 cups of dates soaked in warm water
1 cup of almonds with skin
2 packets cream cheese
1/2 cup cream or yoghurt
Cinnamon

Mix the dates and almonds in a food processor until pulverised.
Press the mixture into a quiche dish (it’s a very thin cheescake) and put in the freezer.
Mix the cream cheese, cream and cinnamon in the food processor until smooth.
Spoon the mixture into the base. It should not be runny. Return to the freezer for an hour or two.
Cut and serve. Just cream cheese and dates really – delicious.