Trinity’s Creation Care ministry invites you to join us for Meatless Mondays, (3/10, 17, 24, 4/7, 14) in Lent
In a culture dominated by exhortations to consume, fasting can seem faddish and eccentric. However, for centuries, it has been a standard Christian practice. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus seems to regard it as pretty routine. He says “When you fast”, not “if”, and bundles fasting in with praying and giving alms. According to the Anglican Diocese of Canada, the spiritual benefits of fasting include intentionally prioritizing the needs of the spirit over the demands of the body, an increased awareness of our dependence on God, and a heightened sensitivity to the movement of the Spirit.
As we broaden our understanding of what it is to care for Creation, we can reclaim this tradition, enlarging the meaning of the practice to include the care of our planet.
In terms of climate impacts, agriculture, especially meat production, is responsible for over a quarter of all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and nearly 40% of methane emissions. Although all types of agriculture contribute, meat production is especially problematic.
- Producing meat requires 20 times the land and creates 20 times the GHG emissions compared to beans and legumes
- More than 80% of the land used for agriculture is used to produce meat
From an environmental perspective, this contributes to deforestation, to excessive water use and to decreases in habitat and biodiversity across the planet.
Join us in this old, new Lenten tradition and look out for a link to meatless recipes in This Week at Trinity throughout Lent. Happy cooking!
Tuscan White Bean Soup
Ingredients:
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 medium shallots, finely chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 carrots, chopped into coins
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp basil
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp parsley
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 15 oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 cups water
- 3 cups fresh spinach
In a large pot or Dutch oven, add the olive oil, shallots, and garlic. Heat the pot on medium heat and cover partially with a lid. Let the shallots and garlic cook, stirring occasionally for about 5-6 minutes until translucent.
Next, add in the carrots and celery, and continue to cook for an additional 10 minutes (make sure to stir the mixture now and again). It’s super important to let this sofrito mixture saute as it’ll build tons of flavor.
Once the sofrito mixture has decreased in volume, add in the tomato paste, salt, and spices (basil, oregano, parsley, thyme, black pepper). Stir the mixture and let the spices bloom for 5 minutes. This will also cook out the raw flavor of the tomato paste.
Finally, add the cannellini beans, bay leaves, and water. Stir to combine. Cover the pot partially with a lid, reduce the heat to medium-low, and let the soup simmer for 20 minutes.
Once 20 minutes is up, remove 1 cup of the soup and blend it in a high-speed blender or a jar with an immersion blender. Pour the blended soup back into the pot, along with the spinach, and stir to combine. Continue to simmer the soup until the spinach has wilted, about 10 minutes.
Serve this creamy vegan Tuscan white bean soup with toasted rye or sourdough bread.
Store any leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days. Keep in mind that this soup tastes best the next day when the flavors have had a chance to sit and meld.
-Mary Sherman
Baked Eggplant
Ingredients:
- 2 eggplants
- 5 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 onions
- 2 garlic cloves
- 14 ounce can chopped tomatoes
- 1 flat-leaved parsley sprig
- 3 ounces Emmenthal cheese
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon sweet butter
Heat oven to 400 degrees.
Slice eggplants into ¼ inch-thick rounds.
Arrange eggplant slices on roasting sheet in a single layer and brush both sides with olive oil.
Roast eggplant for 20 minutes until slices are soft and slightly golden.
Meantime, dice the onions and crush garlic cloves.
Add to a pot with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and cook gently for about 5 minutes, stirring to prevent sticking or burning.
Add chopped tomatoes to the pot. Using kitchen scissors, snip parsley into the pot. Simmer gently for about 15 minutes until the sauce has thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Brush bottom of casserole or ovenproof dish with olive oil, then arrange eggplant slices on top in single layer. Ladle tomato sauce over the top, then add another layer of eggplant slices and top with another layer of tomato sauce.
Grate cheese into a small bowl and combine with breadcrumbs. Sprinkle mixture over the eggplant.
Place dish on a baking tray and dot with butter. Place the tray into the oven and bake for about 20 minutes until golden. Serve hot.
– Creelea Pangaro
Thyme Frittata
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 6 eggs
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Pinch salt
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Heat oil and butter in ovenproof skillet (cast iron works well) on stove. Add onions and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, until onions are soft and translucent. Add thyme and cook a few minutes more.
Meantime, lightly beat eggs in a bowl, add pinch of salt and Parmesan cheese.
Pour egg mixture over the onions and place ovenproof skillet into the oven. Check after 12 minutes for doneness: the center should be set, no longer wet and jiggly.
Serve hot with green salad or cold on a sandwich.
– Creelea Pangaro
Ziti with Spinach, Tomato and Feta
Ingredients:
- one box Ziti Rigate
- 4-5 small/medium or 2-3 large tomatoes
- (plum tomatoes work best)
- 9-12 oz bag of baby spinach
- 2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 oz feta cheese
- balsamic vinegar
medium saucepan
7-quart pot for pasta
colander
Put pasta water on to boil.
Chop tomatoes into bite sized chunks.
Add olive oil and garlic to saucepan, cook on low, two minutes.
Add tomatoes and sauté until softened but still retaining some shape. Take off heat.
Cook Ziti according to instructions on packet. 3 minutes before Ziti is ready, throw in baby spinach leaves. Strain ziti and spinach into colander. Make sure it is well drained.
Briefly return tomatoes to low heat, while crumbling the feta into pieces.
Return Ziti and spinach to large pot, add sautéed tomatoes. Add a couple of splashes of balsamic vinegar and a tad more olive oil. Stir gently so that the vegetables are evenly distributed. The finished dish should be glisteningly moist, but not soupy. Serve, placing equal amounts of tomato and spinach on each plate. Add crumbled feta.
Note: feta is salty so take it easy with the seasoning. Don’t add pepper. Mature spinach can be used, but steam separately and squeeze out all excess water before adding to the other ingredients.
– Richard and Audrey Henderson
Sheet Pan Gnocchi
Ingredients:
- 1 pound store-bought potato gnocchi
- 1 bunch broccolini, ends trimmed, florets cut into big pieces and stems cut into ½-inch pieces
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- ½ small red onion, thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- ½ teaspoon za’atar
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 6 ounces feta cheese, torn into 1-inch chunks
- Fresh parsley, for garnish, optional.
- Preheat the oven to 450°F and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, toss together the gnocchi, broccolini, cherry tomatoes, onion, garlic, olive oil, salt, thyme, za’atar, red pepper flakes, and several grinds of pepper. Spread evenly on the baking sheet.
- Roast for 10 minutes. Stir, then scatter the feta on top. Roast for 15 to 20 more minutes, or until the gnocchi is tender and the vegetables and feta are browned. Garnish with parsley, if desired. Season to taste and serve.
– Audrey Henderson
The Yummiest Vegetable Soup
Perfect paired with crusty bread – super easy and flavorful.
6 servings
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 medium carrots, diced
- 3 stalks celery, diced
- 2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 4 cups vegetable broth + 1 cup water
- 2 15oz can diced tomatoes
- 1 cup corn (thawed frozen works)
- 1 15oz can kidney beans, drained/rinsed
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/4 cup parsley, chopped
- 1 tbsp lemon juice, more to taste
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, more to taste
- Freshly ground pepper
- Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Once hot, add onion, garlic and a teaspoon of kosher salt and cook about 8 minutes. Add carrots, celery, potatoes and cook for 5 more minutes, stirring often. Add Italian seasoning and cook for one more minute.
- Add broth, water, tomatoes, corn, bay leaf and several grinds of pepper. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered until the vegetables are tender, about 35 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in parsley and lemon juice. Remove bay leaf and season to taste with salt.
Don’t forget that hunk of bread. A sprinkle of parmesan cheese works, too. Enjoy!
-Leslie Colburn