Explore a collection of delicious and healthy recipes including grilled squid, fish pie, cauliflower soup, and more. Discover simple, flavorful meals made with fresh ingredients, perfect for any occasion. Get inspired to cook with easy-to-follow instructions.
Recipes For Lent
Tuna Pasta Salad
Ingredients:
- 8 oz elbow macaroni or any short pasta
- 1 can (5 oz) tuna in water, drained
- 1 medium tomato, diced
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 small bell pepper, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil (or fresh if preferred)
- Optional: tomato juice or ketchup to taste
Instructions:
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and let cool slightly.
- Transfer the pasta to a large salad bowl.
- Add drained tuna, chopped tomato, onion, bell pepper, and basil.
- If desired, stir in a bit of tomato juice or ketchup for added flavor.
- Mix everything well and serve chilled or at room temperature.
Fish Moussaka
In a lightly oiled glass or ceramic baking dish, layer thinly sliced onion, potatoes, tomatoes, and bell pepper. Add fish fillets on top, then season to taste (I use seasoning salt or all-purpose seasoning, dried basil, dill, and finely chopped garlic). Add another layer of the same vegetables on top.
Pour in just enough water to come about halfway up the dish—tomato juice can be used instead for more flavor. Cover loosely with foil and bake at 350–400°F (about 180–200°C) for 30 minutes, until the fish is cooked and the vegetables are tender.
No-Bake Biscuit Roll
About 12 oz plain tea biscuits or graham crackers, 3/4 cup sugar, 7 tablespoons margarine or butter, 1 cup ground walnuts, 1 packet vanilla sugar (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract), and about 2/3 cup brewed coffee. (Honestly, the measurements don’t have to be exact—I usually eyeball it.)
Mix the crushed biscuits with 1 tablespoon of sugar, then pour the hot brewed coffee over the mixture. Knead it by hand until it forms a soft dough. Spread a sheet of plastic wrap or wax paper on the counter and lightly moisten it with water. Flatten the dough onto it and shape it into a rectangle with your hands—this will be the base for your roll.
For the filling, beat the margarine, remaining sugar, ground walnuts, and vanilla sugar using a hand mixer until creamy. Spread the filling evenly over the biscuit base. Use the plastic wrap to help roll it up tightly like a jelly roll. Place the roll in the fridge for about 30 minutes to set.
Rice Moussaka
Cook about 1 cup of green peas. Add a few sliced carrots and potatoes. Season with salt, cover, and let simmer until tender.
In a skillet with preheated oil, sauté 1 chopped onion. Add 1 3/4 cups uncooked rice and pour in about 4 cups of water. Season with salt and black pepper. Cover and cook until the rice is soft and the water is absorbed.
Drain any excess liquid and transfer the rice to a greased ceramic baking dish. Add the cooked peas, carrots, and potatoes on top of the rice and mix gently. Pour about 3/4 cup of tomato sauce over the top. Use a teaspoon to make a few small holes so the sauce can reach the bottom of the dish.
Bake at 350°F (180°C) for about 20 minutes.
Tuna Patties
You’ll need:
- 1 can (5 oz) tuna, drained
- 2 slices stale bread
- Fresh parsley, chopped
- Bread crumbs
- Black pepper
- Vegetable oil for frying
Soak the inside of the stale bread in warm water, let it sit for a few minutes, then squeeze out the excess water. Combine the softened bread with the drained tuna and chopped parsley. Season with black pepper.
Mix everything well and form into small patties. Roll each patty in bread crumbs and fry in hot oil until golden brown on all sides.
Lenten Russian Salad
You’ll need:
- 1 lb (about 800 g) mushrooms, sliced
- 4 cooked carrots, diced
- 1 lb (about 500 g) pickled cucumbers, diced
- 1 lb (about 500 g) roasted red bell peppers, diced
- 4 cooked potatoes, mashed
- 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
- Salt to taste
- 7 oz (200 g) mustard
- Juice of 1 lemon
Instructions:
Finely chop the sautéed mushrooms, carrots, pickles, and roasted red peppers. For the “mayonnaise,” mash the cooked potatoes as if making mashed potatoes. Gradually add the oil while continuing to mix, followed by salt, mustard, and lemon juice to taste. Whisk until smooth, then combine the dressing with the other vegetables.
Stuffed Apples
You’ll need:
- 1.5 lbs (700 g) apples
- 2 1/2 cups sugar (500 g)
- 1 packet vanilla sugar
- 2 cups water (1/2 liter)
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
For the filling:
- 3/4 cup sugar (150 g)
- 2/3 cup walnuts (100 g)
- 1/3 cup almonds (50 g)
- 1/3 cup cherries from a jar or sweetened cherries (50 g)
- 1 packet vanilla sugar
- 5 bananas
- 1 lemon, zest only
Instructions:
Choose apples that hold their shape when cooked. Wash and peel the apples, then carefully remove the core and seeds with a small spoon or knife. Place the prepared apples in boiling water with sugar, vanilla sugar, and lemon juice. Simmer for about 10 minutes, being careful not to let the apples fall apart. Remove the apples from the water and set them aside.
In the same water, add more sugar and lemon juice and cook it down to make a thick syrup.
For the filling, mix sugar, vanilla sugar, ground walnuts, almonds, grated lemon zest, and mashed bananas. Stir everything together, then stuff the apples with the mixture. Pour the syrup over the apples. Finally, decorate with mashed banana puree and top each with a cherry from the jar or sweetened cherries.
Lenten Pizza with Tuna
Ingredients:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 packet baking powder
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 medium onions
- 1 can tuna (about 5 oz)
- 1/2 cup ketchup (about 100 ml)
- 10 olives
- About 3 slices of hard, grated bread
Instructions:
Mix the flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder. Then, add the water and oil, and knead the dough well. Shape the dough into a square or round pizza shape and let it rest for 15 minutes.
Finely chop the onions, open the tuna can, and mash the tuna with a fork, keeping the oil from the can. Spread ketchup over the pizza dough, then top with the chopped onion and mashed tuna. Sprinkle the grated hard bread over the top, and decorate with olives. If you don’t like onions, you can omit them.
Bake at 400°F (200°C) until the bread is golden brown on top.
Grilled Squid
Ingredients:
- 2.2 lbs (1 kg) squid
- 1/2 cup olive oil (about 120 ml)
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- 1 lb (about 500 g) Swiss chard or spinach
- 3/4 lb (about 300 g) potatoes
- 1 lemon
- Salt
- Black pepper
Instructions:
Clean the squid, rinse it well, and pat it dry. Then, coat the squid with olive oil and place it on a preheated grill. Grill the squid, turning occasionally, until it turns golden brown.
Meanwhile, clean the Swiss chard (or spinach) and potatoes, then cook them in salted water. Once cooked, drain and season with a mixture of finely chopped garlic, parsley, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss everything together well.
Serve the grilled squid drizzled with the garlic, parsley, and olive oil mixture, alongside the Swiss chard and potatoes as a side.
Fish Pie
Ingredients:
- 1 lb (about 500 g) fish (any type)
- 1 lb (about 500 g) thin phyllo dough sheets
- 1 cup cooked rice
- A pinch of cumin
- A pinch of black pepper
- Fresh parsley
- Celery (about 1/2 stalk)
Instructions:
Boil the fish, remove the bones, and grind it using a meat grinder. Add the cooked rice, cumin, vegetable seasoning, black pepper, chopped parsley, and celery. Mix everything well.
Lightly spray the phyllo dough sheets with oil, fill with the fish mixture, then fold and bake until golden.
Cauliflower Soup
Ingredients:
- 1 medium cauliflower
- 6 cups water (1.5 liters)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 tablespoon oil
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 cup corn (fresh, frozen, or canned)
Instructions:
Clean the cauliflower and cut it into evenly-sized florets. Boil the cauliflower in water until it becomes tender, then drain and mash it.
In a pan, heat a little oil and sauté the flour and minced garlic. Gradually add the water, stirring constantly, then slowly add the mashed cauliflower. Season with salt to taste. Add the paprika and dried vegetable seasoning, and cook for another 10 minutes until everything is well combined.
Finally, add the corn and stir. When serving, you can add a teaspoon of wine or apple cider vinegar to each bowl if desired.
