The Philippine Online Chronicles

In the Christian community, Catholics observe fasting and abstinence during the Lenten Season. Lent commences on Ash Wednesday and commemorates the 40-day fast of Jesus Christ. It is a time for Catholics to reflect through prayers, practice self-denial and penance through fasting and abstinence, and do charity works.

During Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, Catholics between the ages 18 to 59 years are required to fast. Fasting means to partake only one full meal a day, while abstinence is to avoid from eating meat which is obligatory during Fridays of Lent.  For this reason that many people are in the hunt for recipes they can use during this time.  So here are a few easy dishes for Lent.

Fish and seafood are excellent sources of high-quality proteins that are easier to digest than meat proteins. For those who wish to stick to healthier diets, fish is a must-have in their meals. This Lenten season, treat your family and friends with these surprisingly easy, healthy yet yummy seafood dishes.

Aglio e Olio

Aglio e Olio is traditional Italian pasta in garlic and oil. Popular celebrity make-up artist Bambbi Fuentes shares his own version of this delightful dish. Bambbi is not only skilled at using his brushes to enhance the beauty of local celebrities. He can also whip up delectable dishes in his own kitchen, such as this easy-to-prepare pasta dish.

INGREDIENTS:

½ cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

4 tablespoons fresh minced garlic

750 grams shrimp, peeled and deveined

¼ cup chopped parsley

1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

¼ cup shrimp stock**

500grams spaghetti noodles

Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Cook pasta in boiling, salted water according to directions or until al dente, then drain.

In a saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes, and cook until garlic is lightly browned. Add the shrimp and cook over low heat, being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the shrimp stock and parsley. Season with salt and pepper, simmer for about five minutes then remove from heat.

Toss pasta in sauce and serve hot.

**For a tastier pasta sauce, Bambbi uses the shrimp heads to obtain shrimp stock. He crushes the shrimp heads using mortar and pestle.  Hot water is poured into the crushed shrimp heads to obtain shrimp stock.

Salmon Belly Sinigang (Salmon Belly in Sour Broth)

Salmon belly is readily available in most supermarkets and are usually pre-cut into strips. Although a lot of people avoid the belly of the fish because of its high concentration of fat, salmon also has lots of Omega3 fatty acids which play an important role in the body’s brain functions and in keeping the heart healthy. Salmon belly should be eaten occasionally and should not be considered as part of your regular diet. Here is a perfect soup dish for Lent, inspired by the traditional Sinigang na Baboy.

INGREDIENTS:

500 grams of salmon belly

5 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 medium sized onion, diced into four
2 pieces siling pang sigang (green finger chilis)
3 tomatoes, diced

1 large eggplant

4 pieces okra, cut into two

1 bunch of kangkong

100 grams sitaw (string beans)

1 tablespoon cooking oil

Salt or patis (fish sauce)

1 pack Sinigang Mix

Water (about a liter)

DIRECTIONS:

Wash and remove the scales of the salmon belly. Set aside.

In a large pot, sauté garlic, onions and tomatoes. Pour in the water, patis and sinigang mix. Bring to a boil, and then add the vegetables except kangkong. Simmer for five minutes. Add the salmon belly and simmer for another five minutes. Add in the kangkong and cover for one minute. Serve while the soup is hot.

ALMOND CRUSTED TILAPIA FILLET PASTA

Tilapia has been a mainstay among Filipino meals for many years, commonly served fried or grilled.  However, this delicious fish can be used in a variety of recipes such as this nutty rendition of tilapia fillet for your pasta.

For Tilapia fillets:

2 pieces Tilapia fillets (about 75-100 grams each fillet)

Pinch of salt, pepper and paprika

¼ cup salted and finely crushed almonds

Season the tilapia fillet with salt, pepper and paprika. Coat the fillet with the crushed almonds and bake for four minutes at 180^oC.

For pasta:

10 grams butter

15ml olive oil

30 grams white onions, diced

3 grams garlic, minced

50 grams diced tomatoes

50 grams capers

30 grams white wine

250g spaghetti noodles, cooked according to directions or until al dente

In a sauce pan, heat the olive oil and melt the butter. Sauté the onions and garlic, then add tomatoes and capers. Pour in the white wine and simmer. Add salt and pepper to taste. Toss the cooked spaghetti in the sauce.

For the sauce, you will need 30 ml of garlic sauce reduced until thick and 15 ml balsamic vinegar reduced to syrup.

To serve, arrange pasta on one side, and the fish fillets on another side. Drizzle the fillets with garlic sauce and balsamic sauce. Serve and enjoy with the whole family.

Photos: "Aglio e Olio" by Sassy Mom. Some Rights Reserved / Bambbi Fuentes photo used with permission from Bambbi Fuentes / "Sinigang na salmon" by Cecilia of Casa Baluarte. Used with permission / "Almond crusted tilapia fillets" by Teacher Julie. Used with permission.

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Sassy Mom is a mom to two wonderful kids. Formerly an HR practitioner specializing Training and Organization Development, she now finds joy and pride in being a stay-at-home mom and a budding entrepreneur.  She blogs at (http://www.sassymomscorner.com/) Sassy Mom’s Corner, Sassy Mom’s Life (http://sassymomslife.com/), Tasty Feast (http://tastyfeast.sassymomslife.com/) and Pixelbug (http://pixelbug.sassymomslife.com/).