Daniel Fast and Cheers to 2017!

I never understood those writers who abandon their blogs for months on end, and I'm realizing now just how easy it is to fall into that lapse of negligence. Admittedly, the past month and a half since Thanksgiving has been quite a blur with Christmas break with the fambam, New Year's celebrations, friends visiting, furniture shopping trips and various other pit-stops here and there to make my new apartment both livable and presentable. With only one box left waiting to be unpacked and put away, I can finally tend to things here. Happy New Year to me, to you, and to the rest of the world!

That being said, it's that time of year in January for the Daniel Fast to take place-- a great way to start off 2017! Our church is partaking in this together, and a few people have asked whether I could share what I know of plant-based eating, since the physical part of this fast involves refraining from any meat, dairy, and processed food.

Below are some things we can keep in mind for when we cook and eat out the next three weeks-- hopefully it will help us stay full and still enjoy what we eat throughout this time. As is with all fasts and as Pastor M. has reiterated, the principle is to focus more on God, be reminded of our dependency on Him, and also to give ourselves a bigger opportunity to focus on the word, so why not enjoy it from all angles!

That being said, here are some recipes along with little blurbs on cooking and nutrition:

Tofu Steak

*For any true meat lovers out there, I'm sure you wouldn't ever consider this a real steak, but they do say tofu is "meat of the gardens", and for good reason too-- it's a chockablock (yes, I used this word because it's fun to say out loud!) of protein that helps lower bad cholesterol, iron, calcium, along with all the other amino acids and micronutrients that your body needs, and it has less fat than you'd find in meat. 

Firm tofu can be used for a variety of savory dishes, and the softer silken tofu is not only for Korean soondubu, but can also be a base for desserts like chocolate pudding, mousse, smoothies, custard, etc. It might sound gross, but it's actually pretty good! As such, tofu is a very versatile ingredient in many dishes since it absorbs a variety of flavors easily due to it's bland nature. 

Photo credits to Tofu Cartoon Gallery

Now, this versatility factor of tofu is both a good thing and bad thing-- bad thing if you don't know how to prepare it properly because then it will always taste blah and flavorless (for this reason many people give up on tofu 😢). So especially for the savory recipes, it does help to marinate tofu in advance, about 30 min to an hour prior to cooking with whatever sauce or seasoning you choose. I usually drain from the container before cutting it up, press down gently on the tofu slices/cubes with paper towels to eliminate excess water, then throw them into a Ziploc baggie after patting in the seasoning and have it sit in the fridge while I'm prepping other things. Normally, I add in a dash of soy sauce and a sprinkle of coconut sugar to make it tasty, but for this fast it's probably best to stick with sea salt and dry spices and herbs (read here).

Yields 1-2 servings.

Ingredients: 

• A package of tofu 
• Sea salt
• Black Pepper
• Paprika
• Garlic Powder
• Quality oil (vegetable oil, olive oil, coconut oil, grapeseed oil, peanut, sesame, etc.)

*Not going to put specific measurements because everyone's preferences are different-- season to your taste! Experimenting is all part of the fun ;)

Spread oil onto pan and bring to medium-high heat. Give a minute or two for it to warm up, then transfer tofu from Ziploc baggie to pan. As the tofu cooks, you should here a pleasant sizzle and an equally pleasant aroma (yum!). Flip each piece to the other side to cook completely. When I make tofu this way, I like to let it cook a little longer until it's crisp and chewy, but if you like the softer texture, then remove from heat once it's lightly browned on both sides. Add stir-fried veggies with rice, quinoa, farro, or the carb of your choice, and you have yourself a delicious and filling meal! 

Also, for those who might miss having scrambled eggs for breakfast, here's a great one as an alternative! Minimalist Baker has a whole encyclopedia of meat/dairy-free recipes based on each meal category (sweet and savory breakfast ideas, entrees, snacks, drinks ranging from smoothies to milkshakes to cocktails, desserts and baked goods, it's all there-- definitely check it out!):

http://minimalistbaker.com/southwest-tofu-scramble/

Mushroom Farro Risotto

Obviously this is not a real risotto either, that has to have cheese in it... BUT, this is just as good! I don't want this to be too long of a read, so I'll share about the nutritional benefits of farro another time.

Yields about 4-5 servings.

Ingredients:

• About a tablespoon of Quality oil
• 1 Onion
• 2 cups of Mushroom
• 1.5 cups of Farro 
• A generous fistful of kale (carrots or celery are good too, whatever veggie that you like!)
• Thyme (either the dry herbs in a shaker or the fresh leaves, whichever is available to you)
• 2 cloves of garlic
• Sea salt
• Black Pepper
• 3 cups of water

Prep: Clean and chop up the onion, mushroom, carrot, and mince the garlic.

Then, in a roomy pot, coat the bottom with olive oil and add in the onion and carrots once the oil starts to crackle (these take longer to cook). After about 5 min, add in the mushroom, minced garlic, and farro, stir for another 2 minutes or so. Sprinkle in the sea salt, black pepper, and thyme to your desired taste, then pour in 3 cups of water. Cover pot with lid halfway and let the stove do it's magic for the next half hour - 45 minutes. Once the farro is tender and it has absorbed all the veggie juices, it's done! Transfer to a bowl, add an extra drizzle of olive oil and thyme if you like. This is easier than making bokkeumbap in my opinion, and definitely a satisfying meal :)

Mushrooms are good, but you can honestly sub in anything here: black beans, pinto beans, edamame, green peas, black eyed peas, chickpeas, artichokes, sweet potatoes, lentils, tempeh, so many options! I like to get a bunch of different things while grocery shopping and play around with different combinations-- the results are quite rewarding because they all have their own flavors and textures that make it hearty and oh-so-delicioussss.

Nice Cream

We can't forget about sweets! I've put up a post on Chocolate Nice Cream before, but since that involved some non-Daniel Fast friendly ingredients, here's a modified version with just two groups of food items:

Ingredients:

5 Frozen Bananas

2 generous fistfuls of Raisins (check to see that they're free of preservatives, etc.)

Drop everything into your trusty blender and let it mix away! If the frozen bananas get stuck, add in a teensy bit of soy or almond milk (or rice milk, whatever non-dairy drink you prefer). If you want to get more creative, feel free to add in other fruits like strawberries, blueberries, mangoes, peaches, pineapple chunks, dates, and more. Top with chopped nuts and or seeds (i.e. pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds), and you have yourself an all-natural fruit-based nice cream sundae!

Photo credit to Nature's Path

There's obviously a ton of different ways to cook with the plant-based non-dairy foods, it just takes some patience and a sense of adventure to try out new recipes! More than anything, I think a fast such as this really helps to remind us to be thankful for what we have, and for being able to nourish our bodies even while abstaining from the "king's food". 

So here's to the next few weeks together, this fast coupled with our time devoted to praying, reflecting, and sharing with one another! :)

Other Resources:

Caring Carrot

http://www.caringcarrot.com/

Ultimate Daniel Fast
http://www.ultimatedanielfast.com/

Spelhouse Love
http://spelhouselove.com/2013/01/08/20-daniel-fast-recipes/