The period of the Great Lent started yesterday with Kathara Deftera (Clean Monday) and this is called Saracosti. During the period of Saracosti the faithful fast for a period of 48 days and not 40, as it is usually said: the six weeks of Lent and Holy Week. This year the Orthodox Easter is on the 19th April and fasting is from the 3rd March to the 18th April. Of course this is not obligatory and most people fast for a couple of weeks.
Meat and animal products (cheese, milk, butter, eggs, lard), fish (meaning fish with backbones), olive oil and wine (all alcoholic drinks) are not consumed during the weekdays of Great Lent. Octopus and shell-fish are allowed, as is vegetable margarine, shortening, and vegetable oils, gelatin, olives, as well as honey are allowed.
On weekends, olive oil and wine are permitted. Fish is permitted only on two Sundays during the Lenten period: on the Feast of the Annunciation (March 25) and on Palm Sunday (one week before Easter).
The purpose of fasting is to cleanse the body as well as the spirit in preparation for accepting the Resurrection at Easter, which is the most sacred of all observances in the Greek Orthodox faith.
Through fasting, we also learn to feel compassion for the poor and hungry and to save our own resources so that we can help those in need.
During this period I shall try and post mainly Lenten recipes. However, I do have lots of recipes I have prepared before Lent, which I shall also post.
If you exclude the recipes with seafood and honey all other recipes here are vegan:
Seafood:
Ktapodi me makaronaki Kofto (Octopus with pasta)
Kalamaria Gemista (Stuffed Squid)
Main Dishes:
Gemista (stuffed tomatoes and peppers)
Dolmadakia Gialantzi (stuffed vine leaves with rice and herbs)
Fasolada (White beans in tomato sauce)
Fakes Moutzentra (Cypriot lentils with rice)
Arakas Laderos (Peas with carrots in tomato sauce)
Spanakoryzo (Spinach with rice)
Fasolia Mavrommatika (Black-eyed peas)
Black-eyed peas with spinach and Swiss chard in tomato sauce
Fasolakia Giahni (Braised Green beans in tomato sauce)
Hoummous Soup (chickpeas soup)
Vegetable puree soup with pasta
Patates lemonates (oven baked lemon potatoes)
Patates Antinahtes (whole potatoes with red wine)
Rice pilaf with vegetables and vermicelli
Pilafi pourgouri- without the meat (Bulgur wheat pilaf)
Revithokeftedes me Garides (Shrimp – chickpea patties)
Revithokeftedes (chickpea patties)
Snacks:
Whole Wheat Focaccia with Kalamata Olives
Olives and Carrot Bread Sticks and rolls
Kolokotes (Cypriot pumpkin pies)
Tahninopita (Tahini filled pastry)
Dips / appetizers:
Melitzanosalata (Eggplant dip)
Elies tsakistes (green crushed olives)
Elies Kalamon (kalamata olives)
Pantzaria Xydata (Beets preserved in vinegar)
Revithokeftedes (Chickpea Patties)
Koupes me manitaria (kibbeh stuffed with mushrooms)
Desserts:
Halvas with Chocolate, Nuts & Dried Fruit
Mini Apple Turnovers with Homemade Apple Sauce
Pot Halvas with fruit and almonds
Pischies (Pastry bathed in syrup)
Eggless and Dairy Free Chocolate cake
Loukoumades (Cypriot Doughnuts)
Ladlokouloura (Olive oil biscotti)
Kopiaste and Kali Orexi,
Tags: healthy recipes, Kathara Deftera, lenten, Mediterranean diet, nistisima, nistisimes syntages, Sarakostiana
A great collection of recipes! Everything looks so yummy!
Cheers,
Rosa
Ivy, that’s quite an array of Lenten dishes and food for thought for those looking to add a new dish to the Sarakosti trapezi.
Kali Anastasi.
Bravo Ivy! A nice introduction to the Lenten period AND a very wide assortment of nistisima foods. One could craft their entire Lenten menu from this collection alone! Impressive.
Wow, what a great round up of Lenten dishes Ivy! So many great things to choose from here, you don’t feel like you are giving much up! Kali Sarakosti kai xronia polla!
What a wonderful collection of recipes! Everything looks so unbelievably delicious – no deprivation here!
I wanted to let you know the announcement for the March theme for Sugar High Fridays has been posted:
http://inmybox.wordpress.com/2.....t-of-time/
The theme is Desserts over a century old, and I know a lot of the recipes you cook and post about here are traditional dishes. I would be so delighted to learn a 100+ year-old Greek dessert recipe, or anything else you feel like cooking up.
Hope to see you there this month!
Phew! Who said Lenten foods were boring or limited? That looks like quite an array Ivy!
That is an amazing array of dishes Sis. There is not a single thing that I would not love to enjoy any day of the week:D
B/w you and the other couple of lenten blogs, I have my entire menu for all of Lent planned out!!!
I can’t wait to try some of these Ivy!!!
Wow so many yummy, scrummy, new, tempting and alluring recipes……Feast to the pallette and eyes….Ummmmm
Wow this is what i call a feast, wow wow wow.
A wonderful delicious post.
Wow this is what i call a feast, wow wow wow.
A wonderful delicious post.
Oops…forgot to say great post! Looking forward to your next one.
I was very interested to read the origins and reasons behind Lent in Greek history. However, this looks more like feasting than fasting!
That’s quite a delicious storm you’ve cooked up Ivy! HOW DID YOU MANAGE?
Kudos to you Ivy this is such an awesome Lenten array of dishes!! So much variety to choose from and which one to start with – a feast to my eyes!
Please pass by my blog and collect some awards ;o)
Rosie x
I read with interest your description of the Lent traditions. The array of dishes is amazing. Looking forward to exploring some of them.
Nice collection of recipes. The shrimp risotto looks really good. I will be preparing some meals for lent as well.
[...] If you want to see more Lenten dishes “Nistisima” you will find them here. [...]
[...] Nistisima – Food for the Soul: A motherload of recipes here, you’ll find seafood, main dishes, bean dishes, soups, snacks and lots more. Found at Kopiaste. [...]
Wow Ivy – and what will you cook for tomorrow (hahahaha). I love these customs and how people can change and do things they don’t normally do when they feel purpose. Beautiful array of yummies.
[...] See more Lenten recipes here. [...]
This is absolutely wonderful, Ivy. Thank you posting these lenten dishes. I’m going to make fakes soupa tomorrow. Take care!
wow, ive learned alot here, thanks for the good reading
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