Day 1: The Idea

     My mother introduced an interesting idea to me a couple years ago during the Lent Season, and that idea was to not only give up something for Lent, but to take on something as well. She and Kent usually read a book together, but this year, I decided that I am going to take on writing a blog. I have tried blogging in the past and let me tell you, it’s so much easier when you do not have a job. However, for only 40 days, this seems like something I can do. This blog will primarily be a journal for myself including thoughts, quotes, food, recipes, pictures, etc.
 

     During the last few Lent seasons, I have given up meat and poultry but continued to eat fish/seafood. This year I have chosen to give up all animals-whether by air, land or sea. When I was younger I always gave up trivial things, but the older I become, the more I realize the importance of actually giving up something that would, in theory, affect my life, therefore reminding me daily that I am doing this for Him. Now, given that I am classically trained chef and self proclaimed foodie, this is going to be quite the challenge. I actually already started my ‘fasting’ last Monday, but I did have meat Saturday and Sunday because (1) it was Jason and I’s one year anniversary so we went to Nick and Sam’s and (2) Lent technically did not start until today, so I saw no issue with it.
 

     I googled the meaning of Lent this morning, just to see what all I could find. Of course, most of the sources were Catholic websites. People always ask me if I am Catholic because I practice Lent. Well, I was raised Methodist, went to an Episcopal school from K-12 grade, and now attend Christ Chapel (a Bible church). This is my first Lent season at Christ Chapel, so I am actually not sure if they practice “fasting” during lent, but we always did both in the Methodist and Episcopal Church. I sometimes refer to myself as a Christian ‘mutt’, because I have already been raised in many different churches…however, a Christian is a Christian is a Christian in my eyes.
 

     Did you know that the word Lent itself comes from the Anglo-Saxon word lencten, meaning “spring”, and lenctentid, which means not only “springtide” but “March”, which is obviously the month that the majority of Lent falls. In researching Lent, I feel like I have never really retained the true meaning and origins of the season. We all know why we celebrate Easter, and we all know what takes place before and during the Lent season, but I really never knew why. The Catholic website I came across gives some background to the history – http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/religion/re0527.html
 

     I am super excited about my lunch today (it’s the little things, right?). I am having leftovers from one of my favorite restaurants in Fort Worth…Terra Mediterranean Grill (www.terramedgrill.com). It is amazing! If I worked in Fort Worth (my dream) I would definitely eat there for lunch at least 3 times a week: all you can eat buffet of freshly prepared Mediterranean food for $13 is a great deal! My leftovers include stuffed grape leaves (vegetarian, of course), tabbouleh, falafel, a few feta cheese squares and a grilled pita. I mean seriously, how amazing does this look!! 

      

 I will say that I am a little disappointed in the grape leaves, but it’s because they put chickpeas in them for the vegetarian option (replacing lamb) and it’s just kind of funky. The best vegetarian stuffed grapes leaves, in my opinion, come from the Central Market salad bar. Tabbouleh is an excellent food to eat when on a vegetarian diet. Not only is it super healthy, but it’s really easy to make! You can essentially make it however you want, with whatever herbs and veggies you want. At the end of today’s entry I will post my traditional recipe…as you can see many of the ingredients can easily be changed or substituted, but this is the classic way it is prepared.
 

     As for dinner, I think I am going to keep it easy and simple with some smashed cauliflower. Now, if you have never had smashed cauliflower, it is an absolute must to try. It’s super easy to make and it always goes over well when you have guests. It tastes better than mashed potatoes to me, and it’s a lot healthier. All you have to do is steam the cauliflower, put it in a food processor, at butter, any cheese you prefer (I usually use grated parmesan), a little salt and pepper and blend. Its absolute delish! You can even chose to steam the cauliflower in a shorter period of time, leaving a little bite to it, and then blend it causing the texture to be more comparable to grits. I have used that little trick to make Shrimp and Grits, and let me tell it, it is unreal. Yet another recipe that you can change to your liking, using less or more salt, adding a little sour cream for more texture, or even a little chili powder to give it some heat!                                    

Here are the Nutrition Facts for Smashed Cauliflower (Serving size 6 oz and using unsalted butter and parmesan cheese) – Calories – 130, Fat – 8g, Sat Fat – 5 g, Cholesterol – 20 mg, Sodium – 1300mg, Total Carb – 8g, Dietary Fiber – 3g, Sugars – 3g, Protein – 8g, Vit A – 6%, Vit C – 120%, Ca – 20%, Fe – 4%
 

I promise that not all entries will be so long…most will probably just have a few short notes and then recipes and pictures. Since I make Nutrition Fact Panels for a living, I can make them for my recipes and share them with everyone so you can get a little more insight into the food you are eating  As promised, below is the Recipe for my Classic Tabbouleh. Day 1 is complete, and in my book, a success.

Classic Tabbouleh

Ingredients 
1 box of Near East Tabbouleh *note*: discard herb packet inside, only use the bulgur wheat
1 English cucumber, diced
1 medium tomato, diced
1.5 C mint, finely chopped
¾ C flat leaf parsley, chopped
¼ C lemon juice
Extra Virgin Olive Oil, To Taste (I usually add about 3-4 Tbsp)
Kosher Salt, TT

Directions
    1. Place the bulgur wheat into a medium sized bowl. Boil 1 cup of water and then pour over the wheat. Stir and then cover and place in the fridge for 30 min (these instructions come straight from the box).
    2. While the tabbouleh is setting in the fridge, chop the cucumber, tomato, parsley and mint. Also prepare the lemon juice if you chose to use fresh squeezed.
    3.  Once the 30 minutes have elapsed, remove tabbouleh from fridge and fluff with a fork, just like you would rice. Fold the chopped veggies and herbs into the tabbouleh
    4.  Add the lemon juice, EVOO, and salt to the tabbouleh, stir and serve. *note*: the longer it sits in the fridge prepared, the more time the flavor has to incorporate through the wheat, actually producing a better tasting tabbouleh.
*Nutrition Facts*
Per 1 oz Serving: Calories – 181, Fat – 6g, Carbohydrates – 23 g, Protein – 3g
 

*Bliss is a constant state of mind, undisturbed by gain or loss*