Lenten Dishes: Tasty & Healthy Recipes by Yevhen Klopotenko

The Great Fast is a special period of spiritual purification, self-discipline, and mindfulness that holds deep significance for many people. Some observe Lent for religious reasons, while others see it as an opportunity to reboot their bodies. Regardless of the reasons, a Lenten menu becomes an essential companion during this time. It combines simple, yet nourishing dishes that help maintain energy levels and adhere to the principles of fasting.

Thanks to the combination of high-quality ingredients and proper cooking techniques, a Lenten menu can be not only healthy but also a delicious choice for every day. In this article, Kyiv.Page offers interesting recipes from renowned Ukrainian chef Yevhen Klopotenko to help create a balanced diet during the Great Fast.

Asian Spring Rolls with Tofu and Vegetables

You may have already noticed rice paper on store shelves or even bought it. But what can you make with it, and how do you prepare it correctly? At first, spring rolls might seem like a complicated and delicate dish, but the recipe is actually quite simple.

The main secret when working with rice paper is to act quickly. It tends to harden quickly, so it’s important to work fast.

Ingredients:

• 100 g tofu
• 20 ml soy sauce
• 100 g sweet pepper
• 40 g carrot
• 150 g zucchini
• 4 sheets of rice paper
• 8 g sweet chili sauce

How to cook:

1. Press 100 g of tofu to remove excess moisture and cut it into rectangular pieces, about 0.5 cm thick. Heat 20 ml of soy sauce in a skillet, add the tofu, and fry for two minutes on each side.
2. Rinse all the vegetables under running water and dry them with a kitchen towel. Peel the carrot, remove seeds and stems from the sweet pepper. Slice 100 g of pepper, 40 g of carrot, and 150 g of zucchini into thin strips.
3. Before assembling each roll, dip a rice paper sheet into a plate of water for 10 seconds until it softens. Place a piece of tofu, sliced vegetables, and a few drops of sweet chili sauce in the center of the softened rice paper. Roll it up like you’re making a wrap or shawarma. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

Lentil Pasta

This simple but tasty lentil pasta recipe is perfect for those looking for a healthy and flavorful dish that combines protein, fiber, and plenty of taste.

Ingredients:

• 200 g pasta
• 150 g red lentils
• 1 carrot
• 1 onion
• 4 tbsp olive oil

How to cook:

1. Rinse the lentils under cold water, place them in a pot, and cover with cold water. Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes or until fully cooked. The lentils should be soft.
2. While the lentils are cooking, dice the onion and grate the carrot. Heat a pan with 2 tbsp of olive oil. First, add the onion and sauté until soft, then add the grated carrot. Sauté the vegetables together for a few minutes, but the carrot should remain slightly firm.
3. Add the cooked lentils to the pan with the vegetables, season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook for another 5 minutes to let the flavors meld.
4. Boil 200 g of pasta in salted water until al dente. For this, use 2.8 liters of water and 25-27 g of salt. Cooking time is usually indicated on the package, but for al dente pasta, cook it for one minute less. Afterward, drain the water and toss the pasta with 2 tbsp of olive oil to prevent sticking.
5. Place the pasta on a plate, top with the lentil and vegetable mixture. You can mix everything together and serve immediately, as the dish tastes best when warm.

Bean Hummus

Lenten menus should include a variety of spreads that not only add flavor but also make dishes more nutritious. Classic hummus is made from chickpeas, but a version with beans is just as successful. You can use it as a spread for bread at breakfast or as a tasty addition to hot dishes.

Ingredients:

• 250 g raw white beans
• 1 lemon
• 75 g sesame seeds
• 1 garlic clove
• 40 ml sunflower oil
• A pinch of paprika
• A pinch of cumin (caraway)
• 1 tsp sugar
• 3 g baking soda
• 2 sprigs of thyme
• 5 g salt

How to cook:

1. Soak 250 g of beans in hot water with 3 g of baking soda for 2 hours. Afterward, drain the water and rinse the beans thoroughly under cold water.
2. Boil the beans with a few sprigs of thyme for 30 minutes, using a 1:4 water-to-bean ratio. After boiling, strain the beans, but keep the cooking water as you’ll need it for the paste.
3. Toast 75 g of sesame seeds in a pan over low heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Then, grind the seeds in a mortar to a paste-like consistency. If you want to speed up the process, you can use store-bought tahini paste (50 g).
4. Finely chop 1 garlic clove. Mix the cooled beans, sesame paste, garlic, a pinch of paprika, cumin, 5 g of salt, and 1 tsp of sugar. Stir all the ingredients until they reach a homogeneous consistency.
5. Add the juice of 1 lemon to the mixture. Use a blender to blend everything into a smooth paste. Then, pour in 40 ml of vegetable oil and 5 tablespoons of the bean cooking water. Blend again until you get a creamy texture.
6. Serve the paste with lavash and fresh celery stalks.

Lenten Charlotte (Apple Cake)

Imagine the fragrant apples wrapped in a delicate sponge cake with a hint of orange. The perfect Lenten Charlotte is juicy and soft. Try making this dessert and discover that even without eggs, it remains incredibly tasty.

Ingredients:

• 220 g flour
• 1 orange (you’ll need 100 ml of orange juice and a bit of zest)
• 100 ml sunflower oil
• 1.5 tsp baking powder
• 140 g sugar
• 10 g vanilla sugar
• 1 tsp powdered sugar
• 3-4 apples
• 100 ml water
• A pinch of salt

How to cook:

1. Prepare all the ingredients for the Lenten Charlotte. Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F).
2. In a large bowl, combine 100 ml of water, 140 g of sugar, 10 g of vanilla sugar, and a pinch of salt. Stir well until the sugar dissolves.
3. Grate the zest of one orange directly into the bowl. Be careful not to include the white part of the zest, as it can be bitter.
4. Squeeze the juice from the orange — you should get about 100 ml. Don’t use more juice, or the batter will be too thin.
5. Add 100 ml of sunflower oil to the bowl and mix it well with the other ingredients.
6. Sift 220 g of flour and 1.5 tsp of baking powder into the bowl. You can mix the flour and baking powder separately beforehand, but it’s not essential. Stir all the ingredients until smooth.
7. Gently mix the batter with a whisk to ensure all ingredients are well incorporated.
8. Peel and dice 3-4 apples into small cubes. It’s best to use tart-sweet apple varieties like Jonagold, Fuji, or Legold to prevent the Charlotte from being too sweet.
9. Add the diced apples to the batter and gently mix, ensuring the apples are evenly coated with the batter.
10. Line the bottom of a baking pan with parchment paper, grease it with sunflower oil, and dust it with flour to prevent the cake from sticking during baking.
11. Transfer the apple batter into the baking pan and spread it evenly with a spatula.
12. Bake the Lenten Charlotte in the preheated oven at 180°C for 40 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls with Potatoes

These stuffed cabbage rolls with potatoes in tomato sauce, slowly simmered in the oven, are perfect for lunch or dinner. Serve them hot, and optionally garnish with finely chopped fresh herbs.

Typically, stuffed cabbage rolls are made with grains and minced meat. However, Yevhen decided to make a Lenten version using mashed potatoes, complemented by aromatic spices.

Ingredients
For the cabbage rolls:

• 1 head of cabbage
• 1 kg potatoes
• 3 bay leaves
• 5 allspice berries
• 3-4 garlic cloves
• 3 tbsp sunflower oil
• 2 onions
• Salt and pepper to taste

For the sauce:

• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp sugar
• 500 ml water

How to cook:

1. Prepare the ingredients for making the Lenten stuffed cabbage rolls with mashed potatoes.
2. Make the filling: Peel 1 kg of potatoes and cut them into small, evenly sized pieces for uniform cooking. Place the potatoes in a pot, add 3 bay leaves, 5 allspice berries, 3 garlic cloves, and salt and pepper to taste.
3. For the sautéed onions: Finely chop the onions. Heat 3 tbsp of sunflower oil in a pan and sauté the onions until translucent.
4. To check if the potatoes are cooked, poke them with a knife. Once cooked, remove the garlic and spices and drain the water. For convenience, you can drain the potatoes in a colander. The less liquid remains, the firmer the filling will be. Mash the potatoes with the sautéed onions until smooth. Set the mixture aside to cool. To speed up cooling, you can place the mashed potatoes on a balcony during cold weather.
5. Prepare the cabbage leaves: Remove the core from the middle of the cabbage head.
6. In a large pot, bring water to a boil and place the cabbage in it.
7. Once the top leaves become translucent, remove them one by one, carefully lifting the cabbage with a fork. Place the leaves in a bowl. The top leaves typically take about 2-3 minutes to cook.
8. Remove the thick veins from the cabbage leaves to make rolling the cabbage easier and to ensure the rolls look neat.
9. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and begin shaping the cabbage rolls. Place a small amount of the filling on a cabbage leaf and roll it up, tucking in the edges. Arrange the cabbage rolls tightly in a baking dish.
10. Prepare the tomato sauce: In a bowl, mix 3 tbsp of tomato paste with 1 tsp of sugar. Add 500 ml of water or vegetable/mushroom broth for a richer flavor. If needed, you can increase the sugar to 2 tsp. Mix well until the ingredients are fully dissolved. Pour the sauce over the cabbage rolls, ensuring the liquid covers them completely. If there isn’t enough sauce, prepare an additional batch.
11. Cover the baking dish with foil and place it in the oven for 1 to 1.5 hours, depending on how firm the cabbage is. About 20 minutes before the end of cooking, remove the foil to allow the cabbage rolls to lightly brown.

Tomato and Tofu Salad

Fried peanuts add an appetizing crunchy texture to the salad, while cilantro fills it with a refreshing aroma. The dish is prepared in just a few minutes and requires minimal ingredients. Simple and convenient!

Ingredients:

• 100-120 g cherry tomatoes
• 100 g tofu cheese
• ½ chili pepper
• 100 g fried peanuts
• 10 sprigs of cilantro
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lemon
• Salt to taste

How to cook:

1. Wash the cherry tomatoes and cut them in half. If using regular small tomatoes, cut them into 4-6 pieces.
2. Wash the cilantro thoroughly, separate the leaves from the stems, and chop them finely.
3. Cut the tofu into cubes, about 1 cm in size.
4. Remove the seeds from the chili pepper and chop it finely.
5. In a bowl, combine the tomatoes, cilantro, chili, tofu cubes, and fried peanuts. Drizzle with olive oil and the juice of half a lemon.
6. Portion the salad onto plates, season with salt to taste, and serve.

Cauliflower with Tahini Sauce

A dish made with cauliflower, seasoned with tahini sauce, a staple of Eastern cuisine. It’s perfect for a Lenten diet or as a delicious side dish for everyday meals.

Ingredients:

• 1 head of cauliflower
• ½ tsp aromatic dried herbs
• 1 tbsp oil
• 2 tbsp tahini paste
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• Salt and pepper to taste

How to cook:

1. Rinse and dry the cauliflower head. Cut it in half, and then slice each half into 1 cm thick slices.
2. Separate the florets from the core using a knife.
3. Heat a pan with oil and sauté the cauliflower on both sides until golden brown.
4. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and add the dried herbs for aroma.
5. For the sauce, mix the tahini with honey, add lemon juice, and stir well. If you want a thinner sauce, add a little warm water and mix again.
6. Once the cauliflower is ready, drizzle it with the tahini sauce and serve.

Date Truffles

Truffles are traditionally chocolate candies made with cream and butter. However, for those who love new flavors and are observing Lent, there is a great alternative — a vegetarian version. This one uses dates, carob, and coconut cream instead of the usual ingredients.

Ingredients:

• 500 g dried pitted dates
• 30 ml coconut cream
• 5 tbsp carob powder
• 100 g pistachios
• 100 g walnuts

How to cook:

1. Remove the pits from the dates, break the flesh into pieces, and place it in a blender.
2. Add 3 tbsp of carob powder (a cocoa alternative) and blend until smooth.
3. Add the coconut cream and blend again until well combined.
4. Roll the mixture into balls, trying to make them the same size.
5. Divide the truffles into 3 parts.
6. Roll the first part in 2 tbsp of carob powder. Chop the pistachios, and also crush the walnuts.
7. Roll the second part in chopped pistachios, and the third in walnut crumbs.
8. Place the truffles in the refrigerator for several hours to set.