While on a Daniel fast, the monotony of eating the same old vegetables and fruit combinations can tempt you to quit. By incorporating some simple, yet flavorful dishes into your daily menu, the 21 days of fasting can become less stressful.
Note …
The Daniel fast is carried out for spiritual purposes, although the Bible does not command it. It is not a weight loss plan.
The Daniel fast is based on Daniel 10:1-3 from the Bible. Daniel sacrificed choice foods, consuming only fruits, vegetables, and water for 21 days. For those of you who choose to follow in Daniel’s footsteps, there are various restrictions that have to be taken into consideration. Daniel abstained from pleasant foods, which means you will have to abstain from meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, sweeteners, breads, and other pleasant foods like baked, processed food items, etc. Moreover, since Daniel consumed only water, beverages like wine, alcohol, coffee, tea, etc., are also prohibited.
Vegetable oil is allowed to some extent, however deep frying is not acceptable. Moreover, all soy-based products are allowed, so tofu, soy milk, soy chunks, etc., can be consumed. Herbs, spices, and homemade condiments are also allowed. Since the fast extends for 21 days, sticking to the restricted menu can seem challenging, especially because we’re so used to consuming processed foods and caffeine. However, there are various ways to work within the acceptable limits. There are different recipes with which you can prepare interesting dishes during this fast. Let’s take a look.
Stir-fried Vegetables with Quinoa
For the Stir Fry …
Ingredients Required
✦ 1 yellow bell pepper (sliced)
✦ 1 carrot (sliced)
✦ 1 red onion (sliced)
✦ 1 clove garlic (chopped)
✦ 1 red chilly (finely sliced)
✦ 1 cup broccoli (sliced)
✦ 1 cup button mushrooms (sliced)
✦ ½ cup tofu (sliced)
✦ ½ cup green cabbage (shredded)
✦ ¼ cup spring onions (diced)
✦ 2 tsp. soy sauce
✦ 2 tsp. vegetable oil
✦ 1 tsp. dried oregano
✦ Salt and pepper
Preparation Procedure
For a good stir fry, make sure your vegetables are cut in uniform sizes. This will ensure even cooking. Next, heat the oil in a wok and add garlic and red chilly slices to it. Once the garlic turns golden brown, add the red onions, spring onions, broccoli, mushrooms, and bell peppers. Sauté them till they soften. Next, add the cabbage and carrots and fry on high heat, stirring constantly for a minute. Once done, set it aside. In another pan, fry the tofu slices in a teaspoon of oil. Fry till golden brown and then add them to the stir-fried vegetables. Turn on the heat and add soy sauce, salt, pepper, and oregano. Stir fry on high heat for another minute and your stir-fried vegetables are ready. Sprinkle some roasted peanuts and serve over a bed of quinoa!
For Quinoa …
Since you’re doing away with meat and other high-protein foods, including quinoa into your diet is a good idea.
Ingredients Required
✦ 1 clove garlic, diced
✦ ½ red onion, diced
✦ 2 cups vegetable broth
✦ 1 cup quinoa
✦ ¼ cup fresh cilantro
✦ 1 tsp. vegetable oil
✦ ¼ tsp. salt
✦ ¼ tsp. white pepper
✦ ¼ tsp. chilly flakes (optional)
Preparation Procedure
In a nonstick cooking pot, heat the oil. Once hot, add the diced garlic and onion and sauté till softened. Then, add the washed quinoa and allow it to fry for a minute or two, until its water evaporates. Next, add the vegetable broth into the pot. Sprinkle salt, pepper, and chilly flakes into the pot, and allow the broth to come to a boil. Then, lower the heat and allow the quinoa to cook for 15 minutes, with the lid on. Once cooked, serve with chopped cilantro and stir-fried vegetables.
For the Hummus …
Ingredients Required
✦ 1 cup canned chickpeas
✦ ⅓ cup roasted sesame seeds (powdered)
✦ 2 tbsp. olive oil
✦ 1 tsp. ground cumin
✦ 1 tsp. paprika
✦ 1 tsp. lemon juice
Preparation Procedure
A general hummus recipe contains tahini, which is a combination of sesame seeds and lots of olive oil. To reduce the oil content, let’s stick to roasted sesame seeds. Just use the blender to grind roasted sesame seeds. To prepare hummus, drain the canned chickpeas and add them to the blender with the sesame powder. Next, add garlic, lemon juice, paprika, salt, olive oil, and ground cumin into the blender, and blend it till a smooth purée is formed. Feel free to add more of the above mentioned ingredients, according to your taste preference. Sprinkle with paprika and serve it as a dip for your grilled vegetable platter.
For the Vegetable Platter …
Ingredients Required
✦ 2 eggplants (sliced lengthwise)
✦ 2 yellow squash (sliced lengthwise)
✦ 2 bell peppers (sliced lengthwise)
✦ 2 zucchini (sliced lengthwise)
✦ 2 red onions (sliced)
✦ 1 bunch asparagus
✦ 3 tbsp. vegetable oil
✦ 1 tsp. fresh oregano
✦ 1 tsp. fresh rosemary
✦ 1 tsp. fresh basil
✦ 1 tsp. paprika (optional)
✦ ½ tsp. lemon juice
Preparation Procedure
In a large mixing bowl, combine the vegetables with salt, pepper, olive oil, and paprika. Then place them on the hot grill, cooking until the vegetables turn tender from the inside and slightly charred on the outside. Each vegetable will take its own time, so keep an eye on them. While the asparagus will cook faster, squash and bell peppers will take longer. Take off the asparagus when their tips begin to brown. While the vegetables are grilling, combine the lemon juice and fresh herbs in a mixing bowl. Once the vegetables are done, drizzle this mixture onto them and serve with freshly prepared hummus.
Lentil Patties with Guacamole
For the Lentil Patties
Ingredients Required
✦ 2 garlic cloves (diced)
✦ 1 shallot (diced)
✦ 2 cups cooked black lentils
✦ 1 cup carrots (grated)
✦ ½ cup sweet potato (grated)
✦ ½ cup tomato (diced)
✦ 4 tbsp. oil
✦ 2 tbsp. soy sauce
✦ Salt and pepper
Preparation Procedure
In a nonstick skillet, add a tsp. of oil and sauté the onions, garlic, and tomatoes. Then add the cooked lentils, carrots, and sweet potato. Combine well and turn off the heat once the carrot softens. Now add the seasonings, including soy sauce and combine again. Allow the mixture to cool. Once cool, prepare patties of desired size and shape and shallow fry them in some oil, till they are golden brown. Serve it with fresh guacamole.
For the Guacamole
Ingredients Required
✦ 2 ripe avocados (chunks)
✦ 1 shallot (chopped)
✦ 1 clove garlic (finely chopped)
✦ 1 tomato (chopped)
✦ 1 green chilly (chopped)
✦ 1 tsp. lemon juice
✦ 1 tsp. fresh cilantro
✦ ½ tsp. paprika
✦ Salt and pepper
Preparation Procedure
Using a fork, mash the ripe avocado pieces. Pour the lemon juice over the mashed avocados to slow down their browning process. Add the chopped shallots, garlic, chilly, cilantro, and tomato. Add the seasonings and serve immediately with the freshly prepared lentil patties.
Green Pea Soup with Stuffed Potatoes
For the Green Pea Soup …
Ingredients Required
✦ 1 shallot (diced)
✦ 2 cups shelled, fresh peas (or frozen)
✦ 1 cup water
✦ 1 tbsp. oil
✦ 1 tsp. ginger-garlic paste
✦ 1 tsp. mint leaves (freshly chopped)
✦ ½ tsp. cumin seeds
✦ ½ tsp. lemon juice
✦ Salt and pepper
Preparation Procedure
Heat the oil in a non-stick skillet and add the cumin seeds to it. Once the cumin seeds turn brown, add the chopped shallots and ginger-garlic paste. Sauté till the onions soften, and the raw flavor of the ginger-garlic paste goes away. Next, add the green peas, salt, and pepper, and sauté for a minute or two. Then, add 1 cup of water and bring the mixture to a boil. Once the peas have been cooked, allow the whole mixture to cool down for a bit. Then, blend the mixture to form a thick puree. Add more water if required and heat the soup before serving. Add the lemon juice and sprinkle chopped mint leaves to garnish.
For the Stuffed Potatoes …
Ingredients Required
✦ 4 large potatoes
✦ Stir-fried vegetables
✦ Aluminum foil
Preparation Procedure
Wrap the washed potatoes in aluminum foil and bake them for an hour. Once done, slice the top portion of the potato and scoop out as much potato flesh as possible. Place the scooped portion into a bowl and add the stir-fried vegetables to it. If you have leftover veggies from the previous meal, this meal becomes child’s play. Add some seasonings to the potato mixture and top it on the baked potatoes. Bake for another 20 minutes and your stuffed potatoes are ready to be served with the delicious green pea soup.
Lentil Cabbage Rolls with Red Sauce
For the Cabbage Rolls
Ingredients Required
✦ 2 cans red lentils (15 ounce)
✦ 1 large cabbage
✦ 1 red onion
✦ 2 garlic cloves
✦ 1 cup cooked brown rice
✦ 1 cup mushrooms (chopped)
✦ 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
✦ 1 tbsp. lemon juice
✦ 1 tsp. cumin powder
✦ 1 tsp. oregano
✦ 1 tsp. basil
✦ 1 tsp. thyme
✦ 1 tsp. paprika
✦ Salt and pepper
Preparation Procedure
For the filling, pour the vegetable oil into a hot skillet and sauté the chopped onion and garlic in it, until softened. Sprinkle a pinch of salt to speed up the softening process. Once done, add the chopped mushrooms and fry them for a minute or two until the water evaporates. Add cumin powder, salt, and pepper. Then, add lentils and cooked brown rice to the mixture. Next, add the herbs; basil, thyme, oregano and also add the paprika and lemon juice. Stir well. Your filling is ready.
To prepare your cabbage leaves, use a sharp paring knife to cut out the core stem. Then dunk this cabbage into a pot of hot boiling water, with the core end downwards. As the leaves cook, they will begin to separate. Pick the leaves out and rinse them with cold water. Then using the knife, carefully slice out as much stem as possible from the leaf. However, make sure you don’t tear the leaf. Set the leaves aside.
Spread one leaf onto the chopping board, and spoon out a dollop of filling at the base of the leaf. Then roll it, fold the sides and roll it again, forming small cabbage parcels. Once all the parcels are done, place them in a baking dish and bake for 15 minutes, till they get heated through. They are now ready to be served with a spicy red sauce.
For the Red Sauce
Ingredients Required
✦ 6-8 fresh red tomatoes
✦ 2 red chillies
✦ 2 garlic cloves
✦ 1 tbsp. olive oil
✦ 1 tsp. oregano
✦ 1 tsp. basil
✦ 1 tsp. thyme
✦ ½ tsp. salt
✦ ½ tsp. pepper
Preparation Procedure
Boil the tomatoes in a pot of water. Once done, skin them, and puree them in a blender, along with the red chillies and garlic. Pour the puree into a saucepan and allow it to come to a boil. Then, lower the heat and allow it to simmer. Add the herbs and seasonings. Allow the sauce to reduce to half. Then, add olive oil and serve the sauce over the cabbage rolls.
While there are umpteen recipes you can try out, it’s important to remember that the sole purpose of doing this fast is to sacrifice something. So keep the menu simple!
« Previous Post
Next Post »
