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Great Lent in 2024 lasts from March 18 to May 4. It is the longest fast of the year — more than forty days. Ukrainians, who have been following this strict fast for generations, have their own unique recipes to diversify the dinner table. So if you have decided to fast, but you are not sure that you have enough imagination to come up with delicious dishes for every day, you can use this tip from our grandmothers:
1. Beetroot caviar
Beets are one of the basic products of the diet in the cold season, because during fasting, fresh vegetables do not grow yet, and root crops are just in stock since the beginning of autumn.
Preparation of beet caviar is extremely simple: take 1 carrot, 1 beet, 1 onion, 3 medium cloves of garlic and a tablespoon of tomato paste.
Grate carrots and beets on a coarse grater and stew them together. Separately, prepare finely chopped onions mixed with tomato paste, salt and pepper. Next, mix the onions with the carrots and beets. The dish should be served cold. You can also add mushrooms or nuts during cooking. Such caviar can be served to the table as a separate dish or as an addition to bread.
2. Sauerkraut
Practically every Ukrainian family prepared a large supply of fermented shredded cabbage. And it was more appropriate than ever during the Great Lent period. Researchers literally describe the old recipe for preparing such cabbage:
You need to take several good cabbages, chop them finely, sprinkle them with salt and cumin and tamp them so well in the barrel that the juice appears. Tamped to the very top and left in the kitchen, stirring occasionally, for about a week. Try it in a week to see if it's bitter. Then take it to the grave or another cold, dark place. In order for the cabbage not to turn sour and spoil, it is necessary to pay attention to cleanliness, all products and dishes should be thoroughly washed and wiped, the barrel should be dry and clean, towels should be clean. Then the cabbage will be well cooked and will serve as a nutritious dish for a long time.
3. Potato and cucumber salad
For the salad we need: 2 large boiled potatoes, 1 large pickled cucumber, half a medium onion, 3 tbsp. canned peas, dill and salt to taste. As a dressing, you can use a little vegetable oil (during fasting, it can be used in small quantities in a cold form and is even necessary for the normal functioning of the stomach).
Cut the dill and grind it with salt, add a little oil and mix, forming an aromatic salad dressing. Peel the boiled potatoes and cut them into medium cubes. A little smaller - a cucumber, even smaller - an onion. Potatoes should be cut first and immediately mixed with the dressing, so that it absorbs the aroma of greens. Mix all the chopped vegetables and add canned peas at the end. Such a salad is more satisfying than salads made from raw vegetables.
4. Bean paste
We calculate the portion for 500g of raw beans. We soak it for the night, and in the morning we boil it until it is completely ready and pound it with a mortar or beat it with a mixer until a homogeneous mass.
Separately, clean and finely chop 2 medium onions, they can be stewed a little in water or vegetable broth. Grate garlic (5-7 medium cloves) on the smallest grater. Add onion and garlic to the beans and mix well. You can salt a little or sprinkle with greens that are available. Such a pate goes well with bread or as an addition to other lean dishes. If you choose the right set of products, it will be a good salad dressing!
5. Lean borscht with cabbage
One of the main traditional Ukrainian dishes is borscht. And during Lent, our grandmothers also prepared it, but without meat, but with mushrooms, prunes, beans, cabbage and even buckwheat. And here is one such recipe:
A set of necessary products: 1 medium beet, two handfuls of sauerkraut, 5-7 dried mushrooms, 1 onion and 1 carrot, half a tomato and 1 tbsp. flour And for seasoning - a little salt, bay leaf and greens.
Sauerkraut, carrots, onions and beets should be stewed separately. They can be poured a little with broth from boiled dry mushrooms when cooking. Chop the mushrooms and add to the vegetable mixture.
Put the prepared vegetables in a saucepan and pour mushroom broth. Add tomatoes (can be replaced with tomato paste) and a little spices. Boil the borscht for another 30 minutes, chop the greens at the end and leave it to infuse a little, so it will become even tastier.
6. Sweets
As you know, sweets, various pastries, chocolate, etc., are prohibited during the Great Fast. But you can use in small quantities those sweets that are useful and necessary for the body.
Options: honey, dried fruits, toasted nuts. You can make useful energy bars from them, grind these products and give them convenient shapes. They will be a great option for a nutritious snack and an additional source of energy during the period when you are fasting and consuming few calories.
7. Uzvar
Uzvar has always been a popular drink in Ukraine, especially during fasting. After all, it is useful, quenches thirst well and does not contain prohibited products. And the sugar in it, during fasting, can be replaced with honey or simply eliminated and the drink not too sweet.
A decoction is prepared on water with dried fruits, here you can add those that are available: dried apples or pears, prunes, rose hips, dried berries.
