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I’ll admit it. I have trouble keeping the fast. Between the array of temptations on every corner to just being lazy, it’s so easy to just say you’ll try harder next time.
But it’s supposed to be difficult to keep the fast. This isn’t a lifestyle choice or a diet. It’s a discipline that takes time to incorporate into your life. As I’ve noted before, I’m not there yet.
What makes it harder for me is that I don’t come from a tradition of fasting or vegetarian diet. I wasn’t brought up eating Greek food or anything that might be called vegan. Southern cooking adds ham to everything, including vegetables. And they don’t serve tofu at Cracker Barrel, folks.
As we’ve grown more accustomed to fasting, my family has started accumulating recipes that are fast-friendly to help us keep the fast without making it a drudgery. Fasting is not something we have to do, it’s something we get to do.
My wife found the recipe below by watching Tasty videos. She loves those things, and made this one earlier this week. It was fantastic. It’s full of buttery, nutty goodness, along with the crisp bite of the peppers and the garlicky bite of the Sriracha sauce. I had leftovers just before writing this, and if you ask me, it’s even better the next day.
(If you’re paying attention you’ll notice we’re eating fast-friendly food on non-fast days. Progress, people!)
Try this one out the next time you keep the fast, and let me know what you thought of it. If you’ve got a recipe you’d like us to try, and maybe feature here, send it to me!
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp Sriracha
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 tbsp ginger, minced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 box whole grain linguine (or any pasta)
- 1 cup carrots, finely cut into matchsticks
- 2 cucumbers, shaved using vegetable peeler
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced into strips
- 1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced into strips
- 1/2 cup green onions, sliced
- 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
- 1/4 cup peanuts, chopped
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to instructions on the box. Drain and run cooked pasta under cold water to cool.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, Sriracha, water, minced ginger, minced garlic, and brown sugar.
- Combine pasta with sliced vegetables. Pour the dressing over the pasta and vegetables and mix well. Cover and chill for at least one hour before serving. Garnish with chopped cilantro and peanuts. Enjoy!