Menu Inspiration gives subscribers exclusive access to original and inspired recipes from Fr. Leo Patalinghug, host of the movement Grace Before Meals.  If you try this recipe, let us know what you think. If you have a special recipe that inspires the family to come together more regularly, please share it with us and our faithful foodie community. Pictures of your food surrounded by your family and friends are always welcome!  Post your comments below.

Holy Week Menu

(High Altar of Cathedral of Mary our Queen, Baltimore, Md)

Next week, also known to Christians as Holy Week, commemorates the epic events in Jesus Christ’s life here on Earth.  The Paschal Mystery begins with Jesus entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, then the Institution of the Eucharist and the role of service demonstrated on Holy Thursday, the culmination of Christ’s suffering on Good Friday, and of course, the Light of hope inflamed on Saturday’s Easter Vigil in preparation for Easter Sunday!  This is the best week of the year for faithful foodies, at least in my culinary cultured perspective.

For Palm Sunday I’ve created a pasta that incorporates hearts of palm – something to help us commemorate how the palms in Jesus’ time represented victory and life.  The palms were used for building things, protection from the day’s heat, and even the leaves were used for medicine!

(A different type of “Palm” leaf, but I used this one to wrap and steam fish.  Delicious!)

On Holy Thursday we see the role Jesus took on as waiter and servant – even to the point of wearing an “apron,”  which is one reason why we offer our exclusive Grace Before Meals apron to you – a great gift for loved ones or yourself.  It’s a reminder that we are all servants of God’s generous blessings.

(Michigan Event. Mom was so proud her son “helped” me make the pasta dish — the first time he ever cooked!)

On Good Friday we see another unique aspect of Christ’s life:  he thirsts!  He will say that as part of His last words on Earth.  And obviously, gall* won’t satisfy what he really craves:  our faith!

*Gall is the bile/vinegary substance soaked up in the sponge given to Jesus on the cross

Finally, the sad events of Good Friday culminate in an intensely beautiful and scripture-filled prayer on Holy Saturday, when the Lamb of God conquers the grave, as we will hear proclaimed in the Exsultet Prayer.

These Feast Days will no doubt make it busy for you and your family.  But if you can take extra time to celebrate with the Church Family, I’m sure you will be nourished, satisfied, and consoled!

(Me and some members of the youth group who served a dinner during my presentations in Guam.)

Perhaps one way to encourage your family to come to these celebrations is to make a special meal with my exclusive recipes!  These will never replace the banquet God prepares for us at the altar.  But these recipes – appropriate for this season of Lent – can certainly provide just enough family time to have discussions about what’s happened in Jesus’ life.  This way, as a family, you can talk about what truly makes next week the Holiest and most celebratory week of the year, especially for faithful foodies!

PALM SUNDAY RECIPE:  Penne della Palma!  (A creamy Palm Sunday Special)

I created this recipe specifically for the ABC World News Report. Hearts of palm, oftentimes used in salad, are instead used as a sweet and tart vegetable base for a creamy pasta sauce.

Penne della Palma (serves 3-4)

Ingredients:

1 pound penne pasta

1 can hearts palm

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered

¼ cup parsley, minced

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

½ cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs

1 Tbs olive oil

1 Tbs butter

½ cup brandy

½ cup starchy pasta water

½ cup whipping cream

½ Tbs salt and pepper (or to taste)

Instructions: Boil pasta until al dente. Drain water, but reserve ½ cup of starchy pasta water. Drain water from palms and cut into ¼-inch pieces. In a large pan, heat olive oil and butter, then saute garlic, parsley, tomatoes, and palm. Add cheese and breadcrumbs, and combine. Add brandy, water, and cream (ATTENTION: cooking with liquor is flammable). Add pasta and mix together. Add salt and pepper to taste, and a drizzle of olive oil and a dusting of grated Parmesan cheese for more flavor.

HOLY THURSDAY MENU: Red Wine Mushroom Sauce

(Mushroom and red wine sauce.)

Remember Holy Thursday’s meal is all about service, demonstrated by how Jesus washed His disciples’ feet at the Last Supper.  This celebration also commemorates the institution of the Eucharist – Jesus’ Sacramental Presence in the Bread and Wine.  On this day it will be a good idea to really focus on the food of bread and wine.  And perhaps also teach your young children how wine can be used as a “gift” and how wine can be abused by people.  For that reason, I want to encourage people to participate in an upcoming Napa Valley wine pilgrimage, where we will discuss “transubstantiation” and the theological implications of wine in the Old and the New Testament.

(Vineyards in Napa Valley.)

This wine-based mushroom recipe can also help create a simple side dish to complement any protein-based main course, such as chicken, beef, or pork.

Ingredients:

2 cups red wine

1 glove garlic, finely minced

2 Tbs butter

1 Tbs tomato paste

2 packages button mushrooms, sliced

Salt and pepper

1 sprig rosemary (optional)

Instructions:  In a saucepan large enough to fit all the mushrooms, heat the red wine, garlic, and rosemary sprig until the wine comes to a light boil.  Add the butter and tomato paste, and stir until sauce thickens.  Add the mushrooms, and mix until all is fully incorporated.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cover and remove from heat.  The liquid from the mushrooms will help loosen the sauce.  To make the sauce more wet, add a ½ cup of water, and season with salt and pepper.

NOTE:  Be sure to speak with your children about how wine is important to the Christian culture and about how Thursday’s celebration elevates the wine to a supernatural level!

GOOD FRIDAY MENU:  Tuna, Caper, and Peppercorn Fusilli Pasta

(Regular can of tuna transformed into something delicious and Lent- Friendly.)

Here’s a tuna pasta that beats the pants off traditional tuna sandwiches.  While this is a tasty little treat, it definitely satisfies the Lenten requirements.  It’s a simple, not expensive seafood dish, and it’s perfect for your family.  It uses inexpensive ingredients, infused with some inspired thoughts, that make it a meal worth celebrating with children who, like Jesus, thirst for faith.

To make this little can of albacore come to life I created my version of Italian tuna pasta that I ate in Florence during my seminary days.  I’ve made it for several other people, and they say it’s definitely something to celebrate. But it’s still in the Lenten rulebook for fasting, and it sure beats the texture and blandness of those sandwiches!

Ingredients (serves 4):

1 lb box dried fusilli pasta, boiled and cooked al dente

2-3 cans albacore tuna

2 Tbs olive oil

2 cloves fresh garlic, minced

2 Tbs fresh capers

1 tsp green peppercorns, in water

1-1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 cup tomato sauce

Instructions:

Sauté garlic in pan of hot olive oil.  Add tuna (including the liquid in the can), capers, and peppercorns.  Mix until tuna is warm.  Add tomato sauce, and let simmer for 1 minute.  Add pasta, and allow some of the pasta water to help “cream” the sauce.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  NOTE:  If you prefer to eat tuna less warm and prefer it room temperature, simply wait until you add the pasta to add the tuna.  But be sure to drain the juices as it could “clash” with the rest of the ingredients if not incorporated with heat.

EASTER MENU: Glorious Lamb!

(Pan roasted and oven-finished lamb chops.)

Finally, in preparation for Easter, treat your family to a not-so-traditional lamb dish.  This is one I really enjoy making.  It’s a special dish that begins with “frenched” lamb chops.  So while this is something you can’t use to feed a large dinner party, it’s definitely worth the time and money for your immediate family on this Easter Sunday’s Feast of Feasts!

Pan-Roasted Lamb Chops (Serves 2 people)

Ingredients:

6 rib rack of Baby Lamb Chops, frenched (i.e., bone is cleaned to create a “handle,” and trimmed fat is optional.  I leave the fat on as it adds great flavor and texture, but trimming the fat off the “back” of the chops is up to you.)

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ cup Italian season breadcrumbs

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon pepper

(Frenched Lamb Chops first sautéing in the pan, and will be finished off in the oven.)

Preheat oven to 350°.  Combine breadcrumbs, rosemary, and garlic on a large plate and set aside. Season lamb chop with salt and pepper, and then coat with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, making sure all parts have some oil on each.  Dredge chops and coat with the breadcrumb mix.  Heat remaining olive oil in a nonstick skillet.  Sear chops on all sides for 1 minute each.  Put on an oven-safe rack, and place in preheated oven for 10-15 minutes for a rare to medium temperature, 20 minutes for medium well.  Remove from the oven, and let meat rest for about 5-10 minutes before cutting it into individual chops.  These chops will definitely raise our Lenten-numbed taste buds back to life!

I hope these recipes help satisfy some of your physical hungers as the Church’s celebration truly satisfies our spiritual hungers.  Also, thank you for your patience as we continue to make adjustments on our website, especially in order to gain full access to all of these exclusive recipes.  If you have any recipe ideas to share, please send those along with pictures to:  assistant@gracebeforemeals.com.

Let us pray:

Father, inspire us in this coming week, so that everything we do, speak, and pray reflects the wonder of Your love for us.  Bless families so that this week will truly reflect the holiness, the hop,e and the glory that comes from Your goodness.  We ask this through Christ our Lord.  Amen.

(Crucifix in Costa Rican Church.)

Tell me what you’re going to make for Holy Week or Easter.   Any recipes, tips, questions or comments, please share below.  Your comments and questions help fuel our Grace Before Meals Team’s imagination and encouragement.  Post your comments or questions by clicking here!

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