If you've been with me for more than a year, you might remember that last January, A and I jumped into our first fast. (See my Jan 12, 2008 post and following) At the beginning of every year, our church leadership calls a corporate fast for 21 days. We learned a lot last year and are excited to be doing it again this year. It's nice to have a little experience under our belts, but we're anything but experts!

The main thing I learned last year was to allow the hunger or desire for food to turn me to God. We use food for so many things. And God is a much better answer to most of them. I'm talking about things like boredom or loneliness. But, I've also used food to solve awkward social situations. Like saying, "I'm going to get some punch" instead of "I've run out of things to say to you." :) Taking my boredom and loneliness, even my social awkwardness, to God is healthier for body and soul. It's a lesson I hope lasts beyond the 21 days.

Yesterday was our first day on the fast, and despite some last minute shopping Tuesday, it went well. Tonight, I made a miso soup that we really enjoyed with some store-bought brown rice vegetarian sushi. We'll be having this dinner again in the next 19 days. Perhaps more than once. So, I thought I'd share the recipe!

Mushroom Miso Soup
1 1/2 c baby bella mushrooms (or other mushrooms of choice) thinly sliced
2 t safflower oil (whatever?! I used sesame)
1/2 c green onions, thinly sliced
1 T garlic (I used 3 cloves and didn't think it was enough)
1 T ginger, minced
4 c water or veg stock (I used 2 c of each)
2 c Swiss chard leaves, roughly chopped (I'll use dried seaweed next time)
2 T red miso (or other miso of choice) (I found it at the co-op, but it may be at the grocery?)
1 T toasted sesame oil (I didn't add any more after using it to saute the veg in the beginning)
2 T sesame seeds (optional)

In a large saucepan, saute the mushrooms in the safflower (or sesame) oil for 3 minutes. Add the green onion, garlic, and ginger, and saute an additional 2 minutes. Add the water and Swiss chard and stir well to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil; boil for 3 minutes. In a small bowl, stir together the miso and a little of the cooking liquid from the pan. Add the miso mixture and toasted sesame oil to the pot, stir well to combine. Remove from heat. Sprinkle sesame seeds over individual servings.

Yeild: 4 servings

By the way, no the kids didn't eat it. Neither mushrooms nor sushi float their boat. I don't normally cater to them, but the fast is an exception in my book if ever there was one!

For a girl who doesn't consider it desert unless it is chocolate, I love this stuff! When I can't wait for summer when peaches and blueberries are available, I make this using frozen fruit. But, we were at Costco the other night and saw these huge peaches (why is that Costco not only has large groups of produce, but also abnormally large produce?!) and I couldn't pass them up--I knew just what to do with them.

Peach Blueberry Cobbler by Andrew Weil, MD and Rosie Daley

Filling

7-8 peaches, peeled and sliced

1 1/2-2 c fresh blueberries

1/3 c freshly squeezed orange juice

3/4 c sugar

1 T cornstarch

Biscuit Topping

5 T softened butter of Spectrum Spread

2 c flour plus 1/4 c for rolling out

1 T sugar

1 T baking powder

1/2 t salt

3/4 c milk

Glaze

2 T sugar

Bring all the filling ingredients to a boil in a large saucepan, then turn down heat and simmer until the filling becomes thick (drips very slowly from spoon). Spoon the thickened fruit filling into a 9x12 inch baking dish. Spread it evenly to all sides of the dish.

Preheat oven to 400º F. Using clean hands, pinch the butter and the flour together between your thumbs and forefingers until the flour and butter become crumbly. Mix in the sugar, baking powder, and salt and slowly stir in the milk to make a soft dough. Sprinkle a work surface witht he 1/4 c flour. Knead the dough lightly a few turns on the floured surface and roll out to a perimeter approximately 9x12 inches. With a cookie- or biscuit-cutter or a glass, cut out 12 biscuits and lay them slightly overlapping on top of the fruit filling, using scraps of leftover dough to fill in any uncovered spots. Sprinkle the top with the glazing sugar. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until biscuits turn golden brown. Cool for 10 minutes.

Although Dr. Weil probably wouldn't approve, this is, obviously, wonderful ala mode.

I've been making this chili every Friday night for the last 3 weeks! We like to invite a different family to share Friday evening with us, and each time, this chili has gotten rave reviews. And, I know they weren't just being polite because bowls were filled and re-filled, and in some cases even three-filled! It's a large recipe so if you're a small family, you'll need to freeze half or call in a party! It's actually great for serving to guests because all the toppings add to the party feel. Oh, and don't let the long ingredient list intimidate you; it's mostly opening cans and measuring spices you already have on hand. Plus, chopping a few veg.

Vegetarian Chili from the Food Network (with modifications from yours truly)

1 28-oz can diced/crushed tomatoes
4 c reduced-sodium vegetable or chicken broth (I only use 2 because I like my soups, stews, and chilis hearty and chunky--I drain off most of the broth in canned soups before heating!)
1 15-oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 15-oz can white (cannellini or great northern) beans, rinsed and drained
1 15-oz can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 c frozen baby lima beans or regular lima beans (I have a major mental block against limas so I never used them)
1 c chopped onion (I didn't measure; I just chopped up a med-large onion and in it went!)
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 T minced pickled jalepeno (I never used this either--couldn't find 'em)
2 T chili powder (as with all the spices, I used heaping spoons and it was still mild)
2 T dried Mexican or regular oregano (I used regular)
2 t ground cumin
1 t ground coriander (I didn't have any the first time, so I substituted ground oregano and it was just fine)

4 cups hot cooked brown rice

Toppings:
hot sauce
salt and pepper
chopped fresh cilantro
pico de gallo (2 large chopped tomatoes, 1/2 diced jalepeno, 1 chopped med onion, 2 cloves diced garlic, chopped fresh cilantro, sqeeze of lime)
Tostitos multigrain chips
Veggie Shreds cheddar
Several avacados, diced

Combine the entire first grouping of ingredients in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours.

Rice goes in the bottom of the bowl, topped with a big ladle of chili. Everyone can then top their own. Fun and yummy!