To The Gills

Today I have a cross of ashes on my forehead. Why? 'Cuz, hooray! It's Ash Wednesday!

Perhaps you are not as excited as I am about the beginning of Lent. I understand. Not everyone gets as jazzed about self-denial and Catholic ritual as I do. That's ok. We can still be friends.


So what, you might be wondering, am I giving up for Lent? I will tell you. I'm leaving behind desserts of both the edible and readable persuasion.

That's right kids - for the next forty days: no cookies, no candy, no cakes or tortes; no rice dream or tofutti. And (deep breath of self-encouragement) no fan fiction. No drabbles, no songfics, no WIP's, no AU's, no OOC's, no PWP's, and no fluff.


I'm hoping that, given the absence of distraction from my favorite 'ships & snacks that I can better focus on real books, more complex dinner-type recipes, and my own writing. In fact, I'm going to attempt to write (either here or in my journal or for my novel/poetry) everyday.


Technically I'm supposed to be using all my un-distracted attention to pray and think about God, but, well, He never RSVP's to any of my dinner invites (and as far as I know, doesn't read my blog) so He can just sit this one out.


But just in case He does stop by to celebrate the most vegetarian of all Catholic holiday seasons with me, here's my delicious, completely-invented-using-free-time-brain-power stuffing.

I know what you might be thinking now. "Stuffing? In February? Has the lack of fanfic for less than 24 hours already driven Megan mad?" The answers are yes, yes, and not completely mad but keep the men in white coats on standby just in case. Stuffing, in my humble culinary opinion, is a vastly under-utilized dish. Why do we only serve it at the holidays? It's way, way too delicious to only have once a year.

But serving stuffing at an unexpected time of year requires an unexpected stuffing. I'd already tried wheat bread, white bread, cornbread, even sourdough; used celery, corn, and red peppers for crunch; onions, shallots, and leeks for flavor. What was left?

Rye bread, that's what. And if I do say so myself, it is quite delicious. The Lord don't know what He's missing.

So here it is. Serve with some kind of vegan red meat and plenty of cooked veggies for a delicious Lent-friendly meal.

Unexpected Stuffing
when the Lord drops in and you're all out of loaves & fishes

1 loaf (a pound or more) rye bread, torn or cut into 1-2 inch cubes, dried (12-24 hours)
12 tablespoons vegan margarine
2 large onions, diced
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 head green cabbage, chopped
1/2 bag matchstick carrots, chopped
2/3 cup chopped parsley
2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground marjoram
scant 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1-2 cups vegetable broth

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.
In a large skillet, melt the margarine over high heat. Add the onions, garlic, and carrots. Saute until soft, about 10 minutes or so. Add the cabbage and saute until just wilted. Add the spices, salt, and pepper. Cook another few minutes then remove from heat.
Put the dried rye bread into a large bowl. Stir in the vegetables, distributing evenly. Pour the broth over the bread in batches, stirring in between.
Scoop the stuffing into a large, oiled casserole dish. You may need to use your hands to pack the stuffing and make it all fit. Cover the dish and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the lid, rotate, and cook for another 25 minutes. Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving.

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And so my loyal readers and detrators, best of luck to you with whatever you are giving up for Lent.

As long as it's not reading this blog.