Each year, through CRS Rice Bowl, you are invited to sample food from the featured countries with your family and friends by preparing a simple, meatless recipe shared with us by the people we serve overseas. Enjoy the recipes below, and see the Lenten calendar on pages 10 and 11 for more about the work CRS does in the featured countries.
Recipe from Lesotho
Pap with Spicy Vegetables
Pap:
2 ½ cups cornmeal
4 cups water
Boil water and then stir in cornmeal. Simmer, stirring often to prevent burning, until mixture is thick and fluffy and water is absorbed. Serve with spicy vegetables.
Spicy Vegetables:
3 tbsp fair trade olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
1 green pepper, finely diced
1 chili pepper, finely diced
2 tomatoes, finely diced
Sauté onion and peppers in pan with oil until soft. Add remaining ingredients, mix thoroughly and simmer (stirring occasionally) for 15 minutes. Serve warm over pap. This recipe serves 4 people.
Recipe From Burkina Faso
Bean Cakes
1 can black-eyed peas, drained
1 small onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled & chopped
1 egg, whisked
½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
1 cup flour
¼ cup oil
2 cups cooked rice
Place black-eyed peas in a blender with the onion, carrots, and egg. Blend to a smooth paste and add salt and pepper. If bean mixture has too much liquid to form balls, then add a ¼ cup of flour to thicken. Shape mixture into 2 inch balls and roll in flour. Pat into flat discs and fry in vegetable oil until browned (about 5-7 minutes), turning occasionally. Serve with rice. This recipe serves 4 people.
Recipe from East Timor
Batar Da'an
1 bag frozen corn
1 can red kidney beans, drained
1 butternut squash, cut into small pieces
3 cups water
1 large onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp fair trade olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups cooked rice
Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil over medium heat until tender. Add water and squash, and increase heat until water is simmering. Add corn and kidney beans, reduce to medium heat, and cook (stirring occasionally) until squash is tender (15-20 minutes). Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with rice. This recipe serves 4 people.
Recipe From the Dominican Republic
Black Bean Soup
3 cans black beans, drained
2 tbsp fair trade olive oil
2 onions, finely chopped
1 green or red bell pepper, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup celery, chopped
3 cups water
2 tsp oregano
2 bay leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups cooked rice
Sauté onions, peppers, garlic and celery in oil until soft. Stir in oregano and bay leaves and cook for 1 minute. Add water and drained beans and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for an hour, stirring occasionally. When soup begins to thicken, remove from heat, remove bay leaves and stir in salt and pepper to taste. Using a potato masher or the back of a spoon, mash some of the beans to thicken the soup a bit. Adjust seasoning and serve with rice. This recipe serves 4 people.
Recipe From Pakistan
Mixed Vegetable Tihari
½ cup oil
2 onions, chopped
1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp turmeric
3 whole cloves
3 potatoes, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 cup peas
1 cup green beans, chopped
4 green chilies, whole
2 ½ cups white rice
4 cups water
¼ cup lemon juice
Salt to taste
Sauté onion in oil until crisp and golden brown. Add ginger, chili powder, turmeric, cloves, and potatoes and cook for 2 minutes. Add carrots, peas, green beans, and whole green chilies and cook for 1 minute. Add water and bring it to boil. Add lemon juice and rice and mix well. Cover with a lid and cook on medium heat for about 15 minutes, until water is absorbed. Remove chilies. Serve hot. This recipe serves 4 people.