277183 Wed Mar 23 21:15:50 -0800 2005 4 31 Home Cooking 0 1464090 I need help! I want to recreate some lenten dishes for Good Friday. I know it's late but some last minute plans changed and I'm the designated cook now. My mom used to make lentejas and tortas de camaron with a pipian sauce on Good Friday. I remember the lentejas had lentils, carrots diced, I think diced potatoes and some tomatoes. Can anyone give me a recipe that they really like? Also, I want to make pipian and I think it uses raw pumpkin seeds and chile??? My family doesn't really care for the tortas de camaron. I was thinking of doing something else like tuna patties mixed with mashed potatoes or maybe crab? Any ideas? They will be greatly appreciated. Wed Mar 23 21:15:50 -0800 2005 0 Neta 1 1464094 I am indeed out there--and you made me laugh. I am more out there than you can imagine--it's been quite a week. Here's a recipe for lentejas that you might like: *Ingredients* 1/2 lb clean lentils 2 quarts water 1 tablespoon corn oil 1 minced white onion 1 minced garlic clove 1 large tomato, seeded and diced 2 carrots, diced and cooked until soft 1 large potato, diced and cooked until soft oregano to taste (1 sprig fresh) sea salt to taste *Preparation* Cook the lentils in the water until they are soft. Drain the lentils, reserving the cooking liquid. In the corn oil, sauté the onion and garlic until they are soft. Add the diced tomato and cook until the juice is released. Add the cooked carrots, and the cooked potato. Add the sprig of oregano and salt to taste. Add the cooked lentils and enough of the reserved lentil cooking liquid to keep the mixture from sticking and/or burning. Cook over a slow fire for another 10 minutes. Allow to rest, preferably overnight, and reheat before serving. The finished lentil dish should be thick rather than soupy. Serves 6-8 people. ___________________________________________ As for pipián, it's made with toasted (not raw) pumpkin seeds. Diana Kennedy offers several recipes and you'll probably find one that's similar to the one you're used to. You can also Google for a recipe. ¡Buen provecho! Wed Mar 23 21:49:07 -0800 2005 1464090 0 Cristina 2 1464173 That sounds exactly like my mom used to make. You're an "angel from heaven!" Now I can recreate memories from the past. Thanks for the other suggestions too. I did find a pipian recipe that sounds close and it also sounds very good. It calls for pumpkin seeds, tomatillos, cilantro, serranos, comino, white onion and chicken broth. From what I recall, that sounds close. Thank you again and stay out there. You come up with some goodies!!!!! Thu Mar 24 13:48:09 -0800 2005 1464094 0 Neta 1 1464102 Tortas de camaron do not appeal to me either, but I can tell you that my mom makes great tortitas de arroz. Basically, she grinds the rice (not too finely, you don't want it to be powdered) and then combines 1 egg white per 4 spoons of rice. She said that the egg should be beaten as you would beat it for chiles rellenos - I guess that means no contact with the egg yolk. Once you have the mixture, you drop a spoon-size mixture into oil. All the tortas are then cooked in a "caldillo" - I guess a tomato and chicken-based broth. These are very rough instructions though! Maybe your family will like this alternative to the shrimp. Wed Mar 23 23:32:03 -0800 2005 1464090 0 Mari 1 1464111 my mother-in-law made potato/tuna patties. Her secret(s) were frying in hot butter-oil mix, and lots of freshly ground black pepper. It might not be fancy enough for lent, but a poverty survival dish my son likes is canned salmon mixed with a little moist stuffing mix and egg, coated with panko, and fried. It's the only way the kid will eat salmon... Thu Mar 24 09:32:04 -0800 2005 1464090 0 pastrytroll