An integral element of the Orthodox tradition is the observance of fasts. If the memorial meal of the third, ninth, or fortieth day coincides with them, guests are served dishes prepared without meat, eggs, or dairy products. There are strict fasting days when even vegetable oil is excluded.
However, you can create a rich menu for Orthodox funerals with ritual food and various additions to it at any time. The main condition remains prayer, love and the bright memory of the deceased, with which food for the funeral is prepared and eaten.
Products for Lenten dishes, what is allowed, what is prohibited?
Fasting does not mean giving up food completely, since Fasting is a test, not a test of survival. For the body to function fully, a person needs a balanced diet. Compliance with Fasting involves giving up a certain list of products:
- pork meat;
- beef meat;
- lamb meat;
- chicken's meat;
- fish.
In addition, the list of prohibited items also includes:
- rich bread;
- all dairy products;
- eggs.
In addition to fulfilling your religious function, fasting will have a positive effect on your health. After the New Year holidays and Maslenitsa, the body needs rest and switching to lean foods will help not only improve your figure, but also get an additional boost of energy. The main thing is to maintain a balance; the body must receive the full amount of microelements due to it. We offer you a basic list of products allowed for consumption during Lent:
- You can use any cereal – oatmeal, buckwheat, pearl barley, wheat groats, rice;
- You can also use any vegetables, but seasonal ones are better - beets, potatoes, carrots, cabbage;
- You can also use any vegetables, but seasonal ones are better - beets, potatoes, carrots, cabbage, etc.;
- You can use any cereal – oatmeal, buckwheat, pearl barley, wheat groats, rice;
- only vegetable fats - sesame oil, flaxseed oil, pumpkin oil, and classic sunflower oil;
- pickles - tomatoes, cabbage, cucumbers, soaked apples;
- dried fruits;
- any nuts;
- fruits, berries;
- sweets are limited - only kozinaki, honey, halva, various preserves and jams are also allowed;
- olives, olives;
- baked goods are limited.
What is customary to bring to the funeral table - what products
First of all, you should clarify whether the day on which you want to order a service for the deceased is a day during Lent. If this is so, then food is brought as directed by the church - only lean foods, that is, no products of animal origin (no milk or eggs). It is generally not customary to carry meat into temples, since it carries death, which should not be present in the house of the Lord.
As a rule, pieces of paper with the name of the deceased are attached to the brought food, so that later those who eat it can pray for him. Such people are clergy, parish workers, large families or families who find themselves in difficult living conditions and are also under the care of the temple, as well as the disabled and homeless people attached to it.
First meal
During a period of long fasting, it is necessary to support the body with a healthy diet; the diet should include soups. Lenten soup can be just as tasty as soups made with meat. Replace the meat with mushrooms, add delicious spices, make a fragrant fry with onions - you'll lick your fingers. Explore ideas for delicious meatless soups.
Onion soup with cabbage.
Lenten bean soup.
Vegetable soup with Brussels sprouts.
Solyanka with mushrooms.
Bean and zucchini soup.
Pea soup with tomato paste
Lenten beetroot without meat with croutons.
Mushroom soup with sauerkraut.
Spicy vegetable soup with rice and vegetables.
Why you need to pray for the dead
After the death of a person, relatives strive to alleviate his fate through prayer for his soul, alms, and organizing funeral services. For believers, the memory of the deceased does not disappear 40 days after death. According to legend, during this period a preliminary frequent Judgment is performed on the soul. Before the Second Coming of Christ there is still time and opportunity to change the fate of the soul for the better. A memorial dinner on the anniversary of death is precisely evidence of ongoing care for the soul of the deceased.
“Many people are embarrassed by the thought of praying for the dead; they wonder what the purpose of this prayer is, what we hope to achieve with it. Can the fate of the dead change because they are prayed for? Can prayer convince God to be unfair and give them what they don't deserve?
If you believe that praying for the living helps them, why don't you think it is possible to pray for the dead? Life is one, for, as the Evangelist Luke says, “God... is not the God of the dead, but of the living” (Luke 20:38). Death is not the end, but a certain stage in human destiny. And this fate does not freeze like stone at the moment of death.
The love that our prayers express cannot be in vain. If love has power on earth, but has no power after death, this tragically contradicts the word of Scripture that “love is strong as death” (Song 8:6). And it contradicts the experience of the Church, which testifies that love is stronger than death. For Christ conquered death in His love for the human race" (Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh, 1914-2003).
Second courses
Well, where would we be without a second course? There are a huge number of options - stewed vegetables, casseroles, potato pancakes and dumplings. We offer 10 options for common Lenten dishes.
Lenten pancakes.
Pilaf with mushrooms.
Buckwheat with vegetables.
Cabbage stewed with mushrooms.
Vegetable casserole.
Pasta with vegetables.
Dumplings with buckwheat and cabbage.
Lenten cabbage rolls with mushrooms.
Cauliflower baked with sesame seeds.
Tradition of the wake
Prayers for the dead already existed in Old Testament times. Before the Savior came into the world, the dead faced a bleak, albeit to varying degrees, fate after death. As a result of the Fall, humanity alienated itself from God and lost unity with Him. People were expelled from paradise, and the doors to it were closed. And this lasted until the Son of God, by His death on the Cross, atoned for the sins of people.
An example of caring for the souls of the dead is the prayer of the Jewish people for those killed during the battle with the Edomites (Second Book of Maccabees, 12:39-45). The Jewish soldiers hid the things of the pagan gods (trophies) under their clothes, violating God's command. This was the reason for their death. Judas Maccabee collected money and sent it to the Jerusalem Temple to offer a sacrifice to God for sin. Judas Maccabee “acted very well and piously, considering the resurrection.” Thus, he showed concern for the forgiveness of the sins of his fallen brothers on the Day of Judgment.
“Therefore he offered a propitiatory sacrifice for the dead, that they might be freed from sin” (Second Maccabees 12:45).
Old Testament prayer testified to the hope of salvation that existed even then in the future. However, she could not change the afterlife fate of the souls of dead people. This became possible only in New Testament times.
“All Old Testament people and even the prophets were bound by sin and, as bound, did not have the power to free anyone from mortal bonds. But the Lord Jesus Christ appeared, a perfect Man and a perfect God. By His power He redeemed us from eternal death. And in His face we have hope and hope for salvation” (priest Dimitry Shishkin).
Dessert
Delicious Lenten desserts with detailed recipes.
lean waffles
Lenten pancakes
lean brushwood
Lenten cupcake with cherries
Ingredients:
lemon pie
Ingredients: For the dough:
- Flour 3 tbsp;
- Sugar 6 tbsp;
lean berry baskets
apple rings
cranberry cereal bar
Ingredients:
lean muffins with nuts
Ingredients:
Funeral meal menu or What to cook for a funeral
In the twenty-first century, wakes are more reminiscent of pagan funeral feasts, which were held by the ancient Slavs, who hoped that the richer and more magnificent the farewell to the deceased, the better he would live in another world. There were considerations of vanity, prestige, the financial condition of the relatives of the deceased, as well as ignorance of Orthodox traditions in this action.
Funerals on days 9 and 40 are very important. According to Orthodox canons, until the 9th day after death, angels show the soul Paradise, and after that they lead the soul to God, and this is how the showing of Paradise to the soul ends. After this, until the 40th day, the soul is shown hell, where, beholding the torment of sinners condemned to eternal torment, it is horrified and “cries bitterly for its deeds.”
Compliance with the norms in the Orthodox funeral meal requires that before it begins, one of the loved ones reads the 17th kathisma from the Psalter in front of a lit lamp or candle. Immediately before eating, read “Our Father...”
Kutya and funeral pancakes are required on the table.
Kutya Traditional kutya is made from wheat grains, which are washed and soaked for several hours (or overnight), then boiled until tender. Boiled grains are mixed with honey, raisins, poppy seeds to taste. Honey can first be diluted in water in a ratio of 1/2 and wheat grains can be boiled in the solution, then the solution can be drained. Kutya from rice is prepared in the same way. Boil fluffy rice, then add diluted honey or sugar and raisins (washed, scalded and dried).
Butter pancakes
4 cups flour, 4 cups milk, 3 eggs, 100 g cream, 1 tbsp. spoon of sugar, 25-30 g of yeast, 2 tbsp. tablespoons butter, salt to taste. Pour two glasses of flour into an enamel pan, pour in two glasses of warm milk, after diluting the yeast in it, stir everything well and put in a warm place. When the dough has risen, add the remaining warm milk and flour to it and put it in a warm place again. When it rises again, add beaten egg yolks, sugar, salt, melted butter. Mix well, add whipped cream and egg whites and mix again. Place the dough in a warm place for 15-20 minutes. After this, bake pancakes.
Sample dishes for a funeral meal:
Snacks and salads
Ham rolls with cheese and garlic
Ingredients: ham (preferably sliced) - 300 g, processed cheese - 2 pcs (200 g) or hard cheese, eggs (hard-boiled) - 3 pcs, garlic - 2 cloves, herbs, mayonnaise
Preparation
Cut the ham (if it is not sliced) into thin slices. Separate the yolks from the whites of boiled eggs. Grate the whites on a coarse grater. Grate the yolks on a fine grater into another bowl. Grate the processed cheese on a coarse grater. Wash the greens, dry and finely chop. Peel the garlic and pass through a garlic squeezer or finely chop. Combine grated cheese, egg whites, herbs and garlic. Add mayonnaise and mix the filling well. Place 1 dessert or tablespoon of filling on the edge of a slice of ham. And roll it up. Dip each roll in mayonnaise on both ends and roll in grated yolks. Place the rolls on a platter lined with lettuce leaves and garnish with herbs.
Tomatoes stuffed with fish salad
Ingredients tomatoes - 5-6 pcs, eggs - 5 pcs, canned fish in oil - 1 can (200 g), herbs, salt, pepper
Preparation
Wash the tomatoes. Cut off the tops of the tomatoes and carefully scoop out the pulp with a teaspoon and place it separately. Boil the eggs and grate them on a coarse grater (you can chop them finely), mix with the tomato pulp. Mash the canned fish with a fork and season with mayonnaise (you can add a little finely grated cheese). Salt, pepper and add herbs. Combine eggs and mashed canned food and mix well. Salt the inside of the tomatoes and carefully fill with the filling with a teaspoon. Place the finished tomatoes on a plate and garnish with herbs. You can place small handfuls of finely grated cheese on top of the tomatoes or garnish with green peas.
Eggplant appetizer with tomatoes and garlic
Ingredients: eggplants - 2 pcs., tomatoes - 4-5 pcs., garlic - 2-3 cloves, cilantro or parsley, vegetable oil for frying, salt, pepper.
Preparation
Wash the eggplants, dry and cut into circles, 0.5-0.7 mm thick. Wash the tomatoes, dry and cut into circles. Wash the greens, dry and chop. Peel the garlic and pass through a garlic press or crush a clove of garlic, pressing it with the flat side of a wide knife, then chop finely. Lightly salt and pepper the eggplant mugs. Place the eggplants in a frying pan heated with vegetable oil and fry over medium heat for 3-4 minutes (you should get a golden brown crust). Turn the eggplants over and fry for another 3-4 minutes until done. The fried mugs can be placed on a paper napkin to absorb excess oil. Place the eggplants on a dish, alternating with tomato slices, sprinkle with garlic and herbs. * This dish can be stored for several days in the refrigerator if you place it in a small saucepan in layers: eggplants, place tomato slices on top, sprinkle with salt, pepper, chopped garlic and herbs. Thus, continue to lay out vegetables, alternating layers. The eggplants will be soaked in tomato juice, and the dish will be even tastier.
Sandwiches with sprats
Ingredients: half a white loaf, sprats (canned in oil) - 1 jar mayonnaise, garlic - 1-2 cloves, pickled cucumbers - 2-3 pcs (you can use lemon instead of cucumbers), greens
Preparation
Cut the loaf into slices and fry each slice on both sides in vegetable oil. Rub the fried loaf slices with garlic. Grease each slice with mayonnaise and add a slice of pickled cucumber or a thin slice of lemon.
* you can not rub each piece of loaf with garlic, but mix the garlic with mayonnaise, and then spread the slices of bread with this garlic mayonnaise. Place one or two sprouts on top and decorate with herbs.
Beet salad with garlic
Ingredients: beets - 2 pieces, garlic - 2 cloves, cheese - 70-100 g, mayonnaise, salt, walnuts, raisins or prunes - optional
Preparation
Wash the beets (do not peel), wrap each one in foil and bake in the oven at 180° ~60-80 minutes (depending on the size of the beets) or boil until tender. Peel the boiled beets and grate them on a coarse grater. Pass the garlic through a garlic press. Grate the cheese. In a bowl, combine beets, garlic and cheese. Season the salad with mayonnaise, add salt to taste and transfer to a salad bowl.
* If desired, you can add chopped walnuts, raisins or steamed and finely chopped prunes to the salad
Vegetable salad
Ingredients: bell pepper - 1 pc, tomatoes - 2 pcs, cucumbers - 1 pc, canned corn, vegetable oil, salt, pepper
Preparation
Wash the vegetables. Remove the skin from the cucumbers and cut into small cubes. Cut the tomato into cubes too. Place tomatoes and cucumbers in a salad bowl, add diced red bell pepper and canned corn. Season the salad with salt and pepper to taste, mix well and season with vegetable oil.
Salad “Spring freshness”
Ingredients: cucumber - 1 pc., tomatoes - 1-2 pcs., radishes - 4 pcs., dill, granular cottage cheese - 1 tablespoon, natural yogurt - 1-2 tablespoons, salt
Preparation
Wash and dry the vegetables. Using a sharp knife, cut off the skin of the tomato and set it aside for rose decoration. Cut the tomatoes into strips. Cut the cucumber into strips. Cut the radishes into half circles or small slices. Chop the greens. Place the vegetables in a salad bowl, add salt and mix. Add a little grainy cottage cheese to the salad and season with natural yogurt or sour cream. The salad is prepared immediately before serving.
Vinaigrette with herring
Ingredients: herring - 1 pc. potatoes - 2-3 pcs. beets - 1 pc. carrots - 1 pc. onion head - 1 pc. pickled cucumbers - 2 pcs. vinegar - to taste salt pepper green salad leaves.
Soak the herring in strong tea, separate the fillets from the bones, and cut into small pieces. Boil potatoes, beets, carrots, cool, peel, cut into small cubes. Finely chop the cucumbers. Combine all ingredients, mix, season to taste with salt, pepper, vinegar, vegetable oil, garnish with lettuce leaves.
Olivie
Ingredients boiled sausage (or boiled/fried poultry fillet) - 250g, potatoes - 2-3 pcs, pickled or salted cucumbers - 2 pcs, eggs - 4 pcs, green peas - 0.5 cups, boiled carrots (optional component) - 1 pc, mayonnaise, salt to taste
Preparation
Cut sausage or boiled chicken into cubes. Cut boiled potatoes, boiled carrots, boiled eggs, pickled or pickled cucumbers into small cubes. Add green peas. Mix everything and season the salad with mayonnaise.
Cabbage salad with crab sticks
Ingredients cabbage - 300g, crab sticks - 100g, corn - half a jar (400 grams), mayonnaise
Preparation
Wash and chop fresh cabbage. Finely chop the crab sticks. Place shredded cabbage in a salad bowl (mash the cabbage a little with your hands to make it softer), add chopped crab sticks, half a jar of corn and season with mayonnaise. Mix the salad well and serve.
Hot dishes
Chicken legs stewed in sour cream
Legs 4 pcs Sour cream - 250g Tomato - 1 pc Sweet pepper - 1 pc Salt, pepper Cut the legs in half and fry in a frying pan, preferably without oil, until golden brown. Then put them in a bowl for stewing, pour in sour cream and cut the tomato and pepper into cubes, add salt and pepper. Cover the dish with a lid and simmer over low heat until done
Cutlets baked with mushrooms and cheese
Ingredients minced meat (pork + beef) - 500 g, onion - 2 pcs, white bread or loaf - 1-2 slices, cheese - 100-150 g, champignons - 150-200 g, parsley, garlic - 2 cloves, mayonnaise or sour cream, salt, black pepper, vegetable oil for frying
Preparation
Peel the onion and chop finely. Peel the garlic and pass through a garlic squeezer or finely chop. Grate the cheese. Wash the champignons, dry and cut into slices. Wash the greens, dry and chop. In a frying pan heated with vegetable oil, over medium heat, fry the onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes. Place half the fried onion in a bowl and set aside. Add the champignons to the onions remaining in the pan and fry, stirring, for 8-10 minutes (if desired, you can fry the mushrooms until golden brown or just lightly fry). Salt and pepper. Crumble yesterday's white bread without crusts or a bun, pour in milk and leave to swell. Squeeze the swollen bread well. Add squeezed bread, fried onions with garlic, herbs, salt, pepper to the minced meat, mix well and beat the minced meat several times, throwing the minced meat into a bowl or on the table. Form the minced meat into round cutlets and fry on both sides until golden brown. Place the cutlets on a baking sheet or in a baking dish. Grease each cutlet with mayonnaise or sour cream and add a pile of fried mushrooms and onions. Sprinkle cheese on top. Bake at 180°C ~25 minutes.
Meat in French
Ingredients: pork - 400-500 g, onions - 3-4 pcs, hard cheese - 200-300 g, mayonnaise - 400 g, pepper, salt, herbs
Preparation
Wash the meat, dry it and cut it across the grain into layers 1 cm thick. Beat each layer of meat well, add salt and pepper. Peel the onion and cut into rings or half rings. Grate the cheese on a coarse grater. Place the meat on a greased baking sheet. Place onion on top of the meat (not in a very thick layer). Pour mayonnaise over the meat. Sprinkle with grated cheese. Bake for 25 minutes at 180°C. Let the finished meat sit for 10-15 minutes. Serve hot, sprinkled with herbs.
Stuffed peppers
Ingredients minced meat (pork + beef) - 400 g, pepper - 7-10 pcs, rice (dry) - 2-3 tablespoons, onion - 1 pc, carrot - 1 pc, garlic 2 cloves, tomato - 1-2 pcs , parsley, dill, tomato paste - 1 tablespoon, sugar - 1/4 teaspoon, vegetable oil for frying, salt, pepper
for tomato-sour cream sauce: tomato paste - 2-3 tablespoons, sour cream - 200 g, water - 1-1.5 cups (more is possible)
Preparation
Wash the peppers, carefully cut out the seed box and rinse them again to remove the seeds. In a saucepan or frying pan heated with vegetable oil, lightly fry the peppers on all sides and transfer them to a plate. Prepare the filling: Wash the rice and boil until half cooked in salted water. Drain the water. Wash the carrots, peel and grate on a coarse grater. Peel the onion and chop finely. In a frying pan heated with vegetable oil, fry the onion for 3 minutes, add the carrots and fry, stirring occasionally, for 4-5 minutes. In a large bowl, combine minced meat, rice and fried onions and carrots. Wash the tomato, dry it and grate it on a coarse grater, discard the skin. Peel the garlic and pass through a garlic press. Wash the greens, dry and chop. Add tomato mass, tomato paste, herbs, garlic, salt, sugar, pepper to the minced meat and mix well. Fill the prepared peppers with the resulting minced meat. Place the peppers in a saucepan or other thick-walled container. Prepare tomato-sour cream sauce: Combine sour cream with tomato paste, dilute the sauce with water, add salt and pepper. Pour the resulting sauce over the peppers. Cover the saucepan with a lid. Over medium heat, bring the liquid to a boil and reduce heat. Cook the peppers for 40 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it brew under the lid for another 10 minutes. When serving, sprinkle with herbs and sour cream.
If funeral services take place on fast days, then the food should be fast.
If the commemoration falls during Lent, then the commemoration is not held on weekdays, but is postponed to the next (forward) Saturday or Sunday. This is done because only on these days (Saturday and Sunday) are full Divine Liturgies performed, and during the proskomedia, particles are taken out for the departed.
Memorial days falling on Bright Week (the first week after Easter) and on Monday of the second Easter week are transferred to Radonitsa - Tuesday of the second week after Easter.
Lenten food
Lenten pancakes
Lenten pancakes are prepared without adding baked goods (cow butter, eggs, sour cream, sugar, etc.). For lean pancakes you will need: 4 cups of flour (buckwheat or wheat, you can mix both types of flour), 4.5 cups of milk, 20-25 g of yeast, salt to taste. Pour half a glass of warm milk into an enamel pan and dilute the yeast in it, add another one and a half glasses of milk. While stirring, add 2 cups of flour. Mix the dough well, cover the pan with a towel and place in a warm place. When the dough has risen (increases in volume by 2-3 times), add the rest of the flour, milk, salt, stir well and put it back in a warm place. After the dough has risen again, you should bake the pancakes, carefully scooping the dough so that it does not fall. The frying pan is usually first greased with one teaspoon of vegetable oil.
Snacks and salads
Sandwiches "Spring"
Ingredients: white or black bread - 4 slices, Guacamole sauce or avocado pulp (optional component in the recipe) - 4-6 teaspoons, tomato - 1 piece, cucumber - 0.5-1 piece (small), lettuce, basil or dill greens, lemon - 1/3-1/2 pcs., salt, black pepper
Preparation
Cut white or black bread into slices (if desired, the bread can be fried in vegetable or olive oil and cooled). Spread the slices of bread with Guacamole sauce.
* if you don’t have Guacamole sauce, you can simply chop the avocado pulp with a fork, add salt, and sprinkle with lemon juice - spread this avocado cream on the bread * if you don’t have avocado, you can not grease the bread with anything at all, but immediately start placing vegetables on the slices of bread or, if the bread is fried, you can rub it with half a garlic clove
Wash the tomato and cut into circles. Cut the cucumber into circles. Wash the lettuce leaves and dry them. Wash and dry the dill or basil. Place lettuce leaves, tomato slices, cucumber slices on slices of bread. Salt the sandwiches with coarse salt, pepper and sprinkle with lemon juice.
Fish jelly
1 kg. any fish (preferably several varieties), 1 pc. carrots, 1 onion, 1 parsley root, 1.5 l. fish broth, salt, pepper.
Cut fresh or frozen fish, divide into pieces and salt. In the prepared fish waste broth, boil pieces of fish together with roots and spices, then take out the fish, strain the broth, pour it over the fish and put it in a cold place to harden.
The vinaigrette
Ingredients: potatoes - 2-3 pcs., beets - 1 pc., carrots - 1-2 pcs., sauerkraut - 100-150 g, onions - 1 pc., pickled or pickled cucumbers - 2-3 medium pcs., vegetable oil, green onions. - optional salt
Preparation
Wash potatoes, beets, carrots well. Place the vegetables in a saucepan, add water, bring to a boil and cook until tender.
* If desired, vegetables can be wrapped in foil and baked in the oven at 180°C until cooked. Each vegetable must be wrapped separately in foil.
Peel boiled vegetables and cut into small cubes. Peel the onion and chop finely. Cut the cucumbers into cubes. Squeeze the sauerkraut a little from the brine. Add a little vegetable oil to the beets and stir - then the beets will not color the rest of the vegetables. Combine together: potatoes, carrots, onions, cucumbers, cabbage, season with oil and mix gently. Add beets, salt to taste and mix everything together again. When serving, you can sprinkle with green onions.
Salad of Chinese (white) cabbage with tomatoes
Ingredients: Chinese or white cabbage - 1/3 of a small cabbage, tomatoes - 2-3 pcs., bell pepper - 1 pc., vegetable oil, salt
Preparation
Wash the cabbage, drain and chop. Wash the tomatoes, remove the stems and cut into small slices or cubes. Wash the bell pepper, remove the seeds and cut into cubes. Mash the cabbage a little with your hands so that it releases the juice and put it in a salad bowl. Add tomatoes and peppers. Salt the salad (you can lightly sprinkle it with lemon juice) and season with vegetable oil.
Potato salad with pickled mushrooms and green peas
Ingredients: potatoes - 6-8 pcs, onions - 1 pc, pickled champignons or other mushrooms - 1 jar, pickled cucumbers - 4-5 pcs, green peas - 1 jar, herbs (optional), salt, pepper, vegetable oil
Preparation
Wash the potatoes well and cook in their skins until tender. Peel and cut into cubes. Drain the liquid from the marinated mushrooms and cut into slices. Cut pickled cucumbers into small cubes. Peel the onion and cut into half rings or quarter rings. Drain liquid from green peas. Wash the greens, dry and chop. Combine the prepared ingredients: potatoes, mushrooms, cucumbers, onions, green peas, herbs, salt, pepper. Season the salad with oil and mix.
Canned fish salad with green onions
Ingredients: canned fish - 1 can, olives - 0.5 cans, green onions, potatoes - 2-3 pcs, lean mayonnaise or salad dressing
for salad dressing
vegetable oil - 2 tbsp. spoons, lemon juice - 1 tbsp pepper, salt
Preparation
Mash the canned food with a fork. Boil the potatoes, cool and cut into cubes. Cut the olives into rings. Chop the green onions. Combine canned food, potatoes, onions, olives, season with salad dressing or lean mayonnaise, add salt to taste and stir. Salad dressing: vegetable oil, lemon juice, pepper, salt - combine all ingredients.
Hot dishes
Eggplant stuffed with mushrooms
Ingredients: eggplants - 2 pcs., bell peppers - 1-2 pcs., onions - 1 pc., tomatoes - 2 pcs., champignons - 150 g, garlic - 2-3 cloves, parsley or cilantro, walnuts, vegetable oil, salt, pepper
Preparation
Wash the eggplants, cut off the stems and cut each eggplant lengthwise into 2 halves. Carefully cut out the flesh from each half using a knife or spoon and set aside. Place the hollow eggplant boats on a baking sheet or in a baking dish, salt them on the inside and grease them with vegetable oil. Bake the boats at 230 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Peel the onion and chop finely. Wash the pepper, cut out the seed box and cut into small cubes. Cut the eggplant pulp into small cubes. Wash the champignons, dry and cut into slices or small cubes. Wash the greens, dry and chop. Peel the garlic and pass through a garlic press. In a frying pan heated with vegetable oil, fry the onion for 2 minutes. Add pepper and cook for another 4 minutes, stirring. Add eggplant and stir-fry for 7 minutes until eggplant is cooked through. Salt and pepper.
* When the eggplants are ready, you can add grated tomato without skin, stir and simmer for another 4 minutes.
Add chopped herbs, garlic and stir. In a separate pan, fry the champignons for 8-10 minutes. Combine eggplants with mushrooms and mix the filling well. Remove the eggplant boats from the oven and fill them with filling. You can sprinkle crushed walnuts on top of the eggplants. Bake in an oven preheated to 200 degrees for 10 minutes. When serving, sprinkle with chopped herbs.
Lenten cabbage rolls with vegetables and champignons
Ingredients cabbage - 1 medium head, rice (dry) - 100-120 g (about 0.5-0.75 cups), tomatoes - 1-2 pcs (optional), onions - 1-2 pcs, carrots - 1 -2 pcs, champignons - 150-200 g, garlic - 1-2 cloves, parsley, dill, tomato paste or tomato sauce 1-2 tablespoons, vegetable oil for frying, salt, pepper
for filling
tomato paste or tomato sauce 3-4 tablespoons, water - 0.5-0.75 liters, salt
Preparation
Wash the head of cabbage and separate it into leaves. Place cabbage leaves in boiling salted water for 2-4 minutes until the leaves are soft. Immerse 2-3 sheets in water at a time. Remove the boiled leaves using a slotted spoon and place in a colander. Cool. Cut off thickenings from each leaf. Prepare the filling. Boil the rice until half cooked (5 minutes). Wash the champignons and cut into slices. Wash the tomatoes, peel them and cut the pulp into small cubes. Peel the garlic and chop finely. Wash the greens, dry and chop. Peel the onion and chop finely. Wash the carrots, peel and grate on a coarse grater. In a frying pan heated with vegetable oil, fry the onion for 2 minutes, then add the carrots and fry together for another 3-4 minutes. Place the onions and carrots in a bowl and fry the champignons in the remaining oil for 4 minutes. Combine together: rice, onions with carrots, champignons, tomatoes, garlic, herbs, salt, pepper (you can add 1-2 tablespoons of tomato paste) and mix the filling well. Place 1-1.5 tablespoons of filling on the prepared cabbage leaves and roll up the cabbage rolls. Fry the cabbage rolls in hot vegetable oil for 2 minutes on each side.
Prepare the filling: combine water, tomato paste, add a little salt and mix well. Pour the filling over the cabbage rolls, cover with a lid and bring to a boil over high heat. As soon as the liquid boils, reduce the heat to low and cook at low simmer for 30-40 minutes.
Oat cutlets
Ingredients: oat flakes - 1 cup, water (boiling water) - 0.5 cups, fresh champignons - 3-4 pcs, potatoes - 1 pc, onion - 1 pc, garlic - 2 cloves, herbs, salt, pepper, vegetable oil for frying
Preparation
Pour oatmeal into a bowl or saucepan, pour boiling water, cover with a lid and leave to swell for 20-30 minutes. Peel the potatoes, wash and grate on a fine grater. Peel the onion and grate it on a fine grater. Cut the champignons into small cubes. Chop the greens. Pass the garlic through a garlic press. Add potatoes, onions, garlic, mushrooms and herbs to the swollen oatmeal - mix the mixture well, add salt and pepper. The oatmeal mass should not be too thick and not too liquid - so that you can scoop it up with a spoon. Place oatcakes in a frying pan heated with vegetable oil using a tablespoon. Fry the cutlets over medium heat on one side until golden brown. Turn over to the other side, fry for 1 minute over medium heat, then reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Cutlets can be served with fresh vegetables or mashed potatoes.
Fish with vegetables baked in mayonnaise
Ingredients fish fillet - 300-400 g, potatoes - 5-6 pcs, carrots - 2 pcs, onions - 2 pcs, mayonnaise, salt, pepper
Preparation
Wash the fish fillet, dry it and cut into portions. Cut the potatoes into large cubes. Cut the carrots into cubes. Cut the onion into rings. Place a layer of fish in a greased baking dish, add a little salt and pepper, place chopped vegetables on top: potatoes, carrots, onions - add a little salt and pepper to the vegetables and pour mayonnaise over everything. Place the fish and vegetables in the oven over medium heat and bake for 40 minutes until cooked through.
Pies
From lean yeast dough prepared according to this recipe, you can bake pies with different fillings, open and closed. Ingredients: 2.2 kg of flour, 2 cups of warm water, 1 cup of vegetable oil (0.75 cup is possible), 30-40 g of yeast, 1 teaspoon of salt. To prepare lean yeast dough according to this recipe, you need to dissolve the yeast in 0.5 cups of warm water and place in a warm place. When the yeast foams, knead the dough from the indicated products, cover with a towel and place in a warm place. Knead twice and form pies. If the filling is juicy, you need to make a hole in the middle of the pie so that it does not burst from the steam during baking. The surface of the pie is brushed with strong sweet tea and baked at 180 degrees until done. After baking, lightly brush the cake with boiled water, cover with a towel and let it rest.
Pie fillings
Apple filling
Wash the apples, peel them, removing the seeds (the skin does not need to be cut off, as it contains aromatic essential oils), cut into slices. Place the apples in a bowl, add granulated sugar, butter, a little water and simmer.
Potato filling
Potatoes - 7-10 pcs. medium size; onions - 3 pcs.; butter - 4 tbsp. spoons; eggs - 2 pcs.; salt and pepper - to taste. Instructions: Peel the potatoes, rinse, boil, mash until smooth, add raw eggs, butter, sautéed onions, salt, pepper and mix thoroughly.
Fish filling
fish fillet 600 g, 2 onions, flour 1 tablespoon, vegetable oil 4 tablespoons, bay leaf, salt, pepper, herbs to taste Wash the fillet, add salt and fry on both sides. Then cool and pass through a meat grinder. Finely chop the onion, fry until pink, add flour and fry until light brown. Then dilute with a small amount of water or broth to the consistency of thick sour cream, add minced fish and mix everything well.
Stuffed rice with mushrooms
rice 3 tablespoons, fresh mushrooms 100-150 g, vegetable oil, water 3 glasses for cooking rice, onion 1, wheat flour 1 teaspoon, salt, pepper to taste Cook the rice. Peel the mushrooms and boil in salted water until tender. Pass the cooked mushrooms through a meat grinder and fry. Prepare the sauce as follows: pour vegetable oil into a frying pan, heat it and fry finely chopped onion in it. Add a tablespoon of flour and fry it until it turns light brown. After this, pour in about a glass of water, and the mixture should have the consistency of thick sour cream. After boiling the mixture for 10 minutes, add salt, pepper, and chopped herbs. Mix the sauce with rice and minced mushrooms.
Fresh cabbage filling
Chop 1 head of medium-sized white cabbage and add salt. After 10 minutes, squeeze it out, put it in a saucepan, pour in 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, add grated carrots or, if you like, finely chopped onion. Fry, stirring, until soft so that the cabbage does not brown. When it cools down, add ground black pepper and finely chopped dill.
Orthodox canons establish that there should be no alcohol at the funeral table, since the main thing in a funeral service is not food, but prayer, which is clearly incompatible with a drunken state, in which it is hardly permissible to ask the Lord to improve the afterlife fate of the deceased.
Beverages
Gingerbread cookies, gingerbread cookies, pancakes, and sweets are served with drinks, but cakes and pastries are not recommended.
Kissel
Nowadays they cook liquid sweet fruit jelly, but in the old days jelly (jelly - sour) was prepared from flour - rye, oatmeal, wheat - with sourdough and sourdough. Oatmeal jelly was thick, it was cut with a knife and eaten with a spoon (remember milk rivers with jelly banks in Russian folk tales). That is why the funeral custom preserves jelly in this form: with milk. You can make your own oatmeal by grinding oatmeal in a coffee grinder.
Oatmeal jelly 2 cups oat flour, 2 tablespoons honey, 8 cups water, salt to taste. Pour warm water over the oatmeal and mix well so that there are no lumps. Let it swell for 6-8 hours (you can leave it overnight). Then strain through a sieve, add honey, salt and cook, stirring, until thickened. Pour hot jelly into molds, let it harden and cut into portions with a knife.
Cranberry jelly
200-400 g cranberries, 6-8 tbsp. spoons of sugar, 4-6 tbsp. spoons of potato starch. Sort the cranberries, rinse, rub through a sieve, squeeze out the juice. Pour the marc with five times the amount of hot water, bring to a boil, strain. Cool part of the broth and dilute potato starch in it. Put sugar in the remaining broth, boil it, then pour in the diluted starch, squeezed juice and bring to a boil. Pour into a dish, sprinkle with powdered sugar to prevent a film from forming, and cool.
Apple jelly
Finely chop 2-3 pounds of apples, boil in water with a piece of cinnamon, strain through a sieve; Mix 5 glasses of this juice with 1/4-1/2 pound of sugar, grated with lemon zest, squeeze the juice out of 1/2 lemon, boil, pour in flour diluted with 1 glass of cooled apple broth, boil thoroughly, stirring constantly. take: 6-8 apples, cinnamon, 1/2 lemon, 1/2-1 cup. sugar, 1/2-3/4 cup. potato flour.
Dried apple jelly
Take 1/2 pound of dried apples, pour 6 cups of water into them, boil the apples, strain and rub through a sieve, pour into a saucepan, add 1/4 or 1/2 cup of sugar, boil, pour in a glass of water mixed with 1/4 or Boil 1/2 cup potato flour, stirring vigorously, pour into mold, cool, serve.
Raspberry, red or black currant jelly, cherries or plums
Pour water over the berries, boil, grind with a spoon, strain, take 5 cups of this juice, add 1/4 or 1/2 pound of sugar grated with lemon zest, boil, pour in flour diluted with 1 cup of cold water, etc. Serve sugar separately.
Take: 1-1.5 lb. berries, 1/2-1 cup. sugar, 1 cup. potato flour, lemon zest, sugar.
Cranberry juice
For 2 liters of water – 250g cranberries. Mash the cranberries and squeeze out the juice through cheesecloth, put the pulp in water, bring to a boil and boil for 7-8 minutes. Leave for 30 minutes to cool. Strain through cheesecloth, add juice and sugar to taste.
Bread kvass
half a loaf of rye bread; 3 liters of boiled water; half a pack (25-30 grams) of dry yeast; half a cup (125 grams) of sugar; raisin.
Preparation
Cut the rye bread into regular pieces and cut into quarters. Place in one row on a baking sheet and place in a low-heat oven. The bread should dry thoroughly and lightly brown, best done over low heat. Dry the crackers for about 10-15 minutes, then turn off the oven, leaving the baking sheet in it.
Place the finished crackers in a non-oxidizing container (an ordinary three-liter jar is perfect for these purposes) and pour boiling water over them up to the shoulders of the bottle. Add three tablespoons of sugar and leave to cool. Cool a small amount of water, for example a glass or even less, to body temperature or slightly higher and pour dry yeast into the water. When the water in the jar has cooled to about 36-37 degrees, pour the diluted yeast into the jar and mix thoroughly.
After this, cover the jar with the future kvass with a lid or saucer and set aside in a warm place for 2 days.
After this period, carefully strain the infusion through a very fine sieve or cheesecloth to completely separate the grounds. Place the grounds in a separate jar.
Add the remaining sugar to the strained infusion and mix thoroughly until it dissolves. Add a well-washed handful of raisins to the infusion and leave at room temperature for another half day. After this, pour the kvass into plastic bottles and carefully tighten the lids, because The kvass must be very well sealed. Place the bottles with the finished product in the refrigerator and after a day you can drink the kvass. The grounds obtained during the preparation of kvass can not be thrown away, but stored in the refrigerator in a glass jar. Now this is ready-made sourdough, and when preparing the second portion of kvass, instead of diluted yeast, add 4 tablespoons of sourdough to the breadcrumbs. Next, everything is as in the recipe: let it brew for two days, drain, add sugar and raisins, let it sit again and put the bottles in the refrigerator. It is better to renew the starter, i.e. leave the last portion of grounds.
Lemonade recipe
To prepare lemonade, cut 5 lemons into slices, remove the seeds, put in a saucepan, add 300 g of sugar, pour in 2 liters of water and put on fire until one fifth of the liquid has boiled away. Place the drink in the refrigerator. Serve lemonade with ice cubes
Sbiten
Dissolve 100 g of honey and sugar in 1 liter of boiled water, add cinnamon, cloves and boil for 15-20 minutes, and then strain. Sbiten is served hot.
The funeral meal ends with a general prayer of thanksgiving.
©
Lenten dishes for funerals with recipes
The essence of a memorial dinner is to remember the deceased; the main purpose is to gather relatives and friends to say goodbye to the person and pay their last respects. Funeral services may fall on fast days. We invite you to consider several recipes for a funeral dinner. Lenten mushroom soup can serve as a first course. We offer one of the options
sauerkraut cabbage soup with mushrooms
Ingredients:
- Onion 150 gr.;
- Flour 75 gr.;
- Carrots 100 gr.;
- Mushrooms, fresh 0.5 kg;
- Cabbage 400 gr.;
- Oil 120 ml;
- Salt;
- Garlic 20 gr.;
- Potatoes 250 gr.;
- Greenery;
- Spices;
- Water 2.4 l.
Cooking method:
- Cut the vegetables: champignons into slices, onions into cubes, grate carrots;
- Fry in oil, add flour, garlic and spices;
- Stew the sauerkraut, add water and after boiling the potatoes;
- After ten minutes, add the fried vegetables, bring to a boil, add salt and pepper and turn off the heat.
kutya
Traditional funeral dish.
lean pancakes with oatmeal
Ingredients:
- Water 4 tbsp.;
- Sugar 2-4 tbsp;
- Dry yeast 5 tsp;
- Salt to taste;
- Flour 2 tbsp;
- Oatmeal 1.5 tbsp;
- Vegetable oil 3-4 tbsp.
Cooking method:
- Dissolve salt and sugar in water, add yeast, stir, the yeast should be suitable;
- Add oatmeal and flour to the dough. Add oil and stir. Leave in a warm place for an hour;
- Fry on both sides, grease the pan with vegetable oil.
Drinks for the funeral table
The funeral meal can be accompanied by various kinds of drinks. You can make them yourself, such as homemade lemonade from ginger and lemon, for which you need:
- 3 liters of water;
- 6 lemons;
- 75 g sugar;
- 75 g ginger.
Peeled ginger should be grated and boiled in water together with sugar. After this, you need to add lemon juice and let the lemonade brew. This drink will also be very useful.
You can make berry juice or sbiten. To prepare the latter use:
- 2 liters of water;
- 200 g sugar;
- 2 pinches of cinnamon;
- 10 dry cloves;
- 10 g ginger;
- 400 g honey.
According to this calculation, the drink should be enough for a considerable number of people.
You can also cook uzvar or other regular compote from fresh or dried fruits. If there is no opportunity, time or desire to prepare drinks, then store-bought juices and mineral water are perfect for this purpose, which it is preferable to take not only carbonated, but also still.
Menu of Lenten dishes for funerals
The composition of the funeral dinner menu depends on many factors: traditions in the area you live, family wealth, preferences.
But there are main dishes that are always present at the funeral table. Again, religious holidays and traditions. During the Lent period, when creating a menu, you must adhere to lenten dishes. First courses It is customary to serve cabbage soup, borscht and other soups as the first course. You can always find a recipe for lean cabbage soup; replace, for example, meat with mushrooms and you will get a very tasty soup. Lenten cabbage soup without meat
Lenten mushroom soup
Lenten cabbage soup with cauliflower
Main courses
Traditionally, mashed potatoes are prepared for funerals; it goes well with many dishes. Various porridges seasoned with mushrooms will also be appropriate. Peppers stuffed with vegetables would be quite appropriate.
Also consider options: Carrot cutlets
Cabbage cutlets
Salads and snacks
There are a lot of options for lean salads; prepare a regular salad of sauerkraut with onions and vegetable oil.
Or beet salad with garlic.
Any eggplant appetizer will be appropriate and will decorate the table.
Bakery
No funeral table is complete with baked goods. There are plenty of recipes for Lenten baking, the main thing is not to use prohibited products. Buckwheat pancakes
Pies with lean filling
And of course, the traditional funeral dish kutia.
Drinks
Kissel is traditionally served as a drink at funerals. Use various jams and preserves instead of sugar.
You can also make compote from dried fruits.
Menu of lenten dishes for each day of fasting The first week of fasting is the strictest, you can only eat raw foods, you cannot use vegetable oils. You can safely eat pickles, fruits and vegetables. For dessert, various dried fruits, frozen berries and nuts are quite suitable.
In addition to the first week, the diet is also significantly limited on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from the second to the sixth week, but on these days you can eat bread prepared without milk and butter.
On Tuesday and Thursday, hot food without vegetable oils is allowed. Various porridges and vegetable broths and soups are quite suitable for the menu, but without frying.
On Saturday and Sunday you can pamper yourself - you are allowed to use vegetable oils in food - you can go wild. Eat more salads and vegetables - spring, the time of vitamin deficiency.
When creating a menu during the fasting period, be sure to include legumes in your diet - beans, peas, etc., they will very well support the body and make up for the lack of animal proteins.
And of course, pay attention to the wide variety of cereals, because delicious porridges can be prepared not only from buckwheat and oatmeal; try making porridge from bulgar, barley or lentils.
You will see, you will like it so much that you will include these meatless dishes in your daily diet!
Funeral traditions
After death
Traditionally, it is customary to order a memorial service for a deceased person in the church, which is read on the 3rd, 9th and 40th day after death. On the eve of the third day, you should come to the church with a set of products for the funeral table, and do not forget to leave them along with a note on which will be the name or names of those for whom the memorial service will be served. Then you need to notify the clergyman of your intention to serve a memorial service, and then they will indicate what and how to do.
During the memorial service, people close to the deceased pray and hold lit church candles in their hands, and then set them on the eve, accompanying them with the words:
“Remember, Lord, the souls of your departed servants (names), and all my relatives, and forgive them all their sins, voluntary and involuntary, grant them the Kingdom and the sacrament of your eternal blessings, and create for them an eternal memory.”
This text is repeated three times.
At the wake on the 9th day, there should be something on the table that anyone who comes to remember the deceased can be treated to. On this day, no one is called to the funeral; everyone who wishes comes themselves. The meal begins with kutya, then they eat cabbage soup, otherwise pies and other modest food are served on the table, which can also be distributed to those who were present or taken to the poor with a request to remember the deceased. The main thing on this day is an unworthy meal, but a sincere prayer for the deceased.
On the 40th day, it is important to remember the deceased with a kind word and pray to the Lord for the forgiveness of his sins. The meal also begins with three spoons of kutya, and meat, fish dishes, salads and sandwiches are placed on the table, and, of course, a side dish, often in the form of boiled or stewed potatoes.
Death anniversary
On such a day, loved ones come to the grave of the deceased, clean it, light a candle or ritual lamp, quietly remember the deceased and pray for him. On this day you can also invite a priest to the cemetery.
You can only eat kutya consecrated in the church at the cemetery; drinking is also not advisable. It is better to take food brought to the grave “for the Kingdom of Heaven” with you in order to distribute it later.
