If we want Jesus to dwell in our heart, let us love and humble ourselves like Christ.

Elder Ephraim : Counsels from the Holy Mountain

This Panang Curry soup was borne out of no idea of what to make for dinner, and of a well stocked pantry. It’s very simple and just a handful of ingredients. Most people think because of my background in nutrition that I have always got a meal plan for the coming week. That’s not always the case (would that it were!). Often I am overcome by events – especially with homeschooling and just life in general with teenagers. What can I say.

But one thing I do well is clean out the temptations of a non- Lenten pantry and fill in its place lots of Lenten staples. This allows us to throw a Lenten dinner together in a pinch and that’s usually where I have found myself these last few years – in a pinch to throw dinner together.

Last nights soup was so delicious – I had to share. And all with just five ingredients.

Lenten Panang Curry Coconut Sweet Potato Soup

Ingredients

• 3 sweet potatoes
• 2 cans coconut milk
• Panang curry paste – like maessri panang curry paste (it’s worth ordering online if you do not have a Thai market near you
• salt
• water to achieve desired consistency

Preparation

• Wrap sweet potatoes in foil and place in a preheated 350F oven. Bake until tender. About 1 hour
• remove sweet potatoes from foil, cut in half and scoop out sweet potato meat
• place in a sauce pan and add all but two tablespoons of coconut milk
• using an electric beater or electric blending wand blend sweet potato and coconut milk.
• Add 1-2 tablespoons of curry paste. Blend again. You are looking for a silky smooth consistency.
• add 1 /2 cup water or enough to achieve desired thickness
• Simmerer until hot. Add salt to taste. Drizzle with remaining coconut milk and serve.

Wishing you every blessing this Lent!

A few notes about curry paste: the supermarket has many brands like A Taste of Thai and others. These fine curry pastes but they lack the intensity and depth of flavor of curry pastes that you will find in an Asian market. I find when I use supermarket brands I need to add A LOT more paste to get the flavor.

A few thoughts about preparing fasting foods: Especially with Lenten food, my kids always tell me they want to eat foods that are meant to be Lenten, rather than fake hamburgers and fake hot dogs… not that we don’t eat those occasionally, its just that they leave us craving real hamburgers and real hot dogs… so I try to make our food taste flavorful and good. Quality spices make a big difference. What I have found in visiting monasteries is their Lenten cuisine is very delicious and so it’s alright to make our foods at home delicious too. Its our offering to our families, nourishing them and blessing them with a good meal.