Quick and Easy Lenten Recipes

In keeping with religious traditions of the Lenten season, a 40-day period that culminates on Easter Sunday, Christians around the world will be abstaining from eating meat and poultry on all Fridays during Lent, as well as Ash Wednesday. So where does that leave the time-starved, modern Christians who need to cook for a family whose tastes preferences are as different as their ages?

While vegetarian and pasta dishes are great options, another quick and easy solution is fish. But several Rhode Island chefs (who else to ask about fish than professionals from the Ocean State) concur that home cooks usually shy away from preparing fish at home, reserving seafood dishes for dining out only.

According to the chefs, preparing fish generally intimidates home cooks because they are unfamiliar with how to prepare it so it's flavorful and appealing to their family. But with these chef-proven tips and restaurant-tested recipes, you can prepare a Lenten fish dinner in less than 30 minutes and present a meal that the entire family will enjoy.

TIPS FOR BUYING AND PREPARING FISH:
* Work with easy-to-prepare fish, like shellfish, salmon, tuna, cod, or other white fish.
* Buy your fish from a local fish market where you can ensure its freshness.
* Have your fishmonger prepare the fish, such as filleting (cleaning and removing bones) and cutting it to the individual sized pieces that you need.

QUICK AND EASY RECIPES:
These recipes use quick cooking methods, such as saut?ing or grilling, and utilize fresh vegetables and seasonings to add delicious, complex flavors to the dish. Most go well served with your favorite starch, such as pasta, rice, fries or baked potato. The recipes' ingredients can be easily increased to serve more people.

SEA BASS WITH FENNEL

2 serving size pieces of sea bass
2 tsp. Fennel, shaved
1/4 cup Shitake mushrooms
2 cups clam juice or your own seafood stock
Diced tomatoes to preference
Black pepper to preference
Fresh herbs to taste

Dredge fish in flour and brown in oil in a skillet. Turn and drain. Add fennel, diced tomatoes, mushrooms, clam juice, pepper and herbs.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes. The fish should be a little loose. Serve with rice or whipped potatoes. Serves 2.


CLAMS IN SPICY BLACK BEAN SAUCE

14 fresh littlenecks
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 scallion, chopped with top leaves reserved
1 can of black beans, soaked in water according to directions and drained
1 jalapeno pepper, sliced (optional)
1 tsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. oyster sauce
1/8 cup water
1/8 cup clam juice
1/4 tsp. sugar
Pepper to taste
1/2 tsp. corn starch to thicken
1/8 cup Chinese cooking wine (can be found in any Asian market)
Cooking oil

Boil or steam clams until they open. Reserve clam juice.

Meanwhile, in a hot wok, add soybean or vegetable oil. Add in garlic, scallion, black beans, and jalapeno pepper. Quick stir fry about 10 seconds, stirring the ingredients so the heat brings out the flavors.

Add in soy sauce, oyster sauce, water, reserved clam juice, sugar and pepper. Heat until boiling. Add in cornstarch (more can be added to achieve desired thickness).

Place clams back in the wok and add Chinese wine. Give it a quick stir fry and transfer to serving dish.

Garnish with the top leaves from the scallion.


ZINFANDEL SHRIMP SCAMPI

1 tbls. olive oil
1 tsp. chopped garlic
6 small shrimp
3 oz. scallops
3 oz. squid (calamari rings not breaded)
2 oz. spinach
2 oz. chopped tomatoes
4 oz. Zinfandel wine
3 oz. butter
14 oz. linguine, cooked according to package directions

Heat oil in a saute pan and add the garlic. Saute until the garlic is golden brown. Add shrimp and saute until pink in color on one side. Turn the shrimp and add scallops and squid. Cook 2-3 minutes.

Add spinach and tomatoes. Saute 3-4 minutes. Add wine and butter and simmer for 4 minutes.

Pour over linguine. Garnish with a sprinkle of Romano cheese and parsley. Makes 2 ample servings.


FRESH TAGLIATELLE ALLA PESCATORE

3 tbls. olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1/2 pound of fresh tagliatelle pasta
1/4 pound of large, fresh scallops
8-10 medium shrimp
8-10 fresh mussels
8-10 medium-sized fresh clams
1/8 pound of fresh lobster meat
Your favorite tomato sauce
White Wine
Fresh basil

Cook pasta as directed. In a large skillet, heat half of the oil over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and scallops and saute about 1 minute or until shrimp is pink and scallops firm. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate.

Add remaining oil to skillet and saute garlic until golden. Add in tomato sauce, wine and remaining seafood. Cover and cook over low heat until the clams and mussels open, about 5 minutes.

Add in shrimp and scallops and remove from heat. Season with fresh basil. Arrange over a bed of pasta. Serves 2.


SALMON IN PARCHMENT PAPER

4 pieces of salmon, about 6 oz. each
1 medium carrot
1 leek, white only
1 stick celery
1/2 stick melted butter
1/2 stick solid butter
1 tsp. honey
1 pinch cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper
4 squares of wax paper
White Sauce, optional, recipe below

Cut vegetables in julienne style. Add solid butter to pan and saute the vegetables, cover and cook on low heat until tender. Add honey and cayenne pepper, stir and cook for another minute.

Brush the inside of the wax paper with melted butter. Brush each piece of salmon on both sides with melted butter and salt and pepper. Place each piece of fish in the center of the paper, cover with 1/4 of the vegetable mixture and wrap. Bake on a sheet pan at 375 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.

Place each piece of salmon wrapped in the paper in the center of a plate. With a pair of scissors, cut a cross on the paper and fold back the four edges. The salmon can be served as is or with a white sauce on top of the vegetables.

BECHAMEL (WHITE) SAUCE

1 pint of boiled milk
2 tbls. flour
2 oz. melted butter
Salt and pepper
1 pinch nutmeg

Stir butter and flour with a wooden spoon over medium heat. Add the hot milk, a little at a time, and keep stirring until sauce lightly thickens. Add salt and pepper and a pinch of nutmeg. Pour the sauce on top of the vegetables.


By Maryellen Cicione