Hello everyone!
Welcome to Lenten Chef – a lenten food blog for every Orthodox Christian family full of delicious, healthy and easy to make lenten recipes. I am Anna and I am the Chef, the Voice, the Photographer, the Entrepreneur and the Enthusiastic Developer of new recipes behind the Lenten Chef. I am also the Wife, the Mother and the Keeper of the Family Hearth who wants to pass on my passion and cooking experience to the world!
How it all started
I do not believe in coincidence. I believe that everything happens for a reason. When I was 11 years old (yes, I started cooking at that age and I loved it!) I decided to add prunes to potato soup, which led to the disapproval of my mom and to the spoiled family dinner (but you already guessed that, right?!). I now know that it was the first sign that I’m going to end up being so passionate about cooking that I’m going to run a food blog. But I didn’t recognize it at that time and was pursuing different dreams. Sometimes in order to find out what your destiny is, you need to discover what it is not.
Who inspired me
When I was 15, I was watching a cooking TV series with Jamie Oliver and was inspired by his down-to-earth approach and passion to make every-day food special. I’m grateful for the experience and the inspiration and I keep learning from Jamie Oliver to this day (you will see a lot of recipes on our blog that were inspired by him). My second teacher is Julia Child whose story and talent would always refill me with enthusiasm when I’d lose my passion for cooking. I’m grateful to both for their lessons.
The idea to run a food blog
The idea to start a food blog came to me after watching the movie “Julie and Julia” as well as the obsession with cooking Julia Child’s recipes. But at that time, I found myself pursuing the goal of finding my place in the corporate world to justify my Master’s degree. So, running a food blog was only an idea, a dream.
The idea to run The Lenten Recipes Blog
I’m Russian Orthodox Christian and we have four Lents throughout a year when we abstain from meat, eggs, and dairy products (during strict lent we abstain from fish as well). Every Wednesday and Friday are also considered Lenten days.
I clearly remember the day when the revelation hit me about the niche of my future blog. It was the Great Lent before Pascha (Easter). My husband and I were driving home from the evening vigil. I was speculating in my mind about the upcoming week meal plan which made me sad as I was running out of ideas. I got mad at myself for being so disorganized and losing hit recipes that worked so well during previous Lents. I wondered how many other orthodox families were struggling with meal ideas at the same time? I knew the answer! A lot! Wives, Mothers, Matushkas, who do not have the luxury of eating out at fashionable restaurants all the time, who do not abuse the takeout option and who want to eat healthily, and therefore cook at home. Cooking during Lent becomes a daunting task sometimes. You guys know what I mean, right?
So, we set out on the mission to create a website with Lenten recipes to make the life of Orthodox Families easier! My husband and I want to serve God by sharing our talents with the world. It takes time to figure out what your talent is, but as soon as you get the answer, everything comes in its’ place! My husband Oleg is a talented IT professional who ensures that everything on the Lenten Chef website runs smoothly and effectively. Based on the received feedback from everyone who tried my food at numerous parties, I am a talented cook and I want to pass my enthusiasm and cooking experience to you!
What you will find on our Blog
Lenten Chef library is going to have all kinds of multicultural recipes. We are going to try European, Asian, and American food. Everyone is welcome to join! All Orthodox Christians who follow Lent. Those who go meatless some days of the week. Those who are vegan or vegetarian. Those who are milk protein or lactose intolerant. Those who have an egg allergy. Those who want to eat healthy, vegetable-based food. Those who follow a paleo diet. Everyone from the abovementioned camps is going to find plenty of tasty, weight loss friendly recipes here.
- Orthodox Lenten Recipes which are egg-free, dairy-free and meat-free
- Quick and easy, when you need to eat Lenten but have only 15 min.
- Budget-friendly, when you need to feed the family every day and need some down to earth dinner fixes.
- Cook for the crowd “Matushkas friendly” when you need to feed a huge lot but not go bankrupt
- Healthy when you don’t want to break your scale after the lent is over. Weight gain free recipes
- Elegant and scrumptious when you want to cook a special dinner for a special occasion and don’t mind buying a couple of exclusive ingredients to achieve outstanding results for a date night, as an example.
- Gourmet and delightful when you have a birthday during Lent and want to make it special (keeping in mind humble)
- Quality Tested and approved by my family team (you are going to be satisfied I promise!)
Thank you for visiting our blog! We hope you stay with us! To be among the first to find out about the fresh additions to our orthodox lenten recipes, join our mailing list:
Let us know what kinds of recipes you would like to see more of here.
After you try our recipes, you will become a pinch happier, I promise!
Let’s begin our journey. Bon Appetite!
Anna
Lenten Chef
“All things become great when done with love.”
