Homemade Dijon Mustard for the Daniel Fast

As you probably have discovered, most prepared Dijon mustard includes sugar or another sweetener in its ingredients, deeming it unusable on the Daniel Fast. However, since most of us eat a lot more salads than usual, we want good flavors . . . and adding Dijon mustard to our salad dressing recipes provides a wonderful, full flavor. So here is a recipe for Homemade Dijon Mustard! You can make a batch of it and store it for use during the Daniel Fast. If you want, you can add a little honey to the recipe AFTER the fast, but meanwhile, be blessed with this modified recipe.

Ingredients:
2 cups dry white wine vinegar
1 cup finely chopped onions
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
4 ounces dry mustard
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 teaspoons salt
Few drops Tabasco

Directions: Combine vinegar, onion and garlic. Heat to boiling and simmer for five minutes. Pour into medium bowl to cool cool. Add dry mustard to a small sauce pan. Now pour the vinegar mixture through a strainer into the saucepan, whisking until very smooth. Sir in the salt and Tabasco. Heat slowly, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens. Allow to cool and then pour into non-metallic covered container. For best results, chill at last two days before using. This mixture will stay fresh in the refrigerator for several weeks.

Daniel’s Fast Recipes – Here’s one more to add to your collection

I had guests the other day and made this Mango and Black Bean Salad. Even though I am not fasting right now, I realized this would be a great recipe while on the Daniel Fast. The recipe was on a can of Bush’s Best Black Beans.

Mango and Black Bean Salad

1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups fresh mango, diced

1 cup sweet red bell pepper, diced

6 green onions, thinly sliced

1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 seeded Jalapeno pepper, minced (or hot sauce to taste)

Salt to taste

Combine ingredients in a bowl. Toss and serve.

Cane juice is still sugar . . .

By now you are probably very good at reading labels. I have a pair of reader glasses at the ready whenever I’m strolling the grocery aisles. That type can be SO small for these “mature” eyes.

A newer ingredient used in a lot of natural foods is “cane juice.” It might be called something a little different, but if you see the word “cane” it’s still sugar. I asked about the ingredient and it was explained to me that cane juice is what comes before sugar is granulated. The content is the same, however, so it’s still sugar!

Sorry! It’s in a lot of prepared foods that would otherwise be perfect for the Daniel Fast. But the reality is, it’s still sugar and we want to be sugar free.

Zoom for Breakfast on the Daniel Fast

Zoom, zoom, zoom! It’s a great hot cereal that’s been around for decades! Made by Krusteaz (the pancake folks), the cereal is 100% whole wheat. It’s the only ingredient and cooks in less than 2 minutes after the water boils!

I actually like this very inexpensive cereal. The box I just opened cost me $1.68 and contains 14 servings! That’s a pretty good deal in my book. After the cereal is cooked, I just scoop it into a bowl, add some raisins and sometimes a little soy milk. That’s it!

You could also sweeten the Zoom with chopped up sweet apple or apple juice, apple sauce or some other fruit. You might also want to add some cinnamon.

Daniel Fast for Better Health

The primary purpose of the Daniel Fast is not to lose weight or improve your physical health. Rather, the Daniel Fast is like all other fasts –refraining from food for a spiritual purpose. If you are entering the fast without a spiritual intent, then you are going on a “diet.” Nothing wrong with diets! But a diet is not a fast, even though the terms seem to be synonymous these days. Fasting is a spiritual exercise that involves the abstention of food. The Daniel Fast is a “partial fast” since one does not refrain from eating, but rather from eating specific foods, but still for a spiritual purpose.

With that said, the Daniel Fast is what I like to call “the whole body experience.” Why? Because while you will gain in your spirit and your soul from the Daniel Fast, you will surely improve your body’s health, as well. That’s because the foods on the Daniel Fast are easy on the body and allows is to function in an optimum manner.

You can review the Food List for the Daniel Fast and see foods to eat include only fruits, vegetables, and water. Foods to avoid completely are sugar, processed foods, dairy products, caffeine, and alcohol and of course, meat. These are all foods that hinder the body from optimum health.

While on the Daniel Fast, your body will experience a certain level of detoxification. It will purge itself of many of the impurities and toxins in its system. While the first few days you might feel a little sluggish, you will most likely experience an increase of energy in the second week.

As you plan your Daniel Fast menus, consider the health benefits of the foods you include.

Here are just some of the benefits from specific foods:

Artichokes
Artichokes contain plant compounds known as caffeoylquinic acids, which increase the flow of bile and help to digest fats.

Beans
Beans are an excellent source of protein and actually one of the best foods to cleanse your colon and aid digestion.

Beets
Beets contain betaine, which promotes the regeneration of liver cells and the flow of bile. It also has a beneficial effect on fat metabolism.

Broccoli
Broccoli and other members of the brassica family (cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale, kohlrabi) support the liver’s detoxification enzymes.

Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
Food sources of vitamin C and glutathione, which are essential for detox.

Protein
Protein is required by the liver for detox. Beans, nuts, seeds, and quinoa. are just a few that you can add to your menus.

Onions and Garlic
Onions and garlic are rich in sulfur-containing compounds. Involved in sulfation, the main detox pathway for environmental chemicals and certain drugs and food additives. Helps with the elimination of harmful heavy metals from the body.

Daniel Fast Harira

The spices in this recipe give this chickpea and lentil soup its rich flavor even though it has no lamb as in the traditional dish. Harira is a great recipe for the Daniel Fast as it has nearly 15 grams of protein per serving.

2 Tbs canola oil

1 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped celery

2 cups warm water

Pinch of saffron threads

1/2 tsp salt, divided

1/4 tsp peeled fresh ginger, minced

1/4 tsp ground red pepper

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

2 garlic clove, minced

2 cups organic mushroom broth

1 1/2 cups chopped and seeded plum tomatoes

1/2 cup dried small red lentils

2 15 oz. cans no-salt-added chickpeas, drained

3 Tbs chopped fresh cilantro

3 Tbs chopped fresh parsley

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan on medium heat. Add onion and celery and saute 4 minutes or until tender
2. Combine 2 cups warm water and saffron, let stand 2 minutes.
3. Add 1/4 tsp salt, ginger, red pepper, cinnamon, and garlic. Cook 1 minute.
4. Add saffron water mixture, broth, tomato, lentils, and chickpeas. Bring to boil then reduce heat. Simmer 20 minutes or until lentils are tender.
5. Stir in cilantro, parsley, and remaining 1/4 tsp salt.

Yield: 4 servings

Fast Food for the Daniel Fast!

Okay, there are going to be times on the Daniel Fast when you need a quick meal. Here is one of my favorites! In fact, when you prepare for the Daniel Fast, you’ll want to stock up on a few of these items so you have the on hand.

1 can organic tomato soup (check the label for ingredients)

1 can white beans

1 cup mixed vegetables (frozen)

Season to taste (thyme, mixed Italian, cilantro, parsley, whatever you like)

Okay, here the rough part: add everything to the pan at the same time. Heat until the vegetables are the consistency you like them (usually between 5 and 10 minutes). Serve!

That’s it! It is so easy. The beans make it filling, the vegetables add twist, and the organic soup is a perfect base and has a sweet flavor.

Serves 2-4 depending on size of serving!

Southwestern Corn and Black Bean Salad

This bean, corn and nuts in this salad combine to create 19 grams of protein per serving. This is a very flavorful salad and easy to make ahead.

1 1/2 cups corn kernels (fresh or frozen)

1/3 cup pine nuts

1/4 cup lime juice

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 (14.5 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed

2 cups shredded red cabbage

1 large tomato, diced

1/2 cup minced red onion

Freshly ground pepper and salt to taste just before serving.

Place pine nuts in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat and cook, stirring, until fragrant and lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.

Whisk lime juice, oil, cilantro, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add the corn, pine nuts, beans, cabbage, tomato and onion; toss to coat. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Yield: 4 servings

Barley and Black Bean Salad

This is a very easy and quick recipe. Beans and barley make a complete protein, so this is an excellent meal when eating a meatless diet. Each serving has 12 grams of protein.

1 cup barley, cooked according to package directions

1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed

1/2 cup corn (thawed if frozen)

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons lime juice

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Combine cooked barley, beans, corn, cilantro, lime juice, oil, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Serve on bed of chopped or torn lettuce.

Yield: 4 servings