Quick weeknight dinner

Jcacavias

The wife and I are Greek Orthodox so Easter is Sunday for us, hence we're fasting from meat this week.  Shrimp Tacos it is!  Paired with some street corn and individual veggie nachos.  Pretty good quick weeknight meal.  No plated pics because the wife was ready to devour.

onedbguru

mmmm that shrimp looks really good.  For those who may not know, make sure you don't overcook it.  

Theophan

ANOTHER Orthodox person on the list -- WAY cool!    Someone else mentioned the fast a few weeks ago, but it's great to encounter someone else who loves cooking on the Big Green Egg who's Orthodox.  Haven't had any meat in more than 6 weeks, now, and I have to say I'm looking forward to cranking up my BGEs during Bright Week.

Your shrimp look great!

YukonRon

Beautiful cook!

GaBGE

Just curious and may be showing my ignorance, but is shrimp and/or fish not considered meat?

northGAcock

Beautiful picture right there. 

Jcacavias

@theophan We were a little bad and are eating dairy this week.  I travel a lot for work and cutting out dairy is extremely difficult.

@GaBGE Different people fast in different ways.  Some you will talk to cut out beef, pork, chicken, lamb.  Some cut out the above (meat) plus dairy.  Some cut out meat, dairy and seafood.  Long answer short, most people consider beef, pork, chicken, lamb, veal, etc as "meat" and don't eat that during lent.

onedbguru

GaBGE said:

Just curious and may be showing my ignorance, but is shrimp and/or fish not considered meat?

 Found this:
meat, defined as the flesh of any warm-blooded animal. Fish are not warm-blooded. 

So, in that sense, they could also have snake. But if you really want to be technical, IMNSHO, meat is meat regardless of the creature  - warm or cold-blooded - that died to feed you.  Just Sayin'... 

Sign me "Non-legalistic Proud Carnivore". 
We could get into an Off-Topic discussion on the virtues of "fasting" and self-denial, but then the Buffalo would strike and we would miss the beautiful "shrimp on the barby".

Theophan

GaBGE said:

Just curious and may be showing my ignorance, but is shrimp and/or fish not considered meat?

onedbguru said:

show previous quotes

GaBGE said:

Just curious and may be showing my ignorance, but is shrimp and/or fish not considered meat?

 Found this:
meat, defined as the flesh of any warm-blooded animal. Fish are not warm-blooded...

I apologize for this being off-topic, but I'm replying to questions, and hope no one will be offended.

It's not necessarily about logic, just a spiritual discipline some people practice at certain times.  This type of fasting, prescribed by the Orthodox Church at certain times, isn't about doing without any food at all (good thing because in Lent it lasts 40 days plus another week for Holy Week), but about eating simply, in moderation, and avoiding "rich" foods specifically including meat, fish, poultry, dairy, alcohol <gasp>, and olive oil.  Sometimes the fast is "relaxed" and wine and olive oil are allowed, and on two occasions during Lent even fish is allowed.

And perhaps only because shellfish probably just wasn't on the diet of the people many centuries ago who came up with these practices, there is no mention of shellfish, so, strictly speaking, shrimp, clams, scallops, even LOBSTER are legal!  Like @Jcacavias, once in a while I'll eat shrimp during a fast.

The point of it isn't that God cares what we eat (all foods are legal!), but it's to practice a bit of self-denial, so eating lobster with non-dairy butter and tofu ice cream all through Lent would be missing the point.  And a bit like embarking on an exercise program to get more healthy but finding a way to "legally" get out of doing any of the exercises.  You don't benefit from what you don't do, and vice versa -- the more you put into something, the more you get out of it.

Jcacavias said:

@theophan We were a little bad and are eating dairy this week.  I travel a lot for work and cutting out dairy is extremely difficult...

Oh gosh, you're not bad!    We're all different, and in different situations.  Some people seem to get physically unwell when they try to fast, some have medical conditions that require changes, and many people like you are just in situations where it's pragmatically practically impossible.  As I said above, I don't think God cares what we eat!  It's just a simple way of practicing self-denial, learning how to be OK with what we have, not having to have whatever we desire.  And being grateful for what we do have!

Jcacavias

@theophan well said!