Recipes from Kelly Minter’s New Bible Study

These recipes appear in the Esther Bible study by Kelly Minter. Read an excerpt from the study here.

Lamb Vindaloo

This is a wonderful dish anytime, but especially in the fall and winter when you’re wanting something warm and cozy. It’s nice to throw in lamb on occasion in a world of chicken and beef, and the flavors are a nice change-up from what most of us are used to. While this dish may look complicated at first, it’s really just throwing several ingredients into the food processor to make a paste, and the rest is breezy.

Ingredients for Lamb

• 1 ½ pound lamb, pre-cut into approx. 2 in. pieces
• 2 Tbs ghee (or unsalted butter)
• 1 large white or yellow onion, thinly sliced
• ¾ pound new potatoes or round potatoes
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 15 oz. can crushed tomatoes
• Fresh cilantro for garnish

Ingredients for Paste

• 2-4 dried chiles de árbol, depending on desired heat
• ¼ cup distilled white vinegar, plus 2 Tbs for later
• ½ onion
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 ½ in. fresh ginger, peeled
• 2 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp garam masala 
• 1 tsp ground mustard
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• ½ tsp ground clove
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp sugar

Directions

Paste: Soak the dried chiles in ¼ cup hot water and ¼ cup white vinegar until soft (about 20–30 minutes). Once soaked, in food processor puree peppers, 2 Tbs of white vinegar, onion, garlic, ginger, all spices, sugar, and salt. Taste the paste for heat. Add more chiles, if desired.

For Dish: Toss lamb in half the paste until evenly coated. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours. Cover the remaining paste and store in fridge. Melt the ghee (or butter) in large sauce pan. Add thinly sliced onions and caramelize about 20 minutes. Add remaining paste and stir to coat onions. Add lamb and all marinade juices and cook until browned. Add potatoes and stir to combine. Add chicken stock and crushed tomatoes. Bring to a simmer and cook until lamb is tender and potatoes soft, around 40 minutes. Serve over saffron rice with naan bread. Garnish with cilantro and an (optional) dollop of Greek yogurt.¹

Spring Asparagus Fettucine

I love to cook seasonally whenever I can. Springtime kicks off the fresh produce season, and nothing says spring like asparagus. My dear friend Regina Pinto, who I wrote my cookbook A Place at the Table with, shared this recipe. I made it and instantly knew it had to go in this study. It’s fresh.
It’s light. It’s delicious. And you get your vegetable servings. 

Ingredients

• 15 oz. package fettuccine pasta
• 15 medium-thick asparagus, blanched
• 2 Tbs butter
• 2 Tbs olive oil 
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped or crushed
• 1 Tbs lemon zest
• ½ cup pine nuts toasted (broil in oven on pan but be careful to watch they don’t burn)
• 1 ½ cups parmesan cheese, grated (1/2 cup set aside for topping)
• ½ cup finely chopped fresh basil 
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Boil pasta al dente according to directions and drain. Blanch asparagus (after water is boiling add asparagus for 2-3 minutes until cooked, then remove). After asparagus have cooled, cut them lengthwise into thin strips like the pasta noodles. 
2. In a large pan, melt butter until almost brown. Add pasta, asparagus, garlic, lemon zest, toasted pine nuts, 1 cup parmesan, and basil. Toss in pan with olive oil (add more oil if needed). 
3. Serve with grilled chicken or salmon and sprinkle with additional parmesan cheese.

Lentil Curry Soup

I simply cannot write a Bible study that doesn’t include a soup recipe. I am of the belief that soup can be eaten year-round, never mind how hot it gets in summer. Lentils are also a superfood so you can feel great about this recipe without sacrificing taste—the coconut milk with curry and lime juice make it especially flavorful. Plus, you can find lentils in the Bible. 

Ingredients

• 2 tbs coconut oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tbs minced fresh ginger
• 1 tbs mild curry powder
• ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes, plus more to taste
• 1 (28-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 cup dry French green lentils, rinsed
• 2½-3 cups water (for desired consistency)
• 1 (14-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
• 1 tsp sea salt plus more to taste
• Ground pepper to taste
• ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tbs fresh lime juice

Directions

1. Heat coconut oil in large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and a pinch of salt. Cook until soft, 8 to 10 minutes. 
2. Add garlic, ginger, curry powder, and red pepper flakes and cook (turning low if needed), coating onion thoroughly about 2 minutes. 
3. Add tomatoes, lentils, water, coconut milk, ½ teaspoon salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat. Simmer until the lentils are tender, 25 to 35 minutes. Stir occasionally. Add extra ½ cup of water if needed if soup is too thick. Finally, stir in lime juice and top individual bowls with cilantro. I serve with a loaf of sourdough bread and butter.²

Notes

1. Jen Wooster, “Lamb Vindaloo,” Peel with Zeal, December 29, 2022, https://www.peelwithzeal.com/lamb-vindaloo-recipe/.

2. Recipe inspired by loveandlemons.com.

In the Esther Bible study, Kelly Minter invites you into the daring faith modeled by Esther and her cousin Mordecai—a faith rooted in the goodness of God, lived out through extraordinary circumstances, and used to change the world. Although our time looks different from Esther’s, our God is just as active and faithful today, and He has called you for such a time as this.