Bread - A Table In the Wilderness Week 2

Recipe

Creamy Spinach Pork Chops

Sour Cream & Chive Mashed Potatoes

Garlic & Honey Roasted Carrots

Molasses Brown Bread

Peach Cobbler

Creamy Spinach Pork Chops and Mashed Potatoes

Prep and Cook Time: 45-60 minutes

Serves: 6

6 boneless Pork Chops

Salt and Black Pepper, to taste

1 teaspoon Paprika

2 teaspoon Olive Oil

2 Tablespoons Butter

6 cloves Garlic, finely minced

1 small Yellow Onion, minced

⅓ cups Vegetable or Chicken Stock

1 ¾ cups Half and Half or Heavy Cream

3 cups Baby Spinach

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon Crushed Red Chili Pepper Flakes, optional

¼ cup fresh Grated Parmesan Cheese

dried Parsley

Instructions:

Pork chops:

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Season the pork chops with paprika, salt, and pepper, on both sides.

Sear pork chops in the hot pan for 3-5 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness, or until cooked to your liking.

Once done, remove from the pan, and set aside.

Sauce:

Melt butter in the remaining juices.

Add garlic, onion, Italian seasoning, and red crushed chilli pepper.

Stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add in vegetable or chicken stock, and cook until sauce reduces a little.

Reduce heat to low.

Add half and half or heavy cream.

Bring the cream sauce to a gentle simmer.

Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.

Add spinach leaves and allow to wilt in sauce.

Stir in the parmesan cheese and allow the sauce to simmer until the cheese melts. Stir occasionally to avoid scorching the sauce.

Transfer the pork chops back into the pan to reheat. Spoon the sauce over the pork chops, and sprinkle with fresh parsley.

Sour Cream and Chive Mashed Potatoes

Prep and Cook Time: 30 minutes

Serves: 6-8

6-8 large Russet Potatoes, about 3 pounds

¾ cup Sour Cream

1 teaspoon dried or fresh Chives

½ cup Butter

¼-½ cup Milk

Salt and Pepper, to taste

Instructions:

Peel and dice your potatoes, rinse, and add them to a pot of salted water. Bring the pot to a boil and cook them until they are tender and able to be easily pierced with a fork.

Drain them, and place them back in the pot.

Add in the remaining ingredients, mashing everything down with a masher. Be careful to add only the amount of milk you want for the proper texture of the mashed potato. This will vary based on preference and the texture of the potato.

Serve hot.

Honey Garlic Butter Roasted Carrots

Prep and Cook Time: 45 minutes

Serves: 6

2 pounds Carrots

3 Tablespoons Honey

3 Tablespoons Butter

1 teaspoon minced Garlic or Powder

¼ teaspoon Salt

⅛ teaspoon Tepper

⅛ teaspoon Thyme

1 teaspoon dried Parsley

Instructions:

Preheat oven 425⁰F.

Wash, peel, and chop carrots into 2 inch pieces.

Place butter in a medium bowl, and microwave for 60 seconds.

Add honey, garlic, salt, pepper, and thyme.

Whisk to combine.

Add carrots to the bowl and toss to coat.

Place carrots on a baking sheet.

Bake for 15 minutes.

Flip the carrots.

Bake for another 15-20 minutes, or until carrots are tender.

Garnish with parsley, if desired.

Molasses Brown Bread

Prep and Cook Time: about 2 ½ - 3 hours

Bake at 375°F

Yields: 2-3 loaves

2 ½ cups warm Water

1 ½ Tablespoons Instant Yeast

⅓ cup Molasses

2 Tablespoons Cocoa Powder

3 Tablespoons Oil

½ cup Honey

2 teaspoons Salt

3 cups Whole Wheat Flour

3-4 cups Bread Flour

3 Tablespoons Butter, melted

Old Fashioned Oats, for sprinkling on top

Instructions:

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the water, yeast, molasses, cocoa, honey, salt, and 2 cups of whole wheat flour. Mix until combined.

Gradually add the rest of the flour, starting with the whole wheat, then adding the bread flour until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. (You may not need all the flour.)

Kneed for 5-7 minutes.

The dough should be soft and slightly tacky.

Transfer the dough to a large, lightly greased bowl, then cover with a sheet of plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled in size, about an hour.

Punch down the dough and divide into two or three evenly-sized pieces.

Shape the dough into loaves, and place them into parchment-lined baking sheets, making sure they have space to rise without touching each other. Lightly cover the plastic wrap and let rise again until puffy and doubled in size

Preheat the oven to 375⁰F.

Bake the loaves for about 25-30 minutes.

Remove from the oven, and lightly brush with melted butter. Sprinkle with the oats, and bake for another 5 minutes.

Peach Cobbler

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Butter

2 cups Sugar, divided

1 cup Flour

1 Tablespoon Baking Powder

Pinch of salt

1 cup Milk

4 cups Peach slices (fresh or canned)

1 tablespoons Cornstarch

1 tablespoon Lemon Juice

1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

Instructions:

In a large saucepan, combine peaches, cinnamon, cornstarch, 1 cup of sugar, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil, and remove from heat.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together remaining ingredients.

Prepare a 9x13 baking dish by spraying it with oil.

Pour the peach mixture evenly into the bottom of the dish.

Pour the cake mixture on top of the peach mixture, and bake at 375°F for 40 minutes, or until the cake is brown.

Serve warm or cool.

Scripture

Exodus 16:2‭-‬4

And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, and the people of Israel said to them, "Would that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger." Then the Lord said to Moses, "Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not."

Psalm 78:18, 21-25

"They tested God in their heart by demanding the food they craved. Therefore, when the Lord heard, he was full of wrath; a fire was kindled against Jacob; his anger rose against Israel, because they did not believe in God and did not trust his saving power. Yet he commanded the skies above and opened the doors of heaven, and he rained down on them manna to eat and gave them the grain of heaven. Man ate of the bread of the angels; he sent them food in abundance."

Devotion:

As we continue to look at Psalm 78, we are called to remember how God miraculously provided bread for the Israelites. It is easy enough to see how beneficial bread would be in the wilderness. Bread is a good filler.

The most interesting feature in the story of God providing the manna, is that it was delivered daily, in the morning, except the Sabbath. The manna was an opportunity to trust in God for daily provision. No doubt this story would’ve come to mind when Jesus taught His disciples to pray, “'give us this day our daily bread'” (Matt. 6:11).

He was teaching them where their daily sustainment comes from.

When Jesus called himself the bread of life, it was a glimpse into what Jesus would be for God's people.

Jesus, the "bread that has come down from heaven", is our true daily bread.

Unlike the manna in the desert, which only satisfies for one day, when we eat the flesh of the true manna, we receive everlasting life (John 6:49-50).

Our true manna then ascended to the right hand of the Father to rule His kingdom, until all His enemies are His footstool.

This means that our wilderness wanderings today still start with bread every morning. Every morning God’s mercies are new, because the everlasting manna is at the right hand of the Father.

If you are hungry, then Christ is where you come. If your life seems like a barren wilderness with no food to keep you alive, then Christ is where you come.

God has commanded the doors of heaven to open, and He has offered everlasting life in the flesh of His Son, the bread of heaven.

Since in Christ, your life is hidden on high (Col 3:3), when you come and eat the bread of heaven, you are eating the bread of angels (Psalm 78:25).

The only way to live through the wilderness, is by daily trust in the provision of God in the bread from heaven.

So, eat, be filled, strengthened, and satisfied.

By faith, receive everlasting Life through the flesh of the Son of God.

Discussion Questions:

1. What daily fell from heaven, and offered the Israelites nourishment during their desert wandering? (Manna)

2. How often did the Israelites collect Manna? (Daily)

3. How is Jesus similar to, but better than Manna?(He is the bread from heaven, offering his people nourishment, but he does not spoil.)