Alright, so Lent is here, and like many of you, I’m trying to stick to the no-meat-on-Fridays rule. To be honest, I’m not a big fish person, so I knew I had to get a little creative in the kitchen if I was going to make it through the next 40 days without feeling deprived. Here’s a little story about what I did in my kitchen this week.
First, I scoured the internet for some inspiration. I typed in things like “Lent recipes,” “meatless meals,” and “Catholic lent recipes.” I found tons of ideas, but a lot of them were the same old boring stuff – you know, fish sticks, tuna casserole, the usual suspects. I wanted something different, something that would actually make me excited about eating a meatless meal.
My First Try
- I started with a simple pasta dish. This was actually pretty good!
- I sauteed some garlic and onions in olive oil, then added a can of crushed tomatoes, some vegetable broth, and some dried herbs.
- While that simmered, I cooked some pasta, and once it was done, I just tossed it all together with some fresh basil and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. It was ready in under 30 minutes, and it was actually pretty tasty!
Feeling a bit more confident, I decided to tackle something a bit more ambitious – veggie pizza. This one took a little more time, but it was totally worth it.
My Second Try
- I made the dough from scratch (which was surprisingly easy, by the way), and while that was rising, I chopped up a bunch of veggies – bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, zucchini, you name it.
- Then I sauteed the veggies with some garlic, spread some tomato sauce on the dough, topped it with the veggies and some mozzarella cheese, and baked it until it was golden brown and bubbly. This one was a real winner! My family loved it, and they didn’t even miss the meat.
I also tried making some lentil soup, which was another success. It was hearty, flavorful, and packed with protein. I just threw some lentils, chopped veggies, and vegetable broth in a pot and let it simmer until the lentils were tender. So simple, yet so satisfying.
So, that’s how my first week of Lent went in the kitchen. I learned that eating meatless doesn’t have to be boring or bland. With a little creativity and some inspiration from the internet, you can actually make some really delicious and satisfying meals. I’m actually looking forward to trying out some more new recipes in the coming weeks. I think I might even try making some meatless tacos next. Who knows, maybe I’ll even keep eating this way after Lent is over!
If you’re looking for some easy and tasty Lent recipes, I really encourage you to try out some of these ideas. They’re all pretty simple, and they’re sure to make your meatless Fridays a lot more enjoyable. Good luck!
