Now that Ash Wednesday is here and Lent upon us, one of the things that has been on this little homemaker's mind is meatless meals. For me, the difficulty lies, not so much in finding recipes for meatless meals but rather in remembering them when I am trying to plan my menu. It actually sometimes amazes me how many of the dinners I serve in rotation have no meat but, again, when I actually sit down and try to think of them, my mind draws a blank! So, for my own personal use and for anyone else who may benefit, here are my five favorite meatless meals, specifically for Fridays during Lent:
1. Lentil & Swiss Chard Soup:
Growing up, my two least favorite dinners were Pea Soup and Lentil Soup. Then one day when I was in high school my mom found a new Lentil Soup recipe and it's been one of my favorites ever since. This Italian Lentil Soup is very similar to my mom's tomato-based version, pictured above. I always serve it topped with parmesan cheese and with this Crusty Bread on the side for dipping.
Somehow serving eggs with polenta and vegetables makes them seem a lot less like breakfast and more like dinner. I was a bit skeptical the first time I tried this combination but believe me, the warm, cheesy polenta and fried eggs go together perfectly!
3. Quiche:
I love this quiche recipe because there are so many ways to change it up by simply varying the cheese and/or vegetable. Of course it's great for breakfast or lunch but served with a nice green salad it makes a great Lenten Friday dinner too.
4. Chef Salad:
Basically, to make a meatless salad that is filling enough to serve as dinner I toss every and any protein-rich ingredient I can think of {cooked quinoa, hard boiled eggs, feta, chick peas, pecans, sunflower seeds, whole wheat rotini, etc.} over a bed of greens, bake some sweet potatoes, biscuits, or bread to serve on the side and call it a meal. And somehow, everyone in my family loves this dinner! This Vegetarian Kale Salad looks similar to mine, just minus a few add-ins.
I make a lot of different soups but most of them contain either chicken or beef broth. Luckily this one, along with the Lentil & Swiss Chard Soup above, call for water, not broth so they are a perfect meatless options for Lent.
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Linking up with Ashley today:
Haha, I have the same issue with planning meatless meals - we actually don't eat much meat anyway, but when something puts me on the spot (like, oh, I don't know... Fridays), I seem to come up with nothing! I'll definitely be borrowing a couple of your ideas over the coming weeks :-)
ReplyDeleteOh every one of these recipes sounds DELISH Laura!! Thanks for sharing my Dear. I hadn't thought about a quiche in ages, but that sounds so good! Going to add that to my Lenten meals. ;) Wishing you blessings and hope you get some quiet reflection time for yourself during this holy Lenten season.
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I needed this list so much. I think I'm still a little in denial that it's Lent already, haha! Thanks so much for sharing and linking up!
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