Lent Meal Ideas for Fridays
Lent is the 40-day period between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday observed by Christians. It is a traditional time to think about the 40 days Jesus spent in the desert fasting and resisting temptation. Many people give up something they like -- a food, drink or activity -- as a sacrifice during Lent, just as Jesus gave up food. Meat is not consumed on Fridays and that includes beef, veal, pork and poultry. In the strictest observance of Lent, any broth or stock made from meat are not consumed, nor are diary products and eggs since they come from animals as well.
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Vegetarian
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Put together a substantial meal using beans, lentils, rice and starchy vegetables. Clean and slice one eggplant, three large potatoes and one large onion and mix together in a large casserole dish. Sprinkle 4 tbsp. olive oil, three cloves of chopped garlic, and salt and pepper over the vegetables. Mix in a 15 oz. can of chopped tomatoes, including the juice, and one 15 oz. can, drained, of garbanzo beans. Bake for about 45 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, or until the potatoes are soft. If you need to add more liquid during the baking process, add vegetable broth, tomato juice or plain water -- not broth made from meat. Serve this hearty dish with crunchy toasted bread and you've got a more-than-suitable Lenten Friday night supper.
Fish
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Fish is the go-to protein during lent. Fresh and frozen fish are quick to prepare. A 1-inch thick fillet of fish cooks in five minutes. Have dinner on the table after a busy Friday at work with salmon steaks, scallions and peas served over rice. If you're pressed for time, make instant rice. Heat a saucepan to medium. Add two bunches of cleaned scallions with the dark green tops removed. Saute for three to four minutes. Add the salmon steaks. Cook two minutes on one side, turn over, add 2 cups frozen peas and then cook three minutes on the other side. Peek at the center of the fillet ... if it's no longer translucent, the fish is done. Serve over rice with a squeeze of lemon juice.
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Foreign Cuisine
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Many foreign cuisines use meat more as a condiment than the main ingredient in a dish. Eliminate the meat in a foreign dish entirely and it is appropriate for Lent. Make vegetarian tacos with beans, cilantro, chopped tomatoes, jalapenos and cumin. Check the ingredients of flour tortillas to make sure they aren't made with lard; or use corn tortillas, which usually aren't made with lard. Chinese cuisine uses tofu, a high-protein soybean curd, as a substitute for meat. Stir-fry chopped vegetables, add a spicy pepper sauce and add cubed firm tofu. Stir-fry for another minute or so and serve.
Vegetable Broth
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Many recipes call for beef or chicken broth, which aren't allowed on Fridays during Lent. Make up a batch of vegetable broth and freeze it so it's at the ready when you need it. Rough chop a bunch of parsley, a bunch of spinach, three onions, 1 lb. of carrots and a bunch of celery. Place in a large pot and cover with water. Add two bay leaves. Bring to a boil. Simmer for about an hour. Let cool. Strain the mixture and freeze in small containers or ice cube trays.
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References
- Photo Credit Lentils Overflowing image by Vanessa van Rensburg from Fotolia.com
