Making The Most Of Lenten Fridays

 Lenten Fridays can be a bit of a cooking challenge for observant home chefs. Meat is off the table so what do you do?  Go meatless for one day. There's enough recipes out there that are perfect for the weeks leading up to Christian Easter.

Eating less meat is good anyway. It's a chance to infuse more veggies into the diet. A simple but flavorful meal is ratatouille. This is a classic French Provencale dish of eggplant, tomatoes and onions. It can be varied to include bell peppers and squash coins. Its zinged up with such herbs as thyme and basil. Garlic is a must because it amps up the flavor. What's great is that you can make a lot for a Friday dinner and have some left over for A Saturday or Sunday meal. Make it special with a just from the oven focaccio or a loaf of garlic bread. You could even make a ratatouille pizza for something different. It's putting  all the veggies on the dough and adding sauce and shredded mozzarella.Pizza is another tasty idea, even without the pepperoni. You can add shrimp or make it more luxe with lobster. Shred and put boiled tail meat on the dough along with the rest of the ingredients. Another way to go is healthy with spinach and kale. You could also have it with just onions and scallions for a different , more allium flavor.

If you're tired of pizza then think vegan shepherd's pie. If you're wondering about the filling.don't. You can use the plant based Beyond Beef for the filling. Add some carrots and peas along with tomato sauce. The topping is mashed potatoes used as a crisp crust. Dot with butter for a more flavorful topping. You can also do a vegan beef or chicken pot pie. All it takes is Beyond Beef mixed with different veggies like tomatoes and zucchini , baking potatoes and white mushrooms. Tamari and rice wine vinegar give it zing. Veggie broth makes the gravy that is a pot pie's signature feature. Two sheets of Pillsbury Crescent dough rolls  create the flaky top. You can also make Beyond Burgers too. They're just as good as the real thing. You can go totally vegan by adding slices of vegan cheddar for a tasty cheeseburger. Make it a fun Friday night meal by adding French fries. Another vegan meat idea is Beyond Beef meatballs with spaghetti. It's an easy make because they come already made. You can also make them into tasty subs, another fun Friday night dinner.

Lenten Friday's don't have to be fraught. There are so many different veggie, fish and plant based meat recipes out there. You can choose any of these for a great and meatless way to end the week.

Fresh Starts

Now that the holidays are overi t;s time to start eating right.You don't have indulge in all those luscious baked goods and rich appetizers anymore. It's time to start thinking fresh - as in fresh produce. Even though it's winter you can still buy fresh fruit and veggies in your local supermarkets.There's a lot you can do with them too - .it;s not just boring salads but exciting meals followed by a variety of yummy desserts too.

Luckily thanks to importing you can still buy tomatoes which are great for a healthier pasta pomodoro sauce. Chop up a few of the plum types and then add to olive oil and garlic. Saute until the tomatoes are wilted and then pour over any whole wheat pasta. Ratatouille is another cold weather fave. This involves , again tomatoes but also eggplant and onions, The dish  can be served with the traditional French bread or for lighter fare , pita bread.Any Mexican meal can also be made with fresh veggies as well. Just nix the sour cream and use half the avocado for a lower calorie treat.

Of course everyone wants to add fruit for their New Year's diets. The problem is that eat it  plain every day and it becomes boring. Any kind of fruit can be jazzed up.If you really want to indulge yourself go for that banana split sans the ice cream. Just mix sliced strawberries and bananas together and add chocolate syrup along with zero calorie Cool Whip.Luckily Mexico has been sending us blueberries and blackberries. These are good again with Cool Whip, or layered in a parfait. If you're craving  a warm dish then heat any of the fruits in your microwave. Finish with a layer of Greek yogurt and granola to create a kind of good for you crumble

Eat fresh produce in the New Year's.Doing this will help you lose weight as well as getting doses of vitamins and antioxidants. Best of all you can use those fruits and veggies in delicious dishes that are rich in flavor - not in calories.