Recipe
Six Great Meatless Options for Students during Lent
Being a vegetarian/pescatarian is hard. I applaud all of you that do it every day because I can barely survive Fridays during Lent when I can’t eat meat. Throughout the years, I've discovered a few easy pescatarian meals to get me through the season.
These recipes are fairly easy for those who can’t cook and they can also be done in a dorm community kitchen in less than an hour. There are five more Fridays left in Lent, so instead of ordering a cheese pizza yet again, try some of these recipes.
Shrimp Alfredo
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 40 mins
- Total Time: 45 mins
- Servings: 1
Ingredients
- Shrimp
- Pasta
- Alfredo sauce
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
There you have it, an easy, three-step shrimp Alfredo. This can be done in two pans, so it leaves you with a very easy clean up.
#SpoonTip: More Pasta to Pose as an Impasta of Meat
While we’re talking pasta, let’s talk about a recipe courtesy of Rachel Ray on Food Network for a tomato, basil and cheese baked pasta. This recipe has more ingredients, but the result is worth it. Team up with you friends and do this together because it can make 4-6 servings. Here are the steps simplified:
Tomato, Basil and Cheese Baked Pasta
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 40 mins
- Total Time: 55 mins
- Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 pound pasta
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1/2 a small/medium size yellow onion
- 1 can crushed Italian tomatoes
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
- 1 cup store bought pesto sauce
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- 1/2 fresh mozzarella
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Beans for the soul
When lacking in protein, turn to beans. I’m not talking about the character in Even Stevens who was obsessed with bacon, I’m talking beans as in the food.
A friend of mine is a vegetarian and she shared with me some of her favorite recipes. Listed below is a black bean enchilada recipes she makes on the regular, but I decided to try it out for Lent. This one is easy because all you have to do is tenderize the onion, stir in the ingredients and bake for 25-30 minutes. Easy to do in the dorms and you’ll impress all your friends.
Black Bean Enchiladas
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 45 mins
- Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins
- Servings: 10
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 cup corn
- 3/4 salsa
- 1 can black beans
- 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 10 corn tortillas
- 1 can enchilada sauce
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Veggie Burger
For when you’re craving a hamburger, try a veggie burger instead. These are strangely good and they satisfy my burger cravings every time. You can add all the same fixins' you would to a normal hamburger, but there’s no actual meat. It’s also great because you can buy them pre-made and all you have to do is follow the directions on the box. I would give this a 10/10 on easiness and 10/10 on flavor.
You can find them anywhere from Walmart to Fresh Market. My favorite brand is Season’s Choice that can be found at Aldi. But if you want a recipe, look at a fellow Spoony's recipe here (she has pictures), but I also wrote it out for you.
Veggie Burger
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 8 mins
- Total Time: 23 mins
- Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 can black beans
- 1/2 cup Italian-style breadcrumbs
- 1 egg
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Black pepper
- 1-2 teaspoon cooking oil
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Shrimp-n-Grits
My all-time favorite meal to make during Lent is Shrimp-n-Grits. In the heart of the south, we sure do love our grits, and what makes them even better is putting shrimp on top. A little bit of spice and this meal will make your taste buds super happy.
Shrimp-n-Grits
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup grits
- 3 cups water
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/4 cup cheddar cheese
- 1/2 pound shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1 tablespoon Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning
- 2 tablespoon cooking oil or enough to cover pan
- salt and pepper for taste
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
#SpoonTip: Add some spinach
If you would have told eight year old me that 21-year-old me would love spinach she might have thrown up. Spinach is great for a meat replacement because it's high in iron, which is also found in red meat. These technically are not recipes but suggestions for you to explore.
For breakfast, add it to your scrambled eggs. I do this on a regular basis, it really adds flavor.
For lunch, why not add some more green in your salad, adding nuts adds protein.
For dinner, have yourself some spinach ravioli or just cook it up with a little bit of salt and have it as a side dish, the choice is yours. Just know that spinach is amazing and goes with anything, really.
Lent is a great time to try new things, like fish or veggie burgers. Put that cheese pizza down and broaden your horizons this Friday. Happy eating!