Meatless Menu, Week 1

I should probably be cleaning the kitchen instead of starting a blog but, well, here I go. My husband and I have decided to fast from meat for Lent this year. Several friends have asked me to share recipes, I want a way to track my menus for when I'm looking for tried-and-true meatless meal ideas, and a blog seemed the easiest way to do both.

Here is our dinner menu from our first meatless week:

(Ash) Wednesday - Curried Sweet Potato and Lentil Soup (Rating: 5/5)

Full of flavor, hearty, relatively easy preparation, easy on the budget, and, as a bonus for me, the baby LOVED it. We used coconut milk instead of cream. This is going to be part of our regular meal rotation, even after Lent.

Thursday (Valentine's Day)  - Fried Spinach Cheese Ravioli (from scratch) and Trader Joe's Marina Sauce (Recipe from America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook) (Rating: 4/5)

We made the ravioli by hand, boiled it for about 5 minutes, dried gently with a towel, and fried in coconut oil. They were delish, though I thought the spinach was too overpowering. The kids didn't eat it, and it was spendy, but my husband and I enjoyed (with some Two Buck Chuck) as an excellent Valentine treat.

Friday - Leftovers

Saturday - Baby Bok Choy with Cashews (Rating: 4/5)

I added some ginger paste with the garlic and served over brown rice. Simple and fast. Kids didn't eat it. Didn't leave us starving, but boy would it have tasted good with some chicken.

Sunday - ? I can't remember.

Monday - Aldi "Simply Nature" frozen cheese pizza (Rating: 3/5)

Not bad for cheap frozen pizza. Quick easy dinner after a day of outings.

Tuesday - Hawaiian Style Sweet and Sour Roasted Pineapple and Bell Peppers (Rating: 5/5)

Served with quinoa (cooked with broth) and toasted almonds. Flavorful, satisfying, easy. Kids ate it. Would be excellent as a side dish for ham, or with sweet-n-sour chicken, but was fine as an entree.

Wednesday - Ginger Broccoli Stir Fry (Rating: 5/5)

Excellent. Very quick and easy and satisfying, the kids ate it (mostly). Served with brown rice.

Recipe from a friend:

Ginger Broccoli Stir Fry

1 bunch Broccoli
1/4 cup Slivered almonds
2 tbsp. Oil
3 cloves Garlic - slivered
2 tbsp. Soy sauce
1 tbsp. Ginger paste OR 1/2 tsp. Ginger, 1 tbsp. Sugar, 1 tbsp. Water
1 tsp. Lemon juice

 Cut broccoli florets 1/4" thick. Heat oil in a large skillet. Saute almonds for one minute. Add broccoli and stir fry until crisp-tender. Add garlic and stir fry 1 minute. Add paste, juice, and soy sauce and stir until coated. Serve over rice.