On Fridays in Lent, we often fall into a rut for dinner--and lunch--so we usually end up eating fish or spaghetti. Boring. In an effort to break up the monotony, I started compiling a list of menu ideas for meatless dishes we can choose from. Here is what I have so far:
Fish/Seafood
Fish (fried, baked w/ breadcrumbs, teriyaki glazed, rolled up with garlic and spinach, or cajun spice rubbed)
Shrimp scampi w/ rice or pasta
Fish tacos
Tuna (blech--none of us like canned tuna, but I know some of you do!)
Seafood crepes (scallops or shrimp in a white sauce)
Fish and corn chowder
Pasta
Pasta with marinara sauce
Pasta with spinach, tomatoes and a sauce of olive oil, white wine, garlic and parmesan
Stuffed pasta shells with ricotta, mozzarella and spinach filling
Meatless lasagna (ricotta, spinach, mozzarella and marinara sauce or white sauce)
Gnocchi with browned butter and sage
Polenta (cornmeal stirred with water until thick, then poured into pie pan and covered with sauce and cheese and baked)
Soups
Tortellini Soup (vegetable stock, cheese tortellini, spinach, carrots, onion, garlic, topped w/ grated parmesan)
Potato Soup
Homemade tomato soup
Bean soup (made with vegetable broth, onions, garlic and a bay leaf)
Salads
Asian Sesame Salad
Quinoa, Corn and Black Bean Salad (serve as salad, dip, or in wrap)
Breakfast (for dinner)
scrambled eggs
hashbrowns
pancakes, waffles or French Toast
omelettes
muffins
eggs benedict
quiche with roasted garlic, spinach, tomatoes, peppers...
Yogurt Parfait with berries and granola
Other Meatless Dishes
Baked potatoes with choice of toppings (broccoli, cheese, sauteed onions, salsa, beans...)
Cheese pizza or calzone
Cheese Quesadillas
Baked Potato Wedges topped with shredded cheese and broccoli or scallions
Fried Rice (rice, peas, carrots, egg, onion with soy sauce and sesame oil)
"Real" grilled cheese (homemade or bakery bread slices with gruyere, gouda, or mozzarella. Add spinach or roasted peppers)
Bean Burritos with rice, cheese, salsa
What other budget-friendly meatless ideas do you have? Share!
I love potato soup with shredded cheese on top. I like to make it homemade, but canned works, too. It's a chore the way I make it, but SO yummy! (I have to nix the bacon I'm inclined to add, tho.) If you find a recipe that you like, but it calls for "chicken broth", just add canned vegetable broth OR even the same amount of water with "poultry seasoning" added. There's no meat in that, but just the various seasonings that you'd add to chicken. It gives it a good taste.
ReplyDeleteAlso, tonight we are having cheese quiche (probably with no crust, just straight in a greased pie dish, because my hubby is watching carbs and it's easier, too). It takes many eggs to fill my family up (all 9 of us who eat table food), but eggs are fairly cheap. Serve with homemade (breadmaker) bread and a side veggie - voila!
Forgot to add cheese quesadillas and cheese enchiladas.
ReplyDeleteTo add to your "breakfast for Dinner" idea -- French Toast or French Toast Casserole ( I often make an overnight casserole first thing in the morning, refrigerate it all day and then cook it for dinner.)
ReplyDeleteWe also do homemade potato soup and a new favorite Meatless Minestrone that I found in a recent issue of Taste of Home magazine.
Growing up my grandma would also treat us to Cheese Frenchees on Fridays. Definitely not low-fat, but oh-so-good!
Potato soup made with vegetable broth instead of milk (one of my sons used to have a milk allergy), cooked with onion, baby spinach and nutmeg
ReplyDeleteTuna pasta salad - yes, it's made with canned tuna, but I make a dressing that is pretty vinegary and it really neutralizes the tuna. It's canned tuna, cooked macaroni, shredded carrots, thawed frozen peas, and dressing of your choice
Mexi Lentils and Rice from www.dollaradaymeals.com - my almost-9yr-old loves this stuff so much that he will eat it for lunch every day until it's gone. It has all the spices I usually use for chili (I actually use my own chili seasoning mix instead of measuring out everything as the recipe specifies)
And after all of that, I still don't know what we're having tonight. My husband is on a low-carb diet, so no potatoes or pasta or fried fish. The only fish I have is canned tuna. I may have to make something for the rest of us and let him make have something separate.
Hmmm...I just saw the breakfast for dinner comment - the kids and I may be having pancakes :)
ReplyDeleteP.S. about the tuna pasta salad ... It's also good with little bits of pepper jack cheese and minced red onion added to it. I also forgot that I mix a lot of green salad in as well - it's probably half green salad and half pasta. You can really put in whatever you like - grape tomatoes, broccoli, mushrooms, etc.
ReplyDeleteSorry for so many comments, but I should also add that there is a terrific alfredo sauce recipe on allrecipes.com - it's called Quick & Easy Alfredo Sauce, and it is both :) I like it with spinach (and chicken and bacon on days when we eat meat).
ReplyDeletehttp://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Quick-and-Easy-Alfredo-Sauce/Detail.aspx
Thanks for all the ideas, ladies! Maybe my kids won't say "Fish--again?" next Friday. :)
ReplyDeleteMelissa, what is a cheese Frenchee? Is that like a cheesestick? Just curious--never heard of it before.
We're big on stir fry -- made with shrimp, of course. :)
ReplyDeleteTuna noodle casseroles are also quite delicious.
My personal fav would have to be pepperjack tomato soup & grilled cheese and sandwiches!