Lent has started and for me that means meatless Fridays.  You don’t have to be Catholic though to enjoy these delicious meatless meals.  These are some of my favorite recipes.

We have friends visiting from out-of-town this evening.  We decided to stay in since it’s Valentine’s weekend and the restaurants will be packed.  I am making the Butternut Squash Lasagna recipe which I posted last year.  It’s delicious!  I’m pairing it with a green salad and making the Chocolate Soufflés I posted the other day.  The recipe calls for you to prepare the batter the night before and bake the soufflés while you are eating dinner.  A warm dessert sounds perfect for a cold evening.

The best part of being home is that we can gather around our table and enjoy our friends with great food, conversation and our favorite music.  The polar vortex is hitting Columbus this weekend so our fireplace will be keeping our Southern guests warm.

Meatless Meals

Unlike your typical meat and potatoes dinner, most meatless meals can be made in advance.  I love recipes that I can prepare ahead of time, don’t you?  Whether it’s soups or casseroles, most one pot meals tend to get even better with time as the flavors blend.

Following are some of my favorite recipes for meatless meals.

Butternut Squash Lasagna

This Butternut Squash Lasagna is so delicious.  I made this last year but this time I am trying something new.  I assembled the lasagna last night and will cook it this evening.   I also used a vegetable peeler to peel the butternut squash.  In the past, I have found the skin to be too thick but this time it wasn’t and peeled easily.

Lentil Soup with Rice

This Lebanese Lentil and Rice Soup was one of my favorite soups growing up.  It’s so easy to make.  Two things I do different than my mother’s recipe.  I sometimes make it with French Lentils instead of the brown lentils and when short on time, I make it in the pressure cooker which cooks in a third of the time.

Fish Chowder

My family is from New England and we love seafood.  This Fish Chowder recipe is the best!  Another favorite from growing up.  My mom’s original recipe didn’t include the corn but I like the addition.

Clam Chowder

 

If you like cream based Clam Chowder like the New Englanders (vs. the tomato based Manhattan version) than you will love this recipe.  I first had it at a friend’s house and have been making it ever since.  It’s so easy and delicious.

Gnocchi With Pomodoro Sauce

This Gnocchi With Pomodoro Sauce was in my Worthy Reads this past Monday.  The photography was so beautiful it had me heading to the grocery store that afternoon to make the gnocchi for dinner.  It was delicious and just as good the next day as leftovers for lunch!  

What are some of your favorite meatless meals?