Any Catholics? How do you deal with Lent?

Just curious if there are any practicing Catholics here who find Lent to be a little challenging. This week there were two days of "no meat" so I substituted eggs and had some nice mashed cauliflower with sour cream, butter, and cheese on Ash Wednesday. I managed to fill up.

Now it is Friday and I'm planning on having shrimp tonight. Not sure what I will pair with it. I'm not VLC, I aim for less than 100g daily (on a 1,600 calorie allowance).

Anyone have good recipes to share or substitutions that they use during Lent. I know it's only one day a week (with the exception of this week and the week of Easter) but I find it to be an extra challenge--especially staying full. It's hard too because so many Catholics I know eat things like pizza, macaroni and cheese, pasta, etc. on Fridays. I'm not a huge seafood fan. I enjoy flounder and shrimp, and that is about it. I live in SE Pennsylvania so there isn't much that is actually fresh here.

TIA!

Replies

  • tcunbeliever
    tcunbeliever Posts: 8,219 Member
    I have made pizza crust with canned chicken, egg, and parmesan - I'm wondering if canned tuna would work as a substitute...but it might be too strong a flavor, or it might be ok with a garlic cream sauce and maybe spinach and shrimp as toppings??? Kinda like a white seafood alfredo pizza???

    Avocado and cottage cheese are one of my favorite quick and easy meals, totally filling.

    Tuna salad on spinach is another of my favorites, with bleu cheese dressing (or whatever dressing you like).

    Something like stuffed peppers with cauliflower instead of rice and tofu crumbles instead of beef - some of the tofu "beef" substitutes are amazingly delicious and usually vegan, so no animal products at all.

    Tofu Pups soy hotdogs actually taste better than regular hot dogs (my opinion, of course)
  • kpk54
    kpk54 Posts: 4,474 Member
    Shrimp curry. Shrimp scampi. Shrimp stir fry. Creole shrimp. Shrimp tempura. Shrimp boiled in Old Bay.

    My favorite boiled dinner with shrimp is a Low Country Boil. If you eat 100 carbs it would fit. It's just onion, corn on the cob, potatoes, kielbasa and shrimp boiled together in Old Bay and water. It's our traditional dinner the 1st night at the beach every year. 1 pot meal. Strained and poured onto a big platter then drizzled with herbed (oregano, basil, thyme) butter. Recipes on line.

    If you like shrimp you might like crab. Crab cakes, crab chowder. I prefer Manhattan (in a tomato base) but New England style is more common. How about plain ol' steamed crab legs if you like crab.

    Flounder is good with the recipe Mama's Supper Club Tilapia Parmesean which you can find on line. Or as a Veracruz if you like tomatoes, peppers, capers, lemon. Also good with a tasty blackening spice if you like hot.
  • downongreenacres
    downongreenacres Posts: 327 Member
    I eat salads with hard boiled eggs, cheese & a small amount of black beans. Its very filling & the carbs aren't too bad if you dont use too many beans.
  • 2t9nty
    2t9nty Posts: 1,572 Member
    I am not Roman Catholic, but I switch from bacon and eggs at the Friday men's breakfast to a cheese omelette for Lent and Advent. I like canned fish, so the switch to fish is not a tough on for me.
  • Twibbly
    Twibbly Posts: 1,065 Member
    kpk54 wrote: »
    If you like shrimp you might like crab. Crab cakes, crab chowder. I prefer Manhattan (in a tomato base) but New England style is more common. How about plain ol' steamed crab legs if you like crab.

    If you do this, make sure you get real crab, not the imitation crap that has a ton of carbs in it.

    I've been told to search Pinterest for vegetarian keto recipes, but I like seafood just fine and haven't bothered with it yet.
  • auntstephie321
    auntstephie321 Posts: 3,586 Member
    cauli crust pizza works, if you like it. fathead pizza tastes better, that could work too. I used to do foil packets with fish on top of zucchini and sliced tomato with lemon pepper seasonings and olive oil baked in the oven. its fantastic, could be done with shrimp as well
  • gaelicstorm
    gaelicstorm Posts: 94 Member
    Thanks so much guys! These are some great ideas.