Whether you're observing Lent and need meatless meal ideas or maybe you're just a vegetarian looking for more vegetarian/pescatarian-friendly recipes, we're sharing 3 of our favorite meatless meals below.
Fish Taco Slaw Bowl
Serves 4
1 Tablespoon avocado oil, divided
4 (4-6 ounce) filets of wild-caught white fish (cod, grouper, sole, etc.)
(Vegetarian: Substitute fish with ½ cup pinto or black beans.)
1 Tablespoon CCN Taco Seasoning (see recipe below)
1 (14-ounce) bag coleslaw mix
½ medium head purple cabbage, shredded
1 cup brown rice or quinoa (optional)
Spicy Lime Aioli (see recipe below)
½ cup green onion, thinly sliced
1 cup cooked black beans
For serving: guacamole, salsa or pico de gallo, fresh cilantro, lime wedges, Spicy Lime Aioli
CCN Taco Seasoning
3 Tablespoons cumin
1 Tablespoon garlic powder
1 Tablespoon onion powder
1 Tablespoon chili powder
¼-1 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Store in an airtight container for up to a month. Remember: treat this as its own spice jar. Once mixed, only use the amount listed in the recipe, do not add the entire CCN Taco Seasoning to the dish.
Spicy Lime Aioli
½ cup coconut or avocado oil mayo
2 Tablespoon fresh lime juice
½ teaspoon fresh lime zest
2 teaspoons hot sauce of choice
Sea salt, to taste
Drizzle fish with ½ Tablespoon avocado oil and rub with 1 Tablespoon CCN Taco Seasoning. Make the aioli: whisk together the mayo, lime juice, lime zest, hot sauce and salt. Set aside.
Brush a grill pan or skillet with the remaining ½ Tablespoon oil and heat the pan to medium-high heat. Add the fish and cook for about 4 minutes. Turn and cook another 3-4 minutes longer on the other side. Cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of your fish. You want it to be barely firm and flake easily with a fork when it's done.
While the fish cooks, mix about half the green onions with the coleslaw and shredded cabbage. Stir in enough of the Spicy Lime Aioli dressing to barely moisten the cabbage.
When the fish is done, let it cool slightly on a cutting board, then use two forks to shred the fish apart.
Fill four bowls with ¼ of the slaw mixture and top with fish. Drizzle a little more aioli over the top. Add the beans, rice, salsa/pico de gallo, a dollop of guacamole, fresh cilantro, remaining sliced green onion and a lime wedge. Serve immediately.
Note: To avoid the smell of fish in your house, opt for the outside grill or broil the fish.
Green Goddess Grilled Cheese
Serves 1
2 slices sprouted grain or sourdough bread
1-2 Tablespoons clean pesto sauce
2-3 slices avocado
Handful baby spinach
1 slice provolone or mozzarella cheese
1 Tablespoon goat or fetacheese crumbles
½ Tablespoon grass fed-butter
Spread ½ - 1 Tablespoon pesto sauce on each slice of bread. On one slice, add 1 slice of cheese, avocado slices, spinach and crumbled goat or feta cheese. Top with the other slice of bread and press together gently.
Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the sandwich to the pan and cook until bread is golden brown. Press down on the sandwich lightly with a spatula. Flip, then cook until the second side is golden brown. Slice in half and serve immediately.
Unlimited colorful non-starchy veggies on the side
Mediterranean Falafel Power Bowl
Serves 1
1 serving Oven Baked Falafel (recipe below)
½ cup cauliflower rice (cooked or raw)
Multi colored bell peppers, sliced
Big handful baby arugula or baby kale greens
¼ cup purple cabbage, shredded
4-5 pitted Kalamata olives
Red onion, thinly sliced
Cucumber, diced
¼ cup avocado slices, sprinkled with hemp seeds
1 Tablespoon drizzle lemon tahini sauce (recipe below)
Oven Baked Falafel
Serves 3-4 (2-3 falafel patties per serving, depending on size)
For the Falafel:
¼ red onion
1 cup baby spinach
½ cup fresh parsley
¼ cup fresh cilantro
1 clove garlic
3 Tablespoons hemp seeds
1 Tablespoon tahini
1 teaspoon cumin
¾ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
Juice of ½ medium lemon
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
For the Lemon Tahini Sauce:
2 Tablespoons tahini
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1–2 Tablespoons filtered water (to desired consistency)
½ teaspoon maple syrup
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Add all ingredients except chickpeas to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until completely shredded and well combined. Add in chickpeas and pulse until they are smoothly blended in.
Portion out 1-2 Tablespoons of the chickpea mixture and form into 8 small patties using your hands. Place patties on your prepared baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes.
Combine the ingredients for the sauce in a small Mason jar. Seal the jar and shake well to combine. Add more water to achieve desired consistency, if needed.
And if you're looking for meatless meals,check out our digital cookbook, Lent with Cara! Inside you will find15 of our most-loved meatless meals all in one place PLUS Cara's guide to Lent! A great resource if you're looking to learn more about how CCN fits into fasting for Lent.
