Lenten meatless meals but not mundane

Lent is a great time for healthy bean dishes like baked black bean quesadillas. / File/The Times

Today is Ash Wednesday, a day that symbolizes the end of the gaiety and festivities of the Carnival season and the beginning of a somber period of reflection, repentance and fasting for many. For centuries, Christians worldwide have observed Lent, the 40-day period leading up to Easter Sunday.
Through the years, rules for fasting have been relaxed, but many churches still observe some of the old rituals during this penitential time, such as abstaining from eating meat on specific days. For others, rather than fasting, this period is an opportunity to exercise discipline, such as doing charitable works or adding certain rituals to the daily schedule.
Growing up in a Catholic home, I am no stranger to fasting. In all honesty, those Lenten meals could hardly be called sacrificial, for eating seafood on Fridays was a treat, especially in my mama's kitchen! Come to think of it, our most exciting meals were on Friday's menu — seafood gumbo, crab or codfish cakes with homemade macaroni and cheese, boiled shrimp with hot sauce, fried catfish and hushpuppies. I feel sure if Mom had inaugurated totally vegetarian meals, that would have been another story.
Eating "meatless" does not mean sacrificing good taste, and our featured Lenten dishes today are anything but ordinary. They are versatile dishes that offer a welcome alternative at any time of year, and are limited only by your own imagination.
For a mouth-watering entrée, whip up a batch of eggplant/tomato pasta. This light Sicilian dish, a combination of eggplant, tomatoes, Parmesan cheese and basil, is perfect for a family weekday Lenten meal.
Another Italian favorite is our fresh tomato basil pizza, which gives you a chance to improvise and add your own favorite toppings. Involve the kids — put out the toppings and let them each create their own. To make it even simpler, pick up a ready-made pizza crust at the grocery store.
Lent is also a great time for healthy bean dishes, such as black beans and yellow rice and baked black bean quesadillas. The quesadillas are so simple the kids can make their own, while the black beans and yellow rice provide a nutritious entree paired with a green salad. These dishes are guaranteed to be a hit with your family.
Last, but not least, let's not forget the all-American grilled cheese sandwich. There are hundreds of choices for grilled cheese sandwiches, but this one prepared on a poboy bun with sliced tomato, lettuce and pickle is my favorite. In the '50s and '60s while Shreveport youth were enjoying Kokomo Drive In, in Baton Rouge we were hanging out at Hopper's Drive In, ordering grilled cheese poboys, fries and chocolate milk shakes.
Food is rich in symbolism and Lent is a wonderful time to combine our meal preparations with our own spirituality — and have an enjoyable time doing it.
Marlyn Monette writes about food for The Times. Write her at P.O. Box 30222, Shreveport, LA 71130-0222 or email to marlynm4@comcast.net.