Lent, Repent . . . But You Still Gotta Eat!

 Whether your Catholic pastor has told you or not, meatless Fridays are mandatory during Lent. Just to mix it up a bit, our family decided a long time ago to go meatless on both Wednesdays and Fridays. It doesn't seem like much but just remembering that Wednesday is meatless for us seems to be difficult. Perhaps, that is part of the sacrifice.

Sometimes, trying to think of a meatless meal takes  effort. We like fish but that is expensive in this day and age and we consider it a great treat - not the stuff of which a penitential season is made! My husband came up with meatless Mexican fare idea for today's Friday meal - Tostados. Thought I'd mention it to remind and/or inspire other mothers running out of meatless ideas.

I didn't have time to make my own refried beads for the dish but sauteed fresh garlic and onions before adding the beans and spiced them with a little extra salsa. My husband couldn't believe they were canned which leaves me wondering about my 'from scratch' recipe. . .

Corn tortillas were on sale so I spent some time frying them crisp to hold the beans, lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, and whatever else people want to put on them. I'm rather partial to a few rings of pickled jalapeno pepper on mine. This meal is tasty but not quite as filling as having some shredded beef in the mix . . . but that is the reason for the Lenten season . . . eat to nourish but not totally satisfy!

I have to smile as I set out the fixings for dinner. People still are shocked about us trying out the gluten-free diet. This meal is something we have enjoyed many times over the years . . . and it's gluten-free because that is the nature of the ingredients. My husband and I were talking about this and when we reviewed our 'normal', pre-gluten diet, there really wasn't a lot to change.