Mardi Gras has come and gone, and the Lenten season is upon us. Even though you may not be eating meat, chocolate, bread or dairy for the next 40 days, that still doesn’t mean you can’t eat well. Here are some recipes that will make your food fasting and abstaining a little more enjoyable.

Flatbread (Recipe via Good Housekeeping)

Ingredients:

Flatbread

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

6 cups salad greens (such as radicchio, endive, and arugula), cut into 1/2-inch pieces

2 medium, ripe tomatoes cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 small cucumber, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

Directions:

1) About 10 minutes before grilling flatbread, prepare salad topping. In large bowl, with wire whisk, mix olive oil, vinegar, sugar, mustard, salt and pepper until dressing is blended.

2) Add salad greens, tomatoes and cucumber to dressing in bowl, toss to coat well. Set salad aside.

3) Grill flatbreads as in step six of flatbread recipe.

4) To serve, top each flatbread with about two cups salad. Cut each round into quarters.

“Chocolate” cake (Recipe via Sicanc)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

6 tablespoons unsweetened, non-alkalized cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 cup cold water

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1tablespoon white vinegar

2 teaspoons vanilla  

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 F.

2) Grease and flour one 8×8-inch pan.

3) Stir together into a large bowl flour, sugar, unsweetened non-alkalized cocoa, baking soda and salt 4) Combine and add: cold water, vegetable oil, white vinegar and vanilla 5) Stir until smooth. Scrape the batter into the pan and spread evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 25-30 min. Serve plain, dusted with powdered sugar.

No-Cream Pasta Primavera (Recipe via All Recipes)

Ingredients

1 (12 ounce) package penne pasta

1 yellow squash, chopped

1 zucchini, chopped

1 carrot, julienned

1/2 red bell pepper, julienned

1/2 pint grape tomatoes

1 cup fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

5 spears asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

1/4 cup olive oil, divided

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

1/2 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

1 tablespoon butter

1/4 large yellow onion, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

2 teaspoons lemon zest

1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup grated Romano cheese

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

2) Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add penne pasta and cook for 10 to 12 minutes or until al dente; drain.

3) In a bowl, toss squash, zucchini, carrot, red bell pepper, tomatoes, green beans, and asparagus with two tablespoons olive oil, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and Italian seasoning. Arrange vegetables on the baking sheet, and roast 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until tender.

4) Heat remaining olive oil and butter in a large skillet. Stir in the onion and garlic, and cook until tender. Mix in cooked pasta, lemon zest, basil, parsley and balsamic vinegar. Gently toss and cook until heated through. Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl. Toss with roasted vegetables and sprinkle with Romano cheese to serve.

Lettuce Wraps (Recipes via All Recipes)

Ingredients

16 Boston Bibb or butter lettuce leaves

1 pound lean ground beef

1 tablespoon cooking oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves fresh garlic, minced

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/4 cup hoisin sauce

2 teaspoons minced pickled ginger

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

Asian chili pepper sauce (optional)

1 (8 ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped

1 bunch green onions, chopped

2 teaspoons Asian (dark) sesame oil

Directions

1) Rinse whole lettuce leaves and pat dry, being careful not to tear them. Set aside.

2) In a medium skillet over high heat, brown the ground beef in 1 tablespoon of oil, stirring often and reducing the heat to medium, if necessary. Drain and set aside to cool. Cook the onion in the same pan, stirring frequently. Add the garlic, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger, vinegar and chili pepper sauce to the onions and stir. Stir in chopped water chestnuts, green onions, sesame oil, and cooked beef; continue cooking until the onions just begin to wilt, about two minutes.

3) Arrange lettuce leaves around the outer edge of a large serving platter, and pile meat mixture in the center. To serve, allow each person to spoon a portion of the meat into a lettuce leaf. Wrap the lettuce around the meat like a burrito, and enjoy!

Dairy Free Applesauce Cake (Recipe via Recipe Direct)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup shortening

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 cup applesauce (jar or can)

2 1/4 cups sifted flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon allspice

1 cup golden raisins

Directions

1) Cream shortening, add sugar and beat. Add applesauce.

2) Sift together dry ingredients and add to mixture.

3) Fold in raisins.

4) Bake in greased loaf pan at 325 F for one hour.