In my husband's family, Fridays in Lent mean fish, and sometimes lobster. Which is great... but I sometimes wonder if enjoying cocktail shrimp and glazed salmon can really count as any type of fast. It isn't going towards almsgiving, as we probably spend more money on fish (which can be expensive) than we would on a regular meat in our meal.
So today I was toying with the idea of just serving beans and rice these Fridays. The thing is, my husband hates beans. And eggs. And my FIL is a diabetic who tries to stay away from pasta and rice. That basically leaves us with vegetables (which they love) and fish. And maybe mushrooms?
So I thought I'd turn to you all for suggestions. I have never cooked vegetarian, and am usually wary of meatless meals, so I'm definitely up for recipes. But more importantly, do you really try to feel like you're abstaining on Fridays? Is it possible to eat a good meal and yet still feel like you're suffering? (Suffering is one of the points of Lent, after all.) I'm still trying to figure out this whole Catholic spin on Lent (actually, it's not too different from my Protestant one, just the fasting and abstinance from meat), so I appreciate any insights!