12 of our best recipes you can try for a meat-free Holy Week

More than a week-long vacation and festivities, devout Catholics associate the observance of Holy Week with fasting and abstinence which include not eating meat (but for some reason fish).

The act of abstaining from consuming the flesh of warm-blooded land animals on Fridays and Ash Wednesday during lent is seen in Catholic tradition as a form of sacrifice to honor Jesus Christ, who is believed to have died on the cross on a Friday.

Instead, Catholics are encouraged to subsist on fish (and other cold-blooded animals)—which are not considered “celebratory” food and was more of a penance to eat—and plants. Animal byproducts such as eggs and dairy used to also be prohibited but thankfully that is not the case any more thanks to then Pope Paul VI’s pronouncement in 1966.

This tradition, much to the dismay of omnivores, is still in effect today. Luckily with the acceptance and subsequent developments in plant-based and pescatarian diets, from Mar. 6 to Apr. 18 you can live by fish and plants.

To help you with that, here are meat-free recipes from our archives that you can try out yourself at least until next week when lent comes to a close.

 

Native white corn pilaf

Deviate from the usual. For your next pilaf, use white native corn instead of rice.

nolisoli recipe pilaf
Photo by Jeeb Baldonado

 

Pinangat na tulingan

Cook your pinangat na tulingan like your lola would—in a clay pot.

Photo by Jeeb Baldonado


Ceviche with Roselle tea

Add a floral touch to your ceviche with roselle tea.

Photo by Patrick Segovia

Grilled talong with tomato jam and hazelnut

Hazelnuts, tomato jam, and other ways to spice up your grilled eggplant

Photo by Patrick Segovia


Spiced grilled tofu

Give grilled tofu a kick with a spice-heavy marinade.

Photo by Patrick Segovia

 

Cauliflower pizza

A vegetable-topped pizza that tastes as good as the real thing

Photo by Chichi Tullao

 

Baked apahap with fennel and lemon

A light and fresh dish packed with omega-3 and vitamin D

Photo by Patrick Segovia

 

Vegan carbonara

This vegan carbonara is tasty—even without the dairy and bacon

Photo by Bea Ledesma

 

Asparagus with squid ink with aioli

Proof that vegetable doesn’t have to be bland

Photo by Patrick Segovia

 

Rice salad

Can you put rice in a salad? Yes, and it’s a refreshingly crispy treat, too.

Photo by Gabby Cantero

 

Low-carb zucchini fritters

Eat it with a light salad for lunch or pair with fried chicken, if you’re looking to replace rice or bread with your meal, for dinner.

Photo by Bea Ledesma

 

Roasted garlic hummus with mixed vegetables

Make your own hummus in four easy steps

Photo by Gabby Cantero

 

 

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