As some of you may know, I'm a very observant Catholic. Since the season of Lent is now upon us, my family and I are obligated to abstain from meat on every Friday for the next forty days. I'm going to take this opportunity to stretch my culinary muscles a bit. During this time of fasting and penance, I'm planning on sharing new vegetarian and/or pescatarian dishes with you fine folk every Friday. So, for the time being, you can expect to get a glimpse of what's on my own table and see how my family navigates this period of abstinence from warm-blooded meat.

This Friday's featured meal is a Lenten classic: Fish Fry. On Fridays in Lent, you'll find a fish fry happening at just about every parish in the U.S., and mine is no exception. While my ketogenic lifestyle precludes me from partaking in the parish social event, that certainly doesn't stop me from making my own at home.

I adapted my favorite triple-breading process to a pescatarian-friendly one by replacing the pork rinds with almond flour, and frying up the breaded fillets in avocado oil instead of bacon drippings. Easy peasy, and it makes for excellent eating. I paired this fish fry with my own broccoli cheddar casserole (once again, I swapped pork rinds for almond flour for Lenten compliance).

FYI: Eggs will be featured kind of heavily in my Lent posts, as they're permitted in a Latin Catholic fast and are an easy source of protein on days we can't eat beef, pork, or poultry. While they technically come from a land animal, because they're not fertilized they're not chickens, and thus regularly fit into a Lenten meal rotation. Those observing a traditional Orthodox fast, or who are looking for vegan meals, will likely want to skip this series or adapt these recipes for your own use.

[tasty-recipe id="2815"]