Veggies, seafood are great Lenten food options. Here are some hints to get started.

Some Christians sacrifice certain foods and pleasures during Lent.

One friend has given up Facebook for Lent. Several others forego beef or pork, opting for vegetable or seafood choices. On Fridays, meat is off the menu.

Throughout the year, a trim friend enjoys a cinnamon bun and a Coke every Sunday for breakfast except during Lent. “You just don’t know how much I enjoy that cinnamon bun and Coke,” she said. “It is a sacrifice not to have it.”

Others follow daily Lenten prayer studies. These believers do this in remembrance of Jesus’s death and Resurrection.

While Lent began on Feb. 17, it will not end until April 2 on Good Friday, so many meals are ahead. I have a couple of seafood and a mixed greens lasagna recipe in which no one will miss the meat.

The seafood recipes, a tilapia and a Thai shrimp are quick fixes, but are a flavor change of pace perhaps than normal at-home meals.

Remember to purchase tilapia at a seafood market or at a supermarket that prides itself on fresh seafood. I always ask from where the markets buy the tilapia. I like the mild taste of that fish but want to know its origin.

While lasagna sounds laden with fat, this version is more waistline friendly with the use of kale, spinach and arugula. Another plus, this recipe uses no-boil lasagna noodles.

Give these a try, and let me know if you liked them or not.

Broiled tilapia parmesan

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup butter, softened

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon black pepper, ground

1/8 teaspoon onion powder

1/8 teaspoon celery salt

2 pounds tilapia fillet

Preheat your oven’s broiler. Grease a broiling pan or line pan with aluminum foil.

In a small bowl, mix the Parmesan cheese, butter, mayonnaise and lemon juice. Season with dried basil, pepper, onion powder and celery salt. Mix well and set aside.

Arrange fillets in a single layer on the prepared pan. Broil a few inches from the heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the fillets over and broil for a couple more minutes. Remove the fillets from the oven and cover them with the Parmesan cheese mixture on the top side. Broil for 2 more minutes or until the topping is browned and fish flakes easily with fork. Be careful not to overcook the fish.

Timeline: Prep, 5minutes; cook, 10 minutes; ready, 15 minutes. – www.kitchme.com/

Thai garlic shrimp

1 bunch of cilantro, washed and patted dry

5 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 pound medium shrimp, clean and pat dry

1/2 cup water

3 tablespoons Thai fish sauce *

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon rice vinegar *

1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch or arrowroot, dissolved in 3 teaspoons water

Freshly ground black pepper

2 cups hot, cooked rice

Thin slices cucumber, optional

Stem the cilantro. Combine the cilantro leaves and garlic in a food processor and process into a paste.

In large, heavy skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the cilantro paste and stir 2 minutes. Add the shrimp and stir until coated with the paste mixture, about 1 minute. Add the water, fish sauce, sugar and vinegar. Simmer until the shrimp are pink, curled and cooked through, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the shrimp with a slotted spoon.

Bring the sauce to a boil and add cornstarch mixture and pepper.

*Fish sauce and rice vinegar can be found in the Asian aisle of most supermarkets. – Submitted by Lynette Faul of Gulfport

Mixed greens lasagna

(Makes 8 servings)

(Start to finish 1 hour)

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 small, sweet onion, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

8 cups mixed greens (4 cups torn kale, 2 cups spinach, 2 cups arugula)

One 15-ounce container part-skim ricotta cheese

1/2 cup milk

1 tablespoon parsley

1 tablespoon chopped thyme

1 tablespoon chopped rosemary

1 1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 package no-boil lasagna noodles

1/2 cup grated part-skim mozzarella cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a large casserole dish with nonstick spray.

Prepare the filling: Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large sauté pan. Add the onion and cook until translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute more. Add the greens in batches, allowing it to cook down before adding more. Cook until all the greens have wilted, 6 to 7 minutes.

In a medium bowl, mix the ricotta with the milk, parsley, thyme, rosemary and red pepper flakes to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

Build the lasagna: Begin laying noodles in the base of the prepared casserole dish. Top with a quarter of the ricotta mixture and gently spread it evenly. Drizzle the surface with 1 teaspoon of the olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with a quarter of the spinach mixture. Repeat with another two sets of layers. Finish with a layer of noodles, ricotta and a final drizzle of oil. Top with the mozzarella cheese.

Bake in prepared oven until the filling is bubbly and the mozzarella is golden brown, 35-40 minutes.

Let cool and set 15 to 20 minutes before serving.

Note The lasagna can be assembled up to two days ahead and shares in the refrigerator before baking as instructed. – www.purewow.com/

Andrea Yeager may be contacted at ayeager51@cableone.net/ .