Planning meals for Lent? With Strack & Van Til Lenten Meals Made Easy you won’t have to give up taste, quality, variety or value. There are plenty of flavorful, convenient and affordable meatless options in the Seafood and Deli Departments, so you can keep your Fridays — and every day of Lent — simple, satisfying and stress-free.

One of the most popular traditions during Lent is the Friday Night Fish Fry. Every week during Lent, choose from the Fantail Shrimp Dinner, Tilapia and Shrimp Dinner or Swai and Shrimp Dinner. Each meal includes a half pound of seafood, a half pound of fries and a quarter pound of coleslaw — all for just $6.49 per dinner. If you’re craving something different, other seafood varieties such as catfish, ocean perch, orange roughy and lake perch are also available. These start at $7.99 and each also includes a half pound of seafood, a half pound of fries and a quarter pound of coleslaw.

“Our customers say we have the best fish and seafood quality and selection in Northwest Indiana,” says Meat and Seafood Department Director Gary Teachman. “We work hard to offer options that satisfy everyone’s taste.”

Round out your Lenten meal with appetizers or sides including crunchy hush puppies, savory breaded green beans, gooey mozzarella sticks and tasty sweet potato fries.

Don’t have time or want to avoid the hassle or mess of frying your fish at home? Let the Seafood Department do the work.

“We’ll prepare your meal the way you like it—just choose your favorite fresh fish and we’ll fry it for you for an additional charge of just $1 per pound,” notes Teachman. “You can even select from three types of breading.”

If speed is your top priority, Steamable Bags offer a complete, delicious meal in just 4-6 minutes. Simply microwave and enjoy seasoned salmon or seasoned tilapia with vegetables — broccoli, cauliflower and carrots — or seasoned shrimp with vegetables or rice.

Searching for other speedy meal solutions? Choose freshly made, omega 3-packed salmon burgers in zesty dill, Cajun, spinach feta and garlic Parmesan varieties.

Reel in more Lenten options in the Strack & Van Til Deli Department, such as hot and fresh or heat-and-serve breaded fish sandwich on a bun with American cheese. It’s also served as a meal with macaroni and cheese and creamy coleslaw.

Freshly tossed salads — featuring greens including spinach, kale and romaine and iceberg lettuce — offer a crisp, refreshing alternative. You’ll also find a wide selection of coleslaws, pasta salads, tuna salad, egg salad and seafood salad.

Customer favorite Bang Bang Shrimp and pasta salad is made from tender shrimp, sweet “krab” meat, crisp celery, water chestnuts and seashell pasta dressed in creamy, sweet chili garlic aioli and a splash of lime.

“Do you enjoy a good bowl of soup? Ours are another great Lenten option,” says Deli Director Kristin Snow. “We offer hearty choices like chunky clam chowder, lobster bisque, creamy tomato and broccoli cheddar.”

Convenient ready-made seafood, tuna or egg salad, flaky croissants and ready-to-use hard-boiled egg six-packs are ideal Lenten staples. Classic sides such as macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes and potato wedges are easy to heat and serve. New in the Deli Department this year: Penne Alfredo — plain or with shrimp — is part of the Heat and Serve Meals Made Easy entrees.

Try Creamy Broccoli Rotini Pasta Salad Kit, made with tender pasta, fresh vegetables and a sweet creamy dressing, or the Rotini Vegetable Salad Kit with tri-colored rotini pasta in a zesty Italian-style dressing with fresh vegetables and ripe olives.

Cheese lovers will find plenty of tasty options as well. Build a traditional grilled cheese or elevate it with cheddar, Brie and red pepper jelly. For the perfect and simple meatless meal, opt for Deli cheese pizzas or fresh mozzarella that’s perfect for Caprese salad or on tomato bread. V&V Supremo shredded Chihuahua cheese makes an excellent quesadilla. Try this recipe:

Shrimp Quesadilla (Adapted from simplyrecipes.com)
Yields: 1 serving

Ingredients

• 1/4 pound medium-small raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/4 tsp. chipotle or chili powder
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of ground black pepper
• 1 Tbsp. lime or lemon juice
• 2-1/2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil (divided, 2 tsp. and 1/2 tsp.)
• 1 Tbsp. chopped red onion
• 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish
• Salt and pepper
• 2 medium flour tortillas
• 1/2 cup shredded V&V Supremo shredded Chihuahua cheese
• 1/4 avocado, sliced
• Dollop of sour cream or crema fresca

Directions

1. Toss shrimp in a small bowl with 1/4 tsp. chipotle or chili powder, pinch of salt, pinch of pepper and a Tbsp. lime or lemon juice. Let marinate for 10 minutes, then drain juice.
2. Heat 2 tsps. olive oil in a fairly stick-free skillet (cast iron works well) on medium-high heat.
3. Add shrimp, cook for 1/2 minute on each side and remove to a bowl.
4. Shrimp shouldn’t be completely cooked through; they will continue to cook during the next step.
5. Wipe out skillet with paper towels. Add a small amount of olive oil (about 1/2 tsp.) or butter and heat pan on medium-high.
6. Place one flour tortilla on skillet and flip a few times, with 10 seconds between flips. Air pockets should begin to form. Remove first tortilla and repeat with the second. Leave second tortilla in the pan and reduce the heat to medium.
7. Sprinkle tortilla with grated cheese and distribute shrimp on top of cheese. Add chopped onion and cilantro and place the other tortilla on top.
8. Flip quesadilla over when bottom tortilla is nicely toasted and cheese has begun to melt. Remove quesadilla from pan when the now bottom tortilla has toasted sufficiently. You can also use one tortilla instead of two and fold it like an omelet.
9. Cut like a pie into six pieces with a pizza wheel. Place on serving plate with avocado slices and sour cream, garnish with chopped fresh cilantro and squeeze a bit of lime juice over everything.