Cooking without meat can be fun and flavorful. Here are 5 recipes to try

"Give tuna salad a mayo-free makeover by infusing the pantry staple with Southwestern flavors and serving it on a tostada. Or combine a can of oil-packed tuna with vegetables, olives and hard-boiled eggs, then stuff them into empanadas for a portable Spanish-inspired meal."

"Marinate salmon in an Asian sauce before mixing it up with noodles, baby bok choy and peanuts. Try your hand at salmon escabeche, a traditional Spanish preparation that's ceviche-adjacent, and serve it atop a bed of fresh greens for a lighter meal that evokes warmer weather."

"As a bonus, tuna, salmon and walnuts are all high in protein and omega-3s, adding a nutrient boost as well as a flavor boost. The recipes are also malleable - swap in other proteins, cheeses, spices and vegetables to keep it fresh."

Springtime and Lent provide ideal opportunities to explore flavorful meat-free recipes that don't sacrifice taste. Fish-based dishes offer versatile options: tuna can be transformed into Southwestern-inspired tostadas or Spanish empanadas, while salmon works well marinated in Asian sauces with noodles or prepared as escabeche. Plant-based proteins like walnuts create satisfying pasta dishes with Gorgonzola and radicchio. These recipes provide nutritional benefits through high protein and omega-3 content. The dishes are adaptable, allowing substitutions of proteins, cheeses, spices, and vegetables to maintain variety throughout the year.

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