Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, the six week or 40 day period leading up to Easter Sunday. These meatless Fridays create a great chance to create dishes using grains, legumes and vegetables. We've put together six of our favorite meatless meals so you won't have to think about what to make on Fridays.

Eggplant Parmesan
Well worth the extra effort for this vegetarian main course!

Potato, Corn and Leek Chowder
A great combination of ingredients, this soup can help lower blood pressure through calcium, potassium and magnesium. Serve with hot sauce.

Macaroni and Cheese Bake
Created out of an old family recipe.

Pasta with Scallops, Zucchini and Tomatoes
Adding fresh scallops to this pasta dish gives an elegant flair and delicious flavor.

Pasta With Lemon Vodka Sauce
The heavy cream sauce that covers this pasta is a grown-up version of alfredo.

Black Bean Burrito Bake
Half of the beans are finely chopped to give the filling a thick, creamy consistency. This dish can be made up to 8 hours in advance and chilled; just bring it back to room temperature before baking.