Family vegetarian meals

[mamaduckbone]

We're trying to cut down our meat consumption so we have at least 3 meat-free meals in a week, but our repertoire is a bit limited. I'm looking for some new family veggie meals that we can all eat.

Dcs are good eaters and happy to try new things but not keen on cooked veg that they say goes slimy - courgettes, aubergines, mushrooms - which seem to appear in so many vegetarian recipes. I'm violently allergic to Quorn so anything based on that is out.

At the moment we have:

• veg chilli with mixed beans and peppers
• falafel with hummus and salad
• beanburgers
• vegetable stir fry (usually with salmon or tuna so not strictly vegetarian but meat free at least)

Any ideas? Recipes?

Macaroni cheese.
Veggie lasagna.
Veggie pizza.
Pasta with a tomato based sauce.
Omelettes with veggies and a side salad.

I don't like veg at all, slimy or not, this is what we eat with dh:

Fish pie if you're happy to be pescatarian.
Enchiladas / fajitas - we use the quorn chicken pieces but there might be something else that gives it sufficient substance?
Veg lasagne, I whizz everything up in the food processor so noone knows what veg is in it, including me.

Hairy Dieters go veggie is quite a good book.

Soup is always a good go to, as is omelette.

Egg and beans on toast/with chips

Jacket potato with chilli/cheese andbeans/hummus and salad

Pasta and pesto with salad

Spinach sweet potato and chickpea curry

Dahl and rice with raita

Chickpea curry with dollop of Greek yogurt, yum, and so quick and easy using tinned chickpeas and jar of nice sauce. There chickpeas make it filling too, as I find I'm starving an hour later if I just have veg and rice

All manner of pies
I’m having a Harrisa butternut squash filo one tonight
Dhal and naan
All manner of Indian food
Ethiopian food lends itself to vegetarian cooking well and is tasty but it’s getting hold of some of the spices.
Risottos
Loads of pasta dishes

I avoid meat substitutes

Frittata
Lentil shepherds pie
Chickpea tagine
Chickpea curry
Lentil dhal
Jamie Oliver’s veggie enchiladas
Cheese and tomato bread pudding
Chilli bean pie
Toad in the hole made with veggie sausages
Vegetable crumble www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/recipes/vegetable-and-butter-bean-crumble/
Egg fried rice
Lentil ragu
Pesto pasta
Peppers stuffed with tomatoey rice and mozzarella

Black bean and corn tacos
Black bean and sweet potato enchiladas
Grilled halloumi with a warm roasted squash, kale and grain salad
Quiche and salad
Tortellini, roasted veg and pesto (veg filling and veg pesto obv)
Soup and toasties- I like sweetcorn chowder or tomato soup
Paneer curry
Wraps or pita with falafel or sweet potato pakora
Stir fry with those Cauldron marinated tofu bits

I make a pasta sauce with tomatoes and roasted red peppers (sometimes just the ones in the jar from Lidl).
We have black olives in it.

I’m a big fan of homemade soup for tea and then a stodgy pud like rice pudding/cake and custard.

Fajitas made with halloumi or sweet potato
Linda McCartney veggie sausages with veg and mash
Veg stew and dumplings
Veggie sausage casserole
Mexican rice
Cauliflower cheese
Lentil spaghetti bol
Butternut squash and sage risotto

Smoked haddock & sweetcorn chowder
Roasted Veg Couscous
Asparagus Risotto
Udon miso soup with pak choi, baby corn, carrots & tofu/fish.
Goat cheese, onion & fig tarts - use puff or filo pastry
Falafels in mini yorkshire puds, carrot mash & onion gravy
Ratatouille in jacket potatoes + grated cheese.
Veg stirfry with garlic, oyster & soy sauce with quorn/tofu + rice

Paneer and chickpea curry
Lentil chili
Bang bang cauliflower
Salt and pepper tofu

Curry. DH does one with cauliflower, potato, red and yellow peppers, tomato and chilli. Works well strong or with natural yoghurt stirred through to make it mild.

Roasted chickpeas (I add paprika, coriander, cumin, garlic and roast in olive oil, squeeze over some lemon juice) with hummus, creme fraiche, tomatoes, pepper, olives in pita.

Creamy mushroom and lentil stew with kale (google for recipe) with bread and butter. This has been my 6 year olds favourite meal since she was probably 3.

All sorts of pasta- with tomato, garlic, basil or a mushroom, garlic, cream sauce and green veg.

Veg and bean fajitas or tacos are also great.

There are loads of nice soups and strews. I’m making a veg and pearl barley soup with garlic bread this week. Cannelini bean, tomato and kale is also good.

Lentil and lemon soup. Make a basic lentil soup and stir lemon juice in to taste.

Sweet potato, chickpea and kale curry
Shepherdess pie
Butternut squash chilli
Lentil Ragu - for lasagne or spag bol-esque meal
Courgette spaghetti
Lentil burgers

Were doing a full veggie week this week for similar reasons and might keep it going if we enjoy it. So far I've planned

Veggie lasagne
Vegetable curry
Tortellini in a tomato/chickpea soup
Stir fry thai rice
Cheese and onion quiche
Spice nacho bean burgers

Burritos with Mexican rice, refried beans, salsa, jalapeños and sour cream.

Black lentil and coconut daal with rice

Creamy garlic mushroom gnocchi

cauliflower and broccoli gratin (with a cheese sauce)

Peas paneer - every kid I've fed it to loves it. Fry off the paneer first with an onion if everyone likes it- get a bit of nice crisp browning -add your own spicing or a pasta and yogurt (or for speed a jar of the kids fave curry sauce - sharwoods butter makhani is lovely) Throw in the peas (just microwave frozen ones for a minute or so first- maybe some spinach too. Rice or bought in naans

paste not pasta lol

Spicy beanburgers with salad (Aldi ones are good if you don't want to make your own)
Roasted veg with fried halloumi
Add tofu to your stirfried veg - cube it, coat it in sesame seeds and fry until crispy.
Frittata
Shakshouka

Thanks for all these ideas - lentil ragu sounds good - would you just make it with the same ingredients as a meat ragu?

I live the sound of the tofu in sesame seeds with stir fry as well. Tofu isn't related to Quorn is it? I'm really wary of meat substitutes now after my horrendous reaction to Quorn bolognaise...never been so sick in my life.

Bluebellation - I love Aldi beanburgers!

This recipe for lentil ragu www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/lentil-ragu