To be boring enough to ask for easy but delicious vegetarian or pescetarian recipes

[DontMentionTheWar]

I have guests coming for Christmas who are vegetarians/pescetarians. I have ME and another illness so I find cooking very tiring and just do very basic food for DH and myself most of the time. It's a struggle to eat healthily sometimes to be honest.

We'll eat out for a few days and we're having Christmas dinner out but I'll probably be cooking for three or four nights and I need some help/inspiration. Christmas is a tiring time with all the extra stuff that goes on anyway.

I don't think my guests are particularly fussy and they're lovely but they're the type to eat out a lot themselves so I don't think they'll be cooking much although they will help with preparation/clearing up etc. I'd just like to make them a few nice things.

Thanks in advance.

Veggie chilli is great - loads of veg, carrot, broccoli, sugar snap, peppers, baby corn - chopped or whole chopped up ( can dice if you wish). Toast cumin seeds, ground coriander, chili flakes and paprika (or just sprinkle in during cooking), soften onions, few tins of toms, slug or two of red wine, sprinkle of sugar - maybe a cube or two or dark chocolate, couple of cans of kidney or mixed beads (add a little of the juice from the cans). Serve with rice, mashed avocado (totally optional), creme fraiche or soured cream, grated cheddar, maybe a tin of refriee beans. can also be wrapped in tortillas (either at table by guests in serve yourself fashion, or folded fahita style and grilled with cheese).

This freezes brilliantly, so can be made in advance. Although, I sometimes add the broccoli when reheating as tends to become overlooked and I prefer a bit of bite.

"skylark2 - do you have method/recipe for that please."

Put piece of smoked fish (uncooked) in bottom of oven proof dish.

Make cheese sauce and cook cauliflower (in bits)

Put cauliflower in dish, pour sauce over, sprinkle with appropriate cheese, bake for 30 minutes gas mark 7.

Told you it was easy :) We've done it with non smoked fish too but it's a bit bland.

^^ sounds delicious. Thank you.

this pie is easy and delicious

Another option is cheesey veg bake. Cook veg and sliced new potatoes in a big pan of water - we use one pan and just add the veg according to how long they take to cook. Make a cheese sauce while the veg cooks. Put the veg in an over dish, pour over the sauce and top with cheese before baking in the oven golden and delicious. Serve with salad if you want. Really quick and easy dinner.

We make extra veg for Sunday dinner so we can have it on Monday. Even my husband who pulls his face at a lot of veggie meals loves this one.

Also this black bean chilli recipe is great and you could make in advance and freeze. The toppings are a good way to make it seem more special without any effort.

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/236609/black-bean-chilli

clumsyparents picnic idea sounds absolutely lush.
You could mix some quartered new potatoes with some mediteranean veg (buy ready prepared for minimum effort) and serve with some salmon fillets.
Frittata with new potatoes and salad or green beans.
Just to add, if you feel overwhelmed do not feel as if you have to cook from scratch. You don't - there are lots of lovely prepared vegetarian foods avaiable, such as quiches, tarts, decent quality pizzas ,etc. Plus ready prepared vegetables, salads ,fresh pasta , raviolis and sauces in the cook chill section.

Curries are always good. Last Boxing Day we had 8 vegetarians (including me) and DP did three different curries. The butternut squash and peanut was the best,closely followed by sweet potato, pineapple and cauliflower dhansak. All googled recipes.

Tomato and aubergine casserole - can be cooked in stages and can be frozen.

Sliced aubergine either fried or oven baked till it changes texture, put it in layers with a layer or chopped tinned tomatoes (or passata, or a mixture) finish with a tomato layer, top with yoghurt (or yofoo in vegan) then sprinkle on cheese or breadcrumbs at this stage you can freeze it or back for 20mins, if frozen you can bake from frozen for 40mins.

Do you have a steamer? If not get one - much lighter than pans. OK put your potatoes or rice and veg in the steamer, get some foil and make parcels of fish (salmon is good) with some lemon, herbs, pepper, whatever you like and steam the parcels with the veg.

I find mushrooms make a good substitute for meat in things like stews and curries.

get a pan, put rice and smoked haddock in it, season, add a 50/50mix of orange juice and water and bring to the boil, simmer until all the fluid is absorbed.

One starter you could make today and stick in a cupboard for later.

Jam jar filled with sliced mushroom, olives, sliced peppers of various colours capers if you like, fill the jar, and a peeled clove of garlic and pour over olive oil, make sure there are no air bubbles. Serve in a bowl with bread to dip in the oil that will take on a lovely garlic flavour.

This has always gone down really well and I now give jars as gifts.

Oh sweet potato mash

Get a whole sweet potato and microwave for 5 mins, turn over and microwave for another 5 mins. Cut in half and squeeze out the contents ready mashed - use as a veg or to top something like vegi cottage pie