Please help me meal plan for next week. Dairy free. Veggie. High blood pressure. Overweight.

[HipposGoBeserk]

I am in a rut.

I am vegetarian. My family are not, but I prefer not to cook two meals every night so we are 90% veggie. I usually do something with fish on the side once a week, and occasionally do something with meat on the side.

My husband has high blood pressure. I need to cook lighter and healthier I think. I tend to use a lot of oil (lots of curries, tagines, one pot meals)

Husband and I both need to lose weight.

Everything must be completely dairy free, as son 2 can not eat dairy and I prefer him not to be singled out as 'different' when eating at home with his family.

Daughter is a bit fussy but can be cajoled to try most things if there is something she likes to fill up on.

We like rice, pasta, pulses.

I am a good cook and have time to cook every day.

Please help. I can shop later or tomorrow.

Everything I cook at the moment is so heavy. Light meal ideas much appreciated.

This is nice and also freezes well if you make extra. You don't need the chickpeas really if you want to save weight.

Veg spag bol - likewise freezes well.

Cous cous with roasted veg and olives through it and hummous on the side (okay that's a bit fatty, but you don't need to roast with loads of oil)

Salads based on rocket are v tasty - top with grilled halloumi / nuts / toasted pumpkin seeds

Big mushrooms don't need much fat to grill nicely. Could have with poached eggs and mash / low fat roasted chips.

Dried porcini miushrooms are great for adding to stews / stock - add a lot of flavour and pretty much zero fat and salt

Get lots of fresh herbs in to make bland stuff more interesting - basil is great with most things.

Thank you Quod. That looks nice, and I have all the ingredients in. Except for harrisa which I can't seem to find out here.

Fish (sea bass or bream or similar) drizzled with green tahini sauce (tahini, water, lemon juice, olive oil, fresh parsley, blitz in blender). With roasted butternut squash and brocolli.

Harissa is not essential either IMO.

I'd imagine there's quite a lot of Thai/Vietnamese food that's both vegi and dairy free and low-fat...

Halloumi? Dairy free?

Rataouille, Roast Veg Tarte Tatin, based on Delia's red onion tarte tatin but using any caramelisable veg (courgette, aubergine, red pepper, red onion, sweet potato etc) and use ready made vegetarian puff pastry (most chiller cabinet pasrty is veggie), Roast veg kebabs and rice, with tomato sauce, look up some nice chick-pea salads, lots of [http://www.ottolenghi.co.uk/blog/category/recipes yotta ottolenghi]] vegetarian recipes look lovely when i see them in the Guardian colour supplement.

Sorry ottolenghi

Just marking my place for ideas to show dh, as we have simialr problem, I'm veggi, (and DF atm as bf dd3) DH, DD1 and DD3 are all DF and DD2 has a high fat (rather than low fat ) diet.

It's bloody hard work and our food bills are ridiculous!!

Will watch and wait for some more culinary inspiration as I do struggle in the summer (DD3 is at the if it's unfamiliar I'm not touching it stage too!).

Can you get good rattatouile without lashings of good oil?

Omelettes! Spanish omelette (tortilla) is more filling and good cold the next day.

Mexican - tortillas/tacos with either vegi mince, bean chili or veggies, plus guacamole and coriander (hold off on the cheese)

I reckon you don't need that much oil for ratatouille (couple of tablespoons max?), olive oil isn't a bad fat anyway as fats go.

Asparagus spears and poached eggs is a nice combo. Or whack asparagus in an omelette.

Risotto - I'm sure you could make a version sans parmesan if you had some nice stock, maybe with truffle oil for the unagi flavour.

My thinking with the halloumi was that it was something that can easily be done separately and served as an option along with other toppings.

But having read the OP more carefully I see that this is not an option.

Oh dear. Must try harder... off I fuck then.

No! Don't fuck off! Stay on my thread!

Actually, if I can find sheep halloumi he can have that. Most halloumi in the sparmkt has cow in it though. Bloody cows.

Right. Am getting some good suggestions.

Mushrooms would be great but it is the one thing daughter point blank refuses to eat. She likes them raw but cooked they make her heave. Shame because I luvem.

Omelette. Yes.

Mexican! Yes! Haven't had that in an age. Good thought.

Couscous. Can do but isn't it about the same health / diet wise as rice? And my lot LOVE rice so I tend to default to that.

Doris, I sometimes think we must have one of the most awkward family food dynamics around so thank you for assuring me I'm not the only one in this tedious boat. Shall we form a (vegetarian, dairy free) quiche?

"sparmkt " being the sumarian for 'supermarket' of course.

Is there anything here or here that would be useful?
bessie has a lot of tofu for example...

Falafel! (I'm on fire today)