Help - I need to cook a Vegetarian Dinner for four

[Debbiethemum]

My BIL & his wife (is that SIL or SILIL?) are coming over on tomorrow. SIL after lunch, BIL about 7:30 and hopefully DH at a similar time. I can buy the ingredients in the morning but what can I cook as BIL is vegetarian and I have used my two vegetarian recipies loads of times on him so he is bound to be sick of them.

I don't want to cook anything too complicated as want to chat to SIL, also have new cleaner starting tomorrow afternoon so cannot start until she has gone. Also don't know when dh can get home but will have 10 mins warning so dinner may need to keep warm.

Pudding is easy as there is masses of ice-cream still in the freezer (home-made so OK).

lasagne!

(second try today)

you can make it with beans or quorn for a veggie alternative. I did a spicy quorn one for dp's bro on sat and he lvoed it.

how about any of these veggie dinner recipes from \link{http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/selections/vegetarian-main-courses-who-needs-meat,178,RS.html\Delia??}

Chick pea and pepper curry

Fry onion and garlic in spices, cumin, coriander, chilli, garam masala etc fry peppers, add 2 tins chick peas, tin of chopped toms, about half a can of water, a little at a time so its not to watery, tub of creme fraiche and mango chutney [i use a whole jar as I like it sweet} but add a bit at a time to taste, same with creme fraiche if you dont like it too creamy. Bring to boil and then simmer until its thickened.

OK, I have some on my pc, hang on!

Mozzarella and aubergine bake? love it.

Delia Smith's pancake cannelloni(?spelling)sorry can't do links, but it's lovely! You can cook the pancakes beforehand.

Nigel Slater, mush and spinach Korma:

This recipe is a good example of how garlic is used as a backnote to other aromatics and spices. This is a voluptuous vegetable supper, and less trouble than it might at first appear. Serves 2-3

50g butter
2 medium onions, peeled and sliced
3 large cloves of garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
a knob of ginger, about the size of your thumb, peeled and grated
a teaspoon of ground cumin
15 cardamom pods, seeds removed and crushed
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon chilli powder
2 cinnamon sticks
2 bay leaves
650g assorted mushrooms
50g shelled hazelnuts, toasted
350g leaf spinach, tough stems removed
50g golden sultanas
150g thick natural yoghurt
150g crème fraiche
2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves

Melt the butter in a deep pan, add the onions, garlic and ginger and cook for about five minutes, until golden. It is essential not to burn the butter, so add a little oil if it appears to be darkening. Add the spices and bay leaves and continue frying, stirring regularly, for two or three minutes to cook the spices. Meanwhile, cut the larger mushrooms into big pieces, though you can leave oyster mushrooms whole. Add the mushrooms to the pot. Cook the mixture for a few minutes till the mushrooms soften, then stir in 225ml water and the hazelnuts. Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for fifteen minutes, covered with a lid. Meanwhile, wash the spinach and put, still thoroughly wet, into a saucepan - it will cook in its own steam. Cook for two minutes, shaking occasionally, till wilted. Drain and squeeze out the water. Stir the spinach and sultanas into the curry, simmer for a couple of minutes, then mix the yoghurt and crème fraiche together and stir them into the mushrooms, bringing almost to the boil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. When the korma is thoroughly hot, but not quite boiling (it may curdle if it boils), stir in the chopped coriander and serve.

Veggie crown, very rich, you could use any old butter beans. From a Red xmas special:

While you can use regular butter beans for this recipe, Tormesina Judion butter beans (£5.99, Sainsbury's) are exceptionally rich and creamy. Although they do need to be soaked overnight and simmered for 2 hours, it's definitely worth the effort. But if you really haven't the time, use tinned beans. I also love Fruttibosca bottled baby artichoke hearts (£4.90, Sainsbury's) Serves 6.

500g raw, small beetroot
oil, for greasing
200g goat's Cheddar (or cow's Cheddar), grated
75g pine nuts
2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
olive oil, for drizzling
250g presoaked and cooked Tormesina Judion butter beans
1 x 280g jar baby artichoke hearts
100g creamy soft goat's cheese
1 egg
sea salt and freshly ground chopped chives, to garnish

for the walnut chutney: 4 red onions, olive oil, for drizzling,
75g brown sugar, 400g cherry tomatoes, 1 cooking apple
390g pickled walnuts, drained and roughly chopped

Preheat the oven to 190°CI 375°F/gas mark 5. Place the beetroot in a saucepan, cover with water and simmer for 45 minutes. Drain, allow to cool a little and peel by squeezing gently - the skins will slip off. Place to one side. While the beetroot is cooking, grease a 24-cm non-stick savarin tin. Sprinkle half the Cheddar into the tin. In a small pan, cook the pine nuts and garlic over a low heat in a drizzle of olive oil until golden. Combine the mixture with the butter beans, artichoke hearts, soft goat's cheese, remaining Cheddar, egg and salt and pepper. Spoon into the tin and even the surface. Drizzle with a little more olive oil and bake in the oven for 30 minutes, until golden. Remove from the oven and carefully invert on to an ovenproof dish. Pile the cooked beetroot in the middle, drizzle with a little more oil and season. Return to the oven for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the walnut chutney. Slice the red onions and cook with the sugar and a little olive oil for 15 minutes over a low heat. The onions will become soft and rich in texture. Halve the tomatoes, peel and chop the apple and add to the onion mixture with the walnuts. Heat gently until the sugar has dissolved and the apple softened. Carefully remove the crown from the oven, garnish with the chopped chives and serve with the walnut chutney while still warm.

Garlic and tomato tart from a sainsbos recipe book. You could do this with salad and garlic bread:

The idea for a tomato and roast garlic tart came to me after reading a description of a tomato salad flavoured with hyssop, a blue-flowered shrub with spiky, bitter tasting leaves, and dressed with mellow balsamic vinegar. I have substituted rosemary as roughly similar to and more widely available than hyssop. The sweet roast garlic, aromatic rosemary and sweetened, tart vinegar and tomatoes all blend together in a composite flavour as the tart first bakes, then cools. Serves 4

8-10 large garlic cloves
2 tablespoons olive oil
200 g (7 oz) strong white (or part white/part brown or wholemeal) flour
100 g (3½ oz) butter
40 g (1½ oz) parmesan cheese, grated
500 g (1lb) tomatoes, skinned and sliced thinly
6-8 green peppercorns, crushed
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
1½ teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 6/200°C/400°F. Put the garlic cloves in a small roasting tin with the olive oil and roast in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until they are soft and golden, but not brown. Turn them once to make sure they do not brown. To make the pastry, put the flour in a bowl and rub in the butter. Add the parmesan cheese and a little pepper and bind together with 2 tablespoons very cold water. Bring the mixture together to form a ball, then roll it out thinly on a lightly floured surface. Use to line a greased, 25 cm (1O-inch) flan tin or dish and line the pastry with foil or greaseproof paper weighed down with baking beans. Remove the roast garlic from the oven and bake the pastry in the oven for 10-15 minutes, or until crisp. Remove the garlic from the roasting tin with a slotted spoon and set aside. Pour the flavoured oil from the roasting tin into a large frying pan and arrange the tomato slices in it, keeping them as intact as possible. Sprinkle them lightly with salt, scatter the crushed green peppercorns over them and allow them to warm through over a moderate heat for 5-10 minutes without disintegrating. Remove the pastry from the oven and remove the paper and beans. Place the roast garlic cloves on the pastry crust and lay the sprig of rosemary among them. Carefully lift the tomato slices out of the pan with a spatula or slotted spoon and arrange them over the garlic and rosemary. Warm the sugar and balsamic vinegar together in the remaining juices in the saucepan until the sugar has dissolved, then sprinkle over the surface of the tart. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, then cool a little and serve. Remove the rosemary after cutting the first slice or two.

Veg biryani, you can make it milder or stronger depending on amt of curry paste:

A biryani is an Indian rice dish made with either meat or vegetables, or a combination of both. This method of cooking rice is sure to be rewarded with success every time. Serves 4

250 g/8 oz basmati rice, rinsed
6 tablespoons sunflower oil
2 large onions, sliced thinly
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 teaspoons grated fresh root ginger
250 g/8 oz sweet potato, diced
2 large carrots, diced
1 tablespoon curry paste
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon chilli powder
300 ml/ ½ pint Vegetable Stock
4 ripe tomatoes, skinned, deseeded and diced
175 g/6 oz cauliflower florets
125 g/4 oz frozen peas, thawed
50 g/2 oz cashew nuts, toasted
2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
salt and pepper
2 hard-boiled eggs, quartered, to serve

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a rolling boil, add the basmati rice and return to a simmer. Cook gently for 5 minutes. Drain, refresh under cold water and drain again. Spread the rice out on a large baking sheet and set aside to dry. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a frying pan, add half the onion and fry over a medium heat for 10 minutes until very crisp and golden. Remove and drain on paper towels. Reserve for garnishing. Add the remaining oil to the pan and fry the remaining onion with the garlic and ginger for 5 minutes. Add the potato, carrots and spices and continue to fry for a further 10 minutes until light golden. Add the vegetable stock and tomatoes, bring to the boil, cover and simmer gently for 20 minutes. Add the cauliflower and peas and cook for a further 8-10 minutes until all the vegetables are tender. Stir in the rice, cashew nuts, coriander and salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes, then cover and remove from the heat. Leave to stand for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with the crispy onions and egg quarters.

Veg Paella from a baby and toddler recie book:

"Although the list of ingredients does seem rather daunting, this paella is extremely easy to prepare and ranks among my son's 'best-ever dinners'. Omit the olives if your toddler hasn't yet acquired the taste - in our house they always disappear first. Makes 8 adult portions.

30 ml/2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon paprika
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 cloves garlic. peeled and chopped
salt and black pepper to taste
1 red pepper, seeded and chopped
1 packet vegetarian frankfurters
1 green pepper, seeded and chopped
100 g/4 oz frozen peas
1 bay leaf
100 g/4 oz frozen sweetcorn
1 beef tomato, peeled, seeded and chopped
100 g/4 oz button mushrooms
50 g/2 oz butter
50 g/2 oz black olives (optional)
400 g/14 oz arborio rice
chopped flat-leaf parsley and lemon wedges to serve
1 litre/1½ pints light vegetable stock mixed with white wine

Heat the oil in a wok, add the onion, garlic, peppers and bay leaf, and fry gently for 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato, then the butter and, when bubbling, stir in the rice, making sure that it is thoroughly coated with butter. In another pan, heat the stock and wine, mixing in the paprika, turmeric and seasoning. When the rice is opaque, pour the liquid on to it, stir well and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover tightly and simmer gently for 20 minutes without removing the lid. Meanwhile, cook the sausages according to the instructions on the packet and cut them into chunks. Add the sausages and all remaining ingredients to the rice, cover and cook for a further 10-15 minutes. To serve, scatter chopped parsley on top, and decorate with lemon wedges.

Nigel Slater, a souflee:

Anyone can make a soufflé. A light hand when folding in the egg whites and a mild air of confidence are all you need to make this light and creamy soufflé that will wobble delightfully on the plate. Serves 4 as a light supper

a little finely grated Parmesan for lining the dish
300ml milk
a bay leaf or two
50g butter, plus a little extra
50g plain flour
5 free range eggs, separated
a teaspoon of Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons tarragon leaves, chopped
100g Gruyere, grated

Brush the inside of a 1.5 litre soufflé dish with butter and sprinkle it with grated Parmesan. Shake out any excess cheese. Bring the milk to the boil with the bay leaf, then set aside. Melt the butter in a medium sized, heavy-based saucepan and stir in the flour. Cook for a couple of minutes, until the mixture turns a deep ivory colour. Pour in the milk, stirring or whisking until you have a smooth sauce. Simmer gently, stirring from time to time, for about ten minutes.
Remove the sauce from the heat and take out the bay leaf. Stir the yolks into the sauce. Season with the mustard, tarragon, and some salt and ground black pepper. Stir in the Gruyere.

Beat the egg whites till thick and frothy and almost stiff. Fold them into the cheese sauce gently but thoroughly. A large metal spoon is the best tool for this. Scoop the mixture gently into the buttered soufflé dish and bake in an oven preheated to 200°C/Gas 6 for about twenty five to thirty minutes, till the soufflé has risen and is golden on top. The outside should be crisp and the inside creamy and barely set.

Right, that's me done! I think the tart sounds lovely, I haven't made it for ages, may do it today actually! It depends on what you/they like really, HTH.

What about buying a large slab of puff pastry. Hot oven. Roll it out thinly and cut a picture frame around the edge but not all the way through the pastry then add toppings in the centre. Like pizza...you can start off with pesto or sundried tomato paste...then peppers/mushrooms/goats cheese/cheddar/whatever. You can do different toppings. Shove in oven for 20 mins and you're done. Serve with salad and crusty bread. If you lay the veg out nicely on the top it looks great and takes a few mins to prepare.

Thanks everyone.

I like the sound of the garlic and tomato tart thanks WWW, and this may sound like an odd question but how tomatoey is the tart? DH will eat a tomato pasta sauce but will not touch home grown tomatoes as I suppose they actually taste of tomatoes !!!

How do you make the Aubergine & Mozzerella bake Feistybird as I do like aubergine.

All those Curry/Korma/Biryiani dishes sound good BUT I like them quite mild and BIL likes them extra spicy so I will have to save them for when my sister comes to visit.

It does taste of tomatoes! So prob no good!