Meat free January

[DulcetMoans]

We are going for a vegetarian January and looking for recipe ideas.

I can do the usual veggie chilli, bol, curry etc but i'd love to try something new. We both work full time so simple is best but can get more complex at weekends.

Any suggestions?

Red Dragon Pie is a nice one.

Smittenkitchen's mushroom bourgignon.
Chow veggie burgers.
Why can't I think of more??

How about a proper Thai curry, making your own paste?

Soups- red lentil.and chickpea, broccoli and Stilton, spiced pumpkin soup (pumpkin soup is lovely made in a Thai influence with chilli, ginger and coconut milk) green lentil potatoes and parmesan, cream of onion, cheap and delicious is garlic soup though it sounds a but yuk , carrot and coriander, creamy parsnip, really there's no end to cheap easy veg soup.

Stews. Pearl barley and veg stew, butternut squash and chickpea stew, minestrone, or Italian bread and bean stew. A squash or pumpkin laksa (it's an eastern stew IMO )

Aubergine or Courgette parmigiana, or veg lasagne is lovely.

Tapasy stuff like huevoes rancheros, patatas bravas, tortilla, etc.

Swede and potatoes pasties, cheese and onion pasties, spicy pumpkin pasties.

Courgette and rice filled filo pie. Gardeners pie.

Risotto/ rice- pea and cheese. Carrot and broad bean. Pumpkin/squash and sage, swede is similar, a pearl barley and blue cheese risotto, not risotto, but gnocchi for the weekends- squash gnocchi, or spinach gnocchi are delicious and nice to make, as well as standard potato versions, with chunky tomato sauce or sage butter, and veggie paella is always a treat here, and nowt wrong with egg fried rice IMO.

Mint and feta bulgar wheat salad, pomegranate jewelled wild rice salad, feta lemon and coriander cous cous, google medjara for a really lovely lentil onion salad meal.

Don't forget pizza either- make a batch of dough, roll out, cook for five minutes and freeze your bases- top them from frozen with whatever you like and cook for ten to fifteen.

Wow thanks ladies!! Some great ideas here.

I love a good soup. And I the red dragon pie looks awesome!

I actually have some red Thai paste in the fridge but can look at how to make it too.

I need to learn about bulgar wheat and barley. And feta. I never use these but I looking forward to the opportunity.

Feta - this pie is really good (I cheat and use bought puff pastry):

Gently fry some onion and leek, until soft but not browned.
Crumble a packet of feta into a bowl and stir in the softened vege.
Chop up a load of baby spinach and shove that in the bowl too.
Add some fresh thyme if you've got it, and a squeeze of lemon; maybe half a teaspoon of honey, plus lots of black pepper (no salt, because the cheese is v salty already).
Put your pastry sheet on a lightly greased pan, and prick it gently. Put the feta mix onto one half, fold over and crimp the edges.
Cook until golden brown.

I love bulgar wheat. So easy to make and use!

Vege sausage and bean stew,

Feta. Greek salad.

I make a vegetable pie with as many different types of veg possible, covered in a bechemel and then topped with puff pastry.

Lentil and veg casserole with vege dumplings.

Shepherdess pie, with lentils as the meat.

Toad in the hole with cooked onion and mushroom as the toads. Served with carrot and swede mash and green veg.

Daal and chapati.

Mushroom stroganoff.

We use a lot of beans and pulses...some of the more unusual but interesting dishes include: Jerk Chickpeas, Spanish Butter Beans, Lentil Lasagne.
Happy Meat free January!

Dr, you've just reminded me About Spanish chickpeas. Yum!

Mushroom burgers with sweet chilli sauce and hollumi.
Falfel with wraps and hummus and salad

Roasted aubergine with feta and mint with couscous

Most things Mexican lend themselves well to being veggie.

Couregtte garlic chilli and mint pasta bake

Tagine and couscous

Good veggie sausages with Yorkshire puddings and gravy

veggie sausages Roasted with cherry tomatoes red onions garlic and herbs served wwih either bread pasta or some fried gnocchi or polenta.

Puff pastry tarte
ricotta an egg and some lemon zest mixed together spread over the pastry add whatever veg+ cheese you like.

Thanks all! So far we have had roasted veg lasagne and veg & feta filo pie. Tomorrow is spicy carrot and parsnip soup and next week planning to do the red dragon pie above and investigate mushroom burgers.

I love a challenge!

Oh and jerk chickpeas will happen!!

Verdura by Viana La Place. I love that book. Cianfotta, fabulous risotto eg the Swiss chard and porcini mushroom one, excellent soups, etc.

Just cooked celeriac gratin. Delicious. Jamie Oliver recipe loosely followed-Google it. Ps. I'm vegetarian all the time, there is so much inspiration out there, try not to get bogged down with butternut squash and goats cheese like every single frigging restaurant.

We love Jamie Oliver's pasta rotolo.

Those jerk chick peas look yummy, will be giving those a try too this week

the zoolets love parsnip cutlets-mashed parsnip and potatoes mixed with some ground nuts,shaped into patties and dip in polenta before spray with oil and bake in oven