Vegetarian stew-type thing

[LowLevelWhinging]

The meat-eaters are having a slow cooked lamb thing and we'll have dauphinoise potatoes and greens.

But what would the veggies want instead of lamb?

My brain is stuck at, er, rataouille.

Any other suggestions please?

I used to make my dad a nice chilli stew, using all the ingredients i had for meat stew minus the meat...adding in mixed beans (kidney, haricot, black eyed anything you have) and chillis, he used to love it, i am sure you could do the same with the other ingredients you have for the lamb?

I have a recipe that I use sometimes for a chickpea, tomato, paprika & sweet potato stew type thing that has gone down well with DH's veggie stepmum. Not sure if it's a bit too much like ratatouille though as I think it has red peppers in too

What's the lamb cooked in? If it's a red wine sauce, you could make the same but with veg stock, mushrooms and chunks of root veg, and maybe some beans or add some veggie sausages (I like the Cauldron ones).

Braised puy lentils -

Roast some shallots or red onions, peppers and carrots.

Meanwhile fry a diced onion and a couple crushed garlic cloves. Add some fresh thyme and/or rosemary and a good grinding black pepper. Add a load of port or red wine and a bit of vegetable stock plus puy lentils and cook until the lentils are tender. Add salt and stir in the roasted vege.

thanks for your help

Some good suggestions here!

Ask them???

Was going to suggest a similar thing as keep the change a smoked butternut chilli. Or Denis Cotter's spicy chickpeas - I crave these, they are so good.

argh, I'm still agonising over this and need to do the online shop now!

I'm thinking it needs to go with the dauphinoise potatoes in style, but the French are not known for their vegetarian options!

So, I'm avoiding the kind of moroccan or chilli style.

Do you think lentils/chickpeas would go with dauphies, texturally ?

Or maybe something like melanzane al forno would be better (though Italian, not French obviously!)

I'm over thinking this aren't I?

Goats cheese and tomato tart this tastes good and is fairly simple to make - it will need some greens or a salad to break through the richness but it's a dish I have made over and over again. I use a light fresh mousse-like goats cheese rather than a older one with a bloom. Rosary goat is good for this.

Why not....ask them?

Vegetarians are actually quite good at telling you what they like to eat. Just like normal people.

ha! yes, I know I could ask them but I don't actually have a contact number for the veggie, she is friend of a friend who I've said bring along.

I wouldn't ask - if anyone asked me I'd insist on bringing my food along because I wouldn't wish to put them out. The other thing I don't like about asking is I like for someone else to do the menu planning as well as the cooking, the menu planning is half the work...it takes away from the pleasure if I have to figure out what I will eat and what they can cook without putting them out too much, it would be easier to just bring something.

Cecci Romana (chick peas Roman style):
Fry together 3 cloves garlic, 1tsp chopped rosemary, a touch of chilli powder, 1 chopped red pepper and some freshly ground black pepper in olive oil.
Add about 6 large chopped tomatoes and fry until turned into a nice thick sauce.
Add 2 tins/cartons drained and rinsed precooked chickpeas, salt to taste, and cook a bit longer till it's all nicely acquainted.
Easy peasy, very tasty, lovely with pots dauph. Serves 4-6.

good points all. I've just done a quick social network straw poll and votes have gone to pastry based stuff or er more potatoes!

I'm surprised, I was thinking stew! Those chickpeas sound good Fossil.