Vegetarian Daily 'What's for dinner?' thread

[Florene]

I am a rubbish vegetarian. Not in the respect of not eating meat or fish, that I am very good at. But cooking interesting, and more importantly, nutritious dinners each night, not so much.

So I mainly eat toast. Or sandwiches. Particularly as I work a variety of shifts each week, and it's just easy. But I am low on energy and damn it, I want better meals.

So I am hoping that having started this thread, I can sit back and watch it grow, with daily updates from the more grown up organised amongst you, which will inspire me to join in.

Anything able to be cooked ahead then frozen is especially welcomed, but not essential.

I'll start us off.

Tonight I will be mainly eating.... mushroom pate on toast

French beans can be different shapes as well with flat cross sections or round cross sections, and all sorts of different shapes and sizes.

I misread your OP. I thought you wanted a week's worth of menus not just tonight's.

Lentil and potato curry, tonight. Leek and potato soup with hm seeded bread tomorrow night.

I got in late tonight, so had pasta with grated courgette - just stick some garlic and a decent lump of butter in a frying pan, then add the grated courgette and cook for 3-4 minutes. If you're feeling fancy, add a little fresh chilli too, or a squeeze of lemon juice. Absolutely don't overcook, or it loses the fresh flavour! Serve with veggie parmesan equivalent. Very easy, but very nice!

I hadn't mini soft tacos with quorn chicken.

Anything with filo pastry seriously.

Yum to everything (almost). Nice thread , OP 😊

Asparagus risotto, yum!

www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/asparagusrisotto_85593

Broad bean, pea and runner bean risotto had tonight (broad beans and peas supermarket frozen but runner beans from garden) and made apple cake from windfalls too

OP - I'm wondering whether are you so used to eating toast etc that you don't actually have an established regimen of having "proper" meals that you cook yourself, unless they happen to be there in the fridge?

I speak from personal experience (another busy veggie). I only reset my habit once DD came along. If it were just me I still wouldn't bother.

Tonight I'm having lentil lofte with flatbreads and salad
Rest of the week is looking like

• spicy bean fajitas
• pesto and chilli pasta
• lentil shepards pie

-grilled courgette pitta pockets

I tend to eat a lot of Asian, Mexican, Italian and middle eastern foods to keep things interesting

I like to plan for the week this is this weeks

M Cauliflower Cheese
T Superfood salad with a poached egg
W Harissa cabbage and white bean stew
T Roasted Mediteraninan veg and puy lentil medley, with goats cheese crumbled over
F out at my mothers
S pizza
S carrot soup and homemade cheese scones

Last week
M bubble and squeak with cheese and pickles
T succotash
W butternut squash and chickpea tagine
T ate at my MILs - Stuffed peppers
F veggie sausages cabbage, with fennel and white bean mash
S Homemade red pepper soup and cheese scones
S Roast dinner with a lentil loaf

Tonight we are having vegetable chilli made with cauliflower, carrots, courgettes, mushrooms, onions, tomatoes and lentils. We are having rice with that.

The rest of the week we are having:
Thurs - Shephers pie made with lentils, carrots, peas, sweetcorn, mushrooms, courgettes topped with sweet potato mash and ordinary potato mash
Fri - egg and lentil curry, rice, naan bread, poppadoms
Sat - home made pizza probably egg and spinach
Sun - Nut roast, roast potatoes, Yorkshires, peas, carrots, cauliflower, runner beans, roast parsnips and mashed parsnips

It is very easy to make mushroom pate. I just fry chopped mushrooms and garlic and then mix with soft cheese

I'm fasting today so it's rather dull dinner of madras lentils. Actually it's not that dull, they are really tasty just no nan of rice with it!

This is going well so far, thank you everyone.

No dinner to be cooked tonight as am at work, but I have plans to shop and cook tomorrow.

I am noticing that lentils are featuring heavily on here - I have made this before with quorn sausages which was lovely:

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/873634/italian-sausage-stew-with-rosemary-garlic-mash

Great thread! I've been veggie for 10+ years but totally agree, when cooking from scratch and being on the ball i have no issues eating well.

But when rushed with work -or very pregnant and knackered / fussy like now- it all goes to pot and I revert back to jacket potatoes.

Tonight having veggie spag bol with quorn. Quick to make with tinned tomatoes, garlic, red peppers, onions and herbs.

Love a green lentil or chickpea in most things though as a meat substitute / bulker.

I'm inspired by this thread so will hopefully be back tomorrow with a more exciting veggie dinner

@highinthesky It is absolutely a habit that I'm in, just picking toast because it's easy and immediate, and one that I definitely need to break.

I can cook, it just seems like such a lot of faffing around for one, planning the meals, shopping, cooking, clearing up. That's why I need to cook a few meal's worth in one go. And also because if I have to walk through the door after work and then think about it, it will never happen!

I know listening to what everyone else is having each night won't cure my culinary laziness ambivalence, but hopefully in conjunction with some a bit more effort, I will form a new habit of healthier eating

I just had a sort of veggie bake/ratatouille with mozzerella.

Roast courgette, lots of different peppers, aubergine, onion and mushrooms, drizzle all in oil and sprinkle a little oregano over before roasting.
Also shove in a few cloves of garlic just whole in their skin.
When the veg is getting nice and crispy at the edges take it out, mash the roasted garlic cloves, and mix it back in the roasting tin with some chopped toms and herbs etc.
Shove it back in the oven for a few mins to cook the toms, then add mozzerella or other cheese and cook till the cheese is going nice and golden.

All in one dish, so minimal washing up.

Tonight I am making a veggie chilli with beans and lots of peppers and mushrooms.

@AlternativeTentacle I am amazed that you have all these different beans in your garden! Am off to Google pictures of them now so I know the difference.

I am amazed that you have all these different beans in your garden!

One year I grew about 50 different varieties. That was to do with preserving some varieties that were down to the last few seeds.

Not veggie but aim for at least two nights a week. Tonight we're having smokey black bean quesadillas with home-made guacamole, pico de gallo and soured cream.

Can't wait (greedy emoticon).

Tonight's dinner was:
Potatoes, peppers, onions and courgettes roasted in garlic, with a quorn fillet [cheese and brocolli] and home made gravy.

Lentil shepards pie

Frequent dishes are;
Bean or quorn chilli
Courgette, pea, mint and cheese quesadillas
Spag and quorn meatballs
Paneer curry
Veg sausage stew with nice warm crusty bread!

Black bean chilli: onions, carrots, celery, cumin, chilli, black beans, tomato puree garlic, stock cube, raisins. Chuck in the slow cooker and stir in a chunk of dark chocolate at the end.

Vegetable moroccan stew: new potatoes, carrots, onions, courgettes, aubergine, olives, mint, mixed spice, cumin, cinnamon, honey, stock cube. Cut the veg into big chunks and put everything in the slow cooker. Serve with cous cous

Minestrone soup: small cubes carrots, broccoli stalk, cherry tomatoes, onions, celery, borlotti beans, stock, garlic, sage, parsley, simmer until veg is nearly tender then add some pasta. Top with more parsley.

Buddha bowl: bulgar wheat or quinoa, raw veg like carrots, cucumber, pepper, tomatoes, sweetcorn. Top with avocado and cashew chilli cheese sauce (handful cashews, nutritional yeast, salt, sriracha sauce, water, blended)