BORED WITH THE SAME OLD FOOD EVERY WEEK....QUICK MEALS WITHOUT MEAT- ANY IDEAS?

[noonar]

i am stuck in a food rut. i try to buy quality organic stuff when i can, and dont like meat. i eat more convenience food than i'd like- (eg ready made quiche, jars of good quality pasta sauce). then i feel guilty and reach for the lentils and brown rice- which i love, actually. i'd so love to cook from scratch everyday, but cant seem to achieve this.

has anyone got any ideas for really simple, quick meals, to give me some variety? (if i eat another felafel i think i'll die of boredom!)

Gah! Now you tell me you've got the book! Could have saved myself the typing.

ok, am off to local shops, now that i'm feeling inspired. back soon.

One of Moondogs:
Cook some Puy lentils
mix up some olive oil, thyme and lemon juice
add to lentils
crumble feta into it, add salt and pepper

I sometimes add lazy garlic and chilli and/or capers or prosciutto.

oh purple, i'm sorry. i'm very very very grateful xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I like to make pad thai with marinated tofu, actually prefer it like this than with chicken. Very easy to make but you need t6o like noodles and peanuts.

If you eat fish, Nigella has a lovely kedgeree risotto recipe in Feast. It's a bit of work, but IMO it's so worth it.

another fave is roasted veg with pasta pesto and creme fraich ,
peppers courgette mushroom onion chop and fry or roast add to cooked pasta dollop on loadsa pesto and creme fraiche chuck in a ball of mozzerella and some toasted pinenuts and eat

No worries.
Not typing out Nigella's though.

Another VERY quick and easy:

scatter fine green beans into a roasting tin
wrap a piece of cod in prosciutto
put cod on top of beans
scatter garlic (don't even have to take the skin off) cloves over
scatter a couple of lemons over too, cut up
drizzle with olive oil, season

cook for 15 mins in a 180 oven. Really nice.

purple was looking at that recipe last night wondering whether it was worth the effort will give it a go this weekend
we must have same books!!

Another of our faves is pasta with a sauce made by heating mashed hard boiled eggs in creme fraiche with dill and chives, and smoked salmon on the top. Takes no time at all to make and is yummy.

I've never bothered with the quails eggs, ELR.

And her recipe really only does 2 grown ups for a full meal. My kids love it too, so I haven't made it for a while because there's never quite enough to go round for 5!

dd would love quails eggs!!

Get her to shell them then!

Need to go and think about salmon and couscous for tea.

Bon appetit!

we are having page 193 from jamiesdinners tonight

I made my dd mini fried eggs last week with quails eggs

No good to us - dd won't eat uncooked tomato, and only ds2 (10mths) seems to like olives!

Might do Noonar though.

wow, lots of good ideas, thanks. elr, i have ingredients for curry. too late for the girls, but dh and i will have it. wish me luck!

ulysses (sp), what kind of noodles do you use for the pad thai? i love the ones at wagamamas- are they similar, dyou know? do you have a recipe?

www, your recipe sounds perfect for supper with friends i'm having over next week

roast veg:

chop up peppers, red onion, courgettes, potatoes (small) - basically anything you want which will go 'soft'

toss in oliveoil (!), chilli flakes, lots of garlic

roast for 30 mins in 200 oven

throw in some tomatoes and cubed feta for additional 15 mins

serve with crusty bread or couscous

I eat meat and sometimes throw in parma ham or roast chicken etc

we eat some sort of version of this all the time as you can prep it in advance, put in the oven and go and do bath/story/bed whilst it is cooking away

haloumi is also lovely with this

moroccan veggie tagine (seves 4)

1)marinade:

• 1 bunch chopped coriander & 1 of parsley
• 2 tsp cumin & 2 of paprika (sainsbury stock a lovely spanish smoked paprika)
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1/2 cup good olive oil
• saffron (if you have it)
• 1 clove garlic, crushed

2)cut the following veg in chunks and marinate

• 4 tomatoes

• 3 potatoes

• 4 carrots
  -1 egggplant

• 2 onions

• 4 courgettes

• some pumpkin

• 2 sweet potatoes

marinate all 30mn and go play with kids

2)put 1st lot of veg in pan with 1 cup water
cook 10mn

3. add 2nd lot veg cook further 15 mn

If goes dry, add a little water.

4. serve with couscous or crusty bread

yum, thanks for your ideas.

elr, i made your curry it was fab, but next time i will use a stronger curry paste, as i could only get korma, locally.