Veggie mid-week meal ideas - need inspo

[Gweither]

Feel like I always cook the same old recipes over again:

• red lentil dahl
• Spanish style green lentils with chorizo
• jacket potato
• pasta with a sauce and some veg or lasagne
• halloumi fajitas

Looking to revamp my mealplans with some inspiring mid-week veggie meal ideas. TIA

i make roasted aubergine dhal

black eye bean shepherds pie

burnt aubergine chili

I often do a tray bake of vegetables in season with fajita Seasoning, grilled halloumi or mozzarella sticks with it. Heaps of flavour and the cheese has enough fat I feel satisfied after.

Chickpea and spinach curry
Veggie chilli
Pasta puttanesca (leave the anchovies?)
Veggie pizza and big salad
Veggie stew and dumplings
Stir fry with noodles

Buy The Green Roasting Tin recipe book.
I have several of The Roasting Tin series of books and they have got me out of a cooking rut.

Gnocchi pie www.coop.co.uk/recipes/gnocchi-topped-pie

Oven baked risotto www.hellofresh.co.uk/recipes/super-cheesy-oven-baked-tomato-risotto-6200da080ccbaa3a7322fe42

Egg fried rice www.tamingtwins.com/egg-fried-rice-recipe/

Shakshuka and crusty bread

Vegeree www.waitrose.com/content/waitrose/en/home/recipes/recipe_directory/s/spring-green-vegereewithsofteggsandcashews.html

Speedy quiche traybake www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/vegetarian-recipes/speedy-quiche-traybake/

Red Thai chickpea curry https://www.hellofresh.co.uk/recipes/red-thai-chickpea-curry-5f918b2ddb17da1d6c206eac

I second this. There are some good gnocchi dishes in the roasting tin books that I regularly make. Really easy and quick.

I also make a goats cheese lentil pie - finely chopped onions, garlic, green peppers and mushrooms cooked with a tin of lentils and flavoured with cumin. Then topped with goats cheese mash

Leek & cheese lasagna
Butternut squash coconut curry
Veg chilli
Halloumi tacos

Wraps are very popular here. Recently we did mushroom shawarma with coleslaw, chipotle mayo and salad. Also refried beans with crispy cauliflower, salsa and salad, both very filling and my carnivorous DS even said he didn't miss the meat.

butternut squash macaroni cheese, i add leeks, mushrooms and sage leaves

I make several portions of mixed bean chilli (this recipe is great https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/double-bean-roasted-pepper-chilli) and then over a few weeks do different things with it- quesadillas, nachos, wraps, with baked potato.

Rice salad with a peanut butter dressing ( peanut butter , honey , soy and rice vinegar)

Chickpea and sweet potato curry - roasted sweet potato , chickpeas , onion , curry powder, tomato purée and coconut milk

Egg fried rice packed with veg

Mayflower curry noodles

How much time do you have, OP? Can you make a dish at the weekend or on a night when you've got more time and energy and re-heat it midweek when time is tight? That's a big help.

Anyway, I'd suggest Red Dragon Pie, which is essentially a vegetarian shepherd's pie - this recipe is really just a starting point, lots of variations possible. https://www.shoestringcottage.com/sarah-browns-red-dragon-pie/

If you eat eggs, there are any number of things you can do with those. I love this one from Delia Smith, which is a Spanish tortilla - eggs, potatoes, onion, oil, salt, pepper. Not super quick but quick enough and really delicious. https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/tortillaspanishomele_67957

Soup - any kind. Ideal to make ahead and re-heat, but there are plenty of simple soups that don't take long to make. The more substantial kinds are a meal in themselves. Vegetable soups are great with bread. You could have cheese as well. Salad and/or fruit. Super easy and quick.

Oh yes, and this is good too. Very filling. Re-heats extremely well. Would probably freeze well too. https://www.theguardian.com/food/2023/jul/24/budget-peanut-butter-cheap-recipes-shivi-ramoutar-west-african-stew-peanut-butter-cups

I made a big load of vegetable samosas yesterday from stuff that needed using up.

Packet of filo
Mashed potato (seasoned with salt and black pepper)
Frozen mixed vegetables (chopped carrots, green beans, peas and sweetcorn)
Garam masala
Extra ground cumin, coriander, ginger
Chili powder
Turmeric

Mix it up, and make the filo parcels / triangular samosas (or a complete mess in my case). Stick together with water/flour or vegetable oil.

Brush with oil and cook in oven till golden blah blah. They are very lovely and you can have them with spicey rice or a simple vegetarian curry sauce (spices, chopped vegetables and/or beans, add tinned tomatoes) that you also make a head of time.

Buckwheat bake (based on a HelloFresh recipe with adaptations to make it easier

Chop a load of Mediterranean veggies of your choice (peppers and red onions vital, aubergines courgettes garlic possible if you like them) into lumps, toss in oil and roast for 30 mins

Boil some buckwheat in vegetable stock - use a bit less liquid than on the instructions packet - about twice the volume of water to buckwheat is about right. Let it boil until nearly all the water is absorbed then take the pan off the heat and leave it to absorb the remaining water (lid on tight so you don't lose the steam) until the veggies are done.

When the veggies are cooked, don't turn the oven off - mix up the roasted veggies, cooked buckwheat, a tin or two of drained black beans, a couple of tbsp of creme fraiche and lots and lots of smoked paprika with other seasoning if you wish.

Pack the mixture into a lasagne dish and sprinkle cheese on top then pop back into the oven for 15 minutes to let the cheese go bubbly.

Serve each portion with a dollop of creme fraiche and a generous sprinkling of fresh chives on top.

I make double or triple quantities up to the pre-cheesing step and have tubs of the ready-to-oven mixture in the fridge for an easier meal on a busy night - just empty into a dish, top with cheese and bake.

Thanks for all the ideas! Will be trying these out this week

A million versions of a Spanish omelette.

I often make a tart. Ready made pastry laid out and add either spinach and cheese or roast veg and mozzarella. Serve with salad.