Vegetarians! Would you be happy with this substitution?

[Chelsea26]

Hi folks

Got some people coming around for dinner on Thursday night.

We’re planning on doing a leg of lamb with red onions, peppers & tinned tomatoes with some redcurrant jelly, mint sauce, thyme & oregano - cook it low and slow for ages and serve with roast potatoes and tenderstem broccoli or green beans - minimal prep but a bit special.

Just added a new person and she’s veggie so was trying to think what we could do for her that is similar (I would hate to do something completely different) and goes with the sides.

So if you were coming to dinner and were served baked feta with onions, peppers, tomatoes and herbs as your main, with roast potatoes and broccoli would you be happy or think it was weird?

No I wouldn't be particularly happy with a plate full of vegetables. Can't stand feta either.

I love feta, but I think halloumi would be more substantial with the veg - don't forget the roast potatoes can't be cooked in animal fat.

That sounds like a lovely dish that many would love! My only pause is that it’s possibly not one that really “goes” with the main and accompaniments. More usual substitutes in that kind of meal are a small (or slice of) pie/quiche, nut roast, mushroom wellington, etc. You can pick nice small ones of pretty much all these up from Sainsbury’s. But if it isn’t meant to be a Sunday lunch-y type meal I’d say a baked feta (or stuffed pepper type thing) would be excellent!

Wouldn’t that just be a pile of slop? Or am I missing something? Just thinking that I’ve had baked feta like that before but it was served as a sauce for pasta…

Not a vegetarian but I’d like that - maybe include falafel or chickpeas or something? But do check if the guest likes feta because if not there’s not much you can do with that!

I’ve done this kind of thing before and it’s v nice - if it’s a faff to do for one, you could make extra and freeze for you to have another day:

https://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/280385/greek-stuffed-eggplant/

I'm veggie and I like feta but the combination of feta (a greek salad cheese) with what is essentially a roast dinner doesn't go well.

What about some veggie style koftas (store bought) or kebabs made from halloumi and veggie meatballs? Or a similar style plait/parcel most big supermarkets do food frozen and fresh veggie pre-cooked mains or accompaniments, there's usually at least half an isle of it.

Halloumi and capers in the same tomato and vegetable sauce would work well

Thanks for responses. The lamb isn’t really a Sunday roast. After cooking I take it off the bone so it’s much more like a casserole/stew than perhaps I made it seem.

If it was a roast then yes the wellington/nut roast suggestions are much more usual and would be what I’d go for but as our main is “wet” (or slop @InTheRainOnATrain 😂) they don’t really work.

Halloumi is a good idea @Indianajet - maybe I’ll ask what she’d prefer.

The added complication is that I have a broken ankle so need things to be quite hands off - I’m a fairly good cook normally but trying to think of things that I can bang together and in the oven and then leave to it

That's a pasta sauce to me (delicious though it will be). Its rather wet....

A bit more of a centrepiece, but using similar ingredients and a teeny bit more effort, gets you this.

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/aubergine-melts

Or, buy ready made puff pastry and make her a little individual tart with the veg and feta as a topping. More texture, hardly any more work.

Or, buy ready made spanakopita and vine leaves.

Ah, broken ankle complicates things.

Cauldron beetroot falafel are fabulous, and would be delicious alongside roast veg and a yogurt sauce. I stir a little mint sauce into yogurt, it's perfect.

I would love that personally maybe with a couple of veggie sausages thrown in too

I feel perhaps it’s the roast potatoes throwing it off.

We could have the lamb (and the feta/halloumi/chickpea whatever) With flatbreads and couscous and salad maybe

Does that bring it together more?

@Chelsea26

that sounds like a better option.

though I'm an easy fed vegetarian & hate putting people to any extra work just for me & that's without your ankle to consider!

id be happy with just the 'slop'🙄🙄& sides from your original plan, as long as the roasties are cooked in veg oil, not any animal oils. The 'slop' sounds nice & id always be happy with that (cooked separate to the lamb) over a handful of pasta.

but if it's hassle, just the veg is fine.

I LOVE cheese, hate feta though! Don't like any goats cheese.

Or small Greek style roast potatoes with rosemary and garlic

I'd be happy with something like filo leek and mushroom pie with vegetarian gravy, roast potatoes and broccoli.

I’d be very happy with that - feta or halloumi. Do your roasties in vegetable oil, they come out superbly for me.

Sprinkle oregano and black pepper on your potatoes then roast in olive (not extra version) oil and you get Greek roast potatoes, all now goes perfectly

That sounds lovely!

Apolog if the ‘slop’ comment sounded rude, my friend did the feta thing as a pasta sauce and it was actually really nice but it was definitely a sauce! Maybe should have said that rather than sauce 🤣

Feta isn’t goat cheese, it’s made with sheep’s milk.

i’ve been veggie for 30 years and think it would be fine @Chelsea26 - maybe put in the feta in a baking parchment parcel with the herbs, some fresh red chilli’s, a few quartered cherry tomatoes and perhaps a tiny splash of white wine which will reduce the slop effect, then serve with the sauce on the side. I’d add some sliced green olives to the sauce btw. Alternatively roast or fried halloumi slices with the toms, olives, onions etc and tomatoe sauce later or at the end would be lovely.

Don’t dump the roasties, they go with everything

Could you make some sort of tart with the tomatoes and roasted veg? If she likes feta then add that, or mozerella if she might be fussier about strong cheeses? You can use shop bought ready roll pastry.

@Ophy83 has the best idea, those little Greek style roast potato cubes with rosemary and garlic would be perfect with the lamb or the cheese. It all sounds absolutely delicious.

If all the side dishes are safely vegetarian, maybe some baked halloumi or felafels? Or some store bought vegetarian sausages?

Wouldn’t that be awfully dry, though? The meat eaters getting a casserole and the vegetarian getting broccoli, roast potatoes and felafel?