Veggie friend coming over for lunch - what can I cook?

[Holymoly321]

Have two frieds coming up from London for lunch on Saturday. One is veggie so what can I cook? Has to be easy but fabulous as have two under two to worry about whilst cooking! I usually do a salmon pasta but as I've done it for her twice need to change the menu!

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french onion tart. make the night before then heat up.

cod you are in a norty mood today

actually if she easts salmon pasta steak is good enough for her.

Cod beat me to it!

and she isn't really veggie if she eats fish, is she?

Aubergine and chickpea tagine. You can cook it in advance and warm it up when you ned it

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do you have nigella express? her noodle salad went down well with my veggie chums recently...

here is the recipe:

dressing - whisk all together till smooth.

1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp garlic oil (or olive oil and 1 crushed garlic clove)
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
100g smooth peanut butter
2 tbsp lime juice

noodles - mix together, toss in dressing, sprinkle sesame seeds and coriander.

125g mangetout
150g beansprouts
1 red pepper, deseeded in strips
2 spring onions
550g cooked, cooled egg noodles
sesame seeds
coriander

enjoy! xxx

or goats cheese and red onion tart

stuffed peppers

stuffed courgettes

caponata

veg curry

all can be done ahead of time

if she eats fish then you could do what cod says and give her a nice tuna steak with rocket salad and a drizzle of lemon dressing with hot new potatoes

Its really nice weather - why bother to cook. In a similar situation, Dh (not vege) and I would do something like a large salad, then have things like dips, crackers, olives, nice bread, a bit of cold meat or fish (not for the vege obviously, as vegetarians don't eat fish) and houmus, a couple of pieces of nice cheese and perhaps, if you can get it, some cauldron pate (vege) - or make your own vege pate. This means that all you have to do is get everything outside onto a table (or go out somewhere for a picnic). No cooking, food to suit all...

Does she eat eggs? If so:

Hard boil an egg(about 1 or less per person).

Let it cool then chop roughly.

Cook some asparagus (end of season at the moment, so last chance to do this one)

Lay asparagus on plate. Toss chopped egg over stalks, Dress with some olive oil and lemon and possibly some capers.

A bit of salt, a bit of pepper, some crusty bread and salad and hey presto a ten minute classy lunch.

This salad is delicious.......

Mixed leaves topped with cucumber, peppers etc.

Walnut halves - fry gently in walnut oil until lightly browned - put in a very cool oven to keep warm.

Peel and core some pears and slice thinly. fry in the remaining walnut oil (from when you did the walnuts) until caramelised.

Serve with the walnuts on top of the salad.
Delicious!!!

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How about a Brie and Tomato Tart.

Buy -
Block of frozen puff pastry
6 Tomatoes
Red Onion
250grams Brie

Chop up the lot.

Defrost the pastry, roll it out so it's about the size of an A4 sheet of paper.

Score a square about 5 cm in from the edge. Prick the pastry inside the square.

Pile up the tomatoes, brie and onion.

Pour a teeny bit of olive oil on the top and chuck on a few herbs for garnish.

Cook at about 200 for 25 minutes or until pastry has risen.

Serve with a small salad.

It looks impresive and it's easy.

Why does it have to be fabulous? Just get French bread and lovely cheese and grapes.

Funny how you never see threads from vegetarians asking for meat-based recipes as their meat-eating friends are coming for lunch .

Ha - I always add cold meats to my cheese fest if we have carnivores to tea...

Stroppy - I salute you!

(Taking a bow) I don't even have separate shelves or anything.

Indeed, on account of most meat eaters being happy to eat vegetarian on occasion.

You could do roast veg pies - chuck chopped aubergines, courgettes, peppers, red onions, garlic, butternut squash, & cherry toms into roasting tin, drizzle with olive oil & balsamic vinegar, hottish oven until cooked. About 45 minutes.

Then stir through a couple of spoons of pesto (or tomato puree is OK tbh). You can do all this the night before.

Make or buy pastry (bought puff does give a bit of a Greggs look to end result tbh), cut into circles or rectangles, dollop on roast veg mix, fold over, back in oven for 20 minutes or so.

(Left over veg mix freezes well & is handy for stirring into cous cous or pasta)

Serve pies with new potatoes & salad.