Vegetarian dinner party recipes

[Bumperlicioso]

I'm planning on inviting a colleague over to dinner with her boyfriend. She is a vegetarian so I could really do with some crowd pleasing veggie recipes. Ideally not involving lentils as they aren't my favourite things in the world...

This is wonderful and easy to make...I just do one big one and use large mushrooms..
here

Otherwise try deliaonline as she does good veggie stuff..

3-Bean Chilli
serves 3-4

1 onion, sliced
2 cloves crushed garlic
2 carrots, sliced
2 tins chopped tomatoes
100ml white wine
450ml vegetable stock
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp chilli flakes
1 can borlotti beans
1 can cannellini beans
1/2 can kidney beans
salt & pepper

1. Fry onions until they are beginning to soften in a small amount of olive oil, then add the garlic and carrots. Continue to cook for 3 minutes.

2. Add the wine and reduce for a few minutes. Add stock, spices, chilli. Simmer for 35 min, or until sauce has thickened. Add all the beans and seasoning. Simmer for a further 8 minutes.

Serve with tortillas, sour cream, salsa etc

Will second the three bean chilli

OR

Goats cheese and leek quiche

Pear and stilton salad

Veg mousaka with homemade bread

That mushroom and stilton one sounds good. I wonder if you could substitute the stilton for something more edible?!

Jamie Oliver has a v nice stuffed butternut squash recipe, which is great served with some sort of spicy salsa or relish.

I must admit, I tend to do either a huge lasagne, or a big caramelised onion quiche, with roasted new potatoes and garlic and a nice salad. Otherwise I'd go Middle eastern and do a tajine, with cous cous, some salads, dips etc.

Stuffed pancakes
Gougère
Soufflé

Stuffed roast red pepper with greek salad served with rice, nice veg (asparagus or french beans or what ever you fancy) with houmous.

If you like recipe please let me know and will post it (lazy sorry!)

Pasta with Porcini sauce (see JugglerMum's recipe on here)

Chilli made with soya mince (and/or puy lentils...gwan they're delicious!) with all the trimmings...salsa, guacamole, tortillas, cheese etc

Mushroom Stroganoff with wild rice

Rigatoni baked with peppers and taleggio cheese

Onion tart (recipe on here)

Caramelised onion tarte tatin

Red thai curry with tofu

All really fab ideas thanks, great inspiration, I knew I could count on you guys!

Thai curry is a v good suggestion.

I'd be wary of soya mince/quorn as many veggies don't like it (well, I don't!).

suspect you could substitute the stilton, but it works sooooooooooo well - it truely is a scummy pie, for very little effort! Search simon rimmer on bbc food - loads of good veggie stuff and easy to do.....

If it's casual, my favourite vegetarian pasta recipe is:

Roast cherry (or other small) tomatoes in a little olive oil (prick them all or cut in half, depending on size). Roast them for about 40 minutes in a medium hot oven.

Cook pesto according to instructions, then drain and add pesto and mix well. Add the tomatoes, chunks of avocado and feta/goats cheese.

Also, my favourite goats cheese tart recipe which I normally do as a starter:

Roll out puff pastry into appropriate sized squares/circles and score a line 1 cm from the edge. Smear a layer of red pesto within the scored area then top with soft goats cheese that has had a mixture of herbs added (I like chives and dill or parsley personally). Top with tomatoes (slices, chunks, whatever), drizzle with olive oil and cook in the oven at 180 for about 25 minutes until brown and puffed pastry is visible and the tomatoes look cooked. I like to top them with some fresh rocket before serving.