Vegetarian meal ideas.

[LetThereBeRock]

I'd like to increase my rather limited repertoire of vegetarian meals, as while I do eat meat I love vegetarian food.

For example I'm having carrot fritters with salad tonight, my other regulars are macaroni and cheese, vegetable soup/minestrone,vegetable curry,though I'm still looking for a really good recipe for that,stir fries,pasta with roasted vegetables and spinach and sweet potato dahl.

I like to eat 3-4 vegetarian main meals a week so would appreciate any ideas at all.

The only limit is that I won't eat Quorn. Anything else goes.

TIA.

I've always liked the Cranks recipe books - vegetable crumble, homity pie (basically garlic, potato, onion and cheese; I make mine without pastry, sometimes just with puff pastry topping - carbohydrate fest!), macaroni cheese & veg, leek & dumpling casserole...

Thankyou,those sound so good.

I use the bbc good food website for inspiration.

Here's a good curry recipe from there:

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2027/onepot-mushroom-and-potato-curry

We also make a good sausage stew with a basic tomato, onion, pepper sauce and then add pre cooked chopped up veggie sausages (they don't need to be quorn!)

Happy cooking!

Stuffed peppers or mushrooms are always good. I stuff peppers with cooked lentils or rice and top with cheese and breadcrumbs. With mushrooms use tomato paste, pesto and cheese. You should be able to find recipes on the web. Butternut squash recipes too - i cook the squash whole like a jacket potato. Also veg lasagne, veg curry.

I have a lovely asparagus, leek and pea risotto cooking at the mo - can post the recipe if you want it.

I do a lentil and coconut milk soup and a vege and barley soup often - again, can give recipes.

Puy lentil lasagne v good.

Thankyou for the ideas Crikey and Nikki. I'll have to try those.

Janeite I'd love all of those recipes when you have time.They sound delicious.

My DD loves Red Dragon Pie - which is v easy to make, its basically aduki beans (but any smallish bean works too) with some bulgar or similar (have also used rice, buckwheat etc) diced carrots, onions/celery if you like it, cooked in stock, flavoured with tomato puree, soy sauce and herbs, topped with mashed potato. I also do it without the potato and have it with side veggies instead. Vary the mash with sweet potato.
I like the sound of Janeites lasagne too!

Right -

risotto - fry an onion and some garlic and 2 sliced leeks until softened but not coloured. Add 500grams risotto rice and about a litre and a half of boiling water and 2 teaspoons of Marigold vege stock. Transfer to a big oven proof dish and cover with tinfoil. Cook on 200 for 20 mins.

Then take it out and uncover it. Add some grated parmesan, chopped raw asparagus (I use a whole packet but you could use half if being frugal) a couple of handfuls of frozen petit pois, some fresh thyme and the juice of a lemon (or half) and lots of black pepper.

Return, uncovered to the oven (with maybe a bit more water if it looks as if it needs it) and cook it for about another 15 minutes but check after ten and it may need 20.

Nice with some rocket, red onion and balsamic vinegar.

The lasagne is yummy but I just make it up as I go along, so this is rather vague.

Fry some onion and garlic, celery if wished, diced carrot if wished. Add some fresh rosemary and thyme, a big slug of port or red wine, black pepper and a tub of passata. Add a load of puy lentils and maybe some vege stock (Made with Marigold). Cook until the lentils are done. I usually just whack the casserole off the hob and into the oven to cook, so I can ignore it. Tweak as needed with pepper, more port, more water etc.

Meanwhile roast some vege. Stir these into the lentils when all is cooked. use this as the 'meat' layer for the lasagne.

This is my favourite vegetarian recipe of all time.

Here are some of my current favourites:

butternut squash curry, tangy and delicious

best dhal recipe ever

pea and potato curry - janeite, she also has a recipe for puy lentil lasagne on there which is apparently very good, although I've not got round to making it yet.

courgette and pea risotto

I've got a big pan of mixed bean chilli on the hob at the moment.

Bean burgers are nice and easy - I just make them up using whatever I've got in the house, e.g. mashed chickpeas, lemon juice, chopped spring onions, garlic, herbs, bit of cumin (or sometimes roll the shaped burgers in cumin seeds, that's nice), bit of chilli, crushed peanuts, grated cheese etc. Mix all together and form into burger shapes. Stick in the freezer for 20 minutes to firm up, then fry over a medium heat till they're hot through. Nice with potato/sweet potato wedges.

Like the look of that pea and potato curry and it has the huge advantage of having no tinned tomatoes in it. WHY do so many veggie recipes call for tinned tomatoes?

Can't help you there, I'm afraid, as almost all my cooking involves tinned tomatoes

Thankyou for taking the time to type out the recipes Janeite. I appreciate it.

And thankyou for the recipes/ideas Cyteen,Pamela and Jaynie. I'm looking forward to trying them out.

PamelaTroglodytes: what the hell is "egg substitute"?

that lasagne recipe is amazing! is a tub of passata same as a jar? passata?

It's a powder that you can buy in places like Holland & Barratt. It's suitable for use in cooking that would traditionally contain eggs (cakes etc) for those with egg allergies/vegans.

Amid - the tetra pack tubs are smaller than that I think. I'd probably use around half of that jar, to avoid over-tomato-ing it!

thanks!