Meatless one night a week...

The Sweeper

Posting this here rather than in the vegetarian/vegan subsection, because this is a request for recipes, not a lifestyle choice query.

I would like to have two or three nights a week where we ate a meal not based around meat or a meat sauce. I tend to cook a lot of sauces so we seldom have just chops, potatoes and veg for instance, so the meat serving sizes we consume isn't huge.

However, I'd love to change my focus to having fish at least once a week (because we currently just don't) and a non-meat non-fish dish another one or two nights. The problem is I don't have any really good vegetarian recipes and unless I go to the markets, I don't always have access to good fish. I do have open access to affordable, frozen, raw king prawns though.

Most of my veggie recipes revolve around two basic premises:

1) We're not eating meat! OMFG! Quickly, to the 130g-of-pasta-apiece-mobile!

2) ...errr, I believe cheese is a good protein source. (/includes hand-sized serving of cheese per person in pasta dish.)

My mom has a good ratatouille recipe that she gave me ages ago, that's served with a cheese bread/pastry, but it takes quite a lot of cooking, and besides, it's only one recipe.

So any suggestions? The other reason this doesn't need to be in vegetarian/vegan is I'm happy to eat fish and to use chicken, fish or beef stock in any recipe that's suggested.

anonimouse

Have your tried substituting veg for meat in your standard curry/chilli recipes? If I want a veggie option I just tailor one of my existing recipes to suit e.g thai curry, etc as I find it quick and easy and therefore I am more inclined to cook it.

Soya beans (which can be found in the frozen section of the supermarket) are a great source of protein and are really nice in stews, curries, etc. Try to vary your veg too, sweet potato and butternut squash are great in curries.

The Sweeper

This might sound odd, but I'd rather specific vegetable recipes. For instance, butternut squash risotto (which I've just remembered) - I'm far more likely to set out to specifically make that than to say "I'll make a thai green chicken curry, I'll just use squash instead of chicken".

I know a lot of this is mental conditioning, but it's like mange tout.

I hate mange tout.

In my early 20s, I used to put it in stir fries.

I used to buy mange tout and stirfry it with other veggies to make my supper.

Then I'd push everything around the plate until I'd finished and just left a pile of mange tout. It took me years to come around to the idea of just not buying the mange tout in the first place.

anonimouse

O k a y... that sounds a bit strange but if it's your thing then it's your thing.

Here are a couple of recipes that I like:

Lentils with portobellos, garlic and red wine

Serves 4

1 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, chopped
cloves garlic, finely chopped
8 Portobello mushrooms (any will do actually, or you can miss the mushrooms out altogether, as I quite often do if I don't have them)
2 tomatoes, chopped (I peel mine but you don't have to)
thyme (fresh or dried)
410g can green lentils (I actually use dried ones that I've soaked all day)
250ml red wine (I use a bit more)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard (I use wholegrain if it's what I've got)


1) Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the onions, cover and cook for 5 mins or so.

2) Add the garlic, mushrooms, tomatoes & herbs, and stir until lightly coated with the oil. Cover the pan and cook gently for a further 10 mins or so.

3) Add the lentils, together with their liquid. (** If using dried ones that have been soaked, I tend to add the drained lentils plus about a glass of water- enough to cover, anyway**) Cover and leave to simmer over a gentle heat for 30 mins (a bit longer if they were dried, depending on how hard they are)

4) Stir in the mustard (you can mix it in a small bowl with some of the liquid from the pan first if you want to but I don't). Season with salt and pepper, then serve.

Veggie Paella Serves 4
Ingredients:

8 ounces long-grain rice
1 Red pepper, diced
1 Green pepper, diced
4 ounces mushrooms, diced/sliced or however you like it
3 ounces frozen peas
1 onion (but only if you have bad taste), chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
850ml stock
1 tsp paprika
1 good pinch of saffron, or 1 tsp of turmeric is fine
2 tomatoes
Some fresh parsley
Oil for frying

Whaddya do:

1. Fry the onion for about three minutes, add peppers, mushrooms and garlic and stir-fry for three minutes.

3. Add rice and fry for one minute, stirring.

4. Add stock, paprika and saffron/turmeric, should cook for about ten mins or so.

5. Add peas and cook for a few more minutes

Tagine Bil Hummus

From The Vegetarian Table: North Africa by Kitty Morse

1/4 C. vegetable oil
1 Lg.onion, finely diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
12 fresh cilantro sprigs, minced
1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon (be scant with this or it can be overpowering)
1/2 tsp. cayenne
3 carrots, cut into 1/4 inch diagonal slices
2 15oz cans of chick peas. Reserve the liquid.
1/2 tsp. black pepper
salt to taste
Minced fresh cilantro for garnish (aka coriander leaves)

Heat oil over medium-high heat and cook the onion until tender (6-8 minutes). Stir occasionally. Add garlic, cilantro, turmeric, cinnamon, cayenne, carrots, and reserved liquid from the chickpeas. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook until carrots are tender (10-15) minutes. Add chickpeas, pepper, salt, Heat through. Before serving, garnish with cilantro.

The Sweeper

Thanks for those, that's precisely the sort of thing I'm looking for!

oblivious

Also what a Portabella Mushroom burger for the BBQ

olaola

Veggie Chilli

Fry onion, garlic and chillis together.
When soft add tin of tomatoes and your spices - cumin, coriander and paprika (or whatever you like). Then add in your veggies - I usually put in different coloured pepper and maybe some courgettes.
Tin (or soaked) kidney beans… let bubble away until the peppers are cooked.
Last min add in chopped coriander and lime juice.

Serve with crème fraice/sour cream, grated cheese, jalapenos and tortillas.

Sometimes I make mexican rice too - cook up some rice (I use boil in the bag brown rice for this purpose) Add tomato puree, spices, some tomatoes and kidney beans. More or less the additions to the chilli again.

Or falafel -
Whizz up some cumin & coriander seeds, parsley, garlic and onion with a tin of drained chickpeas. Shape into small patties and fry up in a pan. Serve with homemade taziki (yoghurt, grated cucumber, garlic and lemon juice) in a pitta with salad.

Swampy

Excuse the american measurements.

Eggplant Parmigiana
Recipe courtesy Mario Batali
Show: Molto Mario
Episode: Vegetable Antipasti
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for oiling the baking sheet
2 large eggplant, about 2 pounds
Salt and pepper
2 cups basic tomato sauce, recipe follows
1 bunch fresh basil leaves, chiffonade
1 pound fresh mozzarella, sliced 1/8-inch thick
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs, lightly toasted under broiler

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Using some extra-virgin olive oil, oil a baking sheet.

Slice each eggplant into 6 pieces about 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick. Lightly season each disk with salt and pepper and place on the oiled sheet. Bake the eggplant at 450 degrees F until the slices begin turning deep brown on top, about 12-15 minutes. Remove the eggplants from the oven. Remove the slices from the baking sheet and place them on a plate to cool.

Lower oven temperature to 350 degrees F. In an 8 by 12-inch brownie pan, place the 4 largest eggplant slice evenly spaced apart. Over each slice, spread 1/4 cup of tomato sauce and sprinkle with a teaspoon of basil. Place one slice of mozzarella over each and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon grated Parmigiano. Place the smaller slices of eggplant over each of the disks and repeat with tomato sauce, basil, and the 2 cheeses. Repeat the layering again until all the ingredients are used.

Sprinkle the toasted bread crumbs over the top of the eggplant dish, and bake uncovered until the cheese is melts and the tops turn light brown, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

Basic tomato sauce:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 Spanish onion, 1/4-inch dice
4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves, or 1 tablespoon dried
1/2 medium carrot, finely grated
2 (28-ounce) cans peeled whole tomatoes, crushed by hand and juices reserved
Salt

In a 3-quart saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft and light golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the thyme and carrot and cook 5 minutes more, until the carrot is quite soft. Add the tomatoes and juice and bring to a boil, stirring often. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes until as thick as hot cereal. Season with salt and serve. This sauce holds 1 week in the refrigerator or up to 6 months in the freezer.

Yield: 4 cups

Minder

Spanakopita filo triangles are a reasonably quick veggie alternative. I usually follow the recipe that is included in every packet of filo pastry I have ever bought.

Spinach
Feta cheese
Seasonings and grated nutmeg
Melted butter
Seasme seeds

I add toasted pine nuts, some recipes add dill or mint

Wilt the spinach in a large pan with just a splash of water to prevent sticking. Once cooked and cool squeeze out as much water as possible and chop. Mix with the feta and other ingredients.

Roll the filo pastry out and cut into long strips - about 3 inches wide.
Take two pieces of filo and brush with melted butter. Add a dollop of filling at one end and fold by taking the lower corner and bring it up to the top edge about three inches in - making a triangle. Continue to fold the pastry around the filling by folding along each edge until you are at the end of the sheet. Take the made triangle and brush with more melted butter. Scatter with seasme seeds.

Cook in the oven at 180 - 190c for 25 minutes.

Puff pastry slice with oven roast tomatoes, blue cheese and rocket.

Oven roast tomatoes are time consuming to make but do store well in the fridge under oil. Take some tomatoes and cut in half. Place in a baking tray and scatter with fresh herbs - rosemary, basil, chervil, pepper and sea salt and lashings of olive oil. Bake at a high heat for 20 minutes, then cool the oven to 140 and cook for another hour or until the tomatoes are semi dry.

Take a packet puff pastry and roll out to 6 or 7 mm. Place on an oiled baking sheet and prick the pastry with a fork, scatter with the tomatoes. Take a blue cheese and crumble around the pastry. Bake for 25 minutes at 190c - the pastry should be golden - keep an eye on it and reduce the heat if it starts to brown.

Take from the oven and cool slightly, scatter with fresh rocket and drizzle with olive oil.

The roast tomatoes are also very good with garlic and linguine, rocket and parmaesan.

Khannie

Vegetarian lasagne ftw tbh. Absolutely _love_ it and I'm a major carnivore. I'm sure there are plenty of recipies on the interweb. We put anything and everything into ours.

The Sweeper

Good ideas all - I'd forgotten about vegetarian lasagne! I used to make that and layer mushrooms to get a meaty texture... there's one to revisit!

luckat

The Broad Bean Dish

Packet of frozen broad beans - I think Aldi does these, or maybe it's Lidl.
Tin of tomatoes
Tomato puree
Herbs to taste
Olive oil
Salt, pepper
Onion
Garlic
Cheese

Make your standard tomato sauce - sautee onions and garlic in olive oil, add tomatoes, simmer for a bit, add herbs, puree, salt and pepper.

Cook your broad beans in boiling salted water.

Throw the beans (without the water) into the tomato mix, cook for a couple of minutes. Put the mixture in an oiled casserole dish and bake in the oven for 20 minutes or so. Top with grated cheese and sizzle so the cheese is crispy - or you can top with mashed potatoes with cheese mixed in and sizzle *that* so it's a little crispy and burnt on top.

(You can also make this with fresh tomatoes and broad beans, obviously, but it's a handy winter-and-spring dish using tinned tomatoes and frozen beans.)

Quality

What about an Omellete? Very quick and easy nice with a light salad.


A vegetarian Pizza.

Stuffed peppers with Cous cous.

Jacket potatoes with veggie fillings and salad. (Beans, cream cheese etc.)

hairymolly

We'r not great meat eaters, lately i'v been messing in the kitchen, and this is what i'v come up with. A can mixed beans rinsed and drained, red onion finely choped, two cloves garlic finely choped, quarter chili finely choped,stuffed green olives choped,tomato choped,fresh herbs, seeds,nuts, brocolli florets. Serve on a bed fresh spinach leaves. Can add grated cheese or goats cheese. Drizle with home made balsamic dressing. 6 tablespoons ex.v olive oil to 1tablespoon balsamic vinegar, double, triple, finely choped garlic, black pepper, oregano. Any one got recipe for lentil loaf?

olaola

Minesajackdaniels wrote: »

Good ideas all - I'd forgotten about vegetarian lasagne! I used to make that and layer mushrooms to get a meaty texture... there's one to revisit!

Sometimes I use aubergines instead of pasta - makes it quiet meaty too.

oblivious

olaola wrote: »

Sometimes I use aubergines instead of pasta - makes it quiet meaty too.

almost like a veg Moussaka!

Krusty_Clown

Here's some of the things I like to do towards the end of the week, when the meat-stocks are running low:
Vegetarian Ramen - Easy to prepare with mostly cupboard ingredients. Delish!
Individual Pizzas - I'll either use Pizza bases, or sometimes use 'wraps' to make a snack, calzone-style. Kids absolutely love them and they're very healthy.
Soup - It's not just for lunch you know!
Stir-fry - Yawn!

Minder

Peter Gordon is one of my favourite chefs and the following is his recipe...

Noodles with creamed seasme sweetcorn, crisp tofu and toasted walnuts.
Serves 2

250g tofu in cubes
100g sweetcorn
5 flo oz cream
2 tsp toasted seasme seeds
2 spring onions thinly sliced
flour to dust the tofu
salt
1/2 tsp paprika
40g walnuts
150g ramen noodles
Chopped chives

Try and get a robust tofu - the silken stuff is too watery and will loose it's shape. Drain it on some kitchen paper for 30 minutes to extract some moisture.

Cook the corn, cream, spring onions and seasme seeds until reduced by 1/3rd. Blend to a puree and taste for seasoning.

Mix flour, paprika and salt and dust the tofu. Heat some oil in a frying pan and fry the tofu until golden. Remove, add a splash more oil and cook the walnuts.

Place some sauce on a plate, top with noodles and scatter the tofu and walnuts, sprinkle with chopped chives.

The sweetcorn and seasme are made for each other. This dish works well with sweet potato wedges if tofu is a step too far:D

Kitty_N

I know you're trying to stay away from pasta/cheese options but this is a huge hit with the hardcore carnivores in my house.

Spinach and Ricotta Canneloni

I judge mostly by sight so to serve four I use...

8 dried lasagne sheets (or canneloni tubes if you can find them)
1 bag frozen/fresh spinach
2 small tubs ricotta cheese
pinch of nutmeg
salt and pepper
Parmesan

For sauce:
2 tins chopped tomatos
chilli flakes
garlic
basil & oregano
chicken stock cube

Pretty self explanatory, boil lasagne sheets two or three at a time untill they are very soft but not falling apart. Once soft enough transfer to cold water to stop from cooking. Mix cooked spinach and ricotta. Place mixture on centre of lasagne sheet and roll up. Repeat. Pour sauce over, sprinkle with parmesan and stick in the oven for half an hour.
Yum.

cozmik

Minesajackdaniels wrote: »

I don't always have access to good fish.

au contraire! canned wild red salmon from Alaska is available in most supermarkets and is far superior nutritionally to fresh farmed salmon. Canned sardines are another highly nutritious option.

regards

cozmik

muckety

Get a copy of Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian cook book - hundreds of vegetarian recipies in here (and we - like you - are not vegetarian, just like to eat a wide variety of food).

The Sweeper

Thanks, muckety, I'll take a look at that.

NextSteps

Lots of things involving beans (protein!), for example a good bean provencal stew with potatoes. Or bean soup.
Egg dishes - omlettes, Spanish omlettes, soufflés.
Vegetable tempura.
Stuffed aubergines, or courgettes. If you stuff a salted aubergine with a mixture of finely chopped aubergine innards, lemon juice, wholemeal flour, garlic, egg, parsley, goat's cheese and pepper, and bake for about 30 minutes, it's absolutely delicious.
Roasted peppers stuffed with yesterday's risotto.
Various things au gratin - I love endives, for example, though they are usually wrapped in bacon before baking.
Onion and goat cheese pie.

I think the thing with vegetarian food is that you often cook a dish, rather than something to go beside your veg and spuds in the space where the meat was. That isn't always very satisfactory.

Fish pie is lovely too.

The Sweeper

UB I'd rather cook a dish than just plonk tofu on the plate where steak used to be. I'm also trying to feed other carnivores, and we'd all happily eat a lot of veg and carbs but there's always a space where the protein was.

Subsequently I'd rather specific meat-free recipes so that 'gap' isn't as obvious - vegetarian pies, for instance, lasagnes, risottos and so on.

noby

We had chips and fried eggs lastnight. I won't bore you with the recipe.

oblivious

Not my recipe but i have tried it and its very good

Three Bean Chilli

Recipe serves 6-7 people.
Spices are for mild to medium chilli, once the addition of cheese is taken into account. Adjust spices to taste.

Ingredients:
1-2 Can(s) of Baked Beans.
2 Cans of Butter Beans.
3 Cans of Kidney Beans.
2 Cans of Tomato purée
2-3 Tablespoons of Tomato Ketchup.
3-4 tablespoons of Soy Sauce.
250-350ml of liquid (water, beer, wine, or whatever's handy).
2 Onions.
5 or 6 shakes of Tobasco Sauce.
Chilli paste or fresh chilli. I use 6 Fresh Green finger chillies and consider it mild.
1 Heaped tablespoon of Cumin.


Method:
Empty the Baked Beans into a large pot.

Drain and empty the Butter Beans into the large pot.

Drain and rinse the Kidney Beans, emptying one of the cans into the large pot.

Chop the other two cans of Kidney Beans into a rough paste, before emptying into the pot.

Add the Tomato purée, Tomato Ketchup, Tobasco Sauce, Soy Sauce and liquid. Stir well and put on a medium heat.

Chop and fry the onions and chillies with the cumin, until the onions are cooked. Add to the mix.

Stir well and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, for 20 - 30 minutes.

Serve with brown rice and plenty of grated cheddar. I usually throw two 250g bags on the table. The cheese is an important part of the flavour and it serves to cool down the chilli heat. Put the bottle of Tobasco on the table for anyone who wants to heat it up a bit.

also can be served with with hot dogs!

Minder

Kitty_N wrote: »

Spinach and Ricotta Canneloni

Make a similar dish with pancakes instead of pasta.

bonkey

Mightn't be your cup o' tea, but we sometimes make a chunk of falafel, and serve it with pitta breads, shredded white cabbage, slices of tomato & cucumber, a garlic-yoghurt dip and harissa....and let people make their own falafel pittas.

Also along the chickpea line is good ol' chickpea-and-spinach curry. If you'd like a recipe for that, just holler....but from the name you can probably figure it all out

I posted a recipe for an Indian lentil-and-veg curry soup some time ago (which the carnivores can add meat like chicken to if they wish). I can dig that up again if you want.

The Sweeper

Hit me with the recipe for falafel and for spinach and chickpea curry if you would - I'm open to all curry recipes, always.