Best vegetarian recipes for non-vegetarians?

*Maya*

ChocClare wrote: »

I think I can cunningly use up my supplies without her noticing, tbh.

Does she want to be a vegetarian because she dislikes meat or is it for ethical reasons too? If its for ethical reasons then it would be wrong to ''cunningly'' use your supplies without discussing it with her. I only mention it because I have a vegetarian friend who would be very upset if this was done to her.

I am a meat eater but this is one of my favourite vegetarian meals and it goes down well with anybody I made it for.

http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/type-of-dish/italian/pasta/roasted-mediterranean-vegetable-lasagne.html

Liquorice_Twirls

I recently cooked for my daughter's 16th birthday dinner and there were quite a few vegetarians coming so I was worried about getting tried and tested recipes that would work.

In the end we found loads of great recipes on BBC Good Food website. You can find vegetarian recipes, and they even have a Top 10 of veggie recipes. Also people who have made the dish can comment and say things like "I also added mushrooms, or I didn't add quite so much wine etc"

We made the Veggie Shepherd's Pie with sweet potato mash and those who ate it loved it and asked for the recipe.

The recipes are all free and you can save your favourite recipes for next time.

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/

ChocClare

floss2 wrote: »

Anchovies. Honestly, it is!

Actually, now you come to mention it, I do remember that. I don't think she'll worry about the odd anchovy tbh. Her father eats them like they're going out of fashion and she call's them "Daddy's disgusting fish". I don't think ethics will come in to it at all...

ChocClare

*Maya* wrote: »

Does she want to be a vegetarian because she dislikes meat or is it for ethical reasons too? If its for ethical reasons then it would be wrong to ''cunningly'' use your supplies without discussing it with her. I only mention it because I have a vegetarian friend who would be very upset if this was done to her.

I think if I were to sneak odd bits of minced chicken into things the way I used to disguise veg when they were younger, then she would be upset, and rightly so. I don't think the odd quarter-anchovy in the Worcestershire sauce is going to upset her. I generally use Marigold stock which is vegetarian anyway; cheese of course contains rennet, but I will let her discover that for herself later in the programme, as I have not yet checked whether it is animal or vegetable rennet in the cheese we are eating at the moment, so I don't want to make an issue out of something which may not even be an issue! Our opposite neighbour breeds prize-winning calves - they are ultra-cute, but it is a fact that, while the girls are valuable, most of the boys don't live very long, though they do have a very nice life for the time that they are alive, which we all agree in our family is the most important thing.

I think it is the question of animal welfare which has started her off on this. She will wear leather, as a by-product of the industry, and she is happy to eat eggs (just as well, as I've got 10 ex-battery hens!) and drink milk and eat cheese (and of course, the rennet is also a by-product of the industry). So I don't think she will have too much of a problem with using up things which are made with a small amount of meat or fish while we are getting started. This is all very new for all of us and she is a very reasonable teenager!

Recipe looks yum, btw - I think my mum made this when my brother and his (vegetarian) partner were down. Her first REAL veggie meal - we were so proud! Ordinarily she'll say, "of course, Mark's a vegetarian, so we'll have chicken". As they said on The Royle Family "could he eat wafer-thin ham?":rotfl:

wiseways

My son was vegan until he was 8 years old, and was always far healthier than his friends, and stronger btw. Anyway I won't get into the politics as that is not what your thread is about. He is veggie now, a teenager and has been given a lot of stick but refuses to eat meat because he doesn't like it. I have huge amounts of recipes as we are all veggie. When using meat replacements it depends which product you use and how you cook it as to whether it is good or not, but I don't think that any of it actually tastes like meat. Here are some, anyway.

Chilli con carne

textured vegetable protein (soya mince)
tinned tomatos (chopped)
kidney beans
chick peas (if you are not keen on them they can be mushed before adding)
onions
garlic
peppers
chilli powder
cooking oil

fry onions in oil, when golden add soya mince, garlic and chilli powder until oil soaked up. pour in tinned tomatoes. Now add chick peas, peppers and kidney beans. Heat through until everything is the desired softness for your taste. This can be served with cous cous, bulgur wheat, jacket poatato or the usual rice.
It is very nutritious and chick peas are loaaded with protein,iron and most b vitamins. Beans (pulses) contain a concentration of lignins also know as phytoestrogens, which protect against cancer of the breast, protate and colon. lignins may also balance hormone levels in the body.

noodles with quorn chunks

cooked noodles
quorn chunks
onions
garlic
fresh ginger grated and chopped
fresh lemons grated
soy sauce
mushrooms
cooking oil
sesame oil (to fry noodles)

fry onions, quorn and mushrooms in small amount of oil, add grated lemon rind and chopped and grated ginger. fry until it all begins to brown then add soy sauce and squeeze lemon over, put to one side somewhere warm for a minute whilst you quickly fry noodles in sesame oil serve immediately with quorn mix on top.
This is a very quick and tasty dish.

The chilli con carne can be cooked with mixed pulses if prefered instead of meat replacements. I have sooo many recipes, so if you are after anything specific or with specific ingredients let me know. I have to get off the computer now as my other half wants to use it. I can also advise on nutrition if required btw.:cool:

charliee_3

i made this one once.. link i replaced goats cheese with normal cheese as i loathe goats cheese. it was delicious.. absolutely delicious... everyone loved it and you could make a big one and save some for another day...

huston_kw

This is a hit with all my house:

Lentil Soup

INGREDIENTS

* 225 g lentils (any work well in this soup)
* 60 ml olive oil or butter (I use a mix of both - the oil stops the butter from burning)
* 2 cloves of garlic (I tend to add more but this depends on your taste buds)
* 1 onions, diced
* 1 large carrot, diced (or a tin of mixed veg works just as well)
* 1 litre of water (approx)
* 1 teaspoon of oregano
* 1 teaspoon of rosemary
* 2-3 bay leaves
* 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
* salt and pepper to taste
* red wine vinegar to taste

DESTRUCTIONS

1. Place lentils in a large pan, cover with water. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil; cook for 10 minutes. Drain lentils and put aside. If you using green lentils these need soaking overnight - I tend to use red for this.

2. Put olive oil (or butter) in the pan, and place over medium heat. Add garlic, onion, and carrot (or mixed veg); cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Pour in lentils, add water and herbs. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to allow to a simmer for 10 minutes.

3. Stir in tomatoes and season to taste. Cover and simmer until the lentils have softened, approx 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add additional water if the soup becomes too thick. Serve with drizzle of red wine vinegar.

I add a chopped chilli to this soup, at the stage of adding the lentils back to the pan. You can use different herbs, but the bay leaves are a must.

If the soup is a bit runny add a bit of tomatoe puree, this soup is for four, with left overs! And it taste better re-heated next day!

CCP

My parents had a similar situation when my sister and I were growing up - my sister has been veggie since she was 10 (like your dd she never liked meat much even before that), while I have always loved meat and would be very reluctant to give it up.

My favourites of the veggie meals we had were roast veg lasagne (which several people have already mentioned), aubergine parmigiana (layered with tomato sauce and mozzarella, for anyone who doesn't know what that is) and "chicken" casserole - my mum would either make a casserole for all of us with quorn, or would make the sauce then take off a portion for my sister then add chicken to the rest.

I'm also a great fan of veg and lentil chilli - it's one of the few veggie meals I know that's better than a meat-based meal (and that's very unusual for me - I'm a hopelessly devoted carnivore!).

Good luck with this - I'm sure it'll work out fine once you've got some ideas.

ChocClare

CCP wrote: »

I'm also a great fan of veg and lentil chilli - it's one of the few veggie meals I know that's better than a meat-based meal (and that's very unusual for me - I'm a hopelessly devoted carnivore!).

Thanks, ccp, - have you got a recipe for your veg and lentil chilli? I could just bung things in ad lib, but if someone has a tried and tested recipe, then obviously I`d rather have that!

CCP

ChocClare wrote: »

Thanks, ccp, - have you got a recipe for your veg and lentil chilli? I could just bung things in ad lib, but if someone has a tried and tested recipe, then obviously I`d rather have that!

I don't really do recipes, I'm afraid, but it's basically: cook some roughly chopped onion and sweet pepper together; add chopped/crushed garlic and some cumin seeds and cook for a few moments; add some handfuls of red lentils, tinned tomatoes and sometimes some veg stock (depending how wet I want the chilli); add chilli flakes (or fresh chilli if I've got some), tinned kidney beans and some seasoning and leave to simmer for at least half an hour - like meat chilli, though, it seems to get better if you cook it for longer. I sometimes add grated carrots and/or courgettes with the onion and pepper, and occasionally a splash of worcester sauce if it needs a bit of a boost.

I've just read that back and I'm not sure how helpful it is, actually - it's one of these things I've cooked so often I don't think about what I'm doing anymore, and it was a made-up recipe in the first place. Sorry if it doesn't help much!