Needing inspiration - veg-based meals

lynne-eliz

Hi al,
Having spent over £150 on food for our family of 4 for a week, we desperately need to cut our food bills. I am hoping that more veg-based meals will help but other than veg curry, baked pots and pasta with various veg I'm stumped!
Does anyone have any favourite veg recipes they can share with me? Apologies if I've missed a similar thread on the site!
Thanks

lucylema

veggi pasta bake my way....

dice and fry off an onion
throw in mixed veg
throw in tin of toms
I usually put garlic and mixed herbs in also

boil up pasta twirls (of pasta of your choice)

Mix cooked pasta into the tomato and veg mix then put into an oven proof dish

Pour over some cheese cause and grated cheese then grill until golden.

If you want extra crunch, crush a bag of crisps and sprinkle over the cheese sauce before you put the grated cheese on.

basic recipe but lovely meal x

CH27

Omlettes using up whatever veg you have.

lickylonglips

veggie shepherd's pie using lentils and/or baked beans instead of mince
same with chilli - use lentils and double the amount of kidney beans
vegetable crumble - fry off your veggies - carrots, parsnips, leaks, onions, sweet potato, whatever you've got - in a bit of oil. make a white sauce adding either a stock cube, some mustard, dried herbs, chilli powder, garlic powder for extra flavour. mix the veg into this and put into an ovenproof dish. add a topping made from flour, marge and salt, with oats, or grated cheese, or crushed crisps, or breadcrumbs - whatever you want really

marshfleur

I do a mean stuffed squash! Cut butternut squash in half, scoop out seeds, score diamond shapes across it’s surface and brush with oil then bake at 180c for about 40 mins or until soft. In the mean time, prepare half a packet of stuffing (I use Saisnbury’s basics – 16p for the box!) as per instructions in a large bowl and let stand. When the squash is ready, scoop out most of the middle, leaving about half an inch of flesh on the skin. Mix with stuffing, put back into the squash and bake on high (200c) for about 15 mins. Can finish off under the grill for a crispy top. Serve with veggies, yorkie puds and gravy – deeelish!

Alternatively, while the half squash is baking, you can fry up peppers (frozen sliced peppers - 2 packs for £1.50 in Sainsbury's and an absolute staple for me at the mo!), tomatoes (tinned or fresh), onions, garlic, courgette or any summer/mediterranean veg and then once mixed with squash, top with cheese, grill to finish and serve with cous cous and a spicy tomato sauce.
So versatile, really cheap, filling and yummy!

Memory_Girl

There's a whole world of veggie Indian food - cheap as anything to make and my kids don't even notice there's no meat.

http://www.indianfoodforever.com/vegetables/ also look in the dal sections for seriously cheap dishes from pulses and lentils.

http://www.vegetariansrecipes.org/beans.html for beans inspiration - the felafel is yummy too.

Soup (veg and lentil or other pulses) with a good loaf of bread is another cheapie (never the same twice) http://www.theveggietable.com/recipes/soups.html the bean an olive soup is lush

Hope this helps

MG

PS We are not vegetarian, but a great stock-cupboard stuffed with real food from Approved Foods means we happily eat veggie most of the time and we have seriously cut our food bills ( last week we spent £17 - only for one adult and 2 kids though)

ixia

Vegetable stir fry
vegetable risotto
veggie pasta bake
Cauliflower cheese with crunchy bread crumb topping
veggie chilli
veggie curry.
mushroom stroganoff

I just substitute vegetables into most meat based recipes.

vasseur

marshfleur wrote: »

I do a mean stuffed squash! Cut butternut squash in half, scoop out seeds, score diamond shapes across it’s surface and brush with oil then bake at 180c for about 40 mins or until soft.

This is lovely if you scoop it out and add to risotto - a lovely cheap (and filling) meal.

squeaky

Loads of vegetarian threads and meal planners:-

vegetarian threads here on Old Style MoneySaving

With the main threads being:- The Complete Vegetarian Collection and Gingham's Vegetarian Meal Planner

lynne-eliz

Thank you - fab ideas will be using them soon x

caitybabes

I love making this moroccan chickpea and lentil stew: http://www.morrisons.co.uk/Food-and-Drink/Recipes/Index/M/Moroccon-chickpea-lentil-and-spinach-stew/

It's very tasty and filling and dead easy to make