Cheap but tasty veg/vegan recipies?

gailey_2

Trying to persuade family to go part time veggie 3-4days a week.

This will then allow us to buy organic/free range meat on other days

My husband loves meat and is so flipping fussy hes not keen on most veg that includes

mushrooms, carrots, cabbage, cauli, broccoli, pepper.

My kids age 21months-eats likes sparrow
3year old and 7year old.

I remember watching hughs veg series and thourght if hes converted then maybe theres a good chance.

Im looking for really nice, balanced nutrition and not stupidly costly.

I used to be veggie aas a teen back then was very boring linda mcartneys and hubby hates quorn.

GreenFairy

We do this. All of our meat is organic and free range and comes from a farm down the road. It's cheap for organic as we buy direct and in bulk, but it's still spendy. We generally only have it once a week, unless it's a whole chicken and then it's a week of rubber chicken

Beans are your friend. Chickpeas, red kidney and pinto are my most used. It's totally worth the hassle getting them dried and soaking before cooking as they taste entirely different. Curries and chillis are great with beans. They're cheap and filling and are a fantastic sub for the meat component in lots of dishes. I don't like quorn mince but I like the linda mc stuff and just plain dried soya mince which comes alive with a soaking with stock and herbs.

The trick to winning over the meat eaters is variety of flavours. So not just veg curry and rice, but a blob of chutney and yoghurt and a bit of naan or a poppadam as well. Pasta with tomato and marscapone is delicious and not too challenging to the anti-veg brigade, especially with some garlic toast on the side. Lasagne is easy to veg up and change about as is pizza.

I'd highly advise getting a copy of the River Cottage veg book, as it's full of recipes that don't require weird meat substitutes and don't look like "where's the meat" meals, especially the first chapter. The Cornucopia cookbook is fantastic as well - they're my go to books.
A lot of Indian and Asian food is naturally vegetarian for religious reasons so you should find some good stuff there.

I think it's also important not to have a set night as "meat night" or make a big deal out of "veg nights". Dinner is dinner, and is tasty and wholesome - simple as that - regardless of what is in it

Popperwell

Most of my meals use very little in the way of meat(mainly on cost grounds)so vegetables feature a lot.

So to be honest, unless you leave out or put more into the recipe most of my meals taste the same. Well that is the case if I make casseroles/stews in my slow cooker and that's not a complaint.

I guess you can make meals different by putting vegetables on a plate but in the end we just use the same ingredients in different variations. And when income is limited and you are living alone it can be difficult to be motivated.

I've always loved food and been a good shopper but now I have to be even more so.

RevolvingDoor

GreenFairy wrote: »

I'd highly advise getting a copy of the River Cottage veg book, as it's full of recipes that don't require weird meat substitutes and don't look like "where's the meat" meals, especially the first chapter. The Cornucopia cookbook is fantastic as well - they're my go to books.
A lot of Indian and Asian food is naturally vegetarian for religious reasons so you should find some good stuff there.

I've heard that book is supposed to be good. I think having a quality cook book would be helpful.:)

I eat curry at least once a week, chickpea and sweet potato curry is nice and filling. Chilis can be bulked up with lentils, soya mince, all types of beans. Tofu is more expensive and some people don't like it but it can be really nice deep fried with rice and veggies or "hidden" in a tofu-ricotta lasagne.;)

[Deleted User]

Have any of you tried the special offer red lentils from Tesco's at all I saw it in there and wondered if they were any good. Its on the offer at £2.00 for 2 KG .I usually buy lentils from Sainsburys but they are getting a lot dearer in there.Also as they are cheaper ones would they need overnight soaking.It doesn't give any cooking instructions on the big packet and I was a bit wary about buying any in case they were not very nice.

gailey_2

I have used red lentils and just chucked them straight into casseroles , currys and and not precooked soaked them.
We use red lentils to bulk out mince but apart from that we eat very few beans,pulses and lentils.

My nearest independant health food shop has loose stuff to buy.

I do fancy getting hughs book as saw a lot of the veg series.

What im after is

cheap and good meat substitutes.
something to stop hubby whinging I doubt the kids be that bothered.

Green fairy that farm sounds fab,

going to investigate the butchers at farm shop as not too sure about nearest high street but will investigate both but probably order more from waitrose online.

Pink.

These threads have lots of ideas that should give you some inspiration:

Best vegetarian recipes for non-vegetarians?

Easy, cheap Vegetarian recipes?

Gingham's vegetarian menu planner SPRING

Vegan and vegetarian food on the cheap

Going vegan......old style?!

I'll add your thread to the first link latet.

Pink

RevolvingDoor

JackieO wrote: »

Have any of you tried the special offer red lentils from Tesco's at all I saw it in there and wondered if they were any good. Its on the offer at £2.00 for 2 KG .I usually buy lentils from Sainsburys but they are getting a lot dearer in there.Also as they are cheaper ones would they need overnight soaking.It doesn't give any cooking instructions on the big packet and I was a bit wary about buying any in case they were not very nice.

I never soak red lentils, I only rinse them off. I think I have the Sainsbug's ones at the moment so not sure about Tesco.

katieowl_2

JackieO wrote: »

Have any of you tried the special offer red lentils from Tesco's at all I saw it in there and wondered if they were any good. Its on the offer at £2.00 for 2 KG .I usually buy lentils from Sainsburys but they are getting a lot dearer in there.Also as they are cheaper ones would they need overnight soaking.It doesn't give any cooking instructions on the big packet and I was a bit wary about buying any in case they were not very nice.

If it's the big bags in the ethnic section they are fantastic...go for it. They don't need overnight soaking, but as with all lentils they need a good wash in a sieve under a running tap! They cook just the same as the ones you usually buy in Sainsbobs!

Kate

katieowl_2

I've got the Hugh Veg book and I wasn't blown away by it TBH.

It's the sort of thing we've been cooking for years, and I didn't draw much inspiration from it. I guess it depends what kind of food you like to eat, but I think you'd get as much inspiration off the internet, without buying a book (says she who's vice is buying cookbooks ) I'm using the internet a lot at the moment looking for vegan inspiration for food to sell in a market. A lot of the vegan books seem to be American, and I've had trouble finding the ingredients for a Gluten Free American book I was given as a present, and I'm wary that the same would apply to a vegan/raw food book.

We make lentil shepherds pie (Lentils, onions, carrots, celery, veggie stock, herbs, topped with mash)...and red dragon pie, which is aduki beans soaked overnight first then simmered until tender, then cooked with carrots, onions, a bit of tomato puree, herbs and soy sauce, and again topped with mashed potatoes. Both very tasty, and recollections from veggie books of the 70's

I'd got rid of most of my old veggie books over the years, but am now looking out for them in the charity shops!

Kate

[Deleted User]

katieowl wrote: »

If it's the big bags in the ethnic section they are fantastic...go for it. They don't need overnight soaking, but as with all lentils they need a good wash in a sieve under a running tap! They cook just the same as the ones you usually buy in Sainsbobs!

Kate

Thank you for that I will get some today if I can(depending on the snow) as I really fancy some spicy lentil soup to warm the cockles up in the wintry weather