simple cook-ahead veggie meals

buildersdaughter

Hello all, hoping for some ideas. I do actually have a decent repertoire of veggie meals, but needs something specific.
Changes in family jobs, schools etc. mean that once a week we will take a meal down to son's family for 4 adults to share. DS & DiL are veggies.
DH is OK with some veggie meals (indeed enjoys those we cook at home) but goes 'meh' at quite a lot. He may just have to go 'meh' as I need to cook ahead, and not be faffing about cooking up lots of different bits whilst others are in and out dealing with kids.

Ideally I'd do the moussaka / shepherds' pie one pot meal, or a curry that just needs rice, but:
He doesn't like the layered roast veg moussaka I do
He isn't keen on lentils
None of us like 'fake mince'

He loves things like omelettes, cheese souffle, onion tart, but these need either fiddling about or prepping veg to go with.
He has enjoyed curries and tagines with chick peas (actually we use Hodmedods) but some more ideas would be very welcome!
Other than being veggie, DS & DiL are easy to cook for (just grateful for a meal!)

Thank you

pavlovs_dog

mixed bean chilli
fajitas (filling cooked, assembled when ready to eat)
veggie stir fry
pasta bake
quiche / frittata and salad

if DH is the only 'problem', might it be easier that he has something separate that night? X on toast, or freeze single portions of your other meals to build up a bank of homemade ready meals?

rach_k

If you all like curry, a veg curry is easy to do. You don't need to add something to replace the meat, just make sure you have a variety of veg with different sizes and textures - butternut squash chunks, halved mushrooms, some smaller stuff etc. The same applies to things like lasagne and pasta sauces. We're all conditioned to think that we need 'a protein' but we actually make our own protein from vegetables and, even if we didn't, we eat so much protein in the west that going one evening without would be fine.

baggins11

I would second rach's suggestion of curry. It can be prepared ahead and tastes even better the next day. I put butternut squash and sweet potato and chickpeas to add substance. I do add lentils and my OH doesn't usually like them but is fine if they are hidden in a curry! You can mix up the flavour a bit by doing either tomato base or a more creamy coconut base.

buildersdaughter

Thank you all! DH loves a curry, and the coconut base is a good idea.
I feel somewhat obliged to defend him: he does a lot to help our kids, and he is not completely fixated on meat (!). In a normal week, we would eat a couple of veggie meals he likes, and have another couple such as stews, Spanish omelettes, that contain a tiny amount of meat (those who 'know' me on the board know that I advocate using small amounts of left over ham / bacon bits to add taste). But to him, the difference between a vegetable/bean stew that is completely veggie, and one with a tiny amount of ham / bacon is huge. He also does a lot of cooking at home, but I do the thinking and planning.

Which does make me think that I could take some bacon bits as a garnish - I knew posting would get ideas flowing. The meal will be eaten at the end of a long tiring day where pick-ups and drop-offs have to work like clockwork. I know a lot on this board know that feeling, and making a meal that is enjoyable makes a lot of difference.

baggins11

No need at all to defend him! We all like different things and should enjoy what we like. I am very much a veggie at heart but my OH and kids would eat meat all day long!

I have slowly been increasing how many veggie meals we have and now we just have meat normally once a week but they often eat meat or chicken for lunches.

It takes a while to change tastes but everyone should enjoy treats they love especially after a long day at work.

Maybe you could also buy ready made or batch frozen pasties, sausage rolls etc so he can have their main as his side.

littlegreenparrot

Something that is extremely easy and looks great, roast veg tart.

Roll out puff pastry to size of baking tray ( I find half a block of the frozen does it)
Put on a lot of lovely pesto, add veg, olives, sundries tomatoes, whatever and bake. Lovely cold and travels well, I often have it in lunch boxes. Just needs a bit of salad and chips/baked potato.

Roast veg salad and falafel. Make up quinoa/cous cous/ bulghar wheat, let it go cold. Roast peppers, onions, courgette etc and stir in along with anything else you fancy.

buildersdaughter

Thank you all! And you were all very nice and helpful. Love roast veg so that's a good idea.

Pollyflinders

Big pot of ratatouille. I make it and it lasts me days, sometimes with a few potatoes, sometimes as a thick pasta sauce.

Working_Mum

I have recently been challenging myself to try a new recipe a couple of times a month and preferably one which is vegan of vegetarian.

The BBC Good Food site has been a fab source of inspiration, recent faves include:-
* Thai satay curry (used cauliflower and chickpeas too)
* 3 bean chilli
* rosti - served with fried eggs and ham!
* Mexican eggs - make the base and finish off with eggs as people need them
* Shepherd's pie


https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/satay-sweet-potato-curry

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/vegan-chilli

https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/parnsip_rosti_83149

https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/huevosrancherosranch_84543

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/10035/golden-veggie-shepherds-pie

I print out each recipe I use, make notes on it as I tweak things and store it in an old tin I found. I have loved doing this and it has widened my food repertoire considerably.

Good luck!!

Izadora

littlegreenparrot wrote: »

Roll out puff pastry to size of baking tray ( I find half a block of the frozen does it)
Put on a lot of lovely pesto, add veg, olives, sundries tomatoes, whatever and bake. Lovely cold and travels well, I often have it in lunch boxes. Just needs a bit of salad and chips/baked potato.

That sounds lovely but, if making for vegetarians, then be careful what pesto you use.

And thank you, you've reminded me how much I love roasted veg and bulgar wheat. I haven't had it for ages but have veg that needs using up so will do that one night this week.

Another easy make-ahead dinner I like is vegetable biryani. I've found that it freezes and reheats really well and it's very easy to adapt to whatever you have in the fridge and your husband could stir some cooked chicken into his if he's missing meat too much.