Easy, cheap Vegetarian recipes?

kittendothroar

Gonzo1987 wrote: »

I've never tried tofu but I want to. I hear such mixed reviews about it though!

It needs a little kitchen magic added to it but it can be delicious! I have beer battered and deep fried it before was so good!

terra_ferma

terra_ferma wrote: »

We are moving toward eating more and more veggie meals, here's some of our favourites:

Sweet potato. spinach and Chickpeas curry (I combined different recipes that only had 2 out of the 3)

"cheat risotto": Cauliflower and mix veggie thick soup & barley (with lots of barley so that it looks more like a risotto) + cheese

grilled very hard tofu (from a chines supermarket, thinly sliced, marinated in soya sauce and ginger), with grilled vegetables. My OH loved it, when I had tried tofu in the past it hadn't gone down too well...

I make a variety of soups, with different vegetable bases, then I add some protein, in the form of red lentils or mung dahl that get blitzed with the veggies, or black eyed beans/borlotti beans added afterwards. I also often add grains like rice, barley or pasta (I use spaghetti, broken up in small pieces).
Although they are soups, they become totally different meals.

We also like roots mash, celeriac and parsnip being a favourite, half potato and half root vegetables, with cheese they become a light meal.

I haven't tried them, but Gumbo and Jambalaya with chickpeas or tofu instead of chicken would probably be very tasty.

Personally I don't like the squidgy stuff sold in tetrapacks, I like firm tofu. I haven't used Cauldron for years, because it's expensive compare to the tofu I can get from a local Chinese shop, but I used to like it.
I also used to make bolognese with tofu, I would mash it using a potato masher, and use it instead of mince. As long as it's properly seasoned, for example frying with onions, garlic etc, it can be used instead of mince to make different dishes, and it will soak up the taste of the other ingredients.

Gonzo1987

kittendothroar wrote: »

It needs a little kitchen magic added to it but it can be delicious! I have beer battered and deep fried it before was so good!

I think that's my worry not flavouring it enough. I'm going to attempt some once I have been paid. Hopefully I like it. It will expand my vegan recipes alot.

kittendothroar

Gonzo1987 wrote: »

I think that's my worry not flavouring it enough. I'm going to attempt some once I have been paid. Hopefully I like it. It will expand my vegan recipes alot.

Have fun experimenting! I like the silky texture of it but its not everyone's taste... Often in the Chinese I order Ma Po Tofu is a nice spicy dish but ot made it..yet! http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2012/jun/14/pock-marked-old-woman-s-tofu-recipe

Gonzo1987

Ooo that's an idea. I'll go to a restaurant to try it first! Then I'm not going in blind when I try to cook it the first time.

dandelionclock30

kittendothroar wrote: »

Have fun experimenting! I like the silky texture of it but its not everyone's taste... Often in the Chinese I order Ma Po Tofu is a nice spicy dish but ot made it..yet! http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2012/jun/14/pock-marked-old-woman-s-tofu-recipe

This recipe looks nice, do you get the more obscure ingredients from the chinese supermarket?

Lizling

Burritos? Mine have black beans, tomato, rice, roasted red peppers, a little bit of cheese and/or cream (nothing wrong with fat in moderation!), spices and often a bit of spinach and whatever needs using up.

Black beans are far better in this than any of the alternatives, IMO.

MoradoJess

That's a pretty varied list already, uh, some things I eat that you haven't included:
Vegetarian chilli
Fajitas (I have mine with quorn pieces but have seen them done with beans, halloumi or just loads of veg)
Gnocchi is nice with any sauce meant for pasta
Cottage pie thing- instead of the mince base fry off a load of veg (I tend to go for carrot/squash/parsnip/turnip but anything should work), when soft mix in a tin of mushroom soup and a tin of butter beans. Top with mash and in the oven.
Risottos (I rarely cook these because I personally can't be bothered with standing at the hob for ages but seen oven baked risotto recipes that I must try)

terra_ferma

Another veggie ingredient I used to love was Seitan, but it's hard to find (or you can make it yourself if you want to, I was taught how to when I did a cookery course at a Yoga centre, never made it of course...). It's a chewy meat substitute made of wheat.

Tempeh was another option (from my macrobiotic days...), but I never liked it. It's made of fermented soya beans. (and I'd have to make sure it's organic, there's too much GM soya from the States out and about)

adouglasmhor

Gonzo1987 wrote: »

Ooo that's an idea. I'll go to a restaurant to try it first! Then I'm not going in blind when I try to cook it the first time.

Make sure you ask for vegetarian ma pa tofu if that's what you want - traditional ma pa tofu has mince in it, and you may have to say bean curd - to fu is actually the Japanese name for it and not all Chinese people know the term.