Cheap, easy and SATISFYING veggie meals

[DefiniteMaybe]

I can no longer afford to eat meat at the rate we are so I'd like to aim for two meat free days per week. But whenever I've tried doing veggie meals before they've either been horrible or not left us still hungry.
We're not overly keen on tomatoey meals but everything else is fine. Please could you share some yummy meat free meal ideas with me.

[Twentytotwo]

So you've never made a meat free meal that you like and is filling? Ever? I don't think recipes will help if you feel like that.

[DefiniteMaybe]

I've not tried many tbh, probably only 3 or 4. Thats why I'm asking now.

[crikeybadger]

I get most of my ideas from the BBC good food website.

For example, their lentil ragu is cheap and delicious- see here. You can have it with pasta or turn in to a 'shepherd's pie'.

For other meals which are hearty think lasagne, black bean chili, enchiladas, bubble and squeak, vegetable curry....there's lots out there.

HTH

[forevergreek]

Quiche and greek salad ( dh makes a lovely feta and spinach quiche), salad usually mixed leaves, cucumber, tomatoes, olives, as a base, then add whatever's in house like grated carrot/ sweetcorn/ manger out/ raw mushrooms/ any leftover greens like green beans/ broad beans. ( can leave tomatoes)

Mushroom and broad bean risotto. With garlic bread if you fancy

Puff pastry pizza, roll out half a block of puff pastry into rectangle, add tomato base leaving an edge ( or a pesto/ mushroom sauce if really don't like tomatoes. Add any toppings like a normal pizza then cheese. 20 mins in oven

Mushroom and courgette and pea pesto pasta is a speedy basic meal.

[karmakameleon]

What have you tried? We have vegetarian curries, pasta dishes, risottos, stir fries and lots of things with beans that leave us filled up. Have you tried anything like that? Would you find the meat versions of these things filling?

[liveinazoo]

root veg bake-cook root veggiesin little stock and place veg and enough the stock to moistenin a dish along tin beans/chickpeas.top with mix of breadcrumbs and grated cheese adn bake til brown

yorkshire puddings with saute garlicky mushrooms,mash and lots veg

adding nuts/beans to dishes makes feel fuller-nut butter or ground nuts added to veggi soups good example

roast peppers/onions/courgettes etc in little oil,thyme and garlic.lightly crush can mix beans with some herbs.spread over wraps.top the veg.roll up and place in a dish sprinkle over cheese and bake til hot and golden

squash risoto-add spoonful nut butter to each serving rather than cheese as some thing different

[Bowlersarm]

Vegetarian soups are tasty and filling especially if you use lentils. Very healthy and can fill up with lovely bread with it. Lots and lots of recipes on line

[forevergreek]

Oh and black bean and cheese quesdillas

[oopsadaisymaisy]

You can pretty much have everything you ate before but using a meat substitute. I'm as we speak eating a huge bowl if chilli with rice and grated cheese over the top. It's the easiest recipe ever, fry bag veg mince, onion, garlic, add a tin kidney beans, tin tomatoes, cumin, sage, couple stock cubes and some chilli. Done! Yummy.

[Bessie123]

Loads of veggie Indian food. Also, you could substitute meat for Quorn, eg for bolognaise etc.

Soup, jacket potatoes, spanakopita (Greek Easter pie), frittata, tempura, stir fry with marinated tofu, spicy bean burgers, veg casserole - why don't you google some recipes? There is a book by Sarah Brown called World Vegetarian cook book, which is brilliant.

[Twentytotwo]

What kinds of food do you like? There are loads of good vegi curries. If it's for cost reasons a small amount of streaky bacon will give a lot of flavour through a lentil soup or eg a stew of white beans and vegetables or a cheesy pasta dish served with peas.

[liveinazoo]

forevergreek have youo a recipe for the mushroom and broadbean risoto?sounds fab!

[Cremolafoam]

We mainly eat veggie food as dd & dh are both veggies.
I make lots of different things:

Mexican tacos stuffed with bean chilli rice and salsa and cheddar
Chickpea curry with butternut squash and roasted onions
Lentil bolognese or cottage pie
Fresh pasta with feta peas mint and chilli tofu
Leek and ricotta lasagne
Roasted vegetables and couscous with a chilli sauce
The occasional veggie fry up
Mushroom and Parmesan risotto
Moroccan veggie balls with tabbouleh
Vegetable tempura and deep fried rice balls
Homemade pizza
Baked potatoes stuffed with leek and mozzarella and red pepper
Sweet and sour tofu
Broccoli and red pepper tarte
Quorn sausages made into Toad in the hole served with onion gravy

The list goes on.

[defineme]

I'm not vegetarian, but last week we (family of 5) had :
spanish omlette (potatoes/peppers/whatever you like and cheese) with bread and salad;
lentil and veg soup(more like stew tbh) cheese on toast with it for hungrier ones;
veg curry with rice and nan;
baked potatoes with cheese and baked beans.
I also agree with adding a small amount of meat eg I do mince and lentil cottage pie; very quick bacon,mushroom, pasta and cream cheese is a favourite too.

[stressedHEmum]

Tonight we are having -

sweet potato and pineapple curry

chop a couple of onions and fry in a good splash of oil until soft. Peel and dice about 2lbs of sweet potatoes. Add to the pan and stir until coated in oil. Add curry powder to taste. Add a tin of coconut milk. Empty the juice from a tim of pineapple into the coconut milk can and make the liquid up to half a can. Stir into potatoes and onions. Add pineapple chunks. Simmer for 30-45mins until everything is tender and delicious. Serve with rice (brown ups the protein intake and makes it more filling.)

Tomorrow we are having caramelised onion pasta with gran padano grated on top.

later in the week spiced root veg and barley stew.

other things we have regularly are -
nutty potato cakes
pasta with walnuts, cream and pasta
patatas bravas
spanish rice
chick pea and potato curry
lentil, potato and spinach curry
bean chilli with cornbread
veggie toad in the hole
nut roast
bean burgers
macaroni cheese
pasta with a creamy white bean sauce
pasta with chick peas
loads of different soups

[forevergreek]

Liveinazoo- it's basically a mushroom risotto with frozen broad beans added 10 mins before the end.

We do:
A red onion softened in saucepan for 5 mins with olive oil. Add 2 garlic cloves
( we often add bacon at this point also as not veggie)
Add a tub of mushrooms sliced ( approx 300g), cook down a little
Add a cup of risotto rice , cool for 2 mins then add a glass of white wine ( can leave out if no wine)
Then keep adding chicken/ veg stock gradually until rice is done ( about 25mins)
Add broad beans after approx 15 mins of cooking rice.

Serve, add some parmasan ontop

It's a def favourite with the children

[forevergreek]

Oh and some parsley/ seasoning etc to taste towards end!

[sweetkitty]

StressedHEmum - I'm coming to your house for dinner tonight sounds lovely might steal that one.

Tonight we are having Spaghetti Bol with Quorn mince and garlic. Bread

Last night was lentil and sweet potato stew

Quorn sausage casserole
Mushroom and Quorn stroganoff
Goats cheese and caramelised red onion parcels
Veggie curry
Pizza
Veggie lasagne

That all I can think of just now

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

Well I'm a greedy veggie who doesn't like tomatoes (though I can cope with passata) so maybe some of these will appeal?!

Veggie chilli and rice (but it does have passata) - if you search the Food threads with my name you'll find my recipe.

Veggie dhal - no passata! I've posted the recipe in the food threads quite a lot. We have it with a minty onion and cucumber salad and spiced rice 'pealau' which is basically rice with spices and frozen peas in it!

Butternut squash pasta bake (roast bns and chunks of red onions and leeks (put the leeks in part way through as they don't take as long). I stick some whole garlic cloves in at the same time as the leeks too. Cook pasta until not quite al dente. Mix the roasted vege and the pasta, plus a load of chopped spinach. Mix in whatever you want as a sauce (I sometimes make a white sauce, sometimes use a tub of Sainsbo's fresh tomato and marscapone sauce and sometimes just use a mixture of cream cheese and creme fraiche. If the latter, you could use the garlic and herb cream cheese. Top with grated cheese and bake.

Macaroni cheese (you can stick lots of vege in it too, if wished)

Rice or noodles with stir fry

Agree that soups are good - add lentils and/or pearl barley to bulk them out. Eat with bread and cheese.

[StairsInTheNight]

sweetkitty could you post recipe for sweet potato and lent stew please?

[BikeRunSki]

Vegetable crumble -

Make crumble, as if doing fruit crumble. Add a big handful of grated cheese, and herbs/nuts/seeds as available/ to taste.

chop root veg - sweet potato. parsnip, swede,carrot, beetroot and cover in stock. Fresh toms also nice. Courgette tends to.turn to mush. Broad beans nice.

Cover in crumble, bake 180o for 40 min ish.


Lentil hot pot - layers of sliced potato, onion, dry red lentils, grated cheese, tomatoes. Cover generously in stock. Bake 200 for an hour.

Macaroni cheese

Chickpea stew - basically ratatouille with chickpeas, nice cooked with a cinnamon stick.

[intheshed]

We are having veggie stir fry tonight- cheating with straight to wok noodles, ready prepared pack of stir fry veg, fresh packet sauce from sainsburys and some quorn chunks.

Another easy favourite is egg fried rice with peas and sweetcorn.

[sweetkitty]

Starsinthenight - easy peasy, sweat an onion or two, couple of carrots, add cubed sweet potatoes usually about 2, cup of red lentils and add veggie stock whatever's to hand, cubs or a stock pot, I'm liking those Knorr Stock pots just now, you could add any veg you have around and herby dumplings are nice too. You could even use a casserole dish and stick it in the oven.

[Drladybird]

Ooooo for big, satisfying veggie dishes, I would opt for:
curries (like a lot of the other ladies suggest) such as Pea, paneer and spinach The cheese makes it nice and 'meaty'.
Chocolate and black bean chilli does contain tomatoes but the tomato flavour is mellow and if you put this chilli in a wrap with cheese and salad, it makes a lovely, filling dinner.
Macaroni cheese, with leek and sweetcorn.
Anything with butter beans or chickpeas is nice, cheap and substantial. These Spanish butter beans are my type of comfort food.
Spanish omlette
Sheperdess pie I have been meaning to make this recipe and a vegetarian take on a shepards pie is definitely satisfying!