This is so fab to hear that the vegetarian spirit lives on in your house and I’m VERY proud of your progress (in as non-patronising a voice as possible) xxx
I have been a Hello Fresh/Gousto user for YEARS and feel absolutely addicted to them- like I've lost the ability to actually plan/shop/create meals myself - woops. Would love to hear more about the shift when you're ready to share - especially if you think you're eating more healthy/cheaper as a result?! x
This was a fun update. Hope you're feeling better by now! I'm a vegetarian (mostly vegan) who finds it easy, so I appreciate your perspective about its challenges. I've yapped about this on Discord, but I LOVE Rainbow Plant Life. Her meals are FUN, which is the biggest criticism for vegan food. Sometimes I use veggie (not vegan) ingredients, and I'll occasionally simplify the recipe (she does fancy stuff and uses niche ingredients at times), but my meat-eating husband loves many of her recipes. The buffalo chickpea quesadillas are a fave! Have a browse and I hope you find something you'll all like! https://rainbowplantlife.com/category/recipes/
I've been vegetarian for 9 years and the fact that you have trouble not finding aubergine (eggplant to me the Canadian) forward meals makes me laugh. I will eat eggplant but it's def not my fave so it does not feature heavily.
Some meals I like:
-Vegetarian lasagna
-Tacos/burritos/quesadilla
-Roasted baby potatoes with bell peppers, zucchini (honestly its flexible take your pick of vegetables). Then i scramble some eggs and throw on some salsa
- CURRY. there are so many curries that can be vegetarian with tofu. deep friend tofu is delicious
- I love a good tempeh 'B'LT. Especially lazy if you can find pre-seasoned tempeh (or other meat alternative 'bacon')
-Egg and cheese breakfast sandwich. i make these at home all the time it's super easy.
-yogurt
-roasted red peppers, goat cheese and pesto sandwich. yummm
-if im feeling lazy sometimes i buy a greek salad kit, pitas and hummus. spread hummus in pita, throw lettuce, tomatoes, onions, feta, black olives in. bam
-if you are feeling adventurous in the cooking department (or maybe Dan is), I also love bakmi goreng/nasi goreng. I grew up in Jakarta Indonesia and ate this all the time. rice, peppers, sauce. I use tempeh (very traditional) but you could put egg. they are flexible dishes but the sauce is excellent
Congrats on the veggie-progress!! I went through a very similar process 5 years ago and boy were those first few months a struggle. Here are some of my absolute fave meatless recipes that I make all the time, they’re crazy delicious:
Other go tos are any Lebanese type thing (love tahini haha) hummus, falafel, baba Hanoi’s etc in pitas or bowls
And a taco with sweet potato and black beans! Heavy on the cumin and then different extra toppings but always koriander, feta and important that it be Maiz tacos 👌👌
I'm glad your veggie journey is going better 😁 I'm still a Hellofresh person but I believe you can still get all the recipes on the website without being subscribed to it? I find them really good in terms of being filling and balanced (but you could always add an extra protein like Quorn or something). My biggest faves are the Creamy veg pesto pasta, Chickpea korma (my kid who eats barely anything loved this one lol), and the Caribbean style BBQ beans 😋
There’s a sweet potato and chickpea recipe from Mob that has a delicious sesame dressing and you also top with chilli crisp… so good! Google “Mob sweet potato with tahini butter chickpeas” mmmm
As a long time vegetarian with a mushroom allergy who isn't keen on aubergine, I feel your recipe requirements are where I excel! Hopefully you won't mind me sharing a few faves😅 (the cauliflower pav, cawl, and b squash soup are great for batch cooking and freezing btw)
Also mad props to you for sharing this, and congrats on lots more meat free meals - that's wonderful!
- Prepare the tofu and coat with cornflour. Fry until golden brown. Add the garlic in the last 30 seconds until fragrant, stir through the sweet chilli sauce, then remove from heat.
- Heat oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat, add garlic and ginger, and fry for 30 seconds. Add stock, soy sauce, and chilli powder. Bring to a boil, then simmer low whilst you cook the noodles.
- Once cooked, put noodles into bowls and pour broth over, top with tofu, and sprinkle with sesame seeds and spring onions.
- Oil a frying pan and cook the Quorn pieces for 5 mins until slightly browned, then add in the stock and leave to continue cooking for another 5 mins.
- Prep your tagliatelle, broccoli, and peas, ready to begin cooking approx. 5 mins before everything else is ready.
- Add oil and butter to a saucepan and heat. Add garlic and cook for a few mins until fragrant, but not coloured.
- Add cream, turn heat up, and bring to boil.
- Add most of the cheese (reserving some to sprinkle on top) and stir through. Reduce slightly, stirring continuously, adding a bit of pasta water too.
- Strain the pasta and veg once cooked, and stir into the sauce along with the Quorn pieces.
1 cauliflower (or ½/2 if not roasting any), chopped into small florets
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 white potato, chopped into small chunks
160g blanched peas
15g fresh root ginger, finely chopped
10g fresh coriander, finely chopped
1 lime, quartered
32g tomato puree
50g solid creamed coconut
1½ tsp chilli flakes
200ml vegetable stock
1 tbsp curry powder
2 brioche buns
- Preheat the oven to 200C fan (if roasting cauliflower).
- Add the potato chunks and ½/ cauliflower worth of florets to a large pan with a pinch of sale. Cover with boiling water, bring to the boil, and simmer for 12-15 mins. Drain and set aside.
- Add the creamed coconut to the veg stock.
- Add the cauliflower leaves and remaining florets to a baking tray with a drizzle of olive oil, and roast for 10-15 mins.
- Heat a separate large pan with some veg oil over a medium heat. Add the red onion and a pinch of salt, and cook for 5 mins.
- Once the onion has softened, add the curry powder, garlic, ginger, and tomato puree, and cook for 2 mins.
- Add the drained potatoes and cauliflower, and the stock, and roughly mash. Stir through the peas and juice of ½ a lime, and cook for 2 more mins.
- Stir through most of the chopped coriander (saving some for garnish), and serve with roasted cauliflower on top, toasted brioche buns, and a wedge of lime.
As someone who loves to cook I’ve occasionally done HelloFresh or similar during really stressful periods, and honestly it made me so much less excited about food. They’re also designed for ‘the average’ consumer, so nothing tastes how *you* would like it to, and there’s no out of the box thinking.
I see their purpose and I know they’re very helpful for some, but personally I hate them and would rather just cook something very simple (omelette and a jacket potato or whatever) when stressed
Have you used the App Mealime? It's great for finding and saving recipes (can sort by veggie, vegan etc) and then sorts all of the ingredients needed into a condensed shopping list for you. Eg if you need half an onion for one recipe and and half for another it will tell you to buy one onion, not two!
We have a very similar veggie set-up to you and Dan, and I am also not a fan of aubergine and mushroom forward meals! I've found the MOB kitchen website has loads of great recipes that we use frequently, and my fave veggie/vegan cookbooks are The Green Roasting Tin (10/10 for weeknight ease) and Dinner (some quick, some more weekend vibes).
And the easiest go to is fajitas! Just sub chicken for quorn/halloumi/sweet potato
This is so fab to hear that the vegetarian spirit lives on in your house and I’m VERY proud of your progress (in as non-patronising a voice as possible) xxx
haha thank you Leena!! you're definitely a big inspo for me! xx
I have been a Hello Fresh/Gousto user for YEARS and feel absolutely addicted to them- like I've lost the ability to actually plan/shop/create meals myself - woops. Would love to hear more about the shift when you're ready to share - especially if you think you're eating more healthy/cheaper as a result?! x
This was a fun update. Hope you're feeling better by now! I'm a vegetarian (mostly vegan) who finds it easy, so I appreciate your perspective about its challenges. I've yapped about this on Discord, but I LOVE Rainbow Plant Life. Her meals are FUN, which is the biggest criticism for vegan food. Sometimes I use veggie (not vegan) ingredients, and I'll occasionally simplify the recipe (she does fancy stuff and uses niche ingredients at times), but my meat-eating husband loves many of her recipes. The buffalo chickpea quesadillas are a fave! Have a browse and I hope you find something you'll all like! https://rainbowplantlife.com/category/recipes/
Love RPL and I also use Love & Lemons frequently!
I second this rainbow plant life recommendation! Her red lentil curry is a staple in my house - I prob make it every six weeks or so!
https://rainbowplantlife.com/vegan-red-lentil-curry/
I've been vegetarian for 9 years and the fact that you have trouble not finding aubergine (eggplant to me the Canadian) forward meals makes me laugh. I will eat eggplant but it's def not my fave so it does not feature heavily.
Some meals I like:
-Vegetarian lasagna
-Tacos/burritos/quesadilla
-Roasted baby potatoes with bell peppers, zucchini (honestly its flexible take your pick of vegetables). Then i scramble some eggs and throw on some salsa
- CURRY. there are so many curries that can be vegetarian with tofu. deep friend tofu is delicious
- I love a good tempeh 'B'LT. Especially lazy if you can find pre-seasoned tempeh (or other meat alternative 'bacon')
-Egg and cheese breakfast sandwich. i make these at home all the time it's super easy.
-yogurt
-roasted red peppers, goat cheese and pesto sandwich. yummm
-if im feeling lazy sometimes i buy a greek salad kit, pitas and hummus. spread hummus in pita, throw lettuce, tomatoes, onions, feta, black olives in. bam
-if you are feeling adventurous in the cooking department (or maybe Dan is), I also love bakmi goreng/nasi goreng. I grew up in Jakarta Indonesia and ate this all the time. rice, peppers, sauce. I use tempeh (very traditional) but you could put egg. they are flexible dishes but the sauce is excellent
Congrats on the veggie-progress!! I went through a very similar process 5 years ago and boy were those first few months a struggle. Here are some of my absolute fave meatless recipes that I make all the time, they’re crazy delicious:
https://amateurprochef.com/2024/09/07/shahi-paneer-2/
https://justinesnacks.com/nduja-but-tofu-soup/
https://www.lahbco.com/soups/harira
Ohh yum I agree with Shahi Paneer!
Other go tos are any Lebanese type thing (love tahini haha) hummus, falafel, baba Hanoi’s etc in pitas or bowls
And a taco with sweet potato and black beans! Heavy on the cumin and then different extra toppings but always koriander, feta and important that it be Maiz tacos 👌👌
I'm glad your veggie journey is going better 😁 I'm still a Hellofresh person but I believe you can still get all the recipes on the website without being subscribed to it? I find them really good in terms of being filling and balanced (but you could always add an extra protein like Quorn or something). My biggest faves are the Creamy veg pesto pasta, Chickpea korma (my kid who eats barely anything loved this one lol), and the Caribbean style BBQ beans 😋
There’s a sweet potato and chickpea recipe from Mob that has a delicious sesame dressing and you also top with chilli crisp… so good! Google “Mob sweet potato with tahini butter chickpeas” mmmm
oooh I have a mob cookbook - will see if it's in there!
Your vegetarian progress is really impressive. Great that you've found more of a groove with it!
As a long time vegetarian with a mushroom allergy who isn't keen on aubergine, I feel your recipe requirements are where I excel! Hopefully you won't mind me sharing a few faves😅 (the cauliflower pav, cawl, and b squash soup are great for batch cooking and freezing btw)
Also mad props to you for sharing this, and congrats on lots more meat free meals - that's wonderful!
Sweet chilli tofu ramen
For the tofu:
280g firm tofu, cubed
2 tbsp cornflour
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
6 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
For the broth:
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 slices fresh ginger
750ml veg stock
3 tbsp soy sauce
¼ tsp chilli powder
MSG
To serve:
Noodles
2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
2 spring onions, finely chopped
Chilli tofu ramen
- Prepare the tofu and coat with cornflour. Fry until golden brown. Add the garlic in the last 30 seconds until fragrant, stir through the sweet chilli sauce, then remove from heat.
- Heat oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat, add garlic and ginger, and fry for 30 seconds. Add stock, soy sauce, and chilli powder. Bring to a boil, then simmer low whilst you cook the noodles.
- Once cooked, put noodles into bowls and pour broth over, top with tofu, and sprinkle with sesame seeds and spring onions.
Butternut squash soup
1 small/medium butternut squash
1 white onion
2 large carrots
5 cloves garlic
1 chilli, halved
½ tsp thyme
½ tsp rosemary
½ tsp oregano
Salt and pepper
500ml veg stock
1 tsp smoked paprika
Double cream
- Preheat the oven to 180C fan. Peel and roughly chop the veg.
- Put veg and herbs in a deep roasting dish, and drizzle with oil. Roast for 30 mins.
- Add veg stock to dish, cover with foil, then roast for another 30 mins.
- Remove the chilli, then blend everything else until smooth, adding water to thin if needed.
- Transfer into saucepan, add paprika, and bring to boil. Stir through double cream.
Tagliatelle alfredo
250g tagliatelle
300ml double cream
4 cloves garlic, minced
Knob of butter
Splash of veg oil
120g hard cheese, grated
150g Quorn pieces
1 stock cube, dissolved in 150ml boiling water
Frozen broccoli
Frozen peas
- Oil a frying pan and cook the Quorn pieces for 5 mins until slightly browned, then add in the stock and leave to continue cooking for another 5 mins.
- Prep your tagliatelle, broccoli, and peas, ready to begin cooking approx. 5 mins before everything else is ready.
- Add oil and butter to a saucepan and heat. Add garlic and cook for a few mins until fragrant, but not coloured.
- Add cream, turn heat up, and bring to boil.
- Add most of the cheese (reserving some to sprinkle on top) and stir through. Reduce slightly, stirring continuously, adding a bit of pasta water too.
- Strain the pasta and veg once cooked, and stir into the sauce along with the Quorn pieces.
- Serve with garlic bread
Cauliflower pav bhaji
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 cauliflower (or ½/2 if not roasting any), chopped into small florets
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 white potato, chopped into small chunks
160g blanched peas
15g fresh root ginger, finely chopped
10g fresh coriander, finely chopped
1 lime, quartered
32g tomato puree
50g solid creamed coconut
1½ tsp chilli flakes
200ml vegetable stock
1 tbsp curry powder
2 brioche buns
- Preheat the oven to 200C fan (if roasting cauliflower).
- Add the potato chunks and ½/ cauliflower worth of florets to a large pan with a pinch of sale. Cover with boiling water, bring to the boil, and simmer for 12-15 mins. Drain and set aside.
- Add the creamed coconut to the veg stock.
- Add the cauliflower leaves and remaining florets to a baking tray with a drizzle of olive oil, and roast for 10-15 mins.
- Heat a separate large pan with some veg oil over a medium heat. Add the red onion and a pinch of salt, and cook for 5 mins.
- Once the onion has softened, add the curry powder, garlic, ginger, and tomato puree, and cook for 2 mins.
- Add the drained potatoes and cauliflower, and the stock, and roughly mash. Stir through the peas and juice of ½ a lime, and cook for 2 more mins.
- Stir through most of the chopped coriander (saving some for garnish), and serve with roasted cauliflower on top, toasted brioche buns, and a wedge of lime.
Cawl
3 potatoes, chopped into small chunks
½ swede, chopped into small chunks
2 large carrots, chopped into small chunks
2 parsnips, chopped into small chunks
2 leeks, chopped
2 handfuls fresh parsley (roughly ½ bunch), finely chopped
2 stock cubes dissolved in 250ml boiling water
1 tbsp plain flour
Salt and pepper
Salted butter
Cheese
Bread
- Add potatoes, swede, carrots, and parsnips to a large saucepan. Add water until only just covered, season, and bring to the boil.
- Mix the flour with a bit of the stock and whisk until smooth. Add this and the rest of the stock to the saucepan. Boil for 25-30 mins.
- Add the leeks and continue to boil for 5 mins.
- Stir in the parsley, then remove from heat. Taste and season more if needed.
- Serve the cawl with some cubes of cheese and a knob of butter on top, and bread on the side.
Hmm, I added photos of my typed recipes but it seems as though they've disappeared 🤔 I'll try and rectify that!
As someone who loves to cook I’ve occasionally done HelloFresh or similar during really stressful periods, and honestly it made me so much less excited about food. They’re also designed for ‘the average’ consumer, so nothing tastes how *you* would like it to, and there’s no out of the box thinking.
I see their purpose and I know they’re very helpful for some, but personally I hate them and would rather just cook something very simple (omelette and a jacket potato or whatever) when stressed
Have you used the App Mealime? It's great for finding and saving recipes (can sort by veggie, vegan etc) and then sorts all of the ingredients needed into a condensed shopping list for you. Eg if you need half an onion for one recipe and and half for another it will tell you to buy one onion, not two!
Would highly recommend these two roasting tin recipes -
https://thehappyfoodie.co.uk/recipes/crispy-baked-gnocchi-with-tomatoes-basil-mozzarella-and-pine-nuts/
https://thehappyfoodie.co.uk/recipes/groundnut-stew-sweet-potato-in-a-peanut-and-tomato-sauce/
They’re firm faves in our household - delicious!
This / something similar is one of my go-to vegan recipes and had been a hot whenever I've cooked it for others (as long as you like avocados!): https://www.plantbasedredhead.com/en/avocado-pasta-vegan/
We have a very similar veggie set-up to you and Dan, and I am also not a fan of aubergine and mushroom forward meals! I've found the MOB kitchen website has loads of great recipes that we use frequently, and my fave veggie/vegan cookbooks are The Green Roasting Tin (10/10 for weeknight ease) and Dinner (some quick, some more weekend vibes).
And the easiest go to is fajitas! Just sub chicken for quorn/halloumi/sweet potato
A great way to eat more veggies for me is to make curry. Plenty of flavour and a blank canvas to play with what you have in your fridge <3
Veggie dishes i love are:
Tomato gallet (wishbone kitchen has a great one)
Caramelised onion gallet
Cauliflower pasta (by carla lalli music)
Cauliflower korma (from the cookbook start here by sohla el wally)
Saag feta (by priya krishna)
Also trying to imitate poke bowl recepies at home helps me to eat many vegetables (i love a combo of edamame, red cabbage, kimchi, tofu, broccoli)
Also using puff pastry to make any kind of savoury Strudel is a go to for me. Faves of mine are spinach & feta or leek & potato.