After nearly 50 years I’ve decided to go veggie. Anyone help with some tasty nutritious recipes for a beginner? Cheers guys.

Adding bacon makes anything delicious.

excellent Malvern will be along in a bit, and I get to try out another of his delicious recipes.

The world is literally filled to the brim with very good veggie cookbooks, my only advice to you is don’t substitute,almost all the the quorns and whatever are horrible.

An easy win

Mushroom Stroganoff: Make some rice, in the time that takes to cook through, gently fry a chopped onion with some smoked pakprika in good splash of olive oil and a generous knob of butter, roughly chop a couple of hundred grams of various mushrooms, and let them soften, season to taste. gentle fry for about 7-10mins. As you’re ready to serve, turn off the heat and stir through a small pot of soured cream. Drain rice,serve with a garnish of fresh corriander

Thanks Nickc

Veg Everyday from Hugh F-W.

Great recipes

APF

Old El Paso fajita kit (small tortillas, salsa, spice mix)
Guacamole?
Sour cream?
Cheese (Mexicana is a fave of mine, but whichever you fancy)

Various veg (including onion, mushroom, bell peppers) and if like me, fruit like banana and apple, sliced up and bunged into hot frying pan with oil for ~7-10mins.

Add spice mix, plus if pan contents dry, ~5 tablespoons of water. Mix in until most veg covered.

~1-2mins later, chuck portions of pan contents on tortilla, add guacamole and cream and sliced/grated cheese before folding up tortilla.

So simple, even I can cook it and it tastes great IMO.

Frankly, I’m disappointed in you. Either have a steak or go full level 4 vegan*

D-…. must try harder

*eat nothing that casts a shadow

On a less flippant note, how come now? Whats made the decision

I’m genuinely interested

Everyone I know has gone the other way. i.e.: my sister was veggie for 18 years then rejected it in fairly dramatic fashion at a barby at ours, where she was like a shark in a feeding frenzy on burgers and sausages. And another mate did the same with a lamb roast, having been veggie for 20 years, when we were out for Sunday lunch. Both have whole-heartedly embraced the carnivores diet ever since

I’ve been veggie since the start of this year. It’s been pretty easy, and I’ve not missed meat at all.

I’m thinking of going (mostly) vegan next.

Mike…. Is that like the culinary equivalent of saying you’re bisexual, on the way to fully coming out as gay, Tom Daley style 😉

I’d recommend you initially get right out of the “three things together = supper” mentality.
Then, then invest in lots of dried spices.. from green to red.

Then buy Hugh F-W’s book, then Ottelinghi’s books, then Nigel Slaters, then one from the Vegan selection.

Mark out a few recipes that look interesting, then go buy double the amount of the ingredients.. some ingredients you’ll stock up on anyway, some will be used in the first attempt at a meal.

Take some time and practice evening meals, put some music on and enjoy putting stuff together and learning all things variety bestows upon you.

Don’t think “must replace meat with xxxxxxxx” you need to change the mental process of slamming three things together to make supper.

IMO.

I’ve decided to try it as since I was 16/17 I’ve weight trained and eaten so much chicken, not so much red meat tbh,that I’m sick of the sight of it. I’ve read that a plant based diet, which I’m kind of building up to, is a healthier and more natural way to eat for various reasons. Thanks for the advice bikebouy.

I think I’d rather slam 3 things together than go veggie

My nuts and a door, possibly.

(just kidding – I have reduced my meat intake substantially this year as part of chub club and while i couldn’t go the whole hog, I think I enjoy it more as an occasional* treat rather than the basis of every meal)

* to be properly fair, i do still eat quite a lot of fish and reasonable amounts of chicken, red meat is now the occasional bit. And 2/3 of my plate is grains and vegetables.

I am not a veggy in fact the polar oppsite, but my veggie and vegan mates are amongst the best cooks I know. So I agree with bikebouys advice above. All the vegan stuff I have been fed, to my utter satisfaction, comes from left field and is not a meat n 2 veg format with “something else” instead of the meat. There appears to be lots of imagination in this area so you won’t have any problems. Show us some pictures of your efforts.

OP.. bodybuilding you say..

You are not alone in going veggie..

Veggie bodybuilding site..

Thanks again bikebouy I’ve seen a few guys who train and look good on the veggies so I’m really intrigued as to what gains I could make by eating protein from the original source as such. That website looks great

A couple of simple recipes;
Tomato sauce for pizzas, lasagne, spaghetti etc. Fry an onion in olive oil, add chopped red pepper, oregano and 2 tins tomatoes. Simmer for 15 mins.
You can adapt this sauce to make a chilli sauce by adding a chopped chilli or chilli powder and some red kidney beans to go with a baked spud.
Simple dahl. Cook a cupful of red lentils in 3 cups of water with a tsp salt. Cook slowly till lentils absorb water into a puree ( a bit of stirring). In a separate pan fry an onion, a chilli (chopped) a thumb sized piece of ginger finely chopped, 3 cloves garlic crushed and a 5cm piece of turmeric finely chopped. Add the lentil puree, stir well and simmer for 10 mins. You can of course substitute powdered turmeric etc but it won’t taste as good

Thanks Mildbore

I think do it gradually. Like most things if you wean yourself off it it’s easy, cold turkey (lolz) is tough

Soup. You can do some amazeballs things with soups. I really like this at the moment:

https://realfood.tesco.com/recipes/nanas-magic-soup.html

I swapped the coconut milk for regular as it was too dominant a taste, and added fresh garlic. It’s ace.

A couple of threads from earlier this year which might help.

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/vegetarians-tips-on-making-the-transition-easy

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/vegetarian-meals-share-your-super-quick-recipes

A “three things together = supper” strategy is great, but make them grains, beans and greens. Plus eggs/cheese, I suppose, if you’re veggy.

Everyone I know

You only know two people
Surely me an xherbivore cancel them out then Dazh makes us the winners 😉

A “three things together = supper” strategy is great, but make them grains, beans and greens.

I’m having bangers, mash and er… onion gravy tonight, that’s three things isn’t it?

Anna jones’ books are good tasty modern veggie food. Most recipes are quick too. We probably eat something of hers every other night. Sample recipes are on her website.

Pulse is also a good book if you like lentils, chickpeas, beans, etc.

I found ottolenghi food to be bland and rich.

Veg Everyday from Hugh F-W.

Great recipes

This was my first thought, also you can filter BBC Good Food recipes into vegetarian and save yourself a list of favourites. There’s some good ideas in there.

excellent Malvern will be along in a bit, and I get to try out another of his delicious recipes.

Rub the fat foodie fairy up the right way and he shall appear 😉

Lazy link for OP as comfort food in the chilly winter is a boon:

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/whats-yr-best-veggievegan-pie-recipe#post-7019339

I forgot the Engevita B12 savoury yeast flakes in that recipe, couple of tblspns stirred into the cooked filling before topping with spuds.

*Edit: And another puy lentil special but this time tex-mex chilli-non-carne (I swear by those small dark green speckly peppery/meaty-flavoured beauties, not the fat light green ones which are only useful for dahls IMO). Add mushrooms for extra oomph.

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/your-best-comfort-food-recipes-lets-have-em-then#post-6382906

A good shakshouka recipe on that page too (not mine)

I forgot the Engevita B12 savoury yeast flakes in that recipe

I sometimes use Marmite as a flavouring for things that would traditionally be meaty. Spag bol, chilli non carne and suchlike.

Thanks guys all this stuff is very helpful 🙂

my sister was veggie for 18 years then rejected it in fairly dramatic fashion at a barby at ours, where she was like a shark in a feeding frenzy on burgers and sausages.

OH was apparently a veggie some some time but was “turned” by a pork pie.

I would have thought a good start for veggie dishes is to look at “other than British” cuisine. Lots of good Italian sauces, Indian curries, Chinese stir frys etc.

I’m definitely a meat eater but in recent years have incorporated more veggie dishes into my diet. I particularly love beans and lentils.

+1 on the marmite, but watch the high salt. Yeast flakes have a comparatively negligible amount but good taste. I tend to use both mix n match and then forego adding salt.

I’ve stopped eating red meat and chicken, but still eat fish and seafood. Other half doesnt eat any meats. Here’s an easy ‘cheating’ Sunday roast that works really well IMO.

‘Cheating’ Vegan Sunday Dinner

– cut smallish and blanche some taters ready to roast (if you plan ahead it is ***really nice*** if marinade the cold blanched spuds overnight in a liberal drizzling of fresh lemon juice, salt and loads of crushed garlic)
– Heat oven
-Add taters to a few tblspns of oil in foil-lined oven tray
-when half roasted add some carrots and parsnip sticks, shake a bit of cumin in there.
-15 mins from end of roasting throw in a couple of Linda Macs 1/4lb burgers (these are vegan too). Sprinkle some smoked paprika on top of burgers beforehand if you want a BBQd taste.

– Chop and boil/steam yr fave greens and then save green water to:

– Make gravy from Bisto Roasted Onion gravy powder, black pepper and a few tspns of mustard and/or mint sauce. When brought to boil add a tblspn of Engevita B12 Savoury Yeast flakes and stir in.

Serve all together, arranged as you wish. Pour on hot gravy.

– (suggestion) Follow with vegan rice pudding made from coconut milk, soy milk (mix enough together to cover rice four times) short grain rice, sugar to taste, pinch of salt, hamdful sultanas, nutmeg, and teaspn or two of almond essence.

I have to research a nut roast for xmas as have never even matched that one of a friend who to date refuses to give me the recipe! (tastes like tasty faggots). Anyone know a good one?

rebelrecipes.com

Anna Jones

Hugh FW has a new book out too -‘More Veg’.

+1 on the marmite, but watch the high salt. Yeast flakes have a comparatively negligible amount but good taste. I tend to use both mix n match and then forego adding salt.

I rarely add salt in cooking, other than when frying onions. Plenty of salt from other things.

I have to research a nut roast for xmas as have never even matched that one of a friend who to date refuses to give me the recipe! (tastes like tasty faggots). Anyone know a good one?

I think I’ve got one somewhere. I’ll have a look. I tend to hand-write recipes and then commit them to OneNote once I’m broadly happy with it.

Bar the odd bacon sarnie or ham bap I’m all but veggie.Never really been into steak/lamb chops etc and chicken is just filler.Almost always choose the veggie option when eating out as it usually looks nicer anyway.Might just go the last bit….no great loss.

I bought an electric pressure cooker (instant pot) and although I’m no veggie I eat loads of beans, pearl barely, rice, oats, lentils etc now because it’s so easy. It’s also super healthy, tasty and cheap.

Sainsbury’s do their own reduced salt yeast extract, I actually prefer the taste compared to the real McCoy Marmite, but then I’m relatively new to both in the last year or so despite Mrsgoat eating the stuff for years.

Not a veggie myself, Mrsgoat is though, i rarely eat meat except when out though.

Meridian also do a low salt marmite-type yeast extract that’s very tasty in stews, soups etc

our current favourite veggie meal is roasted peppers and tomatoes layered between rounds of fried aubergine, with mozzarella and parmesan.

A nice dressing helps too, olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic and whatever herbs tiy can get your hands on (basic, mint, thyme etc)

I’ve reduced the amount of meat I eat. My main motivation is animal welfare and respecting that an animal died to make the product. I buy high welfare meat (BTW the Red Tractor sticker is a con) and try to make it into a decent dish. My thoughts are if I’m going to buy meat I should put the money into the high welfare end of the market.
I don’t eat the meat dishes at work as they’ve refused to tell me the provenance, other than it’s “British”. Plus the resulting dishes are generally not worth an animal dying for.

One thing that really annoys me now is separate “vege dishes” sections on menus. Good vege meals are as good as traditional non-vege meals, and they all should be just called “dishes”.

Could probably go full vege, but not vegan because of cheese… although a lot of the nicest cheeses aren’t even vege.

Edit: One thing I’ve found is lots of the the flavours that we associate with meat aren’t from the meat at all, Sage is an example.

Eat lots of fake meat and meat flavour crisps, then watch the meateaters get confused and/or annoyed. Also be very patronising and evangelical about it. You’ll get accused of doing that anyway by all and sundry so you might as well have some fun telling everyone else that you’re better than them.