Vegetarian cookbook or recipes?
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Vegetarian cookbook or recipes?
I have been searching in desperation for some 'child-friendly' vegetarian recipes or a cookbook...there must be something out there!
My children seem to only eat 'standard' food, often involving chicken in some way, and I do want to go more 'vegetarian' in our diet.
Unfortunately all I seem to be able to find is recipes for things like 'honey roasted fig and red onion crostini', which would probably leave my children running screaming from the room if I were to attempt to serve it as dinner.
Does anyone know of any basic vegetarian cookbooks with relatively 'normal' ingredients that would feed a crowd without too much effort?
My children seem to only eat 'standard' food, often involving chicken in some way, and I do want to go more 'vegetarian' in our diet.
Unfortunately all I seem to be able to find is recipes for things like 'honey roasted fig and red onion crostini', which would probably leave my children running screaming from the room if I were to attempt to serve it as dinner.
Does anyone know of any basic vegetarian cookbooks with relatively 'normal' ingredients that would feed a crowd without too much effort?
Re: Vegetarian cookbook or recipes?
I am not sure how easy they are to get hold of now, but we cook a lot from the Cranks books- 'Entertaining with Cranks' and the imaginatively named 'Cranks recipe Book' in particular. They are old though, like me, and our copies are falling apart. Lots of things involving my favourite aubergines, and the best recipe for carrot cake I have come across.
In case you are thinking you might need to head to the antique shop...Sam Stern is a favourite here too, and quite a bit of his stuff is vegetarian.
In case you are thinking you might need to head to the antique shop...Sam Stern is a favourite here too, and quite a bit of his stuff is vegetarian.
Re: Vegetarian cookbook or recipes?
Hi um
Have you tried using Quorn in recipes? I'm veggie and use it all the time in place of mince - chilli, spag bol etc. The chunks are quite good in stir fries too. Very low fat and easy to cook with
As for recipes, the bbc website often has quite good, no-nonsense recipes.
Happy cooking!
Have you tried using Quorn in recipes? I'm veggie and use it all the time in place of mince - chilli, spag bol etc. The chunks are quite good in stir fries too. Very low fat and easy to cook with
As for recipes, the bbc website often has quite good, no-nonsense recipes.
Happy cooking!
Re: Vegetarian cookbook or recipes?
Hi um, I can highly recommend Delia's Vegetarian Collection. It is my vegetarian bible as DS2 is vegetarian - he is now 9 and became a vegetarian, at his own instigation, almost 2 years ago and is the only one in the family who doesn't eat meat. He does eat fish so, consequently, we eat more fish as a family now.
I can also recommend Quorn. The mince and sausages are excellent and the "chicken" style pieces are very useful, on the other hand he didn't rate the burgers at all. Tesco do a nice meat free range and he and DS1 (non vegi) really like the cheesey kievs and the stuffed roast.
A lot of the Delia recipes can be easily "tweaked" for children and I would also get a proper Italian cookbook as a lot of their food is very family friendly whilst being meat free.
Having gone from being canivore cook to vegi cook on a vertical curve I can honestly say that I don't find it hard or a chore and quite enjoy adapting things for him.
Good luck.
I can also recommend Quorn. The mince and sausages are excellent and the "chicken" style pieces are very useful, on the other hand he didn't rate the burgers at all. Tesco do a nice meat free range and he and DS1 (non vegi) really like the cheesey kievs and the stuffed roast.
A lot of the Delia recipes can be easily "tweaked" for children and I would also get a proper Italian cookbook as a lot of their food is very family friendly whilst being meat free.
Having gone from being canivore cook to vegi cook on a vertical curve I can honestly say that I don't find it hard or a chore and quite enjoy adapting things for him.
Good luck.
Re: Vegetarian cookbook or recipes?
Thanks for the replies.
Having once tried quorn burgers which were truly awful and ended up in the bin, I had avoided it ever since. I may now pluck up the courage to give it another try (in a different format!).
Will definitely look into Delia too...I just think there's a gap in the market for a non-nonsense family veggie cookbook, as, looking at the ones available on Amazon, they are just too exotic or difficult to make for our family's needs.
Just found this for Monday (husband cooks Sundays
)
Will see what the children think... http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/chees ... gine_71673" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Having once tried quorn burgers which were truly awful and ended up in the bin, I had avoided it ever since. I may now pluck up the courage to give it another try (in a different format!).
Will definitely look into Delia too...I just think there's a gap in the market for a non-nonsense family veggie cookbook, as, looking at the ones available on Amazon, they are just too exotic or difficult to make for our family's needs.
Just found this for Monday (husband cooks Sundays
)Will see what the children think... http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/chees ... gine_71673" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Re: Vegetarian cookbook or recipes?
I have a tendency to use online recipes these days so I just search for whatever I am after "Cranks vegetarian recipes", "Delia Christmas cake" etc. Waitrose have loads of good recipes on line, although I don't know about veggie.
scary mum
Re: Vegetarian cookbook or recipes?
Um, that looks nice, may have to try that next week. Am trying to think what we have regularly that are family friendly.
Pasta bake, but I am sure that everybody has that one, macaroni cheese etc etc, like these as you can add meat for the committed carnivores (DS1).
Baked eggs are also really delicious and go down a storm here.
Sausage jumble is a particular favourite. It's basically, sausage, peppers, onions, mushrooms and tinned tomatoes casseroled and then 20 minutes before the end I bung in the requisite number of veggie sausages and rice. The veggie sausages cook in the same time as the rice and the rice soaks up all the juices from the casserole. It really is delicious but not overly pretty hence "jumble". It also stays warm really well so is great for those nights when everybody is in at different times. The ultimate one-pot meal.
I really would urge you to give Quorn another go, avoiding the burgers which are awful, but the pieces, sausage and mince and absolutely fine. Remember the mince and pieces have very little of their own taste so need to be pepped up so are brilliant for bakes, stir fries, chilli, bolog etc. The sausages are also very nice and I often have them in preference.
Have you looked at the Olive/BBC range of cookbooks, the little square ones, they are brilliant and often have veggie recipes, in fact there may be a veggie one I'm not sure.
Can you tell I quite like cooking
Sorry.
Pasta bake, but I am sure that everybody has that one, macaroni cheese etc etc, like these as you can add meat for the committed carnivores (DS1).
Baked eggs are also really delicious and go down a storm here.
Sausage jumble is a particular favourite. It's basically, sausage, peppers, onions, mushrooms and tinned tomatoes casseroled and then 20 minutes before the end I bung in the requisite number of veggie sausages and rice. The veggie sausages cook in the same time as the rice and the rice soaks up all the juices from the casserole. It really is delicious but not overly pretty hence "jumble". It also stays warm really well so is great for those nights when everybody is in at different times. The ultimate one-pot meal.
I really would urge you to give Quorn another go, avoiding the burgers which are awful, but the pieces, sausage and mince and absolutely fine. Remember the mince and pieces have very little of their own taste so need to be pepped up so are brilliant for bakes, stir fries, chilli, bolog etc. The sausages are also very nice and I often have them in preference.
Have you looked at the Olive/BBC range of cookbooks, the little square ones, they are brilliant and often have veggie recipes, in fact there may be a veggie one I'm not sure.
Can you tell I quite like cooking
Sorry.Re: Vegetarian cookbook or recipes?
I've just ordered the Sam Stern Vegetarian book as DD and DS are now cooking one family meal each a week and I though it looks like a good basic veggie book with food that they will enjoy and find easy to make for us (I hope). I'll report back when it arrives.Amber wrote:Sam Stern is a favourite here too, and quite a bit of his stuff is vegetarian.
Re: Vegetarian cookbook or recipes?
IMHO but too late for you now Muggle,, the best of his books is "Get Cooking!" . Most of the recipes in the vegetarian one are also in his other books. Favourites here are his lamb Korma (another forum user had this recipe off me and that family likes it too, I gather); lime sherbet chicken, red butter chicken curry and beef stir fry. Though these are, self evidently, not vegetarian. For the best vegetarian recipes in the whole world try Cranks Aubergine Parmesan and Aubergine and Spinach layer, though probably not together. Perfection!Muggle wrote:I've just ordered the Sam Stern Vegetarian book as DD and DS are now cooking one family meal each a week and I though it looks like a good basic veggie book with food that they will enjoy and find easy to make for us (I hope). I'll report back when it arrives.Amber wrote:Sam Stern is a favourite here too, and quite a bit of his stuff is vegetarian.
Re: Vegetarian cookbook or recipes?
Thanks all...I also ordered Sam Stern's vegetarian, and it arrived today. I was really impressed! I would not have bought a cook book by someone who looks about 15 without the recommendation, but actually this is what I've been looking for for a while.
The children have just had a big fight about who is cooking dinner this Saturday
ds1 won, and he is usually unable to butter his own toast so that's a miracle for you 
Some of it is a bit fatty for my taste, but as dc1 and 3 are as thin as lampposts, that may not be an entirely bad thing
The children have just had a big fight about who is cooking dinner this Saturday
ds1 won, and he is usually unable to butter his own toast so that's a miracle for you Some of it is a bit fatty for my taste, but as dc1 and 3 are as thin as lampposts, that may not be an entirely bad thing
