The L-Plate Vegetarian

Potato and vegetable dishes

Vegetable Curries

There are now lots of different curries in the freezer or chilled cabinets which you just heat up following the instructions on the packets. Serve with rice and you can always add one of the snacks like onion bhajia or vegetable samosas and poppadoms (see packed lunches section). Also try a spoonful of natural yoghurt, mango chutney or if you like hot food, lime pickle! As usual, there are a huge amount of different curries available, mild, medium or hot. Here’s a selection for you to try:

• Sainsbury: Aloo Saag (Potato, Spinach & Coriander).
• Tesco: Vegetable Dhal or Mushroom & Spinach Bhaji.
• Marks & Spencers: Chana Masala; Vegetable Curry.
• Co-op: Vegetable Curry or Vegetable Tikka Masala.
• Pataks: Vegetable Tikka Masala with Cumin Spiced Rice (you’ll find this with the dried rice and noodles section; to prepare either boil or microwave).
• Waitrose: Tamarind Dal, Vegetable Curry or they even produce
  an entire vegetarian Indian Meal for One!
• Safeway: Creamy Korma with Pilau Rice – made with Quorn.

Try rounding your meal off with a selection of Traditional Indian Sweets from Waitrose. A delightful selection of almond and pistaccio based sweets including ‘royal halva’.

Potatoes

Jacket potatoes with different fillings are another easy, healthy and quick meal. You can buy them ready stuffed (see hot snacks section) but it’s much nicer and cheaper to stuff your own! See the ‘How to Cook the Basics’ section then try stuffing with the following ideas:

• Baked beans – extra good if sprinkled with Bacos Bacon Flavour Soya Chips. Heat the beans through, pile onto the potato and sprinkle with the soya chips.
• Fried free-range eggs.
• Cottage cheese or Philadelphia cream cheese withCrispy Topping Onions.
• Hummus and salad.
• Sweetcorn and mayonnaise.
• Stagg Vegetable Chilli.

There are loads of other ways to serve potatoes, and you can easily make them yourself with the help of a good recipe book. However most are available ready made – perfect as a side dish for any veggie main course, or as a snack. Here are some ideas:

• Marks & Spencer: Potato Gratin or Croquettes.
• Asda: Potato Wedges with Olive Oil & Rock Salt or Sour Cream & Chive dip; Italian Style Roasted Potatoes.
• Tesco: Battered Potato Slices; New York Potato Wedges with Soured Cream; Sundried Tomato & Herb Potatoes; Irish Cheddar Mash.
• Waitrose: Potato Dauphinoise – with sliced onions and a creamy gruyere cheese sauce; Mushroom & Parsley Potato Bake.

If you don’t mind slicing a few spuds try Homepride Potato Bake Sauces. Just lay the potatoes in an oven-proof dish, cover with the sauce and bake. There are three flavours: Cheese & Onion or Creamy Tomato & Herb or Garlic & Herb. You can also use these and Homepride Pasta Sauces for a pasta bake (just pour it over cooked pasta and bake). For extra flavour you could add a little garlic and some freshly chopped basil or parsley. You can also get dried spuds, they come in a packet with sauce, add milk and butter. Also there’s good old Smash, which now comes in Cheese & Onions or Fried Onions variations as well as original spud flavour!

Other Vegetable Dishes

All supermarkets have a good range of vegetable ready meals – you can usually find vegetable bakes, cauliflower cheese or vegetable chilli – but there are many other interesting and tasty dishes available. Always try to serve your ready meal with extra vegetables, baked beans or salad to boost the nutritional content. Here are some ready meals you could try:

• Tesco: Mushroom Stroganoff; Tex Mex Style Vegetable Chilli.
• Bird’s Eye Vegetable Cuisine range: Crispy Vegetable Fingers; Crunchy Vegetable Quarter-pounders or Original Vegetable Kievs.
• Sainsburys: Cheese, Spring Onion & chive Crispbakes.
• Marks & Spencer: Moroccan Filo Pies; Boston Baked Beans; Asparagus Lasagne; Vegetable Cumberland Pie; Cheese & Onion or Bubble & Squeak Crispbakes or Filled Red Peppers (peppers stuffed with rice and vegetables – try spooning over one of the tomato based pasta sauces ie Dolmio or Ragu and serve with
  jacket potatoes).
• Dalepak: Vegetable or Cauliflower Cheese Grills; Italian, Indian or Chinese Style Vegetable Escalopes.
• Somerfield: Broccoli Mornay; Savoury Filo parcel Selection with Roasted Vegetables.
• Safeway: Vegetable Cumberland Pie; Vegetable Crumble; Spicy Chickpea & Apricot Bake; Roasted Potato, Pepper & Basil Layer; Spinach & Mushroom Gratin.
• Asda: Vegetable Casserole with Herb Dumplings; Vegetable Hotpot.
• Waitrose: Root Vegetable Medley (seasonal vegetables roasted in a honey and parsley glaze) or Breaded Garlic Mushroom.

Pies and Quiches

Individual pies or quiches are an excellent substitute for meat, again serve with plenty of fresh veg or salad and potatoes. Most supermarkets stock basic individual vegetable pies, usually found in the freezer compartment, and a wide range of pies, tarts, pastries and quiches in the chiller cabinets.

• Sainsbury: Quiche Range includes Spinach & Gruyere; Leek;
  Cheese & Chive; Mushroom; Cheese & Onion.
• Tesco: Finest Goats’ Cheese & Red Pepper Quiche; Mushroom Quiche or Roasted Vegetable Tart.
• Waitrose: Individual Onion Tarte Tatin or Cherry Tomato, Mozzarella & Basil Tartlets.

Next Section: Sweet Delights