I am newly vegetarian and have always had crazy bad cravings during my last time(TMI, sorry). I haven’t had meat of any kind since February and it hasn’t been something I have craved or haven’t found a replacement for...I am having a hard time shaking this craving for beef roast...I feel ridiculous for even asking. What’s everyone’s advice? Give in to the craving and maybe kinda hate myself for a minute? Or what? (None of my family is vegetarian but I am the cook in the house and would welcome the idea of an actual roast) I’ve tried gardein beef tips(I do not like them) and also jackfruit roast(which was a lot closer).

For an upcoming weekend menu, I'm looking to pair some nice wines for two different meals picked by my companion. A different bottle for each is possible.
I'm aware we cook relatively non-standard but I'm trying to gain experience and see how wine can fit food. The meals are not necessarily eaten across the evenings in the order listed. Also my companion often makes changes to the recipes, e.g., we might not use an ingredient but we will use the title components.
The first is a (Meat)Balls in Peanut Sauce with Cauliflower Rice (Thai). The balls will be either chicken, beef or perhaps quorn. In any case, a (semi-)meat. Recipe: https://tararochfordnutrition.com/thai-peanut-meatballs/
The second is a Chickpea Carrot Roast on Parsnip Puree . Recipe: https://heartofabaker.com/cumin-roasted-carrots-and-chickpeas-with-vegan-parsnip-puree/
What would you recommend or which advice can you give for good pairings? What tastes to focus on, where to look for inspiration. Many and varied suggestions are welcome!
The wines at the bottom are part of my cellar that should be drunk sooner than later, where the first wines especially should go soon, so I prefer one of those if possible. I do have a large collection beyond those so feel free to propose any ideas that pop up.
My own thoughts were as follows:
The Mil Vientos Malbec with the Thai Peanut Meatballs recipe. It sounds like it has a touch of sweetness alongside a good body that might work well with the spices used in the dish (peanut and thai)
EIther the Conde De Siruela or Bodegas Olarra with the chickpea dish - Mediterranean inspired, and a dish with a strong earth and roasted focus. Unsure which one would work best though.
What do you think?
//////////////////////// ~2019
Conde de Siruela Élite 2009 Ribera del Duero Spain Spanish Ribera Del Duero Red
Bodegas Olarra Clasico Rioja Reserva 2009 Rioja Spain Spanish Rioja Red
Merced del Estero Mil Vientos Malbec 2011 San Juan Argentina Argentinian Malbec
Château de la Commanderie Lalande-de-Pomerol 2011 Lalande-de-Pomerol France Bordeaux Pomerol
—- ~2020
Feudi di San Gregorio Taurasi 2008 Taurasi Italy Southern Italy Red
Château Labégorce Château Labégorce-Zédé Margaux 2008 Margaux France Bordeaux Margaux
Le Palaie Bulizio 2009 Toscana Italy Tuscan Red
Magaña Barón de Magaña (Finca La Sarda Crianza) 2010 Navarra Spain Spanish Red
Château La Haute Borie Monbazillac Blanc 2010 Monbazillac France
Antonio & Raimondo Unico Langhe Rosso 2010 Langhe Italy Northern Italy Red
Château Vincens Origine Cahors 2011 Cahors France Southwest France Malbec
Château La Claymore Château Moulin de Fontmurée Lussac-Saint-Émilion 2011 Lussac-Saint-Émilion France Bordeaux Saint-Émilion
Château Goubau Bordeaux 2011 Bordeaux France Bordeaux Red
Alta Pavina Pinot Noir - Tempranillo 2011 Castilla y León Spain Spanish Red
Villa Maria Cellar Selection Pinot Noir 2012 Marlborough New Zealand New Zealand Pinot Noir
Gabriel Meffre Domaine de la Chapelle Gigondas 2012 Gigondas France Southern Rhône Red
Minkov Brothers Four Cycle Red Blend 2013 Thracian Valley Bulgaria
The Throne Pinot Noir High Altitude 2014 Marlborough New Zealand New Zealand Pinot Noir
Kus Van Thérèse Red Blend 2014
Trio Merlot (Carménère - Syrah) 2015 Rapel Valley Chile Chilean Merlot
Domaine de Petit Roubié Picpoul de Pinet 2017 Picpoul de Pinet France Languedoc-Roussillon White
Frati Bianchi Sparapani Salerna Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico 2013 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Italy Central Italy White

For an upcoming weekend menu, I'm looking to pair some nice wines for two different meals picked by my companion.
I'm aware we cook relatively non-standard but I'm trying to gain experience and see how wine can fit food. Also my companion often makes changes to the recipes, e.g., we might not use an ingredient but we will use the title components.
The first is a Falafel Burgers with Roasted Eggplant and Mint Yogurt, we'll make it on the barbecue and without buns. Recipe: https://www.thelastfoodblog.com/falafel-burgers/ and (Dutch) https://uitpaulineskeuken.nl/2014/04/geroosterde-aubergine.html
The second is an Cheese Zucchini Tomato Pasta. Recipe: https://www.therusticfoodie.com/skillet-zucchini-parmesan/
There is a third meal which I'd call Tapa's night. Basically, 5 different tiny portions of leftovers that vary from meat, sausage, quorn, cabbage, kohlrabi, celeriac, pumpkin and artichokes. Impossible to pair good with, so I was thinking to perhaps do some bubbles (champagne) or a Rose? What would you do if you had to pair for a Tapa night?
What would you recommend or which advice can you give for good pairings for the main meals? What tastes to focus on, where to look for inspiration. Many and varied suggestions are welcome!
The wines at the bottom are part of my cellar that should be drunk sooner than later, where the first wines especially should go soon, so I prefer one of those if possible. I do have a large collection beyond those so feel free to propose any ideas that pop up. It also happens that I have two Repour'ed bottles: a Terra D'Oro Amador County Aglianico 2010 and a Occhipinti Grotte Alte 2008.
My own thoughts were as follows: The repoured Aglianico seems like a solid match for the Zucchini Pasta though it would also work with the Falafel I'd think. Thoughts? For the Falafal burgers, perhaps one of the Rioja's though I'd be unsure which one.
What do you think?
////////////////////////
Setriolo Memores Toscana 2009 Toscana Italy Tuscan Red
Mortiès Pic-Saint-Loup 2009 Pic-Saint-Loup France Languedoc-Roussillon Red
Conde de Siruela Élite 2009 Ribera del Duero Spain Spanish Ribera Del Duero Red
Château Clauzet Château de Côme Saint-Estephe 2009 Saint-Estèphe France Bordeaux Saint-Estèphe
Bodegas Olarra Clasico Rioja Reserva 2009 Rioja Spain Spanish Rioja Red
Joel Gott Cabernet Sauvignon (815) 2010 California United States Californian Cabernet Sauvignon
Freemark Abbey Merlot 2010 Napa Valley United States Californian Merlot
Bodegas Virgen de la Sierra Albada Viñas Viejas Garnacha 2010 Calatayud Spain Spanish Grenache
Schola Sarmenti Cubardi Primitivo 2011 Salento Italy Southern Italy Primitivo
Merced del Estero Mil Vientos Malbec 2011 San Juan Argentina Argentinian Malbec
Château de la Commanderie Lalande-de-Pomerol 2011 Lalande-de-Pomerol France Bordeaux Pomerol
Viña Palo Alto Reserva Chardonnay 2012 Central Valley Chile Chilean Chardonnay
Marques de Vitage Rioja 2012 Rioja Spain Spanish Rioja Red
Château Thézane Vacqueyras 2012 Southern Rhône France Southern Rhône Red
Château Los Boldos Grande Reserve Carmenère 2013 Cachapoal Valley Chile Chilean Carménère
Lindeman's Bin 65 Chardonnay 2015 South Eastern Australia Australia Australian Chardonnay

Hey all!
Some of you were asking for some low-fodmap vegetarian recipes and food ideas. The following is what I tend to eat, apologies for the disorganisation and lack of detail with some, I don't really follow many recipes!
*PLEASE NOTE: Quantities presented in parentheses are the maximum quantity that is allowed of that food. Quantities presented outside parentheses are my own recipe and amount suggestions. Hope that makes sense! *

Breakfast

Flapjacks with oats (60g), golden syrup (7g), dark chocolate chips (30g) and butter (19g)

• It's loosely based off this recipe https://thehappyfoodie.co.uk/recipes/fast-flapjacks (the sugar is unnecessary) but I tend to just wing it every time so no specific quantities unfortunately

Smoothie with strawberries (140g), blueberries (40g), pineapple (140g), unripe banana (100g), orange juice (100ml)

• I like to make this really thick, almost like ice cream, and then top it with homemade granola

Homemade granola with low fodmap milk (I can tolerate oat fine, but almond is lower fodmap)

• For the granola, simply mix 450g oats, 100g golden syrup and 1/2 tsp olive oil and toast it in the oven
• I do gas mark 2 for 15 minutes, give it a mix and put it in for another 15, but it will depend on your oven, your tray and your preferred degree of toastedness
• Take it out of the oven, let it cool completely, then add 100g chopped dark chocolate and mix
• This lasts weeks in tupperware

Porridge with low fodmap milk

• Top with maple syrup (50g), strawberries (140g), blueberries (40g) or unripe banana (100g)

Sourdough toast with brie (40g) and tomatoes (75g)
Sourdough toast with low-fodmap chocolate spread/peanut butter (50g) / jam (40g)
Pancakes (for 2 people): mix 50g gluten free flour, 1 medium/large egg, pinch of salt, 150ml low fodmap milk

• Cook in olive oil
• Top with strawberries (140g), blueberries (40g), maple syrup (50g) or low fodmap chocolate spread

​

Lunch

Rice vermicelli noodles with broccoli (75g) or tenderstem broccoli (45g), carrots, green part of spring onions (16g) or chives, low fodmap stock, (gluten free) soy sauce (42g)
Eggs, homemade potato chips with paprika, tomato (75g) and lettuce salad with olive oil and balsamic vinegar (21g)

• Cut the potato into wedges, sprinkle with smoked paprika and whatever other spices you like, then pop in the oven

Rice with roasted veg (carrot, courgette (65g), leek tops (54g), chives, broccoli (75g), red pepper)
Homemade veggie soup (carrots, parsnips, leek tops (54g), chives, potato and red pepper are all great)
Sourdough/gluten free sandwich

• Cheese (cheddar, brie etc.), lettuce, tomato (75g), egg
• Egg mayo (40g mayo)

​

Dinner

Shepherd's pie https://alittlebityummy.com/recipe/en-gb/low-fodmap-vegan-shepherds-pie-2/ with broccoli (75g), peas (45g) or green beans (75g)
Sweetcorn (38g), potato chips (homemade), Quorn chicken burger, gluten free bun, salad
Gluten-free pasta (145g) with courgette (65g), broccoli (75g), spinach and tinned tomato sauce

• Sauce: fry 1/2 red pepper diced, 1/2 courgette (65g) diced, 1/2 carrot finely sliced
• Add 1tsp of smoked paprika, chili flakes, cinnamon, oregano (3g), salt and pepper and a tin of chopped tomatoes

Fajitas with gluten free wraps, Quorn chicken bits, broccoli, pepper, chives

• Spice mix: 3 tsp smoked paprika, 2 tsp oregano (3g), 2 tsp cumin, salt and pepper
• Salsa: tinned tomatoes, chives, lemon/lime juice (125/250ml), cumin, chili paste (optional)
• Chill your salsa for 30 mins before eating! Makes it 1000 times better

Sourdough margherita pizza (I tend to eat half and save half for the next day - check that the marinara doesn't have garlic!)
​

Snacks

Carrot sticks
Corn tortilla chips with salsa (see salsa recipe above)
Gluten free crisps (just check the flavouring!)
Popcorn (I make mine at home but store-bought is fine unless it has some kind of weird flavouring)
Olives
Low fodmap bars (gluten free nut bars are generally good)
Low fodmap fruit
Rice cakes
Dark chocolate
Low-fodmap cookies (my favourite recipe is https://bakerbettie.com/easy-chocolate-chip-cookies/ with gluten free flour instead of normal flour and vegan dark chocolate chips)
_________________________________________________________
Hope this helps some of you, let me know if you have any questions! :)

Hey everyone!
I’m not a vegetarian (I dabble with the idea and eat minimal meat but need to take the plunge) but I’ve started dating a vegetarian and I’m just wondering on really good recipes and stuff that we can both share?
I’ve got nearly every single nut allergy so when he picked up a nut roast I wanted to cry, so I’m just struggling to find meat alternatives that aren’t just basic but also don’t contain nuts and we can enjoy it together.
Please don’t hate because I’m not vegetarian but I’m struggling for protein due to the allergies. I’ve always been keen on the idea but until I can balance it my health has to come first.
I’m also not keen on any of the major ‘meat replacement’ foods like Quorn so that’s kinda out of it, I just don’t like the idea of it being actual mould (unless someone can convince me and convince me it won’t make me sick haha)
Thank you in advance ☺️

A couple of years back, I tried vegetarianism due to disliking the idea of eating meat (I also really dont like the taste of any meat except chicken and mince beef), but I struggle to find balanced meals that don't involve a lot of foods I dislike.
I'm a real hater of cheese and tofu, which seems to be in every vegetarian dish, I dislike sweet potatoes, avocado, or such that is often used to replace meat in the recipes. I don't like a lot of vegetablables (enough that I wouldnt just be able to list some here). It's stressful trying to not eat the same stir-fry for a week because it's the best meal I've found without meat.
I am a big lover of peppers, spicy food, roasted foods, noodles, potatoes, onions, etc.
Sounds a bit vague and I'm not entirely sure what I'm asking for, but does anybody know any recipes/good websites/tricks that can maybe help?
Edit: also, I'm not sure how much of it is psychological, but I've tried Quorn chicken a couple of times and couldn't finish it all. I will be trying again sometime soon though, just in case.

I'm trying to lose some weight that I gained when I recently moved to a new city, and I'm trying to get back to whole foods and less processed stuff like lightlife sausages and quorn chik'n nuggets. One of my go-to meals is to roast a ton of yummy veggies, and to have a side grain or potatoes. But I always struggle with new ideas for the protein and I want to avoid the store-bought processed stuff. Any ideas? (Recipe ideas please, not just "nuts", "beans", etc.)

I'm taking a break from the main story right now to talk about what transpired last Thanksgiving. Inspired by lucialg's recent post When you started dating you SO, were there any early signs that your MiL was a NOMiL?. I have two words for you; pumpkin pie.
I love to bake and cook large meals for my friends and family. I'm pescetarian and SO is a vegetarian, and has been since he was 17. It's a big part of his life, and I enjoy finding ways to make traditional meals vegetarian friendly. For example, I make some mean vegetarian "bangers and mash" (sausages and mashed potatoes. We're American but "sausages and mashed potatoes" doesn't really have the same ring to it).
So, SO will have been together for three years in two weeks. Since the dawn of our relationship, I've made enough pumpkin pies every Thanksgiving to feed a very small army. I use this recipe, and please believe me when I say it is the very best pumpkin pie recipe out there. Depending on how I feel, I may actually procure a sugar pumpkin and make it that way, or I'll go to Earth Fare or some shit and buy the fresh puree if I'm feeling lazy. Sometimes I add a teaspoon of Black Seal rum. I make whipped cream from scratch. You bet your sweet ass it's delicious.
I don't make my own crust though, because I just can't get the hang of that cute crimped crust and I don't like ugly pies. It's Thanksgiving. No ugly pies.
So, if you can believe it, the first two years of mine and Cebolla's relationship were perfectly fine. I had no reason to believe she disliked me, and in fact, she always asked about me sweetly, always sent me gifts, and after that first Thanksgiving, always asked for my homemade pumpkin pie.
Last year during Thanksgiving, I had just moved into her and SFIL's home. We had misplaced our mixer in the movie, and Cebolla offered up her mixer wand for me to use. It had dust on it. This thing really was not ideal for mixing anything other than like, tomatoes, if you wanted to make tomato soup from scratch. Maybe dashed hopes and dreams with a pinch of cayenne. Anyway, it wasn't ideal. Now, Cebolla is a very persnickety and odd woman. She rails on about "Frankenfood" and "healthy eats" and "all organic", but... she doesn't cook. Like, at all. Guys, she legit bought some fresh salmon from Kroger one day, and threw it in the MICROWAVE WITH SOME LEMON AND BUTTER AND ATE IT THAT WAY. I have never heard of anything so vile and criminal. What a glorious waste of that delicious salmon!
I have to admit, though, at least she as eating that instead of the pre-sealed salmon bits (like tuna in a can) that she eats right out of the bag with her salad. All the while, she crowed and crooned about how healthy and delicious it was. And this woman never deviates from anything. Every day for dinner, a salad with an avocado, a few slices of swiss, and a martini. Maybe a boiled egg if she's feeling adventurous. Sorry, did I say martini? I mean a tumbler full of vodka with some lemon slices in it. Maybe three or four glasses per dinner. Listen, I like a good cocktail, and I enjoy getting lit from time to time, but damn.
For breakfast, she has a protein shake with coffee added to it. Lunch is, if she's not dining out somewhere eating salad and drinking a few glasses of wine, leftovers from the previous day. And anything "out of place" makes her go nuts. She actually told SO that chairs that were not properly tucked in (and mind you, they were tucked in... just not "good enough" or "close enough" to the table. These chairs were so tucked in by the time she was done with them that they were leaning slightly backward) were a disruption to her environment that made it so she could not properly "work" in her study. The living room. With the TV either on Dr. Oz or Fox News. So I knew that baking pies, to her, sounded good in theory, but would be a proverbial Grenada in practice.
So, you'd think during the holidays, she would cook. She does not. Cooking stresses her out, apparently. She has a beautiful medium sized kitchen that she never uses, and cupboards full of cooking paraphernalia that hasn't been touched since it was pulled from its box. So, because she dislikes cooking and everything related to it, you can't enjoy that activity either. Because of this, I tried to take as many shortcuts as I could with the pie. Pumpkin puree from the store, a small carton of eggs, the tiny pints of whole milk, the works. She didn't have proper mixing bowls, and the MEASURING SPOONS HAD RUST IN THEM. It got messy in spite of myself, because the bowl I did find was so shallow that of COURSE things are going to splatter. But, I did do this while she was out "working" (read: grocery shopping and drinking wine at the local diner when she was done to congratulate herself), and even SFIL commented that that was a pretty slick idea.
The wand mixer does an okay job with the pie ingredients, but the damn thing dies when I'm stupidly trying to make whipped cream. Like, this thing was new in the 70s, I'm sure. It just stopped working. Poor thing just tuckered out. Anyway, I was a little frantic - she'd already had a meltdown of epic proportions on SO over the chairs not being properly tucked in. I call him up and have him buy an ACTUAL mixer that has a wand attachment to it as a replacement, and end up buying premade whipped cream from the store later. Because I was cranky at that point.
Did I mention that Cebolla dearest had specifically asked me if I was making pumpkin pies this year? In the previous year, she had raved about my pumpkin pie, and everyone lived it. All her friends, her MOTHER who told me it reminded me of her grandmother's pie, everyone. She kept saying, "I can't believe that it's being made in my kitchen this year! This is so exciting!". And Cebolla specifically asked me if I would be willing to add fresh lemon zest to one of my pumpkin pies this year (I usually make two), just like her grandmother used to make. Well, sure! Why not?! It's the holidays! So I specifically made fresh lemon zest for one of the fucking pies. Per. Her. Request.
When she gets home from "work", I inform her of her mixer wand's demise. Funerary arrangements are discussed, a quick prayer of thanks for his selfless service is uttered, and he is ceremoniously chunked. There was no mess in the kitchen, everything was cleaned (especially the rusty measuring spoons..), her new mixer (with a mixer wand attached) was placed in the cupboard. Cebolla insists it isn't a big deal, she only used that thing when she made spanakopita for SFIL. It was old anyway, don't you worry your pretty little head, Incarnata! All was well.
Or so I thought.
Remember how I said that Cebolla doesn't cook? That is apparently a recent development. SO frequently comments that during all the time he knew her, she always cooked. She was big on it. She was also working class. Then she marries SFIL who made six figures, and suddenly, such things are far beneath her. Now she has the money to buy healthy food that is premade, or not cook at all. As previously mentioned, the holidays do not provide even a slight deviation from the norm. No exceptions. She wants to go to the Country Club. We did that nonsense for two years in a row, guys. SO stated that he thinks she just likes being waited on (a complete and utter IRONY if you've been reading my posts), and that it makes her feel fancy and high society.
This is a southern Country Club. Which means that "vegetarian" or "pescetarian" translates into "what d'ya mean ya don't eat meat? Vegetarian? Izzit sum kinna shorthand for a sleeper cell organization?" in southern peach dialect. The green beans have sausage in them, the potatoes have bacon in them (I do like vegetarian bacon and cheese in some mashed potatoes, though), etc. She knows SO is a vegetarian. He has been one since he was 17. Years. YEARS. She is well aware. She insists that we're going to the Country Club, and we'll come home for coffee and pie later.
Knowing this, SO and I planned ahead. We usually go with a Quorn roast, but last year, I found a fucking vegetarian "turkey". Like, they legit made a turkey mold and made a "turk'y".. This thing is a novelty, and it's overpriced. But it's fun! And it's Thanksgiving! You can't quash my holiday spirit! We order it and have it delivered, and Cebolla intercepts the package. The first thing out of her mouth is, "Did she have to get something so big? They have food at the Country Club anyway". Mind you, Cebolla only eats prepackaged anything, so the idea of something bigger than an avocado or a prepackaged salad is a hassle to her. We made our little fake turk'y (spoiler: it wasn't amazing. We're sticking to what we know this year), some vegetarian gravy (SFIL called the Country Club to request bacon free potatoes!), and we head out to the Country Club.
We're sitting at dinner. Cebolla is three glasses of wine in, cavorting with her friends and talking about how this is her favorite Thanksgiving tradition. Isn't this just wonderful? No mess, no fuss. Thanksgiving in a safe environment, too! They don't have to compete with anyone for a table or parking in this place (read: only well to do white people and their families, no working class people in questionable neighborhoods [readread: neighborhoods where there might be someone other than an ambiguous shade of beige living there]). SO and myself have found food we can eat, and we're enjoying our little meal. Suddenly, Cebolla begins to tell everyone about my pumpkin pie ordeal.
Being that she's a few drinks in, she's going on and on about the drama, the fact that I made poor SO go to the store after working all day so close to the holiday to buy another one when I was the one who broke her mixer! And she'd had that thing for so long, too! They just don't make electronics like they used to, but she'll have to make do with the new one she has. Oh well, she quips, taking another gulp of wine, acrylic nails tapping against her glass. Next year, we'll just buy a pie from the store.
I sit there in shock. I must have looked like a deer in headlights. SO puts his hand on my thigh, and gives me a gentle, reassuring squeeze. When I don't respond, and instead put down my napkin and finish my wine, he leans in after a moment to ask, "You wanna get out of here, kitten?" to which I nod quietly. SO informs the table that we are heading home, and that we'll catch them later. We collect our items, and whisk out the door with Cebolla proclaiming that this is awfully sudden, where are we even going? It's Thanksgiving, kids, this holiday is about family!
As SO drives us home, I'm sitting in the car dumbfounded and crying, asking him what the hell her problem is, and why the fuck would she do that? She assured me that it wasn't a problem! I went out of my way to make one of my pies to her requests! She was deliberately shaming me in front of her friends for reasons best known to herself. When we got home, I was ready to go to bed. But SO told me to put on something cute, because we were going to the local pub. We rang up a friend of ours and met there, drinking beer and lamenting that the holidays are often just an excuse for "family" to treat you like excrement underfoot so long as the day looked Hallmark perfect.
Months later, when SO confronted her on this little episode, she burst into tears, asking why on earth he was being so thoughtlessly cruel to her! She, of course, only meant that next year should be worry free! That's why they make premade pies! Well, I hope they'll add lemon zest to your fucking pies from Whole Foods, Cebolla, because not only are you not getting a pie from me this year, but you also won't be seeing us at all. And even if, for some reason, we all make up - you're still gonna have to buy a pie from the fucking store, you pickled old prune.
I ate basically all of the lemony pumpkin pie, not telling her which was which.
Edit: I specifically remember telling SO in the car that I had been so excited at the prospect of having an actual, normal family dynamic with them. No screaming matches during the holidays. None of mom's passive aggressive shit stirring for hours. No "be here by 4pm, dinner will be ready then" only to get there and dinner isn't started yet (she'd tell me that so that I would get there on her schedule so I could "spend time with her". I ended up telling her I'd come in about two hours after whatever time she gave me, and it'd often be so late that she'd have to start cooking on time). No shitty comments and clever barbs. But, I told him, as it turns out, there's just another nasty old bitch here too, so I guess I'll never know what it's like to have a family dynamic that could be construed as happy. I'm no longer upset about this... like I said in a previous installment, SO is more than enough family for me.

Continued from the following thread:
http://www.reddit.com/keto/comments/o4j91/lets_put_together_an_official_tell_me_what_to_eat/
I omitted some of the suggestions involving things like flax seed muffins to avoid scaring off beginning keto dieters with what they might see as outlandish recipes since it's not easy to find those ingredients depending on where you live.
If anyone has any more simple ideas not listed here please reply, otherwise I'll see if there's a good place to tuck this into the FAQ!
Breakfast:

• Bacon
• Fried eggs with butter, salt, and pepper
• Coffee with heavy whipping cream and no-carb sweeteners
• Breakfast sausage links (be sure it isn't too sweet by checking carb count on package)
• Smoked salmon and cream cheese
• Bacon and cheese omelette
• Scrambled eggs (melt butter in pan, add 2-3 eggs mixed with a dash of cream)
• Lengthwise halved cucumber filled with cream cheese and topped with ham, salami, smoked salmon or similar
• Scrambled eggs with spinach (and meat) - throw some fat in a pan, (heat or fry meat), sauté fresh spinach, add eggs
• Breakfast burger; cook eggs and bacon, roll into a beef patty with cheese, then cook until yummy
• Cheesecake pancakes!

Lunch:

• Slice of roast beef, tomato, lettuce, melted provolone, and mayo wrapped into the shape of a taquito.
• Keto sandwich: Take a few slices of a leafy green lettuce head and wrap a sandwich into it. Safe options include most meats, mayo, salt, pepper, cheese, and small amounts of tomato or onions.
• Sauteed chicken or fish over mixed green salad with side of creamy dressing
• Taco salad: Crunchy lettuce, green peppers, avocado, salsa, sour cream, and choice of meat (add spice if you like, don't use taco seasoning packets!)
• BLT salad (bacon, grated cheese, spring onion, a couple of cherry tomatoes, lettuce and guacamole)
• Mini crustless quiches
• Half a chicken breast panfried in butter topped with avocado slices and cheese
• Flaxseed wrap with whatever cold meat and salad you like
• Portabello mushroom tuna melt
• Vegetables, avocado, and fish wrapped in Nori sheets
• Tuna or chicken salad; Tuna, Mayo, Celery, Onion (small amount), pickle, tomato (small amount) wrapped in lettuce

Dinner:

• Steak seasoned with salt and pepper
• Chicken broiled after seasoning with salt, pepper, or most chicken rubs (check the label for potential carbs, nothing sweet)
• Asian stir-fry with beef, pork, or chicken and non-starchy vegetables (with shirataki noodles, if you like)
• Rotisserie chicken with side of vegetable
• Sauteed mushrooms and onions with a splash of cream and chicken stock, served over chicken (or other)
• Crustless bacon and cheddar quiche
• Baked tilapia with vegetables
• Baked (or pan fried salmon)
• Tacos using microwaved cheese shells or large leaves of lettuce
• Stuffed mushrooms
• Home made Pho with shirataki noodles (avoid restaurants, they add rock sugar to their recipes)
• Coconut-Ginger Soup
• Quorn burger with veggies and cheese on lettuce
• Baked or Fried Salmon with asparagus, green beans, or brussel sprouts
• Taco Stuffed Zucchini
• Peanut sauce- great with chicken and beef- use thinly sliced cabbage as noodles.
• Lasagna
• Caesar's salad with chicken, pork, beef or shrimps
• Broccoli in hollandaise sauce or bernaise with any kind of meat or salmon
• Leaf spinach sautéed in olive oil with lemon zest and juice with any kind of fish or chicken and mashed cauliflower (puréed with cream cheese, butter and nutmeg)
• Green asparagus tossed in olive oil and garlic baked in the oven till browned with any kind of fish or meat and mashed cauliflower
• Shepard's pie with mashed cauliflower
• Cauliflower pizza

Snacks:

• Blue Diamond roasted and salted almonds
• Buffalo style chicken wings with small amount of ranch or blue cheese dressing
• 1-2 oz of your favorite cheese, with pickles and olives if you like
• Cup of tea with cream
• Cheese sticks
• Salami slices
• Fried mushrooms in butter
• Macadamias, walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts
• Laughing cow cheese wedges
• Beef jerky
• Hard boiled eggs
• Devilled eggs
• Pork rinds
• Flavored Seaweed
• Toasted Flax Seeds
• Eggplant Hummus on cheese or cucumber slices
• "Chips"; take a round slice of cheddar or provolone cheese, microwave for two minutes, enjoy

Desserts:

• Frozen berries with whipped heavy cream
• Small piece of 85% dark chocolate
• Whipping cream blended with peanut butter and cocoa powder
• Sugar free jello with whipped cream

Miscellaneous Tips:

• Thin courgette (zucchini) strips (ideally using a julienne peeler) quickly fried in butter are a great pasta-replacement
• Oopsy rolls make a decent replacement for bread for your sandwich needs
• Onions in small amounts are fine for cooking, but avoid piling them on your meals
• Common foods to avoid: Cookies, bread, chips, buns on hamburgers (ask burger joints to wrap them in lettuce for you), dough of any kind, etc.
• If you can't read the nutrition label and it isn't meat, it's probably not keto-friendly

Dear veganrecipes,
After my last post (a recipe for a lentil and avocado salad), some of you in the comments asked for more suggestions on flavor combinations in salads, recipes, and a general approach to making a salad bowl that tastes good, looks good, and is healthy and filling.
Because of this, I decided to share the ideas about this that I have been using lately! A little bit about me, for context: I am a 21-year-old grad student in the humanities, with a great passion for cooking. I try to eat a vegan diet that is mainly whole and high-fiber foods, and I am very interested in authentic recipes, learning about traditional cuisines, and playing with flavors in a way that triggers a certain recognition. For example: if I want to make a vegan apple pie, I will maintain the elements that are to me essential to apple pie as it is stored in my memory, because this is what I like about the particular food. If this 'essence' (for lack of a better term) cannot be recreated, I refuse to make a vegan version of it.
Now, moving on to salads. There are several elements that were important to me in developing this, and I will try to discuss them somewhat systematically, to keep this post well-structured.
1. Health For me, what is important health-wise in creating a salad is that it has a good balance of macro- and micronutrients. Of course, everyone has different ideas of what is and isn't healthy in this regard, and what works for me may not work for someone else, so apply my ideas as you see fit.

• Macronutrients: what works best for me, and what seems to be widely accepted, is to aim for a balance of complex carbs (with lots of fiber), varied proteins, and 'healthy fats'. This means I restrict my intake of refined sugar and white flour (pasta, white rice, white bread, pastries and cookies), as well as artificial sweeteners (because I feel they make me crave the sweet taste more). In terms of fat, I get my fats mainly from nuts, seeds, extra virgin olive oil, tahini/peanut butter and the occasional avocado.
• Micro-nutrients: this was something I only reasonable started finding an answer to. Because I found it difficult to know which vegetables to eat in order to get all my nutrients, and am not a big fan of tracking my intake all the time, I decided to look into ways of making sure I always get what I need. I found two different people who have created recipes that supposedly provide the perfect nutritional balance: Rhonda Patrick's micronutrient smoothie here, and u/mozzarellameltdown's post over at vegan here. Both of these suggest a combination of around 10 ingredients, leading to a perfect balance of micronutrients (not necessarily macronutrients!). While I am not the type of person to enjoy having all my nutrients in a futuristic foodshake, I used these as a sources to structure my meals: the information from these recipes proves that reaching micronutrients is made easiest through lots of spinach and kale, with the addition of (dried or fresh) tomatoes, some fruit, perhaps carrot, avocado, banana, some nuts and seeds (preferably flax), and a solid amount of protein.

Note: certain nutrients, such as B12 and D, might require taking a supplement
2. How to build the salad Using these nutritional guidelines and this 'proto-mix' I had set for myself as a starting point, I decided to further narrow down the set-up. This might be the point where you start realizing I tend to overthink things I bit, but I promise that this approach actually made it easier for me, not harder!
From the proto-mix, I decided on the following categories:

• Leafy green: in terms of volume, this green vegetable forms the basis of the salad. I tend to choose either spinach or kale, but green cabbage or chard could be options too. Sometimes I use lettuce, but it is not as filling/nutritious. You can choose to add lettuce as an extra, too!
• An orange vegetable: the name is by lack of a better term, haha. By this, I mean carrot, tomato, pumpkin, sweet potato or bell peppers. By eating various colors of vegetables, you tend to get a wider variety of nutrients, and it also makes the bowl look more attractive!
• Protein source: For this category, I tend to choose beans or lentils, but tofu, tempeh and things like quorn and tvp make good options. Especially because I don't often use other carbs in these bowls, beans and lentils allow me to create a very full bowl, packed with fiber as well as protein. They do require prep, but an easy way out is to use canned beans or lentils, which you can simply rinse well and add.
• Fat source: Personally, I have no issues with olive oil, so I add it to most of my dressings. I also try to get more nutrient-rich sources of fat in, and will often add seeds or nuts to my salads. Occasionally I add avocado too, which works well in bowls with flavorful dressings.
• Flavorings: It is in the flavorings that you can really make the difference between having 'salad again', or having 'an amazingly flavorful bowl again', in my opinion. Personally, I like making simple dressings that draw together the various ingredients. Besides this, you can add fresh herbs, some spice or spice mix in your dressing (for example garam masala, allspice, turmeric, whatever you like really!). I also always add salt, and usually black pepper. More about flavors in a bit.

Optional:

• Carb source: Most bowls work well with some cooked grains added to them. I don't usually add any grains, but you could certainly add quinoa, barley, couscous, rice or pasta to most bowls!
• Extra vegetables: any other vegetable that does not fit the categories can be added too, as an extra topping. I like adding cucumber, crispy corn, vegetable sprouts and other crunchy vegetables!

3. Flavor On to a more fun part, flavors! There are many ways to choose flavors within this format. For this, I have found three ways of finding a nice combination:

• Not really a method, but simply winging it - using whatever sounds appealing, or whatever is in the fridge, and seeing how it turns out. This is a risky one if you're not too sure, but sometimes the outcomes are amazing!
• Based on a different dish - for this method, you pick any dish you like, or a recipe online, and basically 'deconstruct' it down to a salad. It is comparable to how some restaurants also serve their mains as salads when asked. If you for example really like a recipe for tomato and chickpea curry, this can be converted in a salad by taking the main elements (tomato, chickpeas, perhaps a fresh herb or other vegetable that goes into it), adding the missing elements of the salad list (leafy greens, fats and flavorings), and using the most defining spices of the dish in your dressing. This way, you get a dish that, while not being an imitation or replacement, takes a succesful flavor combination and applies it in a new way. *Based on a cuisine - similar to the previous one, but (I feel) a bit more creative. For this method, you think of a cuisine you know and have some experience with, for example, let's say Italian food. Then, you fill out the boxes of how to make a salad with things you believe would work in the profile 'Italian food': as a leafy green for example, you would perhaps pick spinach or cavolo nero, and for a protein cannelini beans might be a good choice. A dressing could for example be a pesto-based one, or a balsamic vinaigrette. It can be as 'authentic' or 'fusion' as you like, it's just a salad after all!

4. Examples Here are a few 'country-based' recipe suggestions. These are based mainly on my associations, rather than what a person in said country might make. They more or less fit the format, although some called for a bit more flexibility.

• 'Indian bowl': spiced chick peas (pan roasted, cumin and chili addded), julienned carrot, fresh spinach, tomato, garam masala dressing (olive oil, lime juice, salt and pepper, garam masala). (optional: cashews)
• 'Italian bowl': spinach or cavolo nero, aragula(rocket), tomato, cannelini beans (or chickpeas), fava beans, sliced almonds, balsamic vinegar dressing (or pesto dressing)
• 'Greek bowl': spinach, artichoke hearts from a jar, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, olives, lentils or fava beans, mint and/or dill, pine nuts, soy yogurt-olive oil dressing (soy yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper)
• 'Tex-mex bowl': spinach, cilantro, tomato, black beans (or kidney beans), crispy corn, avocado, with a chili-lime dressing (olive oil, lime juice, finely chopped chili pepper, salt)
• 'Dutch bowl': roasted red beets, steamed kale, roasted skin-on potato, swiss chard, carrot, flax seeds, with a dill or tarragon dressing (oil, white vinegar, salt, pepper, chopped dill or tarragon).

That's about it! I hope this (very long) post will be helpful for some, and that I didn't forget anything :) If you're interested in pictures of some of the bowls I've made so far, you can find me on Instagram with @rosesbowls!
**Edit: formatting

It's been three days since I first posted this in /vegetarian and haven't received a single response, so I thought I'd try here.
Hey! I've just recently officially become vegetarian - the only one in a family of meat-lovers - so, obviously, this will be my first Veg Thanksgiving.
From what I've read in past posts concerning store bought replacements (I'm not brave enough to make one yet, but I did save the recipes): Tofurky isn't very popular (though some do like it), FieldRoast is highly praised, as well as the Quorn roast.
Currently I'm choosing between the FieldRoast and Quorn Roast. I have absolutely no idea what to expect of these, or which I might like better.
So, as my title asks, would someone please explain to me the taste and texture of a Fieldroast Celebration Roast and a Quorn Roast? Thanks. :D

Hey, I've seen a lot of people looking around for meal plan ideas. I'm kind of obsessed with trying new recipes and managing my macros, so I figured I could share what I ate during my first month of keto! I calculated the numbers on MFP and they're based on the brands I buy, so you may want to recalculate based on what you purchase. I'll link the recipes below. Enjoy!
My Macro Goals: 1805 kcals/145 g fat/30 g carb/96 g protein (Yes, I broke the rule and started at 30 g carb/day. I was in ketosis by the 3rd day, so this happened to work for me. I'm pretty lucky! I'm lowering the count for the second month, though.)

4 Week Veggie Keto Meal Plan

Week One

Breakfast: 2 cups of coffee w/ 1 T. of heavy cream in each; 1 scrambled egg cooked in 1 T butter; 2 Morning Star sausage patties cooked in 1 T. butter (551 kcals/44 g fat/5 g carb/28 g protein)
Snack: 2 cups of vegetable broth (20 kcals/0 g fat/2 g carb/0 g protein)
Lunch: Broccoli Bite with a Qu'orn turkey burger, topped with 1 T. Vegenaise and cooked in 1 T. butter (392 kcals/30 g fat/6.4 g carb/21 g protein)
Snack: 1/2 avocado, baked and topped with 2 T. shredded Parmesan (203 kcals/18 g fat/2 g carb/6 g protein)
Dinner: 2 c. steamed spinach topped with 1 oz. crumbled feta; 5 spears asparagus topped with 2 T. shredded cheddar; 1 Tofurkey Italian sausage (499 kcal/29 g fat/10 g carb/45 g protein)
Week One Totals: 1665 kcals/117 g fat/25.4 g carb/98 g protein

Week Two

Breakfast: 2 c. black coffee; 1 serving Keto Granola in 1 c. almond milk (376 kcals/32 g fat/5 g carbs/12 g protein)
Snack: 1 c. 4% cottage cheese + 20 toasted almonds (359 kcals/21 g fat/8 g carb/31 g protein)
Lunch: Big ol’ salad (1 c. shredded red-leaf romaine lettuce, 1 c. spinach, 1 green onion, 1/3 c. shredded cheddar cheese, 1 hard boiled egg, ½ of an avocado, and ¼ of a cucumber) + 2 oz. cucumber dressing (583 kcals, 46 g fat, 5.75 g carbs, 16 g protein)
Snack: 2 cups broth (20 kcals/0 g fat/2 g carbs/0 g protein)
Dinner: Morning Star Grillers Prime, cooked in 1 T. butter on a Coconut Flour Bun, topped with a slice of cheddar cheese, a slice of onion, 3 baby pickles, 1 T Veganaise + 1/2 serving pan-roasted radishes (527 kcals, 43 g fat, 8 carbs, 24 protein)
Week Two Totals: 1865 calories/142 g fat/28.75 g carbs/83 g protein

Week Three

Breakfast: 1/5 batch of Cinnamon Radishes Chips in 6 oz. Carbmaster vanilla yogurt + 1 egg, scrambled in ½ T. butter; 2 cups of coffee with 1 T. of heavy cream in each (337 kcals/27 g fat/7 g carb/16 g protein)
Snack: 1/2 avocado, baked as fries (1/2 T. butter for greasing the pan) (306 kcals/26 g fat/2 g carb/12 g protein)
Lunch: 3 Baked Asparagus, Leek, and Goat Cheese Bites, with 1 cup steamed spinach and a Quorn Chik'n cutlet baked in 1 T. EVOO (367 kcals/28 g fat/5 g carb/19 g protein)
Snack: 2 cups vegetable broth (20 kcals/0 g fat/2 g carb/0 g protein)
Dinner: 1 Morning Star Grillers Prime (prepared in a pan with 1 T. butter) on a Coconut Flour Bun w/ 1 slice of cheddar cheese, a slice of onion, 3 baby pickles, and 1 T Veganaise (505 kcals/40 g fat/6 g carbs/22 g protein)
Dessert: Cream Cheese PB Crunch Bomb (185 kcals/18 g fat/1.5 g carbs/4 g protein)
Week Three Totals: 1771 kcals/145 g fat/23.5 g carb/73 g protein

Week Four

Breakfast: Vegan bulletproof coffee (20 oz coffee + 1 T. coconut oil + 1/3 c. almond milk); 2 Morning Star Sausage Patties + 1 egg cooked in 1 T. coconut oil total (497 kcals/40 g fat/4 g carb/26 g protein)
Snack: 1/2 avocado, oven-baked and topped with 1/3 c. cheddar cheese (311 kcals/23 g fat/2 g carbs/10 g protein)
Lunch: 1 serving Stir-Fried Green Beans + 2 Morning Star Sausage Links + 2 c. steamed spinach (273 kcals/15 g fat/9.75 g carb/16 g protein)
Snack: Cream Cheese PB Crunch Bomb (185 kcals/18 g fat/1.5 g carb/4 g protein)
Dinner: Broccoli Rabe with Roasted Red Peppers over Shirataki Tofu noodles w/ fried egg (cooked in 1 T. coconut oil) + 1 Qu’orn Cutlet (488 kcals/40 g fat/11 g carb/21 g protein)
Week Four Totals: 1757 kcals/137 g fat/28.25 g carbs/77 g protein

Recipes

Broccoli Cheese Bites: Omit breadcrumbs, replace with Parmesan. Baked Avocado Instructions: Just basic instructions for those who need them. Coconut Flour Buns: A bit crumbly and small, but great for "sliders" when sliced in half. You should refrigerate these, or else they get a bit of a smell. Also, the recipe requires you to fluff egg whites, which might be a hassle if you're doing it by hand. Grain-less Keto Granola: I omitted the Stevia and shredded coconut, so my macro count doesn't include those. This also requires stiff egg whites, just an FYI. Cucumber Salad Dressing: Recipe in the bottom-most post, by user Susieque333. Watery, but workable. ½ to ¾ of a cucumber might work better for the amount of mayo listed. Add plenty of spices to this! Pan-Roasted Radishes: I would have a half of a serving of these with dinner, so the listed recipe actually makes four servings, not two. Cinnamon Sugar Radish Chips: This is kind of confusing, but I will try to be clear. I omitted the sugar completely from this recipe and just added 1 T. cinnamon. I replaced the honey with coconut oil. The recipe says it makes 2-3 servings, but I divided it into five servings because of the carb count. I hope that makes sense! Also, these didn't really crisp up like the recipe said, so a dehydrator might work better. Can't say I truly recommend these. Baked Avocado Fries: Again, replacing breadcrumbs with Parmesan. SO FRIGGIN' GOOD. Baked Asparagus, Leek, and Goat Cheese Bites: ALSO SO FRIGGIN' GOOD. Green Bean Stir-Fry: Substitute an equal amount of almonds for the pine nuts, increase EVOO to 2 T., and increase Parmesan to 3 T. total. Broccoli Rabe with Roasted Red Peppers: I doubled the serving size to get my macros, so each recipe makes three servings :3
Cream Cheese PB Crunch Bomb (Makes ~14 bombs) 8 oz cream cheese, room temp 1 stick unsalted butter, room temp 5 T. nut butter 1/2 c. nuts of your choosing, chopped (I used a mix of almonds and pecans)
Mix em all up. Roll em into evenly-sized balls (a rounded tablespoon-ish). Freeze for at least 30 minutes before enjoying. Keep in the freezer. Try not to eat them all.
Hope you guys can get some use out of this! And sorry if my formatting turns out crazy, I'm pretty new to reddit. I'll try and fix it all up.
Edit: formatting

Hello fellow veg*ns! My boyfriend and I just moved to our first apartment. Before that, we lived on campus and while I did cook there too, it was mostly low-effort meals (think mac and cheese, pizza and simple stir fries). Last week my boyfriend worked late every day, and I had the apartment to myself all day as my exams have just finished and I'm enjoying two weeks of vacation. I only had two things to do: unpack and have dinner on the table by 9pm. So I took advantage of the extra time and new kitchen equipment to experiment with some recipes I had bookmarked over the past year or so. My sweet boyfriend is quite picky with food and painfully honest about my cooking, if he doesn't like it, he starts suggesting right away how I should add this or substitute that. Tough but loving crowd. As the whole week was quite a success, I thought I'd link you guys to these tried and very much approved recipes. Some might look familiar as I've taken a bunch of them off this very subreddit. So here they are:

• Monday: Lentil burgers [e] with green beans and margherita risotto [d]:

This is actually a recipe I've made several times, though this time I changed it up by adding half a cup of left over cream to the risotto. Made it a bit unhealthier, but also even tastier than the original. Obviously I substituted the chicken broth for veggie broth. I also used soy butter instead of regular. For the lentil burgers I used green instead of red lentils, but only because I couldn't find red lentils anywhere in the local supermarkets. Recently I did find some in a Russian store, and next time I make a batch of burger dough (it freezes very well and I always make enough for about 20 burgers) I will try red lentils. The green beans came from a jar and I simply heated them up with a bit of salt.
This one is very calorie-rich and filling btw, not exactly a light meal.

• Tuesday: Mushroom stroganoff [d] with oven fries [v]

According to my boyfriend, the best dish I ever made. And it only took about 20 minutes plus oven time for the fries. I didn't save the recipe for the fries, but it was very simple: cut the potatoes into fries, cover with canola oil and salt, oven-spray a baking dish, and put it all in the oven for 20-30 minutes on 350F. I do not consider my fries to be a success. I attribute the failure to a lack of cooking spray. I couldn't find any in the store and arrogantly thought "Hey, how important can it be, right?". Very important, apparently. Unless you enjoy scraping the fries off your baking dish, you need the spray.

• Wednesday: Burritos! [d] but can be just as easily [v] with potato salad

I now found myself with some leftover sour cream and parsley and I had a can of tomatoes and kidney beans, so I made yummy burritos. This is another recipe I've made often before. Also made home-made tortillas, since they taste a hundred times better than store-bought.
For the tortillas: Take two cups of flour and add two or three tablespoons of canola oil. Add a pinch of salt and half a teaspoon of baking powder. Also some taco seasoning if you feel like it. Add water until you get a firm but still sticky dough. Form balls (about 10) and let the dough rest for a while, 15 minutes to a half hour. Roll out the balls into a very thin tortilla, using lots of flour on your surface and rolling pin. Then throw them into a pancake pan, medium heat, no oil. Turn after you start to see bubbles, about a minute. Fill them while they're still hot or they won't fold well. Put them upside down on a plate so they'll close better.
For the filling: this is so easy, you can just throw pretty much whatever in there. I used a large onion, a can of tomatoes, a can of kidney beans, a small can of sweet corn, two red bell peppers, one yellow bell pepper and a sweet potato. Added some 'mexican seasoning'. I put a tablespoon of sour cream and a tablespoon of grated cheese on the tortilla too.
For the potato salad that's so lazy it's almost embarrassing: I cut the potatoes into cubes, cooked them, added a bit of salt and pepper, mixed in garlic sauce from a jar and threw copious amounts of parsley on top. Alas, I still wasn't able to use all of it.

• Thursday: Spinach-feta-quinoa stuffed mushroom caps [d]

Found a way to use all that leftover parsley. Or so I thought. It turns out the small bunch I bought is actually infinite. I made two layers of filling: first the quinoa, then on top of that the spinach-feta one that's in the link above. I added loads of parsley. For layer one I simply cooked the quinoa in veggie broth with onions and garlic. I served this dish with mixed salad on the side.

• Friday: Cauliflower pasta gratin [v]

This one was not as well-recieved. Turns out my boyfriend doesn't like gratin, and I had no idea. He did say it was very well-made, just not 'his thing'. If you have some sauce left over, you can add some more garlic and use it as hummus.
Saturday we went out to eat, and Sunday we had a simple store-bought pasta with pesto. But I'll add the recipes for this week's Monday's and Tuesday's dinner too, seeing how I'm definitely on a roll.

• Monday: Moroccan chickpea stew [v]

This recipe looked really great, but it seemed to scream for red lentils so I added like two cups of those. For 'greens' I added the spinach I had left over from the mushrooms caps. I loved this stew, but the boyfriend thought it was too chickpea-y. I personally can't get enough of them; I like to eat them right from the jar. But something about the texture turns him off. Unfortunately I was not able to find coconut oil, but this tasted great with olive oil too. Served with long-grain rice as I had run out of brown rice.

• Tuesday: Quorn vol-au-vent [e] [d] with garlic roasted potatoes [v]

The roasted potatoes were amazing. I cut them into smaller chunks than what the recipe suggests though, and for the last ten minutes in the oven I turned it to 'grill' to get that awesome crust.
I'm not sure how familiar the rest of the world is with vol-au-vent. It's very popular here in Europe, the original is basically a stew of chicken and pork, I simply used quorn instead. This is the kind of thing you could serve a real carnivore. I didn't find this one online, I kind of tried to replicate my dad's recipe. I cooked up some broth and added some milk and flour. Then added about 4 cups of sliced button mushrooms, 3 cups of quorn 'chicken' pieces and a cup of quorn 'mince meat'. Threw in the little bit of parsley that was left, and left it all to stew for about 15 minutes. Served it with the roasted potatoes and some cherry tomatoes on the side.
P.S.: I didn't include any [gf] tags as I'm not quite certain about what has gluten and what doesn't. The recipes with flour or pasta in them are a no-no I guess, but I think the moroccan stew is gluten-free?
P.P.S.: Yes, we are crazy about mushrooms.