I've got my sort of boyfriend (eeek!) coming to stay for at least three nights. So I think I'll need to cook for him twice for dinner, and maybe a few lunches as well....

It wouldn't be a problem but he's a vegetarian and I've no idea what to cook him, and we're still trying very hard to impress each other while looking breezy.

So.... does anyone have any ideas as to what to cook him that's awesome, but looks like it was no effort? I know it seems a bit silly, but I really really like him.....

Thanks!

1. Buy some vegetarian sausages.
2. Cook them naked.

That should do the trick!

I think my housemates might mind.... and i'd worry about the splatter!

Don't worry about the food. Cook him beans on toast... while naked except for an ovenglove and stilettos.

The food will be the last thing on his mind

Anything but beans on toast; you don't want to be flatulating do you

Yes quite. Perhaps a clear soup then, or a consommé.

NOT THE PARPS! I'd die.... And I suspect I'm going to spending plenty of the weekend naked, I think I'd like to cook with clothes on. And COMMUNAL KITCHEN!

Any actual ideas? Or shall I just give up and cover myself in strawberries and cream?

veggie tomato based pasta dish (or buy a jar of Dolmio Med Veg pasta bake, it's lovely) - easy enough and veggiteranian! Stirfrys are good too, or salad if the weather's good. Or quorn for a shepherds pie or something.

Failing that, definitely go for the strawberries and cream

Mixed bean casserole with big hunks of bread

http://www.frugal.org.uk/casserole.html

lettuce and a nice slice of turnip

Two really nice veggie pasta dishes:

Chop courgettes into slim batons and saute in garlic with strips of red pepper; add a generous amount of chopped up black olives, and chopped sundried tomatoes, fresh or dried basil, and some dried chilli flakes, then chuck in a glass of dry white wine and simmer until the veg is the texture you like - meanwhile cook some pasta (any fussilli or penne style pasta works) and at the end stir the sauce through the pasta and serve with freshly grated parmesan (check the veggieness of that or if he'll eat non veggie cheese).

or,

Roast chunks of tomato, red peppers, red onion, courgette, mushrooms and garlic in a pan in the oven, meanwhile cook some pasta - when the veg have softened stir through some passata and turn up the heat, then right at the end stir in a pot of greek yogurt and some cubed feta and combine the pasta and veg.

Other nice and simple dishes are things like a lemon and courgette rissotto, a veggie take on Putanesca (chilli, olives, tomatoes, capers, garlic, just leave out the anchovies), or a veggie chilli.
Good luck!

Both of those sound amazing.... I think I'll go easy on the garlic though!

Do you think if I made a lasagne but used veg and mice instead that would work? Say aubergines and courgette layers with peppers and onions? With pasta in between and a white sauce on top? He eats cheese, so I'm not worried about that... Does that sound nice? I never cook meals without meat, so I'm quite nervous!

It sounds lovely - I sometimes do lasagne with a tomato based red pepper and spinach sauce (onion, garlic, tomatoes, red peppers, spinach, basil and black pepper) - but you could add any veg you liked; I do a layer of that, a layer of pasta sheets, a layer of cheese sauce etc... and it works really well - it's good if you top with mozzarella in particular.

Chilli is also a good one to do. Substitute the mince for something soya based(I always used Beanfeast when making it for my ex) and it was always lovely.

Reflecting on what else may be on offer I'd be happy to offer to cook myself.

Pasta, with a nice tomato and pepper sauce or some other veg sauce

Well, if he hates my cooking, I'll be looking for a new applicant!

Thanks for all your ideas.... Now all i have to do is go buy food, mustn't forget the cream!

You could also do a nice veggie curry. I particularly like broccoli or courgettes. Maybe you could do a bean one too?

Tell him to man up and eat some meat, then cook him a steak.

Nakedness is optional but not advised.

Stuffed mushrooms/peppers
Coucous
Risotto
Veg curry
Veg lasagne
Veg stew
Mushroom or bean burger and chips

Mushroom rissotto, cooks in 30 mins and tastes awesome.

Maybe not mice if he's vegetarian.

Yes a veggie lasagne is yummy, I layer aubergine, courgette and tomatoes with mozarella and pasta sheets. I kind of just make it up as I go along. As long as the pasta and the veg are cooked, just layer in what you feel like adding.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/da...sa_77405.shtml

What about a Thai Green Curry with tofu/quorn/fake chicken? Follow a basic recipe but use the meat substitute instead.

Vegetarian Moussaka is something I've recently tried - there was a good recipe in this forum last week.

To be safe, definitely use veggie cheese. Mozarella is fine, cheddar is almost always fine, parmesan is not but you can get something called Vegetalia from Tescos/Waitrose which is like parmesan but veggie.

I think he will be very impressed - I would be if someone went to this effort for me!

aubergine
penne pasta
garlic
tomato puree
tin tomatoes
sugar
seasoning
pine nuts
fresh parmesan
fresh basil

Dice the aubergine and season, fry it with some garlic.
Once softened add a few tablespoons of tomato puree
Add a tin of tomatoes and a spoon of sugar and season again.

Leave to simmer.

cook pasta until al dente.
Place some pine nuts under grill to toast them.
when sauce is thickened.
Drain pasta, toss into sauce.
Garnish with toasted pine nuts, town fresh Basil leaves, and freshly grated parmesan.
yummy, yummy or else this one....

Make a mixed bean curry.
Rinse a can of mixed beans. Fry some finely chopped onions, with some fresh cilli and garlic, add some ground cumin, a tine of tomatoes and the beans, and season. Leave to simmer over a low heat.
Boil up some rice, serve with chilli, and accompany with sour cream, grated cheddar and guacamole.

Easy one, as he is a veggie, dump him and find someone who knows how to eat real food and appreciate a great cook.

Veggies are all about themselves with no thought for others.

Every time we visit veggie friends, we are only given veggie meals. When they come to us, we have to supply veggie meals. Selfish bunch of people.

This banana curry is fab!