Cheese sometimes gets a bad press because of its relatively high fat content but it is very high in protein and is therefore a useful addition to a lacto-vegetarian diet.

Many cheeses are vegetarian, but some are not suitable for a vegetarian diet if they have been produced using animal rennet. Vegetarian cheeses use veggie rennet in the production process, but non-veggie cheeses use rennet derived from animal slaughter.

Some cheeses in particular are always produced using traditional methods, which include the use of animal rennet e.g. parmesan – this means that these cheeses are never vegetarian.

Often supermarket own-brand versions are veggie. Remember to check the label to make sure that the cheese you are eating is suitable for vegetarians.

Brie

What is it? A French cow’s milk cheese, with a soft and creamy texture. Produced and old in a wheel or as a wedge. You can eat the rind.
Is a veggie version available? Yes, check the label.
Serving suggestion: Lovely on its own with crackers and grapes or fruit/chutney.

Camembert

What is it? A French cow’s milk cheese with a soft, creamy texture, similar to Brie. Usually sold wrapped in paper inside a wooden or cardboard box. You can eat the rind.
Is a veggie version available? Yes, check the label.
Serving suggestion: Bake whole in the oven in the wooden box and serve melting with breads and crudités.

Cashel Blue

What is it? An Irish cow’s milk semi-soft blue cheese with a mature flavour that gets stronger as it matures. Produced in wheels or wedges.
Is a veggie version available? Yes, check the label.
Serving suggestion: Add to a salad or use with walnuts in a tart.

Cheddar

What is it? English cow’s milk semi-hard/hard cheese. Yellow or white cheese, ranging in flavour from mild to sharper for extra mature varieties. The most popular cheese in the UK, traditional cheddar is slightly crumby, although modern mass-manufactured versions tend to have a creamier texture.
Is a veggie version available? Yes, check the label.
Serving suggestion: Add to an omelette, make a cheese sauce or use to top a pasta or vegetable bake.

Cheshire

What is it? English cow’s milk semi-hard, moist and crumbly cheese. Available in white, red and blue varieties.
Is a veggie version available? Yes, check the label.
Serving suggestion: Perfect in sandwiches with roasted red peppers or tomatoes.

Cottage Cheese

What is it? A soft, white, cow’s milk cheese with a very mild flavour and lumpy texture. Relatively low in fat. Sold in tubs, often with added ingredients such as chives or pineapple.
Is a veggie version available? Yes, check the label.
Serving suggestion: The dieter’s favourite! Spread onto crispbreads with crunchy salad vegetables or fruit.

Cream Cheese

What is it? Soft, white, cow’s milk cheese with a mild flavour. Available in low-fat versions. Sold in tubs, sometimes with added herbs or garlic.
Is a veggie version available? Yes, check the label.
Serving suggestion: Spread on bagels or use as an ingredient in cheesecake.

Creme Fraiche

What is it? The French version of soured cream, this is a soft, thick, cow’s milk cheese with a faintly sour taste.
Is a veggie version available? Yes, check the label.
Serving suggestion: Use in soups or sauces or serve with fruit or on top of puddings for dessert.

Edam

What is it? A pale yellow, semi-hard, Dutch, cow’s milk cheese with a smooth, mild, sweet flavour and a lower fat content than Cheddar. Sold covered in red wax.
Is a veggie version available? Yes, check the label.
Serving suggestion: Edam melts well and can be used in any recipe calling for cheddar e.g. cheese on toast.

Emmental

What is it? A swiss, hard, cow’s milk, yellow cheese with a faintly fruity and nutty flavour. Recognisable for its holey appearance.
Is a veggie version available? Yes, check the label.
Serving suggestion: Use in cauliflower cheese or add to a frittata.

Feta

What is it? Greek cheese made with sheep’s milk or a mixture of sheep’s and goat’s milk. A soft crumbly cheese with a slightly salty flavour.
Feta has been afforded ‘Protected Designation of Origin’ (PDO) status since 2002, meaning that it must be produced in a traditional way. Some non-traditional types can be found in the supermarket under the name of ‘Greek-Style Cheese’ or ‘Salad Cheese’.
Is a veggie version available? Yes, check the label.
Serving suggestion: Use in a Greek salad, or with filo-pastry and spinach in a Spanakopita (spinach pie).

Halloumi

What is it? A Cypriot sheep and goat’s milk cheese with a very mild but salty flavour (some versions are also made with cow’s milk). A hard cheese which holds its shape when cooked, making it suitable for frying or grilling.
Is a veggie version available? Yes, check the label.
Serving suggestion: Thread onto skewers with vegetables and barbecue, or fry slices and serve on top of roasted Mediterranean veg.

Manchego

What is it? A Spanish sheep’s milk cheese with a hard, mild, buttery and slightly nutty flavour. Colour ranges from white to pale yellow and aged versions have a more peppery flavour. Do not eat the rind.
Manchego has PDO status meaning that it has to be produced using traditional methods, including using barrel-shaped moulds.
Is a veggie version available? Usually not. (Although vegetarian rennet is permitted in production, so check the label and if you’re very lucky you might find a veggie version. Unlikely though.)
Serving suggestion: Serve alongside olives, artichoke hearts, roasted peppers and breads for a tasty veggie antipasto plate.

Mascarpone

What is it? Italian soft, white, cow’s milk cream cheese that doesn’t use rennet in production. Made in a similar way to yoghurt, it’s more a cream than a cheese.
Is a veggie version available? Yes, production doesn’t use rennet, so all mascarpone should be vegetarian.
Serving suggestion: An essential ingredient in tiramisu or use it in cheesecake or in cake-baking.

Mozzarella

What is it? Italian white semi-soft cheese, made from water buffalo’s milk or cow’s milk. It has a creamy, mild flavour, and is uniquely stretchy, making it perfect for pizza.
Mozzarella di Buffala Campara is a particular type of mozzarella, which is always made from water buffalo’s milk and has PDO status.
Is a veggie version available? Yes, check the label.
Serving suggestion: Serve with pasta and tomato sauce, on top of pizza, or in a simple Insalata Caprese – salad of mozzarella, tomatoes, basil and olive oil.

Paneer

What is it? Indian semi-soft, non-melting cow’s milk cheese. Rennet is not used in its production, making it perfect for veggies.
Is a veggie version available? Yes, production doesn’t use rennet, so all paneer should be vegetarian.
Serving suggestion: Use in curries e.g. in a Mattar Paneer, or use in a spinach dish such as Saag Paneer.

Parmesan (Parmigiano Reggiano)

What is it? Italian hard cheese with a grainy texture and intense flavour. Parmesan has PDO status and must be produced in the traditional way, which involves using animal rennet – this means that parmesan is never vegetarian. Similar non-traditional cheeses include ‘pasta cheese’ or ‘Italian hard cheese’, and some of these are vegetarian.
Is a veggie version available? Parmesan is never vegetarian. But veggie alternatives are available e.g. ‘Not just a pasta cheese’ or ‘Pamazano’.
Serving suggestion: Sprinkle over pasta dishes or add to vegetarian Caesar-style salad. Parmesan is also a key ingredient in pesto.

Ricotta

What is it? Soft, white, Italian creamy cheese, with a mild, slightly sweet flavour. Used in many Italian desserts such as cheesecake. Ricotta is relatively low in fat compared with mascarpone.
Is a veggie version available? Yes, check the label.
Serving suggestion: Use in veggie lasagne or as a filling for ravioli.

Stilton

What is it? English semi-soft, blue cheese with a strong smell and flavour. Its PDO status means that only cheese produced in Derbyshire, Lancashire and Nottinghamshire, produced using traditional methods, can be called Stilton.
Is a veggie version available? Yes, check the label.
Serving suggestion: Broccoli and stilton soup for starters, or serve with pears for dessert.

The UK Vegetarian Society is currently running a ‘Say Cheese’ campaign to highlight the fact that many restaurants are still using parmesan in their dishes and labelling them as vegetarian. For more information or to get involved in the campaign visit www.vegsoc.org

Note: Pregnant women are advised to avoid eating ripened soft cheeses e.g. Brie or Camembert. If you are pregnant please take advice on your diet from your doctor.

Coming soon! Vegan alternatives to cheese.



Whether we accept it or not, food is one of the most important things in all our lives. It not only keeps us alive but it binds us together; whether we’re cooking together, eating at the dinner table, or enjoying a big social occasion. For veggies it’s perhaps even more important, as a vegetarian lifestyle affects not just what you choose to eat, but often nearly every other aspect of your life, particularly if you are vegan.

It stands to reason then, that when you’re looking around for that special person you want to spend the rest of your life with, you might be keen on them being veggie too. But with only an estimated 3-5% of the UK population being veggie (and likely a similar percentage for Ireland), most veggies are realistic enough to expect to end up with a meat-eater.

Your first date

Picture the scene... you’re on your first date, you’ve talked about where you’re originally from, whether you have any siblings and what you do for a living. Now it comes to order dinner and you drop into the conversation that you’re vegetarian,

 “Oh really?” says your date, “How interesting...what do you eat?!”

In spite of this daft question, you decide you quite like this person and the rest of the evening goes well. So well in fact, that a few months down the line you’re still dating and they’ve become quite accommodating of your veggie-ness – checking ahead to see whether restaurants offer a vegetarian option and scrutinising food labels when they know you’re coming over for dinner.

[For a word of warning on the perils of omni-veggie travelling, see our veggie travel article.]

Fast forward to the week you move in together though, and what happens then?

Moving-in together

Will you both have to cook separately every night?

Will your other-half be prepared to eat veggie food when it’s your turn to do the cooking?

If not, will you be able to bring yourself to cook meat?

Is kissing out of the question unless your meat-eating other-half has brushed...and flossed...and gargled...and washed their mouth out with soap?!

Or if one of you does most of the cooking, will you have to cook two different meals?

And if so, will this irritate you after a while?

Will you be happy looking at meat/cheese/eggs every time you open the fridge?

Once you’ve got over the meat in the fridge – after all, you don’t spend much time hanging out in there – what happens if your other half uses your best pan, the sharpest knives, or the sturdiest chopping board to prepare his steak? Will you still want to use them, even when washed, knowing what they were used for last? Or will you have to get two sets of everything – one for veggie food and one for omni-food?

If you’re pooling your cash will you be comfortable spending your joint income contributing to the meat or dairy industry?

If all this seems like too much, how about a workaround then – will your other-half agree to eat veggie at home, but non-veggie when they go to restaurants or when they’re outside the house?

A question of faith

Is this enough for you? For veggies it’s often about more than just food. It’s about an ethical choice to be vegetarian, whether out of respect for animals, respect for the planet or respect for the human body. Part of choosing to be with someone is deciding that you’re compatible – you might like snowboarding and she might love beach holidays but you’d make it work in the end, if the meaningful things matched up – the morals or ethics a person lived by. For some veggies, particularly perhaps for vegans where the lifestyle very obviously encompasses more than ‘just’ food, then perhaps being in a relationship with someone who didn’t share their respect for animals or their ethical choices, would just be a deal-breaker.

Everything changes...but you?

Maybe it depends on your reasons for being veggie then, and on the degree to which the other person agrees with your viewpoint. Maybe they’re not vegetarian but they are compassionate towards animals and they do care about the environment. Could that be enough? After all, there’s one argument that says veggies should get together with non-veggies in order to ‘spread the word’ – perhaps after living with you and eating your fantastic cooking Mr Meat-Eater might realise what he’s been missing out on in his world of meat-and-two-veg, and he might embrace vegetarianism with open-arms.

Perhaps he won’t though. And if he doesn’t will you be ok with that? After all, everyone has a choice and if he respects your choice to be veggie then shouldn’t you respect his choice too? And if you laugh at the same rubbish Adam Sandler films, you both dream of opening a hedgehog sanctuary one day and you scored 18/20 on that Mr & Mrs quiz you took that time, does it really matter?

Hoping that someone will change – or that you’ll be able to convert them – is probably not very sensible. Maybe they will change but if they don’t you’re stuck with them anyway. And on the flip-side of course, what if you find a veggie partner, fall in love with their enthusiasm for all things veggie, and then one day the smell of a bacon-butty lures them back to the dark-side? What then?

Veggie baby

Probably the major issue for inter-dietary(!) relationships is the question of how you will bring up any children, and this may well be the biggest issue most omni-veggie couples will face. Would you be happy for your children to follow in your meat-eating other-half’s footsteps or would you prefer that they were vegetarian?

Whatever you decide, it’s probably better to have that conversation sooner rather than later – your baby’s weaning stage would definitely be too late.

[See our article on raising veggie kids and our interviews from veggie parents & kids where they discuss the issues they faced.]

Opposites attract

At the end of the day if you find someone who you just click with – no matter what the reasons and whether they’re veggie or not – that’s the person to be with. As long as they respect your choice and you respect theirs then you’ll be ok. You might have to set a few ground-rules in the kitchen and maybe you’ll never like the smell of their dinner and they’ll never develop an appreciation for tofu, but meat-eaters aren’t all bad.

Trust me, I know, I married one!

Veggie dating websites

If you’re not about to give up on finding the veggie of your dreams just yet, veggie dating websites might be a good place to start.

More than Mushrooms spoke to the head-honchos at two UK-based veggie dating sites to ask them why they feel there’s a need for veggie dating sites and whether they have had much success in bringing veggies together:

Simon, Veggieromance

Veggieromance was started because we wanted to create a niche dating and community site especially for vegans and vegetarians. It can be hard to meet fellow veggies – I’d been a vegetarian for twenty years and knew only one vegetarian.

Also, vegetarianism is often indicative of a whole outlook on life, e.g. it goes hand in hand with a keen sense of the environment, green values etc.  For some veggies it's a deal-breaker if the other person isn't veggie. There are things that are certainly easier - choice of restaurants and cooking for one another. It can prevent the arguments and irritations about who can cook what when, and what pans to use! So we created Veggieromance to bring like-minded people together.

I'm actually not a veggie zealot in that I don't try to convert people; I think it has to be a lifestyle and moral choice for the individual. But in my many years as a veggie I think I've surprised a lot of meat eaters by showing them the variety of veggie food out there - and by looking at me they can see I'm not a pasty faced, anaemic bit of string with barely the energy to get up a flight of stairs!

Since starting Veggieromance it has resulted in many relationships and many weddings, and we're over the moon when we hear that people have met through Veggieromance, especially people who might otherwise never have met!

www.veggieromance.com

Alan, VMM (Vegetarian Matchmakers)

Vegetarian Matchmakers (now VMM) was started in 1980 by Hilary Jago. She was a vegetarian herself and saw that it wasn't easy to find other vegetarians in the normal course of life. It was the first dating agency catering specifically for vegetarians in the UK and probably also the world, and quickly became very successful.

I joined as a member in 1990 and found it to be a lively arena for vegetarians to meet others. I particularly liked the regular social events which I found more rewarding than writing letters for the purposes of meeting people. I later took over the running of VMM and by 2005 there was no longer any demand for a postal service and it became totally online.

Many vegetarians and vegans would specifically like to meet a vegetarian or vegan partner. This may be for several reasons. For example, those who have given up meat for ethical reasons might find it hard to reconcile this with sharing their life with someone who does not also share their principles. Even if they had no specific reason for giving up meat, once they have done so they might find the sight and smell of meat distasteful. Or perhaps they recognise the health benefits of a vegetarian diet and do not want to watch someone else potentially damaging their health.

These are the people who join VMM. But also we offer membership to those who would like to become veggie but haven't yet been able to take the final step, provided that they make it clear in their profile that they are only 'aspiring' veggies. Often such people need contact with other veggies to help them over the last hurdle.

Personally, I do think it's easier for veggies to be with other veggies. My reasons for being vegetarian cover ethical, health and environmental factors and my guiding principles in these areas are strong. Although I have many friends who are meat-eaters and I don't try to preach my lifestyle unduly, I would not be able to share my life intimately with someone who does not also share those principles.

VMM has over its 30-year life had many success stories - partnerships, marriages, families. It's very gratifying to hear about these because that, after all, is why we came into existence in the first place. There is no longer a social stigma about using a dating agency to find a partner, and because it's so easy to do this online the process has become a lot more casual than it was in the days when you had to make an effort to write letters to people.

www.veggiematchmakers.com



Rose Elliot

Rose Elliot has spent years writing vegetarian cookery books, has over 60 books to her name and is a patron of the UK Vegetarian Society. So, what she doesn’t know about veggie food isn’t worth knowing.

Along with her extensive knowledge however, one of the reasons she is so popular is that she is a no nonsense cook, and even with this book of ‘chic’ recipes she makes it easy for us home cooks to create something special. She states at the beginning that she wanted to create simple and stunning dishes where a lot of the preparation can be done in advance and so your evening of entertaining can be as stress-free as possible.

The book is split into sections - starters and sides, dinners, desserts and cakes, alfresco entertaining and party food - but she also includes suggestion menu plans for example, for a family meal, barbecue or romantic meal. Some exotic ingredients do make an appearance here but as this is a book of recipes designed to push the boat out and show off how impressive vegetarian food can be , that an be forgiven. A section at the back of the book explaining what some of the more unusual ingredients are and where to find them also helps if you’re not sure - ketjap manis or umeboshi paste anyone? Some of the recipes include Hot Pomegranate and Pecan Leafy Salad, Tea-Smoked Chestnut Risotto, and Fig Tarte Tatin with Ginger Cream.

It’s a shame that not all of the recipes include a photo as it might help us novice cooks with presentation, seeing as these dishes are meant to wow dinner guests.. But on saying that, the photo’s that are included are simple, elegant, colourful and interesting. Attractive veggie cookbooks can be a rarity but this looks lovely and makes you want to create equally lovely ‘chic’ dishes yourself.

Vegetarian Food for Friends

Jane Noriaka

This book is split into chapter covering fingerfood, little meals and tapas, buffets, casual lunches, formal dinners, barbecues and grills, Sunday lunches, and summer or winter entertaining, and this makes sense as what you cook for friends often depends on the kind of entertaining you’re going to be doing. The author also includes useful tips on how far in advance you can prepare components of the dishes, which is invaluable if you have a lot to prepare.

The book includes beautiful crisp photo’s for every recipe and the dishes themselves although quirky and interesting don’t tend to include a lot of hard-to-source ingredients. A lovely addition to any veggie’s bookshelf.

Vegetarian Party Food

Celia Brooks Brown

As with Jane Noriaka’s book this splits chapters into handy sections depending on your style of entertaining e.g. canapés, small courses, feed the masses, last minute and fire and ice. However, this book also includes a chapter of fish recipes and this may put some veggies off.

Lots of vegetarians find it frustrating when they are offered fish and so although the author states that she included the chapter so that people could make up their own mind, using ‘vegetarian’ in the title and then including fish dishes is unlikely to go any way to helping clear up confusion amongst non-veggies about what vegetarians actually eat. I’d hate to arrive at a friend’s house to find they had lovingly prepared a fish dish for me from a ‘vegetarian’ cookery book, which I then couldn't eat.

There are plenty of non-fish dishes though and these include Aubergine, Feta and Mint Skewers, Cranberry Torte with Hot Toffee-Brandy Sauce, and Wok-Fried Noodles Singapore-Style. And whatever your opinion on the inclusion of fish, the book does include handy tips for entertaining, including a ‘plan ahead’ section and chapters divided into menus depending on the type of entertaining you are doing.

This is also a very attractive book which includes photo’s of every recipe.

Important Note: There are lots of 'vegetarian' recipe books on the market that include non-veggie ingredients in their recipes, whether it's fish as is the case here or, more frequently, non-vegetarian cheeses such as parmesan. So, whichever recipe book you are using, we would always advise that you double-check the ingredients yourself before you start to cook.

Mini Sesame Falafel Pittas

Makes 16 mini patties (vegan)

Ingredients:

• 240g can chickpeas (drained)
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• ½ tsp garlic puree
• 1tbsp olive oil
• 1tsp coriander
• 1tsp cumin
• 1tsp parsley
• salt and pepper
• 2tbsp sesame seeds
• 2tbsp tahini

To serve:

• Lettuce
• Mini pitta bread pockets
• Hummus, mayonnaise, hot sauce, or tzatziki, depending on your preference

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C and grease a baking tray.

2. Cook the onion and garlic in the olive oil until softened.

3. Mash the chickpeas with the onion and garlic, using a potato masher,until the mixture has become smooth but some texture still remains.

4. Add the coriander, cumin, parsley, salt and pepper, sesame seeds and tahini and mix in well. Use your hand to form the mixture into little patties. (Add some of the liquid from the drained chickpeas if the mixture feels too dry.)

5. Place on the baking tray and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.

6. Serve one falafel per mini pitta pocket, and stuff with lettuce or salad and smother with the sauce of your choice. The patties can be made in advance as they still taste great cold.

Toasted Trio

Ingredients for all three:

• French stick/baguette

For the Egg Mayo Toasts:

• Hard boiled eggs
• Spring onions, finely sliced
• Mayonnaise
• Salt and pepper

For the Goats Cheese Toasts:

• Goats cheese
• Beetroot marmalade from a jar

For the Bruschetta (vegan):

• Olive oil
• Tomato, chopped finely and deseeded
• Red onion, very finely chopped
• Basil
• Salt and pepper

Method:

1. For the egg mayo toasts mash hard boiled eggs with the finely sliced spring onion and a generous dollop of mayonnaise. Heap the egg mayonnaise onto lightly toasted slices of baguette and top with slices of spring onion, salt and pepper.

2. For the goats cheese toasts spread lightly toasted slices of baguette with beetroot marmalade and top with slices of goats cheese.

3. For the bruschetta fry baguette slices in olive oil until they are golden brown and crispy. Mix the finely chopped red onion, tomato, basil, salt and pepper together and sprinkle over a little olive oil. Pile the mixture onto the fried bread.

Cherry Tomato Tarts (vegan)

These taste best straight from the oven but are also very nice as part of a cold buffet if you want to make them in advance.

Ingredients:

• Packet of ready-made vegan puff pastry
• Vegan pesto (we used ‘Zest’)
• Cherry tomatoes

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease a baking tray.

2. Cut squares of pastry a little larger than the tomatoes you are using and place them on the baking tray.

3. Spread the centre of each pastry square with a spoon of pesto and top with a cherry tomato, leaving a space at the edges.

4. Bake in the oven for 12-14 minutes. Best served warm.

Speedy Tortilla Pizzas

These are fantastic snacks as they only take 5 minutes to make and you can vary the toppings depending on what your guests prefer.

Ingredients:

• Flour tortillas
• Sundried tomato puree
• Grated mozzarella
• Orange pepper, finely chopped (or whichever vegetables you prefer)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.

2. Place a tortilla on a baking tray in the oven for 2 minutes. (The tortilla might puff up a little but don’t worry about this as you can prick it with a fork to send it back down.)

3. Take the tortilla out of the oven and spread the tomato puree in the centre. Scatter over the grated mozzarella and pepper, but don’t overload the tortilla with toppings.

4. Put back into the oven for 3-4 minutes, until the edges of the tortilla are just beginning to brown and the cheese has melted. They need such a short time that it’s wise to keep an eye on them!

5. Serve cut into delicate pizza slices. Can be eaten warm or cold.

Café Rouge

French food is not typically very veggie friendly and it’s probably fair to say that Café Rouge usually wouldn’t top the list of must-eat places for vegetarians on a normal evening out. But if it’s not your turn to choose the restaurant and you find yourself here, it’s handy to know that as long as you like cheesy or creamy dishes, then you will probably find something you can eat.

Cuisine: French
Locations: 100+ UK
How many veggie dishes are there typically on the menu? 3 starters, 1 main course. The menu doesn’t state which dishes are suitable for vegetarians so check with the restaurant that all ingredients are vegetarian (e.g. cheese).
Sample dish: Blanquette de Legumes – Paris mushrooms, courgettes, leeks, French beans and carrots, sautéed with cream, herbs and white wine, with basmati and wild rice.
Pros: Over 100 locations
Cons: No labelling of veggie dishes, very few vegetarian choices.
Website: www.caferouge.co.uk

Carluccio’s

Italian food is usually a safe bet for most veggies, as long as you avoid ‘real’ parmesan (which is never vegetarian). Carluccio’s does fresh, simple, Italian food very well, but as they don’t label which dishes are suitable for vegetarians, do check with the restaurant that all ingredients are veggie, especially the cheeses.

Cuisine: Italian
Locations: 50+ UK & Ireland
How many veggie dishes are there typically on the menu? 4 starters, 6 main courses. The menu doesn’t state which dishes are suitable for vegetarians so check with the restaurant that all ingredients are vegetarian (e.g. cheese).
Sample dish: Ravioli – Homemade delicate ravioli filled with spinach and ricotta served in the traditional way with butter and sage.
Pros: Simple, tasty, Italian food.
Cons: No labelling of veggie dishes.
Website: www.carluccios.com

China Buffet King

Often a buffet can be a bit of a game of Russian Roulette if you’re a veggie and the dishes aren’t clearly labelled, but nobody can deny that the ‘all you can eat’ can be very appealing when you’re hungry and on a budget!

Cuisine: Chinese
Locations: 6 Scotland & Ireland
How many veggie dishes are there typically on the menu? 10+ veggie foods appear on the buffet. Most of the veggie dishes appear to be things that you might consider starters or side dishes e.g. spring rolls, egg fried rice or breaded mushrooms. As with all buffets double-check that the dishes you choose are vegetarian, especially if the labelling isn’t clear.
Sample dish: Mushrooms in black bean sauce.
Pros: Cheap and cheerful, all you can eat.
Cons: It can be difficult to tell which foods are vegetarian at a buffet and a lot of the veggie options appear to be side dishes or starters.
Website: www.chinabuffetking.co.uk

Chiquito

Mexican restaurants can be a very good option for veggies as there is usually at least a veggie chilli and vegetable fajita on the menu. Chiquito goes a few steps further however, with a good selection of dishes for vegetarians seeking a bit of spice.

Cuisine: Mexican
Locations: 50+ UK
How many veggie dishes are there typically on the menu? 4 starters, 10 main courses. The menu doesn’t state which dishes are suitable for vegetarians so check with the restaurant that all ingredients are vegetarian (e.g. cheese).
Sample dish: Veggie Bean Quesadilla – Veggie bean chilli, spinach, spiced Mexican rice and melting jack cheese.
Pros: As long as you like a bit of spice to your food, there are plenty of veggie options to choose from.
Cons: Vegetarian dishes aren’t labelled, and if you’re not a fan of any spice at all in your food, then you might like to steer clear as there don't appear to be as many milder options.
Website: www.chiquito.co.uk

Giraffe

More than Mushrooms' favourite!

For its relaxed atmosphere, friendly service and genuine attempts to cater for veggies with interesting dishes that you don’t find everywhere else.

Cuisine: International
Locations: 36 UK
How many veggie dishes are there typically on the menu? 10 starters, 6 mains. Vegetarian dishes are labelled. Giraffe won the ‘Cauldron National Hero’ award during National Vegetarian Week 2010.
Sample dish: Falafel ‘Deluxe’ Burger – With grilled pepper, hummus, beetroot, rocket, halloumi, tzatziki and harissa.
Pros: Excellent vegetarian selection and a well labelled menu.
Cons: If only they were at more locations across the UK & Ireland!
Website: www.giraffe.net

Gourmet Burger Kitchen

Maybe you wouldn’t consider a burger joint as a good place for veggies, but a lot of the new breed of ‘posh’ burger places, including Gourmet Burger Kitchen, have a great veggie selection with imaginative alternatives to the beef patty.

Cuisine: American/International
Locations: 50+ UK & Ireland
How many veggie dishes are there typically on the menu? 5 veggie burgers. Vegetarian burgers are labelled on the menu.
Sample dish: Puy Lentil Burger – With puy lentils, potato, green curry, spring onion, salad, mayonnaise and relish.
Pros: The menu includes a separate selection of veggie burgers, clearly labelled.
Cons: Side dishes are not labelled vegetarian so check with the restaurant.
Website: www.gbk.co.uk or www.gbk.ie

La Tasca

Although very tasty, tapas can be a bit disappointing if you’re in a large group of non-veggies, as the majority of the dishes selected by the party are often not vegetarian. This means you may find that after everyone’s had a taste of all dishes you end up with a few cubes of potato and one mushroom for your dinner! However, Tapas can be a really good choice if you’re not too hungry, are in a smaller group, or are with very close friends who won’t mind you hogging the veggie dishes!

Cuisine: Spanish
Locations: 50+ UK
How many veggie dishes are there typically on the menu? 7 veggie tapas dishes. Vegetarian dishes are labelled on the menu.
Sample dish: Paella de Verduras – A vegetarian paella with seasonal vegetables.
Pros: A good selection of vegetarian dishes available.
Cons: May not be best-suited to sole veggies in large groups.
Website: www.latasca.co.uk

Nando’s

Ok, so it has a chicken as its logo and it claims to be ‘the home of PERi-PERi chicken’, so maybe it doesn’t look too promising at first glance however, as unlikely as it seems, Nando’s does have quite a good veggie selection.

Cuisine: Portugese
Locations: 100+ UK & Ireland
How many veggie dishes are there typically on the menu? 10+ main course options. The menu doesn’t state which dishes are suitable for vegetarians so check with the restaurant that all ingredients are vegetarian (e.g. cheese).
Sample dish: Veggie – A spicy soya and tomato burger seasoned with spring onion, green chilli and
cayenne pepper.
Pros: Over 100 locations and a good selection of veggie dishes.
Cons: Customers order at the counter and the food is then brought to your table – this system could make for a long queue if you’re in a large group!
Website: www.nandos.co.uk

Old Orleans

If you eat out quite often you might find that you’ve had more Italian dinners than you can shake a stick at and you’re beyond bored when it comes to veggie burgers. In that case you might like to try something a bit different, and maybe Cajun will fit the bill.

Cuisine: Cajun
Locations: 13 UK
How many veggie dishes are there typically on the menu? 5 starters, 6 main courses. Vegetarian dishes are labelled.
Sample dish: (From the Christmas menu) Stuffed Butternut Squash – Half a butternut squash filled with cannellini beans, mozzarella, peppers and tomatoes, topped with pumpkin and sunflower seed crumbs.
Pros: Good if you fancy something a bit different.
Cons: Only a small number of locations.
Website: www.oldorleans.com

Pizza Express / Milano

You can’t go very far in the UK and Ireland without stumbling across a Pizza Express or Milano. But while that might make it seem a bit less exciting than some of the other options, it does mean that you’ll know what to expect. They are also one of the best chain restaurants for labelling their food. And they even have a lighter range of pizzas if you’re watching your weight!

Cuisine: Italian
Locations: 350+ UK & Ireland
How many veggie dishes are there typically on the menu? 2 starters (plus breads, olives etc.), 8 pizzas. Vegetarian dishes are labelled.
Sample dish: Giardiniera Pizza – Asparagus, artichokes, mushrooms, red peppers, santos tomatoes, olives, garlic oil, tomato and pesto base.
Pros: They’re everywhere so you know what to expect, vegetarian dishes are clearly labelled.
Cons: They’re everywhere so you know what to expect!
Website: www.pizzaexpress.com or www.milano.ie

TGI Friday’s

With a reputation for being cheap and cheerful, plenty of seasonal promotions and a large cocktail menu, TGI Friday’s might be high on the list for a party night, but if your focus is on food rather than drink, you might be better off looking elsewhere for a better veggie selection (especially if you’re in Ireland).

Cuisine: American
Locations: 50+ UK & Ireland
How many veggie dishes are there typically on the menu? 4 starters, 5 main courses in UK – 1 starter, 1 main course in Ireland. Menus vary depending on the specific restaurant. There appears to be very little for veggies on the Irish menu in particular so check with the restaurant.
Sample dish: Vegetable Fajita – A medley of tomato, sliced mushroom and green beans, marinated in soy, garlic, lime and pineapple juice, with sautéed onion and a mix of red and green peppers.
Pros: Large cocktail menu, party atmosphere, regular promotions.
Cons: Poor veggie choice at some locations, particularly in Ireland.
Website: www.tgifridays.co.uk or www.fridays.ie

Spur

Steakhouses don’t have a fantastic reputation as purveyors of fine veggie fare, but if you are looking for somewhere relaxed and you have children in your party, Spur could be as good a place as any to refuel.

Cuisine: Steak & Grill
Locations: 8 UK
How many veggie dishes are there typically on the menu? 4 starters, 4 main courses. Vegetarian dishes are labelled on the menu.
Sample dish: Vegetarian Burger – Spur spicy bean burger, topped with a slice of cheese and ranch-style
beans.
Pros: Relaxed atmosphere and very child-friendly, good value with plenty of promotions e.g. kids eat
free on Friday evenings.
Cons: Not a great veggie selection and that food isn’t all that imaginative e.g. veggie burgers, Caesar salad or fajitas.
Website: www.ukspur.co.uk

Wagamama

Perfect for a quick bite if you’re heading off somewhere afterwards, Wagamama has a reputation for good service and a ‘buzzy’ atmosphere.

Cuisine: Pan-Asian
Locations: 70+ UK & Ireland (also worldwide)
How many veggie dishes are there typically on the menu? 4 side dishes, 6 main courses. Vegetarian dishes are labelled and their website lists which dishes can be modified for vegans.
Sample dish: Yasai Katsu Curry – Sweet potato, aubergine and butternut squash deep-fried in panko breadcrumbs, served with a curry sauce and sticky white rice, garnished with dressed mixed leaves and red pickles.
Pros: Good atmosphere, fresh, tasty food that you can see being cooked while you wait.
Cons: Communal tables may not be what you had in mind for a party night or romantic dinner, not a
place for lingering.
Website: www.wagamama.com or www.wagamama.ie

Important Note: Information correct as of November 2010. This article is intended as a general guide only. Please contact restaurants directly for more information about their menu or specific dietary options.

So, this is my modern take on an old fashioned, simple, comforting pudding.

Components

• Warm, Sweet Nutmeg Butter Powder
• Vanilla and Cinnamon Milk Fluid Gel
• Glazed Brioche
• Chambord Liqueur Soaked Grapes
• Chopped Raisins

Vanilla and Cinnamon Milk Fluid Gel

Ingredients:

• 500ml Whole Milk
• 2 Vanilla Pods
• 1tbs of broken Cassia Bark
• 75g Caster Sugar
• 25g Ultratex 3

Method:

1. Split the vanilla pods and scrape out the seeds. Heat the milk, cassia bark, vanilla seeds and pods and the sugar in a small pan whilst stirring until the milk reaches a simmer. Then set the covered pan to one side to cool and infuse.

2. Once cooled strain the milk then blend the ultratex into the milk in a tall container using an immersion blender. The milk will thicken to the consistency of custard.

3. When ready to serve reheat the milk fluid gel in a pan whilst stirring then spoon onto the plate (with a cheffy smear if you fancy).

Warm, sweet nutmeg butter powder

Ingredients:

• 100g Unsalted Butter
• 2 tsp grated nutmeg
• 15g Demerara Sugar
• 15g Caster Sugar
• 60g (approx) Ab-zorbit Tapioca Maltodextrin

Method:

1. Place the butter, sugar and nutmeg in a small pan and gently melt. Heat the butter mix, stirring occasionally, until it barely reaches a simmer and keep it at this temperature for around ten minutes. Pour the butter mixture into a plastic container and place covered in the fridge. Stir after about an
hour, before the butter is fully set. Then leave covered in the fridge overnight or for up to a couple of days.

2. When you’re ready to make the powder, cube the set butter mix and re-melt it in a small pan. Pour the melted butter into a large bowl and bit by bit stir in the Tapioca Maltodextrin until the mixture has the appearance of breadcrumbs. Now force the butter powder though a sieve to end up with a fine powder.

3. When ready to serve, heat the powder in a dry frying pan and spoon on to the plate. The powder will turn to melted butter in your mouth as it comes into contact with moisture.

Brioche

Ingredients:

• Thin Slices of Brioche
• 2 Egg Yolks
• 1tbs Whole Milk
• 1tsp Honey
• Pinch Powdered Cinnamon
• Demerara Sugar to sprinkle

Method:

1. Lightly toast thin slices of brioche. Beat together the egg yolks, milk, honey and cinnamon and brush a little of this mix onto the top side of the toasted brioche.

2. Now sprinkle a little demerara over the top of the brioche and gently caramelize with a blow-torch (try not to let the bread itself catch too much).

Chambord Soaked Grapes

Method:

1. Thinly slice green seedless grapes and leave to soak for around an hour in a shallow dish filled with Chambord Liqueur.

2. To serve delicately remove the grapes and pat off the excess liquid carefully with a little kitchen roll. Place the grape slices overlapping on the plate.

When all the elements are assembled on the plate finish by sprinkling some finely chopped raisins over the brioche and serve. Enjoy x

With thanks to Eddie Shepherd for providing this recipe to More than Mushrooms.

Blue Cheese & Walnut Tart (serves 2)

Ingredients:

• Half packet of ready-made puff pastry
• 1tbs olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely sliced
• 1tbs balsamic vinegar
• Salt
• 30g blue cheese
• 20g walnuts, roughly chopped
• Milk or beaten egg to glaze

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C

2. Grease a baking tray and place a square (or two squares if making two separate tarts) of pastry onto the tray.

3. Heat the olive oil and fry the onion until soft. Splash in the balsamic vinegar and a pinch of salt and continue to fry for a further 5 minutes. Allow the onion to cool.

4. Spread the onions onto the pastry square, leaving a gap around the edge. Crumble the blue cheese over the onions and scatter the walnuts onto the tart. Paint the edge of the tart with a beaten
egg or a little milk.

5. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes. Serve warm.

Potato & Parsnip Gratin (serves 2)

Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion, finely sliced
• 1 large potato (baking size), peeled and finely sliced
• 1 large parsnip, peeled and finely sliced
• 40g gruyere, finely grated
• 100ml double cream
• 10g butter, cut into small cubes
• Salt and pepper
• 2tbsp white breadcrumbs

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C

2. Layer the potato, onion and parsnip in a dish, dot with half of the butter, grind over salt and pepper and sprinkle with a third of the cheese, then drizzle over a third of the cream. Repeat.

3. Top with remaining potato slices, drizzle over the last of the cream, sprinkle the remainder of the cheese on top and top with the breadcrumbs.

4. Bake for 1 hour covered with foil. Remove foil after an hour and brown for 20-30 minutes. Leave to stand for a few minutes before serving while still warm. Cut into circles or serve straight from the dish.

Garlic & Herb Vegetable Pot Pie (serves 1)

Ingredients:

• Handful each of cauliflower and broccoli, separated into very small florets
• Handful of peas
• Handful of baby button mushrooms
• 1 carrot, finely diced
• 2 spring onions, finely sliced
• 100ml cream
• 1tsp Dijon mustard
• 20g soft cheese with garlic and herbs (we used Boursin)
• Circle of puff pastry (to fit the dish you are using)
• Milk or beaten egg to glaze

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C

2. Gently heat the cream, mustard and soft cheese together in a small saucepan until the cheese has melted and everything has combined.

3. Pop all of the vegetables into an individual deep casserole dish and pour over the cream sauce.

4. Top the dish with the pastry circle cut to fit, and press it on at the edges. Put a cross in the centre of the pastry for the air to escape. Paint the pastry with a beaten egg or a little milk.

5. Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes until the pastry is crisp and golden.

Buttered Carrots (serves 2)

Ingredients:

• 2 large carrots, sliced into batons
• Large knob of butter
• Approx 300ml vegetable stock

Method:

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the carrots and stir in the butter for 5 minutes.

2. Pour over the stock until just covering the carrots, then cook on a moderately high heat for 15-20 minutes until the carrots have softened but still retain some of their crunch, and the stock has evaporated. Serve warm.

Crunchy Sprouts (serves 2)

Ingredients:

• Large handful of sprouts
• Butter
• 2tbs white breadcrumbs
• 1tsp nutmeg

Method:

1. Steam the sprouts for 10 minutes until they are tender but with some crunch left.

2. Meanwhile gently fry the breadcrumbs in a frying pan with the butter and nutmeg until the breadcrumbs are crispy and golden.

3. Dot the cooked sprouts with a little butter and sprinkle over the breadcrumbs. Serve warm.

Cinnamon Baked Apples (serves 2)

Ingredients:

• 2 coxes apples
• 4tbsp vegetarian mince meat / mince pie filling
• Butter
• 2tsp cinnamon
• Vanilla ice cream (optional)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C

2. Put enough water in a baking dish to just cover the bottom.

3. Core the apples and level the bottom so that they stand up straight, but don’t peel them. Score a line around the centre of the apple skins.

4. Place the apples in the baking dish. Stuff the centre of the apples with mince meat, top with a dot of butter and sprinkle on the cinnamon.

5. Cover the dish with foil and bake in the oven for 40 minutes.

6. Serve hot with ice cream, cream or custard.

Goodies Organic Gingerbread Men (for toddlers 12 months+)

No artificial colours or flavours, no hydrogenated fat and no added sugar. Made with wholegrain wheat flour and sweetened only with grape juice.

Fabulous Bakin’ Boys Mighty Oat Flapjack

Baked in a nut-free zone. Probably more suitable for older children and adults as it is a very chunky flapjack, containing 346 calories. Very tasty though!

Bear Strawberry Yo Yos

No added sugar or gelling agents. One roll counts as one of your five a day. Has a very strong authentic strawberry flavour.

Sesame Snaps

Contain just three ingredients; sesame seeds, sugar & glucose syrup. Perfect if you want a crunchy snack but fancy something sweet... or if you can’t decide between sweet and savoury.

McVities Jaffa Cakes

Lower in calories than many of the chocolate-covered cake & biscuit alternatives.

Fruit Bowl Fruit Flakes (Tropical)

Made with apple, passionfruit & apricot. Gluten free, dairy free & made with natural fruit colours & flavours. Tiny little soft flakes - like dried fruit or raisins but much lighter, so perfect for little people’s lunch boxes.

Goody Good Stuff Cola Breeze

Gelatine free, fat free, dairy free, gluten free and with no artificial colours. Softer and perhaps paler than non-veggie cola bottles but the difference is hardly noticeable. Suitable for vegetarians (as are all of the items listed here).

Fabulous Fudge Factory Dairy Free Fudge

Suitable for vegetarians and vegans. No hydrogenated fats, no artificial colours or preservatives, free of GM ingredients and gluten free. An incredibly sweet fudge with a lovely slightly crumbly & creamy texture. You wouldn’t know it was vegan!

Crazy Jack Organic Dried Apricots

A source of iron, fibre and vitamin A. Naturally low fat. Certified organic. Provided you keep them somewhere dry, they last a long time even once the bag has been opened. The packaging also features a recipe for apricot relish, which the manufacturer says goes well with goats cheese.

Biona Organic Jelly Bears

Certified organic. Very strong natural fruit flavour.

Where to buy your treats

We ordered everything on this page from Goodness Direct however, many of these items are available in supermarkets & health food stores. [If you live in Ireland Goodness Direct will post non-perishable items to Ireland for a fee.]

Sara Lewis

In addition to recipes, this book contains an extensive introduction with information on topics such as feeding babies and toddlers, building a healthy diet, snacking and how to cope with fussy eaters. It also includes a useful table to use as a guide for knowing when to introduce certain foods into a baby’s diet. Information on batch cooking, food safety and allergies also appears along with an idea of healthy portion sizes for children and a sample menu plan.

Chapters include baby recipes, food for toddlers and pre-school children, family meals, and recipes to bake together with your child. The recipes feature vegetable purees for very young babies, lentil and grain recipes for older babies, and veggie puff pie, tagine, rice, or lentil bolognese for toddlers. Quick dinners such as macaroni cheese and tomato clowns are also included.

At the end of each recipe the author has added a note about whether the dish would be suitable for a baby, breaking this advice down into 4-6 months, 6-9 months, and 9-12 months sections. She also gives relevant tips and advice beside each recipe. Most of the recipes also feature a colour photo.

Some of the recipes are very simple e.g. a vegetable puree, or an open sandwich, but they could still come in useful for giving mums and dads some ideas about presenting food in a way that appeals to young children, or to help to reassure nervous parents that they are feeding baby the right foods. The writing is large and clear and the instructions are very simple, so that when the kids get a bit older, they could probably follow most themselves with just a little bit of supervision in the kitchen.

Baby & Child Vegetarian Recipes

Carol Timperley

This book is aimed at new mums and dads or parents of very young children, as the chapters cover moving baby from milk to solids, 4-6 months, 6-9 months, 9-12 months and toddlers. The beginning of each chapter includes a wealth of useful advice and information, as well as the author’s own experience of raising a vegetarian child.

At the bottom of each recipe is a tick-box so that parents can mark whether baby liked or diisliked their culinary efforts! Helpfully, recipes also include a symbol showing whether the dish can be frozen.

Recipes include baby rice and basic fruit and vegetable purees for young babies, as well as a chart giving parents an idea of when and how often to introduce new foods into baby’s diet. Recipes for older babies and toddlers include hummus, pasta sauces, soups, risotto, curry, falafel, fritata and breadsticks. In fact, although they are described as recipes for toddlers, the dishes in later sections of the book could be enjoyed by anyone in the family.

This book doesn’t include photo’s of the dishes, instead the recipes are accompanied by cartoon drawings.

This book is approved by the UK Vegetarian Society.

Vegetarian Kids’ Cookbook

Roz Denny

The recipes in this book are split into chapters baaed around courses rather than ages, reflecting the fact that this book is aimed at older children who have passed the weaning stage. The introduction does include some information on nutrition and common veggie ingredients, however the advice seems very general and not as in-depth as in the previous books reviewed here. The section on meal planning in particular is a bit disappointing as it does not include advice on how to structure a meal for your children; instead it just includes photo’s from the recipes elsewhere in the book.

Recipes include soups, nachos, potato wedges, dips, pasta, vegetarian lasagne and pizza - recipes which would seem to appeal particularly to older children. In fact, as the book includes basic techniques such as how to chop an onion, along with lots of colourful photo’s, not only of the final dishes, but also of the cooking process and raw ingredients, it could be useful for helping older children to learn to cook.

This book was published under this title in 2010, however it was previously published as ‘Cooking for Your Vegetarian Kids’.

Make your day at work or school a bit more exciting by choosing something different for lunch.

Fight the boredom!

We all get bored of what’s in our lunch box now and again, and for veggies it’s sometimes not so appealing to pop to the local shop if your choices are limited to a cheddar cheese sandwich. But a nice lunch not only keeps you going in the afternoon, it can also put a spring in your step to have something different once in a while.

Even if you don’t have catering facilities at work the options for lunch are endless when you include dinner left-overs and anything else you’re willing to eat cold.

Here are a few ideas for a start;

Sandwich fillings

• Cheese & salad – to prevent boredom vary the type of cheese you use, or include chutneys or fruit and vegetables you wouldn’t normally include, like jam, grapes, beetroot or avocado
• Peanut butter
• Banana – just make sure that you make up the sandwich when you’re about to eat it, otherwise the cut banana will go brown
• Roast vegetables
• Boiled egg, scrambled egg or egg mayonnaise
• Fake meats/quorn
• Tofu

Sliced-bread alternatives

• Pitta bread with hummus, carrot and cucumber sticks
• Bagel with cream cheese, sundried tomatoes and pesto
• Crumpet and jam
• Savoury scones
• Crackers or oat cakes with cheese and grapes or apple
• Potato cakes or potato farls
• Scotch pancakes

Salads

• Couscous salad
• Potato salad
• Pasta salad
• Greek salad – this fares particularly well in a lunch box as it allows time for all of the flavours to mix together

Something different

• Last night’s left-overs e.g. veggie lasagne, veggie chilli or nut roast
• Falafel with couscous, pitta bread or salad
• Pre-packed foods like veggie sausage rolls or veggie scotch eggs
• Frittata
• Quiche

Sides

• Smoothies
• Fruit – try a different piece of fruit every day for a change
• Raisins/dried apricots
• Banana chips
• A handful of nuts e.g. cashew nuts
• Cereal bars
• Home-made biscuits or cake

Soups

Get a good flask and you’ll be able to enjoy soup even if you’re not able to heat up food at work. Soups are a great choice because they’re filling, the varieties are endless so you’ll never get bored, and it’s really easy and cheap to make up batches of healthy, tasty, soups at home.

What's your favourite veggie lunch?