Partial vegetarian … for now

[c=1F5E00]I recommend this [b]Ratatouille[/b] because it's so versatile.
A French housewife taught it to me while I was camping in Provence (France's south-west) over 40 years ago.
It's good on the first day but always better on the second.
If you make large batches you can divide it into smaller containers and freeze. Very handy if friends show up unannounced, or if you come home feeling too tired to cook.[/c]

Can be served with steamed brown rice, wholemeal pasta or mashed potato.
Ideal to serve with a side of fresh steamed greens or a salad.

[b]Ingredients[/b]

1. Equal quantities of
Aubergine (eggplant),
Courgettes (zucchini),
Red or yellow capsicums (bell peppers)
Ripe red tomatoes
Brown onions
[c=009E4F](I use 2 medium aubergine, 4 zucchini, 2 large red peppers, 6 ripe red tomatoes, a 2 huge brown onions for each of my batches.)[/c]

2. Garlic to taste (the purple Russian or Italian has best flavour) - [c=009E4F]
I like to use six cloves, 5 cooked in the stew and one added raw at the end.[/c]
Bouquet garni ( 5 bay leaves, 2 teaspn thyme, 1 bunch fresh parsley)
Tomato triple concentrate
70 g / 2.5 oz Whole black pepper freshly ground to taste
4 tablespns light olive oil (best for cooking.)
2 cups water

[b]Method[/b]
Total prep time - around 45-60 mins.

Peel and finely dice the brown onions; place in a large, heavy pot
with the light olive oil and 1 cup water; cover with a lid.
Bring to high heat and sizzling, turn down to just bubbling.
Simmer (sauté) until the water evaporates.
While it cooks, prepare the other veggies, but keep an eye on the onions.
Once the water has evaporated, remove the lid and allow the oil to brown and caramelize the onions. This step is important as it adds sweetness to the dish. When the whole lot is dark gold, remove from the heat.

Meanwhile, prepare the other veggies, herbs and black pepper.
Remove the seeds from the bell peppers.
Chop the aubergine last because the flesh browns with exposure to air.
Chop all the veggies into equal sized slices or chunks -
about 1/2" or 15mm cubed is good -
or, if sliced, about the same thickness as the bell pepper.
Add the chopped veggies to the sautéed onions and replace the pot on high heat.

Pick the parsley leaves and finely chop. (compost the stems)
Peel the cloves of garlic. Crush with the flat of a large knife for best flavour.
Grind the black pepper in a mill or mortar and pestle.
Open your pack of tomato paste - [c=009E4F]very salty, so no need to add salt[/c].
Add these to the rest of the stew in the pot and mix through.
Add the remaining 1 cup of water.
When it reaches a bubble, turn it down to a low simmer for at least 20 mins
or until all the veggies are soft and tender.
It helps to use a flame spreader under the pot prevent sticking.

The French housewife added the words "[i]et tout ce que vous aimez[/i]" - "and anything you like"
[i]Variations[/i]
- beans - soya (best for nutrition), red beans or chickpeas are also great
- mushrooms - esp. dried [i]fungi porcini[/i] for rich earthy flavour
- basil / oregano / tarragon / sage
- heaped teaspoon of hatcho miso adds extra richness of flavour
- fresh baby peas, or greens added in last ten mins - delish
- some like to add textured vegetable protein (TVP) for a meaty texture.

- [u]or[/u], to turn into a garam marsala, when the onions are caramelized, add 3 tablespoons of a mix of finely ground cinnamon, nutmeg, cumin, coriander seed, black cardamom (proportions to your taste),
and with just one ground clove.

Check out the vegetarian section at your local supermarket. I eat things like tomato and cheese pasta, veggie burgers, crackers, nuts, soup (particularly minestrone), cheese and pizza.

Since I don't know what kinds of grains, lentils, nuts, veggies, fruit, soy, etc you like, or what you have tried so far. So I'm hesitant to post some recipes here. I suggest following some YouTube vegetarian cooking channels or following vegetarian recipes and cooking blogs. So you can explore and try things.

I also suggest checking out some phone apps that let you pick out recipes that you can sort by dietary preference like no dairy, vegetarian, etc. And most automatically upload the ingredients into a shopping list for you. And you can like or dislike recipes that you've tried and find out what you like or tweak recipes.

Good luck and have fun exploring and trying new things!

And if you are interested in some specific recipes for things let me know. I don't mind digging out my recipe book.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oZengrqjSvESOSPRtU8-qIZeLWfyLhpy/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=105972850557649712119&rtpof=true&sd=true

yo

Quorn products are good and easy to cook, and their veggie mince is a good base for anything like a stew or curry or Bolognese. Also, try beans of any kind in curries or stews

I’ve been a vegetarian for the last 14 years. I have tons of recipes, I can recommend cookbooks if you like. Tbh what I did in the beginning was make just regular dishes but with meat replacement (ie: bolognese with gardein beef crumbles).

My parents are vegan. I am most certainly not but I do enjoy the vegan food my mum cooks when I visit. She often does a vegan pasta bolognese made with Quorn or soya mince. I personally think it is better than the meat version. She does a vegetable curry. My favourite is a vegan lasagna made with Quorn or soya mince and vegan cheese. In addition to that, my parents will buy vegan sausages and burgers from the supermarket. We have salad but also a lot of fresh roasted vegetables. My mum usually buys or makes very low-fat food as well because (like me) she is watching her figure.

I don't know how simple the recipes are, but many items in the Indian cuisine are vegetarian and highly savory.

For example, I find tofu terribly bland, but tofu tikka masala is delicious. Curry sauces will perk up almost anything. I'll bet you can find bottled curry & tikka masala sauces in a good supermarket.

The Post Title could equally say partial pescatarian or partial carnivore so why not just say Omnivore. Eats plants and animals because that is your intention.

Good on you, but isn't that just another label? You eat what you like eating, tout court

If you have Instagram or TikTok, look up thejenjones. She has a lot of interesting plant-based recipes.