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Has veggie food got better over the last 10/20 years?? I remember when I worked in a Pub, we had an option of nut roast/cutlet and it was foul, but this was in 1985 - Has veggie food improved or is the marketing doing it for the food?

I do love veggie food in France, even though I am a carni... but I find some of the food here still sounds and looks just sort of, well you know !!!!

I am concerned that Tesco's and all the other supermarkets veggie food, just doesn't look right - PLEASE correct me if I am wrong.

Vegetarian meals. Macaroni and nut curry. Vegetable curry. Egg and mushroom savoury. Cheese and noodle hotpot. All for less than one pound per head. Hot Puddings.......Cabinet pudding., Date and walnut pudding, Pineapple upside down pudding and Queen of puddings........Cold dessert. Always a fruit jelly also, chocolate gateau, creme caramel, any cheesecake, lemon meringue or strawberry and raspberry meringue baskets, mini chocolate and apricot trifles and Almond and apricot flan are just a few.

Here are some more ideas:

Meat: cornish pasty pie, chicken and leek pie, chicken baked with lemon and olives, chicken in white wine sauce, pasta bake/gratin, meatballs, chicken fricasee

Veggie: asparagus and cheese tart/quiche, stuffed baked potates (stuffed with anything, such as leeks and cheese), pasta bake/gratin, spinach and ricotta slices, ratatouille

Puds: poached plums or rhubarb, key lime pie, lemon meringue pie, Eton mess, trifle, one crust fruit pie, gooseberry (or other fruit) fool, bread and butter pudding, apple raisin and cinnamon strudel

Helen

I am guessing you need things that are easy to do in large quantities and can be kept warm for a certain length of time?

How about stew and dumplings (or cobbler) or casseroles? These can be made meat (sausages, beef, chicken, pork, etc) or vegetarian (root veg, mediterranean veg, etc). I would suggest savoury rice (a bit like risotto but using long grain rice and tin tomatoes) but perhaps this wouldn't be best for keeping purposes?

Meat: large pizzas that can be cut up into slices and served with salad, enchiladas, cottage/shepherds pie italian style, pork chops in cider, paprika chicken, toad in the hole, moussaka

Veggies: pizza (as above just different toppings), red onion and cheese tart, savoury crumble, glamorgan sausages, stuffed bell pepper, aubergines, tomatoes or courgette, nut roast, spinach and ricotta lasagne - I think quite a lot of meat dishes can be made vegetarian just by using different veg instead of meat (eg, cottage pie, enchiladas, as above)

Puds: cheesecake (various flavours), rice pudding, apple pie and custard, jam roly poly, different steamed/sponge puds, crumbles, baked apples, egg custards, chocolate mousse, profiteroles

I will have a think of some more but I am sure that will keep you going for a bit!

Helen

Hi all thanks for all your great responce. There realy is no budget or return but not to silly meat we work on £1.oo per person thats about it. Ive done currey chilli lasangne spag bol pie cottage. the mushrooms good idear quick open packet put cheese on sling in oven. i can go on the shop floor and help my self to any thing. i only have 2 1/2 hours for prep and cooking, somtimes i prep on a wed night. keep the sergestions coming its nice to know theres help out there. sonya

Hi Sonya,
I too worked for a top supermarket and did the catering for 5 years one of the best liked veggie things I ever did was mushroms. This is how I did it .Large opem mushroons 2 per person, put in a shallow baking tray, pour over a small amount of olive oil, squeeze over fresh lemon about 2 per tray, layer motzzorlia [sorry about spelling] sliced fairly thickly,cover in foil put in oven ,I usually put it in the bottem whilst something else is cooking above, take off foil about 15 mins before serving to let them dry out and serve with any other veg. The frist time I did this was for the Christmas lunch for the veggies and it went down a bomb. Foegot to add put in some garlic if you want,it is an optional extra. Happy cooking

Hi Sonya, I think its always a good idea to cook whats in season, and the best that is available. you can still cook continental or Med style foods but use the best of british. simple food always tastes best and is cheaper and looks better on the plate. Also Nick's comment is still valid you need to know what you got to spend and what's to be achieved, once done go for it. but most of all enjoy it, otherwise whats the point??

ask some off your customers what they would like to see on your menu,and if its pratical give it a go you dont give enougth info on you estabilshment 4 me 2 help u

If not already on your menu with the spring here and summer on the way. A nice fresh fruit salad of melon balls, strawberries, grapes and mandarin segments in a ginger syrup. Easy to prepare and exotic to look at , decorate it with a small sprig of garden mint. Don't get me started on this as my posts will go on and on and..............

lasagne is a good dish, roast vegi and meat ones

Firstly what Gross Profit must you acheive?