I usually find that meals devised for vegetables rather than meals with vegetarian meat substitutes tend to be better. Recipes with nuts in are often nice (not just Thai dishes).
Shame you say no to aubergine, as this recipe is fantastic. Picked by Jay Rayner as one of his favourites. Don't be put off by the title, there's no fish involved, it just uses flavours used in that region of China to cook fish with. https://labelledamesanssouci.wordpress.com/2015/11/27/fuchsia-dunlops-fish-fragrant-aubergines/
Me and the Mrs have mushroom risotto most weeks. I’m a bit of a carnivore so a day meat free (assuming I’ve not had anything meaty for lunch) hurts nobody. I do sometimes use chicken stock but veg stock is also fine (oxo also do a mushroom stock I picked up in herons the other month). Often add peas and sweetcorn for colour. Also occasionally do a curried noodle dish, again with mushrooms, onion and beansprouts, sometimes thinly chopped carrot. Just use mayflower curry mix as it’s the closest I’ve found to replicate a Chinese style curry.
We like a pasta bake, but I'm not keen on tomato so we'll do it with roasted broccoli and squash (the frozen chunks are perfect) with loads of woody herbs, sage, nutmeg. Roast the vegetables and cook the pasta first, then fold it all into a bechamel if you're feeling fancy or a couple of tablespoons of creme fraîche if you're not. Top with cheese and breadcrumbs, grill to finish and serve with a big salad. Mushrooms are good in it as well - I'd usually use chestnut, but the little trays of mixed woodland mushrooms from Morrisons are excellent if it's payday!
I like Tofu. Think it's just as nice as chicken or pork. Don't know whether it's vegetarian but chopped up crab sticks are nice in a curry too. Same texture.
Oh, and if you like your greens then I can highly recommend braising some little gem lettuces, either as a side or as part of a one-pot dish (maybe with some pre-cooked puy lentils in a packet). It's a revelation. I'd normally do these any time I end up with some stock, say after roasting a chicken, but I'm sure you can find a nice vegetarian alternative.
Had you not posted this, that would have been my suggestion and for the same reason. Kids once bullied us into a Toby Carvery and the beef and Gammon looked like huge lumps of fat. So I went veggie, bonus Yorkshire pud, big pile of veg and roasties and all swimming in gravy (beefy one though which spoilt the whole veggie theme). Stunning.
I went to a Toby Carvery and had a full English in a giant Yorkshire pudding with gravy. ( Just thought I'd share that useless information).
Sounds ok apart from the Yorkshire Pudding. But if I were to suggest to you, of all people, that you should have pulled the pud, it work surely take this thread into a whole new dimension.
Here's one for thi Stephen if you've never tried it. I used to go this pub (_Noah's ark) in paignton many times over many yrs whilst on holiday. Giant yorkshire pudding with various fillings. Thought currie was a bit far. Tried it after visiting for the 100th time. Have it on occasion now. Great meal. Needs a bit of a saucey one (shut it ). I suppose it acts like a naan. Takes some of the heat away if a hot one.
Love my snap. (As you can see from my avatar) Will do if I'm ever down there. Given my circumstances I don't know why I don't travel more. I ought to.
We have Cavolo Nero - ‘posh kale’ in our shop every week. Not that we ever eat it - but the rabbit loves the stuff…