veggie/vegan ready meals?

does anyone know of any ready meal or very quick meal options i could get in the uk? im a veggie, but lactose intolerant, so i should avoid milk and cheese, and the ready meals from most of the supermarkets tend to be fairly cheese rich, (meat eater conspiracy, i decided some time ago... "your not eating meat! lets up your calories!") *cough* back on topic...

*moan warning*
quick recipies would be good also, i just have so little time, i go to uni for 9am, and sometimes stay until 9 at night, and if i have training im there until 10.30 at night, when i get home for 10pm or 11.30pm the last thing i want to do is cook! and as much as i love my lentils (and other assorted beans and pulses) i find cooking them a little tedious and time consuming

*moan warning over*

if you know any brand names, or can link to any recipies, or any online resalers, id be very thankful!

Kate

 

*****

*blush* missed the post beneath, sorry , but still if anyone knows of any in the uk? that was mostly directed for america i think

Don't know of anything in the UK specifically, but maybe you could use a slow cooker to make meals for you while you are gone.  Or if you get a day off during the week, cook something and freeze or refrigerate portions of it to reheat and use later.

Also I subscribed to Vegetarian Times and they sent me a little cookbook (more of a pamphlet really) with recipes for dinners under 30 minutes.  I tried one last night and it was quite yummy (tempeh picatta).  Or you could always search online for recipes for quick veg meals.

Good luck!

thanks, ill look into the vegetarian times, sounds interesting. i do have a slow cooker, but its not with me at the moment *sigh*

i move around a lot, so my parents are looking after a few things for me, it didnt even click until after they left and i realised it was gone. as we live quite away from each other i doubt ill get it back now until i move again which will be in a month.

i know there only about £10-£15, but theres this stubborn bit of pride that says "youve already got one! its a waste of money!" and i am pretty broke, but im a student, thats a perpetual state

hey

theres some meals from the company "simply organic" my faves are the mixed bean chilli and the vegetable casserole just stick it in a pan to heat up an there ready in 3 mins. i hav it with rice... nice :) only about 300/400 calories too!

http://www.simplyorganic.co.uk/about_simply_o rganic_products.html

that link shows some of the products an theres a side link that says you can get them from most supermarkets :)

hope that helps

 

I don't suppose you have a programmable oven?  Our house came with one and it's great - you just put in on and off times, temperature, etc. and you're all set to come home to a perfectly times home cooked meal.  Of course you have to leave whatever you are cooking inside the oven when you leave, which means it cannot be perishable... of course, since they don't contain meat, many vegetarian meals would probably be OK.  Anyway, something to check.

One thing that's been a lifesaver for me throughout school is making my own frozen burritos.  About once a month, I cook some rice, black beans, salsa, and veggies.  I wrap them up in tortillas, wrap each burrito in foil, and then put them in the freezer.  When I come home starving, I just unwrap one, put it on a plate, and microwave it.  I also make soup about once a month and freeze it in individual portions.  You're right about the vegetarian frozen food conspiracy.  I've given up, and now I just make my own frozen food.

Also, if you have any friends that eat microwave meals, you can have them save the trays for you and use them to make all kinds of frozen meals.

 

If you have a freezer I find it helps to cook up dried beans and other pulses in bulk before freezing them cooked.  Then you can use them like frozen peas...   You can also make bulk amounts of tomato sauce using canned tomatoes (v cheap) and freeze in portions..  So quick meals for me are things like a vegetable chilli or curry... use the tomato sauce as base, adding in a few handfuls of beans/chickpeas and the right spices.  Or pasta with some tomato sauce to which some frozen spinach has been added.   Frittatas are also really quick and easy.  Take some cooked potato and stir into beaten egg with a chopped tomato, a fresh green chilli, some spring onions and a handful of kidney beans .... tip into a small frying pan and cook until set.  Then I would sprinkle on a little cheese (you can leave it off, of course) and pop under the grill until bubbling and risen.  Serve with some mixed leaves.

Salads work too, of course... A boiled egg, some dressing, a few olives, some green beans, cooked potato.... Can be anything. 

Ready-meals are - by and large - a terrible rip-off  If they're not full of fat they're larded with salt.  And they're usually far too stingy-sized to be satisfying.  Give food priority for a while.  Make some time for it.