Gastronaut shops for... Vegetarian ready meals

Am I the only one who doesn't want chicken tonight, tomorrow, and every other night of the week? The supermarkets seem to think so. Clock all those chooks: satay, stir-fry, Italian, Thai, Chinese, korma... But what about the three million who are supposed to be vegetarians? Good-quality veggie meals are strangely scarce. Some of the supermarkets are addressing it, but they've still got to catch up with M&S.

Am I the only one who doesn't want chicken tonight, tomorrow, and every other night of the week? The supermarkets seem to think so. Clock all those chooks: satay, stir-fry, Italian, Thai, Chinese, korma... But what about the three million who are supposed to be vegetarians? Good-quality veggie meals are strangely scarce. Some of the supermarkets are addressing it, but they've still got to catch up with M&S.

WHERE TO BUY:

Somerfield So Good... tomato and basil tartlets

How good? Well, as long as you like tomatoes - a lot - with one of these each with a rocket salad, you'd be well away. The pastry is tomato-tinged and a tad floppy, the filling intensely tomato-ey and herby. (240g, £2.99)

Tesco Finest five mushroom stroganoff

Banishes blandness from a meat-free ready meal by being brave with spices: there's a nice kick of cumin in the wild and basmati rice, and an interesting mix of mushrooms. A good meat-free meal for two - but you'd probably still want vegetables with it... (450g, £2.99)

Marks & Spencer Café Culture leek, lentil and spinach frittata

The only dilemma: is one each enough? Two too much? This neat, deep omelette with slightly gooey spinachy insides, and a solid, eggy outer layer, plus a few lentils added for a nubbly novelty, is a big veggie hit. The sour-cream-and-chive dressing's nothing special, but it's optional. (350g, £2.99)

Sainsbury's Taste the Difference roasted potato, butternut squash and gruyère gratin

They call it a gratin, but this is a bake, and a sludgy one at that. Another new veggie dish, cauliflower and camembert crumble, has nicely crunchy vegetables, but the creamy sauce could do with more bite and topping. (Both 400g, £2.99 gratin, £2.49 crumble)

Asda broccoli mornay

Not from Asda's Extra Special selection, and it shows. The broccoli's OK, but the sauce tastes like coffee-whitener. Not fit for guests, but if you can't be bothered to boil broccoli, at least you're getting veg down you. (454g, £1.49)