Fishy stuff - and a question to vegetarians proper

The whole point of our no meat Lent challenge was to cook more of what we wouldn't ordinarily cook. And we definitely didn't eat enough fish.

So I came across this recipe in the Ideal Home magazine (why does one need recipe pages in an interior design magazine is a whole different matter). It looked good. It had fish (yum) and I was keen.

Smoky Saffron Haddock
(what's not to like?)

Saute leeks and garlic in olive oil, add a bit of flour and a good pinch of saffron then add fish stock and a few glugs of white wine. Season. Cook for good 10 min until the sauce thickens. Add equal amounts of smoked and unsmoked haddock. And a bit of green peas. Cook till the fish is ready.

It doesn't look bad. But it tastes... of not much. The soupy mass is pretty tasteless - maybe b/c my stock wasn't good enough. The leeks cooked like that were a bit gross. The only good thing was the fish. But poached smoked and unsmoked haddock tastes decent anyway.

So another one for the - 'file under F' - failure. Won't be cooking that one again. I think I am better off with classic fish combos in the future. Or a fish curry.

In fact, the more I think about it, the more I feel that Italian and Indian veg dishes are the way forward and as for the fish... Well, I need a bit more practice.

Now, back to veggie stuff. I came across a nice little recipe of ravioli served in stock with various veg and pesto.

Proper vegetarians, please tell me, do you ever bother making proper veg stock or do you get Marigold/any other veg stock powder/cube and use that?