Photography, vegetarian recipes and travel

Filling, Moroccan-inspired dish. Very healthy.

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 lg onion, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice or fenugreek
• sprinkling of cayenne
• 200g bulgur wheat
• 120g mushrooms, sliced
• 100g green lentils
• 750ml stock

In a heavy-bottomed sauce pan, fry the onion, garlic and spices in the oil until the onions are softened and coated in spice (about 3 minutes).

Add the bulgar wheat and cook for 2 minutes, stirring.

Add the mushrooms and lentils, and stir in.

Add the stock, and cook uncovered over a low heat for 30-35 minutes, or until the lentils are soft. Add more water/stock if necessary.

Delicious hot or cold with sour cream / natural yoghurt.

A tasty and healthy vegetarian alternative to pate. Very simple to make.

• A big bag of fresh spinach (or equivalent amount of frozen stuff)
• 300g of good, soft goat’s cheese (not fetta)
• Salt and pepper

Wash the spinach, shake the excess of water off, cook in a lidded saucepan over a low heat until wilted. Press the leaf mulch in a sieve to get rid of all the water (easy if you use the back of a large spoon). If you’re using frozen spinach: defrost in the microwave. Put the mulch in a food processor with the cheese, and whizz up. Add salt and pepper to taste. Chill before serving. Great with oat cakes or warm bread.

Mexican in origin, this hot tomato side-salad works well with anything.

• About eight juicy tomatoes, well chopped
• One or two cloves garlic (crushed)
• A handful of fresh coriander, chopped (those jars of ready made ‘fresh’ coriander are OK too… but coriander powder won’t do)
• Juice of a lime
• A few spring onions, finely chopped
• Half a teaspoon of chilli paste/harissa/chilli powder
• Salt

Just mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. Add as much garlic / chilli as you feel you can take!

This is a simple way to create a yummy tomato sauce for use with pasta, lasagne, pizzas etc.

• 1 can chopped tinned plum tomatoes
• One garlic clove, squished /chopped
• A dollop of pesto
• Dash red wine if required
• Fresh basil, chopped, if you have it

Put everything (except basil) in a heavy bottomed-pan; bring to the boil and then reduce the heat. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for about an hour (or until sufficiently reduced). Throw in the basil just before serving/using.

Another Levantine mezze dish. Scrummy if left in the fridge and eaten cold with warm bread.

• Three good-sized, firm aubergines
• Olive oil
• Two cloves of garlic (crushed)
• Four tablespoons of clear honey
• 250ml boiling water
• Two teaspoons of cumin (crush your own from seeds if you want, or just use powder)
• Juice of a lemon
• Half a teaspoon of harissa (or a pinch of chilli powder if you’ve no harissa)
• Salt (to taste)

Peel the aubergines and slice them into 1cm thick disks. Lighly brush with olive oil and grill until well browned (even a little burnt!). Heat a teaspoon of olive oil in a large, high sided frying pan. Flash fry the garlic for 30secs, then add the rest of the ingredients to form a thin sauce. Add the aubergines (in batches if they don’t fit in the pan) and cook gently for ten minutes (or until they’ve absorbed the sauce). Put in a dish and leave in the fridge until chilled.