This is a little recipe that has been kicking around my head for a while and I’m so glad to be finally sharing it with you all. It’s always a joy to share something that has turned out even better than I’d first anticipated. Due to the continued popularity of the Dal Kofta I really wanted to try and create another dish that embraces the deliciousness of lentils and spices.

These spicy lentil patties are something akin to a falafel with chickpeas, spices and dates all rolled into one tasty little fried patty. Perfect in a salad pocket, sandwich, wrap or burger. Alternatively you could roll them into balls and serve them as a delicious vegetarian appetizer.

I made a sweet and spicy chilly, apple, tomato sauce to accompany the patties that adds a lovely hit of heat and a touch of that wonderful sweet/savoury combination that I love.

This vegetarian recipe is super versatile and so very, very tasty. Serve as messy pockets to family and friends on summer picnics or at barbeques. They’d also make a lovely family dinner served with salad or veggies in winter. A great vegan meal full of flavour and so much yumminess, enjoy!!

Spiced Lentil Patties

Preparation time: 35mins
Makes 10-12 small patties or balls

• 160g (5½ oz) red lentils, rinsed
• 450ml (15 fl. oz.) water or vegetable broth
• 175g (6 oz) tinned chickpeas
• ¼ small red onion, finely minced
• 4 fresh dates (approx. 85g (3 oz)), diced
• small handful fresh mint leaves (approx. 1 tbs), finely shredded
• 1 tsp Hungarian sweet paprika
• 1 tbs dried oregano
• 2 tsp ground cumin

Add the lentils and water or broth to a medium saucepan, bring to a boil and gently simmer for 10 minutes, adding more water if needed.

Strain off excess liquid and allow to cool.

Meanwhile by hand or in a food processor coarsely pulse the chickpeas, being sure not to over process them to a paste.

In a large bowl combine the chickpeas with the dates, mint and spices season with a good pinch of ground rock salt and add in the cooled lentils.

The lentils should be reasonably mushy and this should bring the patty mixture together nicely. Roll about a tablespoon of the mixture at a time into small flat patties or balls if you prefer.

The patties can be tossed in breadcrumbs at this stage if you like.

Fry the patties or balls in about 1cm of vegetable oil until golden on all sides, set aside on absorbent paper. Serve warm.

Chilly, Apple, Tomato Sauce

Preparation time: 10mins
Makes 1 Jar

• 4 red chillies, deseeded (or try ½ red capsicum (bell pepper) for a milder version)
• 1-2 large ripe tomato
• ¼ cup apple sauce
• 1 tsp cumin seeds, roasted
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• pinch raw sugar
• squeeze of lemon juice
• 3 tbs olive oil

In a food processor blend the chillies or capsicum with the tomato, apple sauce, cumin seeds, apple cider vinegar, sugar and lemon until smooth.

Fold through the olive oil.

Transfer to a sterile jar and keep in the fridge for up to 7 days.

Spiced Lentil Patty Pockets w/ Chilly, Apple, Tomato Sauce

• spiced lentil patties
• chilly, apple, tomato sauce
• wholemeal pocket bread, warmed in the oven
• cucumber, sliced
• tomato, sliced
• avocado, sliced
• baby spinach, washed
• fresh coriander (cilantro)

Slice the top off the warmed pocket bread and fill with the ingredients topping off with a drizzle of the tomato sauce and a few sprigs of fresh coriander.

Alternatively add your favourite vegan or dairy cheese and yoghurt or hummus to complete this delicious and healthy vegetarian recipe.

The ups and downs of life have been lurking round us this past month and I decided it was time to take a little break from Veggie num num. In that time Cam and I took a well-earned holiday and spent almost two beautiful weeks soaking up the spring sunshine in picture-perfect Byron Bay. There is seriously nothing quite like a beachside holiday to relax and recharge… it was pure bliss!!

Soooooooo inspired by all that sunshine and the promise of warmer weather round the corner I had to prepare a colourful and spicy barbeque recipe that’s just right for springtime eats! The homemade piri piri sauce lends a nice hint of spice and heat to this tasty dish and is complimented nicely by the subtle sweet flavours of the couscous salad.

I made a mixture of vegetarian skewers here, using pumpkin and halloumi; you could choose to use just pumpkin or substitute pieces of tofu or another vegetable like zucchini or eggplant for the halloumi cheese.

The amount of heat you get from the piri piri will depend on the chillies you use and weather or not you deseed them. If you prefer a milder dish try substituting one or two red capsicums (bell peppers) instead of the chillies.

A great vegetarian recipe to feed friends and family when entertaining or for a lovely light summery meal when relaxing at home, the fresh herbs and spicy/sweet flavours of this dish are so very, very good!

Barbequed Piri Piri Pumpkin and Halloumi Skewers

Preparation time: 40 minutes
Makes 12 skewers

• 6 long red chillies
• 2 whole garlic cloves
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 tbs smoky paprika
• 3 tbs apple cider vinegar
• ½ tsp dark brown sugar
• 750g (1 lb) piece of pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cubed
• 250g (9 oz) halloumi cheese (or eggplant, zucchini or firm tofu), cubed
• small bunch of fresh mint and basil leaves, shredded
• lemon wedges to serve
• 12 bamboo skewers

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/356°F and if cooking the skewers on a barbeque be sure to pre-soak them.

Spread the chillies and unpeeled garlic cloves on a baking tray, prick the chillies with a fork and roast in the preheat oven for 5-10 minutes until soft and golden.

Allow to cool and then roughly chop the chillies (you can deseed them now if you prefer a milder sauce) and squeeze the garlic from their skins.

Heat the olive oil in a pan over a medium/low heat, add the chopped chillies, garlic, paprika, vinegar and sugar. Gently simmer over a low heat for about 5 minutes until the sauce has reduced and caramelized slightly. Remove from the heat and allow to cool before processing in a food processor until smooth.

Steam the pumpkin pieces for 3-4 minutes only until a skewer inserted just easily slides through. You don’t want to over steam the pieces and turn them to mush so watch them carefully.

Toss the steamed and cooled pumpkin pieces with the halloumi or other vegetable or tofu in the prepared piri piri sauce until well coated. Thread alternating pieces of pumpkin and hallouim onto the skewers and set aside.

Heat a small amount of vegetable oil on a barbeque grill plate or in a stove top grill pan. Cook the skewers over a medium heat turning until golden on all sides.

Remove from the heat and serve scattered with the fresh herbs, lemon wedges and the sweet couscous salad.

Sweet Couscous Salad w/ Walnuts, Dates & Cinnamon

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Serves 4 as a side

• 2 cups couscous
• 2 cups hot vegetable stock
• 1 cup loosely packed mint leaves, shredded
• 10 fresh dates, roughly diced
• 1 cup walnut, roughly chopped
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ cup lemon juice
• 3 tbs olive oil

Add the couscous to a bowl and pour over the hot stock. Cover and allow to steep for about 5 minutes until the liquid has been absorbed. Using a fork fluff the couscous to separate the grains.

Whisk the ground cinnamon with the lemon juice and olive oil until well combined.

Toss the dates, walnuts, mint and dressing through the prepared couscous until well combined.

The salad can be prepared ahead of time and either served cold or simply reheat by tossing over a low heat in a non-stick frying pan for a few minutes until warmed through.

The prefect quick and easy vegetarian salad recipe to accompany so many vegetable dishes… enjoy!!

{ the piri piri sauce recipe was adapted from a recipe by Kate Nichols for Barbequed Piri Piri Prawns found in Delicious magazine }

We took another trip to our local Asian supermarket recently, which resulted in an immediate need for wontons! Who doesn’t love little dumplings filled with yummy ingredients and then either pan-fried or like in this tasty recipe served with a rich earthy broth for a scrumptious vegetarian wonton soup!!

It’s really easy to create tasty vegetarian versions of this popular Asian soup and you can try adding all sorts of ingredients to your wontons. Replace the enoki mushrooms in this recipe with tofu or tempeh or button mushrooms if you prefer. The truly beautiful flavour of shiitake mushrooms is essential to get the best flavour out of your broth so be sure not to skip them.

This vegetarian soup recipe is fairly simple to prepare, with three main elements it take a little preparation time but, nothing difficult. A veggie wonton soup is just the thing to warm your belly and keep you happy. Full of lots of lovely and healthy ingredients; this soup is destined to be a favourite in our home and hopefully yours too :)

Enoki Mushroom Wontons

Preparation time: 30mins
Makes approx. 20 wontons

• 20 wonton wrappers (some store brought wrappers contain egg so be sure to check the ingredients if you are vegan)
• 1 tbs rice bran or peanut oil
• 3 spring onions, finely diced
• 10g (0.35oz) fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 200g (7oz) fresh enoki mushrooms, finely diced
• 2 tbs kekap manis (Indonesian soy sauce)
• ½ tsp soy sauce
• ½ tsp grated palm sugar
• 2 tbs (small handful) fresh coriander (cilantro), chopped
• 150g (5oz) wombok (Chinese cabbage), finely diced

Heat the oil in a frypan or wok over a medium heat. Add the ginger, garlic and spring onions; fry off for 1 minutes then add the enoki mushrooms tossing over the medium heat add the kekap mains, soy sauce and palm sugar.

Continue to fry for 1-2 minutes and toss to combine all the ingredients well, remove from the heat and toss through the fresh coriander and diced wombok, set aside.

On a clean dry work surface lay out one wonton wrapper and place about a teaspoon of the mushroom mixture into the center. Wet the edges of the wonton wrapper and then fold in half diagonally to form a triangle. Gently seal the edges and then fold and pinch the three corners together to form the wonton, set aside. Repeat with remaining wontons.

Grilled Baby Bok Choy

Preparation time: 15mins

• 1 tbs rice bran or peanut oil
• 2 bunches of baby bok choy (or you favorite Asian Greens)
• 3 tsp sesame oil

Heat a grill pan or grill BBQ plate to medium/high and lightly grease with the rice bran or peanut oil. Add the baby bok choy and sprinkle with a dash of sesame oil. Allow the bok choy to grill for a few minutes before turning.

Continue to cook the bok choy making sure all sides are golden, finish with another sprinkle of sesame oil and then remove from the heat. Allow to cool slightly before chopping into bite-sized pieces, set aside.

Enoki Mushroom Wonton Soup w/ Grilled Baby Bok Choy

Preparation time: 25mins
Serves 4

• 2 lts (4 pts) good quality vegetable stock (I used a no animal content ‘chicken’ stock)
• 150ml (5 fl oz) water
• 20g (0.7oz) dried sliced shiitake mushrooms
• 10g (0.35oz) fresh ginger, peeled
• prepared enoki wontons
• prepared grilled baby bok choy
• soy sauce to taste
• chilli flakes to serve

Bring the stock, water, shiitake mushrooms and ginger to a gentle boil and allow to simmer for 5 minutes. Check the broth for seasoning and add soy sauce to taste (approx. 1-2 tsp). Remove the piece of ginger.

With the broth still simmering add the prepared wontons and allow to gently simmer for 5 minutes.

To serve spoon the wontons out between deep bowls top with chopped bok choy and then spoon over a generous amount of broth and shiitake mushrooms. Serve sprinkled with chilli flakes if you desire.

A delicious vegetarian wonton soup recipe to fill hungry bellies!!

Homemade bread, is there anything more rewarding or delicious to bake in your very own oven? The process is exciting and fun, activating the yeast, waiting for the dough to rise and finally pulling your golden bread from the oven to devour fresh and warm, it’s bliss.

For those of you out there a little intimidated by bread baking, never fear, this is a really simple no knead recipe that delivers a beautiful tasty bread. Perfect for snacking, as an appetizer when entertaining or to serve with soups, stews, pasta or a crispy salad, focaccia is truly versatile.

Add your favourite herbs and spices to this focaccia recipe and experiment with different toppings; try adding sliced olives or leeks, grated vegetarian or vegan cheese, sliced chilli or a sprinkle of different fresh herbs. With a little preparation time you will be rewarded with beautiful and tasty home-baked bread to enjoy fresh from the oven!!

My brother and I baked these on a cold day here on the mountain and they where the perfect thing to enjoy sliced into warm pieces. Huge props to Tim for taking most of the beautiful pics on todays post. It was fun having someone else capture the cooking process, thanks Tim!!

Oh and if you look closely there is a little Poet cat photo bomb in the last pic, I couldn’t resist :)

Preparation time: 40mins (+ 1 hour proofing)
Makes 2 Focaccia

• 2 tsp dried yeast
• 1 tsp raw sugar
• 1¾ cup warm water
• 1 tbs olive oil
• ¼ cup gluten flour (wheat gluten)
• 440g (15 oz) plain flour (preferable 00/bakers flour)
• 1 tsp salt flakes
• 2 tsp fennel seeds
• ½ tsp celery seeds

toppings

• 1 tbs olive oil
• ½ ripe tomato, sliced
• ½ red onion, sliced
• 1 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp cumin seeds or fennel seeds
• fresh thyme, chopped

Combine the yeast and sugar with approximately ½ cup of the warm water, add the remaining warm water and the tablespoon of olive oil, set aside.

Sift the flours into a large bowl, add the salt flakes, fennel and celery seeds; stir gently to combine and make a well in the centre.

Check the yeast mixture is activated, you’ll notice the yeast very gently bubbling or rising to the surface, this may take a few minutes to happen.

Add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture and using a wooden spoon stir for 1-2 minutes until well combined and formed into a soft, sticky dough. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and place in a warm corner to allow the dough to rise for about 1 hour or until approximately doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 220°C/428°F

Turn the dough out on a lightly floured surface and using floured hands, halve the dough into two rounds. Arrange the rounds onto lightly oiled baking trays and gently shape and flatten.

Top with sliced tomato, onion, garlic, cumin or fennel seeds and thyme. Brush with the olive oil and allow to rest for a further 15 minutes before placing in the hot oven for 10 -15 minutes until bread is golden brown.

Remove when evenly cooked and firm, slide onto a baking rack and allow to cool for a few minutes before slicing and devouring. Enjoy!!

{ this recipe was adapted from an Olive Focaccia recipe found in Charmaine Solomon’s Family Recipes Cook Book }

This recipe is my very first attempt at making homemade sausage rolls and I have to say I’m quite pleased with the tasty result. I read a post recently over on Jennifer’s super veggie blog Delicieux for a delicious savoury tarte tatin and I knew I had to bake something pastry orientated asap to abate my cravings!!

The possibilities for vegetarian sausage rolls are kind of endless and I am a little excited by the idea of experimenting further. For fillings I plan on trying minced tofu or tempeh and of course homemade seitan sausage and with flavour profiles, anything from fresh or dried herbs to curry spices and beyond!!

For my first attempt at creating a veggie sausage roll I decided to go with the old faithful lentil. You could use brown lentils in place of the puy if you prefer and to save time you could try tinned. The lentils mixed up with breadcrumbs, apple, preserved lemon and fresh herbs make a super tasty and healthy filling.

Read-rolled puff pastry should be readily available in the freezer section of any supermarket and there are a few vegan or no dairy butter options available, also be sure to check the ingredients on the puff pastry for lard or suet .

This is quite a simple vegetarian sausage roll recipe perfect for entertaining; we served them up with a homemade mango chutney or try them with your favourite sauce and even the old classic tomato. A great handy snack or appetizer to pass around when you have friends and family over, perfect for the kiddies and adults alike!

Preparation time: 55mins
Makes 24 (not)sausage rolls

• 1 cup French (puy) lentils (or brown lentils)
• 3 cups vegetable broth or water
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled & smashed
• 1 large granny smith apple, cored & diced
• ½ preserved lemon
• 1 lemon, zest
• 2 tsp paprika
• 2 cups fresh wholemeal breadcrumbs (approx. 2 slices of bread)
• 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbs fresh chopped mint
• 1 tbs fresh chopped parsley
• 2 sheets of ready rolled puff pastry (thawed)
• 1 certified free-range egg (or 1 tbs cornflour/cornstarch)
• 2 tbs non-dairy or dairy milk
• cumin seeds and/or sesame seeds

Pre-heat the oven to 220°C/428°F

Rinse the lentils and add to a medium saucepan with the broth or water, bay leaves and garlic. Bring to a gentle simmer and continue to cook for 25 minutes until the liquid is absorbed and lentils tender. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

Meanwhile process the diced apple and preserved lemon in a food processor or by hand until coarsely minced. Add to a large bowl with the lemon zest, paprika, breadcrumbs, balsamic vinegar and fresh herbs.

Once the lentils are cool combine well with the other ingredients, using your hands to mince it all together. Don’t be too worried if the filling doesn’t come together like sausage meat, it will hold together in the pastry.

Whisk the egg or cornflour with the milk and set aside.

Lay the two sheet of puff pastry out on a lightly floured surface and cut evenly in half. Arrange a strip of the lentil mixture down the middle of each sheet of pastry.

Using a pastry brush, wash the egg/cornflour mixture down either side of the lentil filling. Carefully fold one edge over to seal the sausage roll; seal the edges including the ends and using the back of a fork press down gently to mark the edges. Brush the top of each sausage roll with a little more of the prepared wash and scatter over the cumin and/or sesame seeds.

Using a sharp knife carefully cut each sausage roll into 6 sections and arrange on a lightly greased baking tray. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 15 minutes until pastry is golden and puffed.

Remove from the oven and serve warm with your favourite sauce or chutney.

A great vegetarian twist on the classic sausage roll recipe, perfect for feeding the whole family and when entertaining, enjoy!!

I have a confessions to make, it’s nothing too horrible or at least I don’t think so but, I’m pretty sure I am addicted to hummus. Shock! Honestly though, I could eat bucketful’s of this stuff!! And luckily making your own homemade hummus is a cinch and it tastes far better than any store brought packaged hummus.

The beauty of preparing homemade hummus is that you can add different ingredients, spices and flavours to mix it up. Being a huge fan of eggplant and living with one who isn’t (grr), I am always looking for ways we can both enjoy them. Roasted eggplant is so delicious especially with curry spices and makes an amazingly delicious and rich tasty hummus, that even non-eggplant eaters will enjoy :)

We used a really flat lavish (rye wrap) bread to make the pita chips but tortillas or pita bread would work just as well. After a few sort minutes in the oven they curl up and go ultra crispy, the perfect healthy and low fat chip to enjoy with this delicious hummus.

It’s the start of the Easter break tomorrow and for many of us that means time spent with family and friends. This quick and simple little vegetarian recipe is just the thing to whip up for guests to enjoy. Or if your like me you may struggle not to simply keep it all to yourself, enjoy! And have a wonderful Easter everyone!!

Preparation time: 40mins
Serves 6 as a snack or starter

Spiced Eggplant Hummus

• 1 medium eggplant (approx. 360g/12oz)
• 2 tbs peanut oil
• 1 tbs good quality curry powder
• ½ tsp paprika
• 10-12 curry leaves
• 1½ cups chickpeas (cooked or tinned)
• 2 tbs tahini
• 1 lemon, juice only

Pita Chips

• 3-4 rye wraps (lavish bread), pita bread or tortillas

Preheat the oven to 200°C/392°F

Slice the eggplant in half and then into half rounds about 2cm (3/4 inch) thick. Toss the sliced eggplant with the oil, spices and curry leaves. Arrange the eggplant on a large roasting tray and cook in a hot oven for 25-30 minutes, tossing the tray occasionally, until the eggplant is soft and golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Combine the roasted eggplant, chickpeas, tahini and juice of 1 lemon in a food processor. Process until smooth adding a little more peanut oil if the mixture is too dry, season with salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste.

To prepare the pita chips slice them into oddly shaped triangles and arrange in a single layer on a baking tray. Place in a hot oven for 3-5 minutes watching carefully to make sure they do not burn. The chips are ready when they have curled up and are crisp.

To serve the hummus spoon into a serving bowl drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with a little sumac or paprika if desired. Serve with the pita chips straight from the oven.

A nice healthy vegetarian recipe perfect for snacking or entertaining!!

Preparation time: 45mins
Serves 4-6

Soy & Szechuan Pepper Tofu

• 500g (1lb) firm organic tofu
• 1 lemon, juice
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 3 tsp Szechuan pepper corns, freshly ground
• ½ tsp white pepper
• ¼ tsp sea salt flakes
• ½ cup rice crumbs (we used Orgran brand All Purpose Rice Crumbs)
• 1 tsp corn flour (cornstarch)
• rice bran or peanut oil for deep frying

Wasabi Pea Puree

• 2½ cup peas (fresh or frozen)
• ½ cup water
• 1-1½ tsp wasabi (to taste)

Salad Plate

• 2 cups baby Asian greens (or any small crisp lettuce leaves)
• 1 carrot, peeled and sliced into thin rounds
• 1 Lebanese cucumber, sliced into thin rounds
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• 1 cup fresh coriander (cilantro) roughly torn
• 1-2 red chillies, deseeded and thinly sliced
• ½ lemon, juice
• 2 tsp sesame oil

To prepare the tofu slice it into approximately 1cm (1/4 inch) x 2cm (3/4 inch) strips and toss with the lemon juice and soy sauce in a shallow bowl. Allow to sit while you prepare the remainder of the dish.

Prepare the wasabi pea puree by adding the peas and water to a frying pan. Allow the peas to gently simmer over a low heat for 5 minutes until tender and bright green. Remove from the heat and using a fork or stick blender puree the peas until smooth adding the wasabi to taste. Set aside and keep warm.

To make the salad plate toss all the ingredients together with the lemon juice and sesame oil, arrange on small separate plates per person or on one large plate for the centre of the table.

Prepare the rice crumbs by combing well with the Szechuan pepper, white pepper and salt flakes. Remove the tofu from the lemon juice and soy (reserving this) and pat dry with absorbent paper.

Combine the corn flour (cornstarch) with the reserved lemon juice and soy, whisking until smooth.

In a medium sized deep saucepan heat at least 15cm (6 inch) of oil over a medium heat until the surface begins to shimmer.

To deep fry the tofu working with one piece at a time dunk it into the cornflour mixture and then into the rice crumbs pressing and patting the crumbs to coat the tofu evenly.

In small batches deep fry the crumbed tofu for 1 minute until it is crisp and golden, remove from the oil and drain on absorbent paper. Fry only a few pieces of the crumbed tofu at a time to avoid over crowding the oil and to allow the tofu to cook quickly.

Serve the crumbed tofu sprinkled with a little extra salt flakes and few cracks of pepper and wedges of lemon. Accompany with the wasabi pea puree and crunchy side salad for a completely delicious snack or light vegetarian meal.

Serves 6-8 as a appetizer or entrée
Preparation time: 25mins

• 1 loaf of ciabatta (or other Italian white bread)
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 cup peas and/or broad beans
• ¼ cup pistachio nuts (or try pine nuts or walnuts)
• 1 ripe avocado
• 1-2 cups baby spinach and/or salad rocket (Arugula)
• ½ cup fresh herbs like mint and basil
• 1 lemon
• 1-2 tbs olive oil
• salt flakes & ground pepper to taste
• extra herbs for garnish

Steam or boil the peas and broad beans quickly for just a few minutes, rinse under cold water and pod the broad beans, set aside.

Roast the pistachio nuts in a dry frying pan over a medium/low heat for 1-2 minutes until just starting to golden and fragrant, set aside.

In a food processor or mortar & pestle combine the peas and broad beans, roasted pistachio nuts, avocado, baby spinach, rocket and herbs with the juice of one lemon and about 1 tablespoon of olive oil and process until just smoothish.

Transfer to a bowl and taste test, adding salt and pepper to taste with the zest of about ½ the lemon, stir to combine. {This can be made ahead of time and refrigerated for a few hours until you are ready to serve.}

Just before serving slice the ciabatta into 1.5cm (½ inch) thick rounds and toast either in a sandwich press, under the grill or on a barbeque until golden and crispy.

Rub each slice of crostini with the cut side of a clove of garlic and top with about 1 tablespoon of the pea & spinach mixture. Garnish with a little fresh mint or basil and drizzle over a splash of olive oil.

The perfect quick vegetarian appetizer recipe for entertaining! Add crumbled feta or goats cheese on top for a non-vegan version.

Preparation Time: 35mins (+ 1 hour refrigeration time)
Makes about 15

• 200g tempeh
• 150g firm tofu
• 1 stalk of lemon grass (white part only), finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 tsp freshly grated ginger
• ½ tsp dried crushed chilli
• ½ cup fresh coriander (cilantro), leaves roughly chopped & roots finely diced
• 2 kaffir lime leaves, thinly sliced
• 2 tsp vegetarian green curry paste (If using a store brought paste check to ensure it does not contain fish and/or shrimp)
• 2 tsp grated palm sugar
• ¼ cup coconut cream
• 1 tsp white vegetarian miso paste
• 4 snake beans, thinly sliced (approx 1 cup) (or substitute with 1 cup of peas or finely diced green capsicum (pepper))
• a little plain flour for dusting
• Peanut oil for shallow frying

to serve

• sweet chilli sauce and/or Japanese or vegan mayonnaise

In a food processor combine all the ingredients except the snake beans, flour and oil to form a sticky paste. Taste test a little of the mixture for flavour and seasoning, add more curry paste and/or a little salt if needed.

Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and combine with the finely sliced snake beans.

Using wet hands, form about one large tablespoon of the mixture into a cake or patty. Place in a single layer in an air-tight container and refrigerate for at least one hour.

Once refrigerated until firm, very lightly dust the cakes on either side with a little plain flour.

Heat enough peanut oil in a good sized fry pan for shallow frying. Carefully fry the cakes in batches until golden on both sides and cooked through, about 3-4 minutes. Place on absorbent paper to drain off excess oil.

Serve tempeh tofu cakes as part of a main meal or with dipping sauces for great vegetarian party food.

{This recipe was adapted form a Fish Cake recipe found in the April, 2005 edition of Australian Gourmet Traveller magazine.}

Preparation time: 25mins
Serves: 4 {as an entrée} 2 {as a light meal}

• 4 tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 2 small leeks, finely diced
• 2½ cups broad beans
• 2½ cups peas
• 100g baby spinach
• 280g artichoke hearts (pickled/bottled), quartered
• 100g goats cheese (you could try substituting with a non-dairy cheese that melts well for a vegan version), crumbled
• ½ lemon, zest & juice

to serve

• toasted rye or sourdough
• fresh mint

Prepare the broad beans by steaming or boiling until just tender (3-4 minutes) rinse under cold water and peel.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large heavy-based frypan. Add the leeks and fry over a medium heat for 3-4 minutes until soft.

Add the broad beans and toss, coating in oil, add the peas and continue to cook over a medium heat for 3-4 minutes until peas are just tender.

Add the zest of half a lemon, the artichoke hearts and baby spinach, toss to combine well and heat through. Remove from the heat and toss through the goats cheese.

Whisk the lemon juice with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and a good pinch of ground sea salt and freshly ground pepper, set aside.

Serve the broad beans & peas on top of toasted bread, drizzle with the lemon juice and olive oil mixture and finish with a few fresh mint leaves.

Or try tossed through warm cooked pasta for a super quick vegetarian meal.