EGGPLANT YELLOW LENTIL SOUP

1 medium onion chopped,
2T olive oil,
2 cups eggplant cubed,
2 cups yellow lentils,
2 cups cooked chickpeas,
2T worcester sauce,
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice,
1t red pepper flakes,
3/4 cup soy texture granules,
salt and black pepper to taste,
chopped green onion for garnish.

-Fry onion and eggplant in olive oil until browned.
-Add 5 cups of water and the rest of the ingredients.
-Cook on low heat for an hour.
-Stir often as this soup can burn quickly.
-Add more water if the soup is too thick.
-Serve with green onion for garnish.

VEGETABLE PAELLA

1T olive oil, 1/2 red onion chopped, 1 red pepper or green pepper chopped, 12 mushrooms sliced, 2 cloves garlic minced, 1t paprika, pinch of red pepper flakes, 1t dried Italian herbs, black pepper and salt to taste, 2 cups raw brown rice, 3 cups water, 2 cups chopped peeled tomatoes, 2 cups chopped broccoli, 2T balsamic vinegar, 1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs, 1t turmeric, 1 cup cooked chickpeas. -Fry in deep pan in olive oil the red onions, red pepper, mushrooms and garlic. Add paprika, herbs, salt and pepper. -Add the rest of the ingredients and cook over low heat for 20 to 30 minutes until rice are soft. -Stir in fresh herbs just before serving. I made this today and even my teenage daughter wanted some of it instead of the pigs in the blankets for lunch. So far the best vegetarian meal I had in four weeks!

ORANGE PEANUT SALAD AND DRESSING

SALAD: 1 head lettuce shredded, 1 avocado sliced, 1 orange peel chopped, 1/2 small onion chopped, 1t sesame seeds. SALAD DRESSING: 1/2 cup orange juice, 2T peanut butter, 2T balsamic vinegar, 1t soy sauce, 1/2 t grated fresh ginger, 2 cloves garlic minced. -Mix the salad in a bowl and serve with the dressing on the side.

COLESLAW

3 cups green cabbage shredded, 2 cups red cabbage shredded, 3 large carrots grated, green onion stalks chopped finely, 2 celery stalks chopped, 2 red apples diced with skin on, 1/2 cup raisins, salt and black pepper to taste, 1/2 cup walnuts. -Mix the salad in a bowl and let it sit for half an hour before serving.

CARROT PINEAPPLE SALAD

8 medium carrots, 1 cup crushed pineapple. -Finely grate the carrots, stir the pineapple into the salad.

TOMATO SALSA

3 large tomatoes chopped, 1/2 cup tomato sauce, 1 red onion minced, 1 clove garlic minced, 1/2 cup fresh cilantro finely chopped, 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. -Mix together in a bowl and let it sit for about half an hour before serving. -Serve with bake potatoes, salads or as a pizza sauce.

GARLIC LEMON SALAD DRESSING

6T olive oil, 1 1/2T lemon juice, salt and black pepper, 1/2t of dried Italian herbs. -Shake together in a jar. -Serve with a salad.

BASIC SALAD DRESSING

1/4 cup red wine vinegar, 1t dried oregano, 2 cloves garlic minced, 1/2t dijon mustard, 1t salt, 1/2t pepper, 1/2 cup olive oil. -Shake together in a bottle or jar.

ZESTY YELLOW LENTIL - DAHL

1T olive oil, 1 onion chopped, 3 cloves garlic crushed, 1t grated fresh ginger, 1T red pepper flakes, 1t ground cumin, 250g yellow or red lentils, 750ml vegetable stock, 2t lemon zest, salt and black pepper to taste, chopped coriander for garnish, lemon wedges. -Saute the onion, garlic and ginger in the olive oil. -Add the stock, spices and lentils. -Cook over low heat for an hour. Be careful the lentils thicken quickly and can burn. Stir the pot about every 15 minutes during the cooking time. Garnish with coriander and lemon wedges to squeeze into the soup.

VEGGIE QUESADILLA

1/2 cup sliced mushrooms, 1/3 cup shredded carrots, 1/3 cup chopped broccoli, 2T onion diced, 1T red bell pepper chopped 1t soy sauce, dash of cayenne pepper, black pepper and salt to taste, 1/2 cup crumbled tofu, whole wheat tortilla, chopped herbs of your choice. -Fold the fillings into the tortillas and brown in a pan with a little bit of olive oil.

STUFFED MUSHROOMS

12 large mushrooms, 2 tomatoes chopped finely, 1/2 cup chopped parsley, 1 small onion chopped, 2 cloves garlic minced, salt and black pepper to taste, olive oil for basting. -Baste the mushroom with olive oil on both sides. -Bake in oven with stem side down for ten minutes. -Turn over and fill with filling. -Bake in oven for 10-15 minutes.

BIRYANI - INDIAN LENTIL RICE

2 cups cooked brown lentils, 3 cups cooked brown rice, 2 medium onions chopped, 2 cloves garlic minced, 1T olive oil, 3 large potatoes peeled and cubed, 2t curry powder, 1t turmeric, salt and pepper to taste, 300ml hot water, 1 cup mushrooms quartered, 1 cup chickpeas cooked, 1 cup peas. -Saute the onions, mushrooms and garlic in a pan with the olive oil. -Stir the ingredients together gently, scoop into a deep oven dish (keep the chickpeas and peas aside, add to the dish 45 minutes into the baking time). -Cover and bake in the oven for 1 hour at 180dC.

ROASTED BUTTERNUT OR PUMPKIN

1 kg pumpkin chunks, 2 red peppers cubed, 3T olive oil, 2T balsamic vinegar, 1T prepared mustard, chopped fresh herbs, keep some herbs aside for garnish, salt and pepper to taste. -Steam pumpkin or butternut chunks. -Prepare an oven proof dish, arrange pumpkin pieces in bottom of dish. -Blend olive oil, balsamic vinegar, mustard, herbs, salt and pepper. -Pour over the pumpkin. -Roast in the oven at 180dC for 25 minutes. -Garnish with fresh herbs.

CAJUN SKILLET BEANS

1 medium onion chopped, 2 cloves garlic minced, 1T olive oil, 3 celery stalks chopped, 2 green or red peppers sliced, 1T fresh basil, black pepper and salt to taste, 1 pinch cayenne pepper, 2 cups chopped fresh or canned tomatoes, 1T dijon mustard, 4 cups red kidney beans cooked, 1 thinly sliced red onion for garnish. If it seems dry add a bit of water. -Saute onion, garlic, peppers and celery. -Add the rest of the ingredients and cook over low heat for about 20 minutes. -Garnish with thin red onion slices. -Serve with brown rice.

LEMONY WALNUT RICE PILAF

1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, 2t olive oil, 1 yellow bell pepper cubed, 1/2 red onion cut in strips, 2 cloves garlic minced, 2 cups cooked brown rice, 1T chopped parsley, 1/2t lemon zest, 2T fresh lemon juice, salt and black pepper to taste -Toast walnuts in skillet. -Heat olive oil, add pepper, onion and garlic, saute. -Add cooked rice and mix through. -Stir in nuts, parsley, lemon zest and lemon juice.

MORROCCAN VEGETABLE STEW

1T olive oil, 1 medium onion chopped, 4 cloves garlic minced, 2t cumin ground, 1 cinnamon stick, salt and black pepper to taste, 3 cups cubed butternut, 2 cups potatoes cubed, 1 can peeled and chopped tomatoes, 2 cups cooked chickpeas, 1T lemon zest, 1 cup green olives pitted, chopped cilantro and almonds for garnish. -Heat olive oil, fry the onion, garlic, cumin and cinnamon stick. -Stir in butternut, potato, tomatoes, chickpeas and 2 cups of water. -Bring to a boil on low heat until potatoes and butternut are soft. -Stir in the lemon zest and olives. -Garnish with cilantro and almonds. -Serve with brown rice.

EASTERN VEGETABLES IN WHOLE WHEAT WRAPS

2t sesame oil, 3 onions thinly sliced, 3 cups spinach chopped, 1 red bell pepper sliced, 2 carrots sliced into thin julienne strips, 1 cup mushrooms sliced, 1 cup tofu sliced into cubes, 2t grated ginger, 2 cloves garlic minced, 1T soy sauce -Stir fry the vegetables and serve hot wrapped in whole wheat tortillas.

CABBAGE ROLLS

12 large young cabbage leaves, 2T olive oil, 2 cups mushrooms sliced, 1 cup chopped onion, 1 cup cooked brown rice, 1 can small white beans drained (about 1 1/2 cups), 1 cup grated carrots, 2T chopped parsley, 1t crushed dried oregano, salt and black pepper to taste, 1t curry powder. two cups tomato sauce mixed with Italian herbs -Bring water to boil in a large pot. -Let the cabbage leafs boil for two minutes. Drain and cool. -Saute the mushrooms and onions stir in the curry powder let it cook together for about a minute. -Add the rest of the ingredients together and stir through. Keep the two cups of tomato sauce separate though. -Prepare a shallow baking dish. Spoon the mixture into each leave and roll up. Make sure the seem lays to the bottom when packing them tight in the oven dish. -Pour the two cups of tomato sauce over. -Cover with foil and bake at 180dC for 30 minutes.

VEGETABLE AND BEAN PAELLA

3t olive oil, 1 cup sliced onion, 2 cups brown rice uncooked, 2 cloves garlic minced, 1t ground turmeric 1/2 ground cumin 2 cups tomatoes peeled and chopped, 4 cups vegetable broth, 1 cup thinly sliced sun dried tomato strips, 1 can pinto beans, 1 can kidney beans, 1 can chickpeas, 1 cup diced zucchini, 1 cup corn, salt and black pepper to taste, 2T red pepper cut into tiny cubes 2T cilantro chopped -Saute onion in olive oil. Stir in rice, garlic, cumin and turmeric - keep stirring the rice mixture for about 3 minutes. -Add tomato, broth, sun dried tomato strips, salt and pepper. -Boil for 15 minutes on low heat. -Add all the other ingredients and cook on low for another 15 minutes (make sure the rice is cooked through) -Garnish with the red pepper and cilantro. -Serve immediately.

STUFFED VEGETABLES

For this recipe vegetables to stuff would be eggplants, big brown mushrooms and zucchini. STUFFING: 1 cup brown rice, 1 pepper chopped, onion finely chopped, minced garlic, 1 cup cooked lentils, chopped walnuts, a few raisins, finely chopped parsley and a dash of soy sauce, 3T tomato sauce. Slice the eggplant in its length and scoop out some of its inner pip area, wipe the mushrooms clean with towel paper. Slice the zucchini in its length and also scoop out some of the pip area to form like hollow boats for the stuffing. -Pile the stuffing on top and bake covered in the oven for half an hour at 180dC, remove covering and bake for another 15 minutes until brown.

EGGPLANT ROLLUPS

Peel 2 large eggplants, slice in thin strips. Sprinkle with salt and let it sit for a few minutes. Rinse off. 1 pepper diced, 1 onion chopped, 2 cloves garlic minced, salt and pepper to taste 2 cups tomato sauce. -Lay the eggplant strips on a greased cookie sheet and bake in the oven until soft. -Saute pepper, onion and garlic in a bit of olive oil. -Spread a tablespoon of the mixture onto an eggplant strip and roll up. -Pack them in an oven dish closely together. -Throw the tomato sauce over and bake for 30min at 180dC.

ROASTED VEGETABLES

Red pepper strips, eggplant cubes, squash cubes, mushrooms quartered, baby carrots, baby corn, zucchini chunks etc. Toss the vegetables with olive oil and bake in the oven over medium heat until brown. Toss through minced garlic and a dash of balsamic vinegar. Add brown rice and stir through.

STUFFED BAKED BUTTERNUT

Halve the butternut in length and remove pips. Rub the inside with olive oil and crushed garlic. Slice mushrooms and peppers, mix with fresh lemon juice, salt, pepper and herbs. Cover with foil and bake in oven at 180dC for an hour. Remove the covering for the last 10 minutes of the baking time.

FALAFEL - CHICKPEA PATTIES

This is a Middle Eastern treat! 4 cups cooked chickpeas mashed, 4 cloves garlic crushed, 2t ground cumin, 1t turmeric, 1t salt, half a cup grated onion, 1/4 cup minced parsley, 1/4 to half cup water, 1T lemon juice, pinch of cayenne pepper, 1/3 cup flour, -Mix all the ingredients together and form into medium size patties. -You can fry them in olive oil which could be a trick as they break, or just pack them out on a greased baking sheet and bake in the oven until brown. -Serve with sliced tomatoes, cucumber stuffed in pittas or rolled up in whole wheat wraps.

MUSHROOM STEW ON BROWN RICE

250G mushrooms wash and quartered, 1t olive oil, green onion, 4 tomatoes chopped, 3 red peppers cubed, 2-3 baby marrows or zucchinis sliced, salt and black pepper to taste. -Stir fry the mushrooms and peppers in olive oil. -Add the rest of the ingredients, simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes and serve over brown rice.

EGGPLANT PATE

Preheat oven at 180dC, place 2 large eggplants on baking sheet and bake for an hour until soft. Peel and blend in a blender with: 2T olive oil, 1 lemons juice, 1 onion, bunch of green onions, 3 cloves garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Use as a dip with vegetables like cucumber and carrot sticks or serve with the whole wheat flat bread.

STUFFED PEPPERS

Some peppers are big enough so you could slice the heads off take out the pips and stuff it. Some are narrow and needs to be cut in the length and then pile the stuffing inside and on top. Saute 2 cloves garlic and onion chopped, add 1 cup mushroom pieces, 5 large peppers cut open and pips removed, 1 1/2 cups brown rice cooked, 1 cup finely chopped tomatoes, 2T pine nuts, basil chopped, black pepper and salt to taste. -Mix the ingredients through and stuff or pile into the peppers -Bake in a preheated oven for 35 min.

BROWN RICE STIR FRY

1T olive oil, 3 cups brown rice cooked, 2 peppers chopped -1 green and one red, 2 large carrot strips, baby marrow sliced into short sticks, 1/2 cup frozen peas, bunch of chopped green onion, 1 carrot in matchstick strips, salt and black pepper to taste. 2 cloves garlic minced 2T fresh lemon juice chopped basil leaves for garnish -Saute the peppers, carrots and baby marrows with the oil. -Add the rice, peas and green onion stir through the rest of the ingredients.

FLAT BREAD OR PIZZA

1 cup olive oil, 1 cup water, salt to taste, 4 cups whole wheat flour, course sea salt for garnish. -Works this into a dough. -Roll out into a cookie sheet, sprinkle with course sea salt (if this is not going to be used for pizza) and bake at 180dC until brown (do not over cook it becomes hard) -This could be cut into squares and eaten alongside a dish or pre baked and used for a pizza base

VEGETABLE CHILI

1T olive oil, 1 onion chopped, 3 cloves garlic minced, 2 eggplants cubed, 1 medium zucchini chopped, 2 carrots cubed, 1 cup mushrooms quartered, 1 cup soy texture 1 cup corn 1/4t crushed chili red pepper (could add more if you like it hot), 4 cups kidney beans, 1 can peeled chopped tomatoes, 1t ground cumin, 1t dried oregano, 4 cups water (you could add more if the chili is too thick), black pepper and salt to taste, 2T chopped cilantro or green onion for garnish. -Saute the onion, garlic, eggplant, zucchini, carrots, mushrooms in the olive oil until cooked. -Add water to the pot and the rest of the ingredients. Let it simmer on low heat for about and hour. -Serve over a bowl of brown rice or eat it just like this.