CABBAGE ROLLS

Core cabbage and carefully separate into ten to 12 good-sized leaves to form the rolls. Steam leaves for five minutes or until tender but firm. Set aside. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

In a fry pan add oil and sauté onion for five minutes until tender before adding celery and capsicum. Cook for a further three to five minutes. Remove from heat and mix in rice with salt, sage and garlic powder.

Take a cooked cabbage leaf in the palm of your hand and place half a cup of the rice mixture in centre. Using your other hand, roll the cabbage leaf into a roll and place on a baking tray.

Once all of the leaves are rolled, pour over pasta sauce and bake uncovered for 30 to 45 minutes.

SIMPLY COUSCOUS

Roast couscous in a skillet with oil over medium heat. Boil water and add to couscous. Gently stir once then set aside for five minutes. Sauté spring onions and capsicum in oil, add salt and pepper to taste. Mix in basil, parsley, soy sauce and thyme. Fluff couscous with fork and then add sautéed mixture. Serve with pine nuts sprinkled over the top.

SCRAMBLED TOFU

In a large frying pan, sauté the onion in oil for a few minutes then add the mushrooms and capsicum. In a medium bowl, mash the tofu, leaving some small chunks.

When the vegetables are soft, add the tofu and spices. Mix well and cook until the tofu begins to brown. Serve immediately on toast topped with parsley.

CHICKPEA PATTIES

Place chickpeas in a food processor with the onion mixture. Pulse until chickpeas roughly chopped. Place chickpeas in a bowl and add spices, hot sauce and parsley. Mix well. Add flour and cornstarch and mix well. Place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Heat oil in a frying pan over medium to high heat. Shape chickpea mixture to form patties and fry in batches for a few minutes each side, until crispy and browned. Flip a few times if they are browning too quickly.

NB: If you have trouble forming the patties, add more cornstarch.

CRISPY TOFU AND GREENS

To make the marinade combine the first lot of ingredients and mix well. Gently squeeze as much liquid out of thawed tofu as possible. Cut tofu crosswise into one centimetre thick slices, then diagonally, to make four triangles. Arrange tofu into one layer in a dish and cover with marinade. Allow to sit for at least 30 minutes to absorb the flavours. Remove, drain and then pat dry with a paper towel.

In a separate bowl mix the water or stock and one teaspoon of the cornstarch. Gently toss the marinated tofu pieces in the remaining cornstarch powder and then fry over medium heat in oil, for three to four minutes on each side. Drain and keep warm in the oven.

To make the sauce, combine all of the ingredients below in a small bowl. Add leftover marinade.

Vegetables: Heat the oil in a wok. Stir fry garlic and onion until onion is tender. Add greens and continue stir-frying until just wilted. Add sauce mix and cornstarch liquid mix and stir-fry just until sauce is thickened. Add fried tofu. Serve with rice.

1/3 C soy sauce
1/4 C rice vinegar
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, finely grated
2 cloves garlic, minced
dash cayenne

400g pack tofu, frozen and then thawed

1/2 C water or vegetable stock
1/2 C cornstarch
1 C vegetable oil

Sauce
3 Tbsp soy sauce
1/4 C dry sherry
2 tsp rice vinegar
2 tsp brown sugar

Vegetables
3 Tbsp oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 C onion, thinly sliced
6 C mix of greens (bok choy, beetroot leaves, spinach or kale), coarsely chopped

OYSTER MUSHROOM CURRY

Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Fry onions and coriander for five minutes, until onion is soft and translucent. Add mushrooms, salt and spices. Fry for about five minutes, until mushrooms release their water. Add a splash of water if spices stick too much.

Add potatoes, tomatoes and water and mix well. Bring to boil, then cover, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, until potatoes are cooked. Add more water if it gets too dry. Add the lemon juice and you're done! Serve.

ALOO GOBI

Sauté onion in oil until tender. Add tomatoes and one teaspoon of curry powder and cook until the tomatoes have pulped into a sauce. Add cauliflower and potatoes and simmer over a low heat with lid on for 40-50 minutes, stirring occasionally. While cooking, continue to add more curry until you have acquired the desired flavour.

PURI

Combine dry ingredients together. Mix in the oil (not deep frying), and slowly mix enough water to form a soft, yet firm dough. Take pieces of dough a bit larger than a walnut. Roll out to two millimetres in thickness.

Carefully heat oil in a large pot or wok for deep frying. Continue to roll out dough to make puris. To check the correct temperature of the oil, drop a pebble-sized piece of dough into oil. It should raise instantly.

Using tongs, fry each puri until it is cooked on the bottom, then turn over. Ideally, it will puff up like a balloon, but this is not essential. Once cooked, remove and drain on a paper towel.

450g chapatti flour
1/2 tsp salt
250-300ml lukewarm water
2 Tbsp oil
Ajwain, to taste (optional - found in Indian shops)
Oil for deep frying

CAUTION: This recipe involves deep frying so please use extreme caution.

CAJAN SPICE MIX (FOR ROASTED VEGETABLES)

Winter is coming! What better way to keep warm than adding some spice to your life, well to your vegetables anyway! This recipe is for a bulk amount, so you can use it whenever you're having roast veges.

For roasted vegetables simply preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. In a large baking tray, added your favourite root vegetables cut evenly in size. Drizzle over a tablespoon of oil, sprinkle over one to three teaspoons of Cajun spice depending on taste. Bake for 35-45 minutes, turning occasionally, until vegetables are golden and tender.

ETHIOPIAN EGGPLANT STEW

Heat a large non-stick pan over medium heat. Add oil and onions and fry for 30 minutes, stirring regularly, until a nice golden brown. When the onions stick too much, deglaze the pan with a splash of water. Add garlic, ginger and spices and mix well, until spices are fragrant. Add margarine with carrots and eggplant.

Fry for five minutes until eggplant softens before adding tomato, lentils, water and beans, and mix well. Bring to boil, then loosely cover and let simmer for 45 minutes until the eggplant is really soft. Add water, if needed. Season to taste.

COTTAGE WINTER BAKE

Scrub the potatoes and cut them into cubes. Place in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and simmer until tender. Reserve a cup of their cooking water before draining. Place in a large bowl, add the soymilk and mash until smooth, adding a little of the potato-cooking water if dry. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste, cover and set aside.

Spray a large non-stick or cast iron skillet with canola oil. Heat skillet on a medium-high burner and add the onions. Sauté until translucent before adding the garlic, carrots, celery and mushrooms. Sauté for three minutes, then add the vegetable broth, kidney beans, green beans and herbs. Simmer on medium heat for 20 minutes or until all the vegetables are tender. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Add the spinach and stir until wilted. Mix the cornstarch with the water until smooth before adding to pan. Stir and cook until the mixture has thickened.

Place the potato mash evenly over the top of the filling and sprinkle with chopped rosemary. If potatoes have cooled, put the skillet under the grill for a minute or two. Serve immediately while hot.

750g red potatoes
1/2 C soy milk
salt and pepper, to taste
canola oil
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 large carrots, diced
2 ribs celery, diced, leaves minced and reserved
225g mushrooms, diced
2 C vegetable broth
500g kidney beans, cooked (two cans)
2 C green beans, cut into 1" pieces
1 1/2 tsp thyme
2 tsp fresh rosemary, minced or 1 tsp dried
1/4 tsp sage
2 C baby spinach leaves, packed
1 Tbsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp water
extra rosemary for garnish

LENTIL CASSEROLE

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Heat the oil in a large fry pan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for two minutes before adding the garlic and celery.

Continue to sauté for another 5 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Stir in the dill and parsley, then remove from heat. Mix the lentils and rice together in a baking or casserole dish. Add the tomatoes, broth and sautéed vegetables, stirring them all together. Layer the breadcrumbs evenly over the top. Bake for 45 minutes.

BEST VEGETARIAN SAUSAGE, EVER!

Prepare a steamer with boiling water. In a large bowl, mash the beans thoroughly. Add the remaining ingredients in the order listed and mix with a fork until it forms a dough. Knead gently.

Divide into eight even parts with a knife and mould into a sausage shape before wrapping in tin foil.

Place wrapped sausages in steamer and steam for 40 minutes. Ensure the pot always has water in it. Remove sausages from the tin foil and fry in a hot pan with oil for a few minutes or bbq until brown (or leave in fridge after cooling and finish cooking later).

1/2 C cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 C cold vegetable stock
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, grated
1 1/4 C Vital wheat gluten flour*
1/4 C nutritional yeast*
2 Tbsp fresh sage and rosemary
fresh black pepper
8 sheets of tin foil

* Commonly found in healthfood stores.

THAI FRIED RICE

Heat a wok over medium heat without oil. Fry the cashews and coconut, stirring constantly, for one minute or until lightly golden. Set aside.

Increase heat to high and add oil. Stir fry garlic for 30 seconds, until lightly golden. Add curry paste and rice and fry for a few minutes, until heated through. Add brown sugar, sauces and vinegar and mix well.

Add beans and bok choy and fry until bok choy is wilted but still nice and green. Add onions, coconut, and cashews and cook for a few minutes more. Mix in the lime juice and serve.

1/2 C raw cashews
2/3 C unsweetened coconut
2 Tbsp oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp red curry paste
4 C cooked jasmine rice, cold
1 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp sweet chilli sauce
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 C frozen French-cut green beans, thawed
2 baby bok choy, thinly sliced
3 green onions, sliced
juice of one lime

TEMPEH FAJITAS

Cut tempeh in half crosswise. Cut each half lengthwise into six strips then place in a shallow dish. Combine pineapple juice, soy sauce, lime juice, cumin, oil, quarter teaspoon black pepper and garlic in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Pour pineapple juice mixture over tempeh. Marinate at room temperature for up to two hours.

Lightly coat onion and bell pepper with cooking oil spray. Sprinkle with salt and a quarter teaspoon black pepper. Arrange onion mixture in a wire grilling basket coated with cooking spray. Place grilling basket on grill rack. Grill five minutes or until lightly browned, turning occasionally. Remove the tempeh from marinade, reserving marinade. Place tempeh on grill rack coated with cooking spray. Grill 2 minutes on each side or until lightly browned, basting occasionally with reserved marinade.

Warm tortillas according to package directions. Arrange three tempeh pieces, half a cup of onion mixture, and one tablespoon of salsa down the centre of each tortilla. Roll up. YUM!

1 pack tempeh
1 C pineapple juice
1/4 C soy sauce
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp canola oil
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper, divided
1 garlic clove, minced
2 C vertically sliced onions
1 1/2 C sliced green bell peppers
Cooking oil spray
1/4 tsp salt
4 whole wheat tortillas
1/4 C salsa

STUFFED VINE LEAVES

Blanch the vine leaves in a large pan of boiling water for two minutes. Drain and set aside.

Place the stock, rice and lentils with the garlic, capers, olives and fennel seeds in a large, heavy-bottomed pan. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for 15 minutes or until cooked. Allow to cool and mix in the chopped herbs. Season with salt and pepper.

Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Place a vine leaf ribbed side down and put a couple of teaspoons of mixture at the bottom edge of the leaf in a sausage shape. Roll the leaf around the filling, tucking in the edges. Place in an oiled, shallow ovenproof dish. Continue filling the leaves, packing them closely in the dish. When you've run out of filling or leaves, pour the pasta sauce over the stuffed vine leaves, and sprinkle over the lemon juice and rind. Cover the dish tightly with aluminium foil and bake for an hour.

CASHEW NUT GRAVY

Set aside one cup of hot water. Put all the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth, about 5 minutes, then add remaining water. Pour into a pan and heat until thickened. Serve immediately. Delicious!

MUSHROOM AND OLIVE TART

Place mushrooms stalk side up on two baking trays. Season well with freshly ground salt and pepper. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with thyme. Roast for approximately 10-12 minutes until juicy.

Take two 15cm sandwich tins. Place tins on the pastry sheets and cut around each base with a sharp knife to make two circles. Place the mushrooms in each tin so they overlap each other, then scatter with pine nuts and olives.

Spread tapenade over one side of the pastry, then place, tapenade sidedown, on top of the mushrooms in the tin. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove and let sit for two minutes before carefully turning out tarts onto serving plates.

Serving ingredients
2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
toasted pine nuts and chopped olives
handful rocket leaves

DAIRY FREE MEAT FREE LASAGNA

Preheat oven to 190 degrees Celsius.

To make the mince, in a large pot, add oil and onions and fry until soft. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook until the mince has absorbed most of the liquid.

To make the cheese sauce, melt margarine in a saucepan on medium heat. Stir in flour and cook for a further minute, stirring constantly so it doesn't burn. Add the soya milk and mustard, stirring constantly. Add the cheese and bring to the boil. Then simmer for a few minutes until a nice thick ‘custard' is made, stirring frequently. Season with pepper and add the yeast flakes for an added ‘cheesy' taste. In a deep oven dish, add a layer of mince, then lasagne sheets followed by a layer of cheese sauce. Repeat the layers ending with the sauce. Sprinkle with grated cheese. Bake for 40 minutes or until brown. Let the dish rest for five minutes before serving.

Lasagne sheets

'Mince'
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 onions, chopped 300g soya mince
2 tsp bouillon stock powder dissolved in 600ml of hot water
2 cans chopped tomatoes
3 Tbsp tomato purée
2-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp mixed herbs

'Cheese' sauce
60g margarine
60g flour
1 litre soya milk
1 tsp English mustard
120g melting soya cheese, finely grated (Redwood's melting Cheezly)
Retain extra cheese for grating over the top
Fresh ground black pepper
4 Tbsp nutritional yeast flakes