Return of the vegetarians

"Bloody hell, not the vegetarians again!"

Look, I have nothing against vegetarians, it's simply that I would never want to be one, and I NEVER EVER know what to cook when they come over for dinner - despite having perhaps 6 vegetarian cookbooks on my bookshelf.

To be fair, I DID invite them over (you know who you are) but I forgot I would have to cook. Worse still, I promised them tapas.

Now, when I think tapas, I think salty chorizo, Moorish-scented kebabs and salt cod fritters.

After quite a lot of fannying around at the local health food store, and having weighted myself down with a plethora of veg and a dizzying amount of wine (hey, better to get them drunk then it doesn't matter if the food's crap) I headed home, searching my brain for vegi tapas recipes.

So, this is what we had. And you know what? They loved it! Phew!

Completely non-authentic baba ganoush
1 aubergine sliced in half and scored across the skin
1/2 tin of chickpeas
juice of 1/2 lemon
3tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic

Do it: Place the aubergine halfs on the highest setting in your oven and dry roast until they are squishy (about 25 minutes).
Allow the aubergine to cool slightly and then scoop out the flesh.
Put the aubergine flesh in a food processor with all of the other ingredients and blitz until smooth.
Serve topped with chopped coriander and a drizzle of oil.

Crunchy roasted pepper salad
5 mixed peppers, roughly chopped
1/2 tin chickpeas drained
1tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp coriander seeds
1tsp sesame seeds
2 tbsps olive oil
squeeze lemon juice

Do it: Place the peppers and 1tbsp olive oil in a roasting dish and cook in the oven on its highest setting until charred (about 30 minutes).
Allow the peppers to cool slightly and then peel away the skin.
Mix the pepper with 1tbsp olive and a squeeze of lemon juice - set aside.
Blitz the drained chickpeas in a food processor for a couple of seconds and then dry fry in a pan with the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, salt and sesame seeds until crunchy.
Mix the crunchy chickpeas with the peppers and serve.

Spanish-style pasties
150g plain flour
75g unsalted butter
cold water
1 pack of smoked tofu, chopped into 1cm cubes (or 6 chilli sausages)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1tsp smoked paprika
2 leeks
100ml red wine
seasoning
1tsp dried parsley

Do it: First make the pastry by blending the butter and flour together in a cold bowl to make breadcrumbs.
Add enough cold water to bind, then wrap the pastry in clingfilm and place in the fridge to rest.
To make the filling add a splash of oil to a hot pan and sear the tofu or sausages until slightly crusty. Add the garlic, parsley, leeks and paprika and allow to soften.
Deglaze the pan by throwing in the red wine and heat until all of the liquid has gone. Let it cool on the side.
To assemble the pasties roll out circles of pastry and fill lightly with the tofu filling (think along the lines of a large tablespoon of mixture for a 10cm diameter circle).
Fold over and seal with a fork, then cook on 200oC until golden (about 20-25 minutes).