Vegetables on the menu as Sam cooks up a treat

Sam, who is now studying politics and sociology at university, has just published his fifth cookery book – the others have all been following on from the success of his Student Cookbook. This time, Sam is focusing on specifically on vegetarian dishes.

Sam Stern's Eat Vegetarian is a guide to cooking up balanced, healthy and within-budget meals and is written with the help of his mum, Susan.

"Vegetarian food is some of the healthiest around so you can feel good about yourself as you're enjoying it," says Sam.

Mushroom and chickpea burgers

Makes 6

110g finely chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, crushed

3 tbsps olive oil

1 small dried chilli, crumbled

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

tsp turmeric

1tsp lemon grass paste or stalk very finely chopped

200g chestnut mushrooms, finely chopped

Juice of 1 lime

400g can chickpeas

75g fresh breadcrumbs

A few shakes Tabasco

2 tbsp fresh coriander

Salt and pepper

Flour for coating

Oil for frying

Gently fry onion and garlic in hot oil until soft. Add chilli, cumin, coriander, turmeric and lemon grass. Cook for

3 mins.

Add mushrooms and lime. Cook for 5 mins to soften. Tip mix into a bowl to cool. Semi-blitz drained chickpeas with a handblender/processor or crush with a fork, but don't turn to a paste. Add to cooling mix with breadcrumbs, tabasco, coriander, salt and pepper.

Scatter flour onto a plate and coat hands. Shape mix gently into six, washing hands, re-flouring. Chill. Fry in oil for 5 mins per side or until cooked through. Serve in rolls.

Aubergines

Serves 2

2 aubergines

1 tbsp oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

4 white mushrooms, diced

4-6 tsps white breadcrumbs

Pinenuts

A little lemon rind

Paprika

Salt and pepper

Parsley/mint

Preheat oven to 200C. Cut aubergines in half lengthways. Criss-cross cut surface with a sharp knife. Brush with a bit of oil.

Cook on a baking tray until tender (20 to 30 mins). Remove flesh with care, leaving shells intact.

Heat oil and lightly fry onion and garlic until soft. Add mushrooms. Fry lightly. Add chopped aubergine flesh. Fry for 2 mins.

Tip mix into bowl with crumbs, pinenuts, lemon rind, paprika, salt pepper, herbs. Stuff shells. Sprinkle with oil.

Bake for 15 mins.

Veg and halloumi skewers on pilaf

Serves 3-4

3 courgettes, chunked

3 red onions, quartered

4-6 tomatoes, halved/quartered

A few button mushrooms, destalked

Bay leaves (optional)

2x250g packs halloumi cheese

For the marinade:

3 tbsp olive oil

2 fat cloves garlic, crushed

Juice of 1 lemon

Dried thyme/oregano or fresh herbs of choice

Salt and pepper.

Pilaf

2 tbsp oil

1 onion, finely chopped

4 cardamom pods

tsp each turmeric, cinnamon

225g basmati/long grain rice

350ml veg stock/water

Fresh coriander/parsley

Mix the marinade ingredients in a bowl and add the veg, bay leaves and cubed halloumi.

Leave 30 minutes while soaking wooden skewers in cold water.

Heat oil in large pan. Fry onion gently until soft, golden brown. Add cardamom, turmeric and cinnamon. Cook for two mins.

Add washed rice. Stir for one minute. Add stock or water, boil, reduce to a very low heat for ten mins or until tender. Remove, cover and set aside.

Thread veg and halloumi onto skewers. Cook under preheated grill, turning regularly, brushing with

the marinade until the cheese is soft and veg

still crisp.

Serve on fork-fluffed pilaf, topped with coriander/parsley.

Sam Stern's Eat Vegetarian is published by Walker (9.99). To order a copy from the Yorkshire Post Bookshop, call free on 0800 0153232 or go online at www. yorkshirepostbookshop.co.

uk. Postage and packing is 2.75.