Miscellany

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This is really quick and easy to prepare and you can use a wide variety of vegetables according to what you have to hand. If you don't have a wok, a large, deep frying pan will do. My favourite ingredients are: carrots, mushrooms, broccoli, courgettes, runner beans, sweetcorn, baby corn cobs, bamboo shoots, tofu, bell peppers, beansprouts, cauliflower, shredded white cabbage etc. etc. Best of all is mock duck or mock chicken, which is made of gluten and available in tins from Chinese supermarkets.

1 onion, chopped

1 clove of garlic, peeled and crushed (optional)

Various vegetables, as above

½ pint (200ml) vegetable stock

Tomato puree

Soy sauce

Sunflower seeds or pine nuts

Fry onion and garlic for 3 to 4 minutes in a little olive oil. Add vegetables, starting with the firmest (e.g. add carrots first; mushrooms and pre-cooked tinned vegetables last), frying them as you go. Add generous quantities of soy sauce and fry for a couple more minutes. Pour in the vegetable stock and add 1 tablespoon of tomato puree. Add mixed herbs, salt and pepper and simmer until the vegetables are just cooked enough to eat (They should still be firm, not boiled soft). Serve with rice or rice noodles.

Serves 2 (depending on the amount of veg you use)

This recipe is included in the Simple Vegan Recipes Cookbook