Vegetarian/Vegan Cottage Pie

(Surely there's a better name for this?)

Filling:
Basically, a big Mix of Stuff - you can use whatever vegetables you have around. Last night I used:
* Onions (1 and a half)
* Garlic (3 cloves)
* A handful of yellow split peas (these give it a meaty flavour)
* About two cups of red lentils
* Two carrots, chopped finely
* Broccoli, chopped
* Zucchini, chopped
* Tinned tomatoes (I can)
* Vegetarian stock (a couple of teaspoons)
* Soy sauce (a couple of tablespoons)

Making:
*Cook the split peas separately, as they'll take a while.
* Meanwhile, fry the onions until soft, then add garlic. Add red lentils, stir around for a while, add some water and let it simmer for a bit.
* Add vegetables.
* When everything looks close to being ready, add the tinned tomatoes, stock, and soy sauce. Let it simmer until it's moist, but not too soupy.

Topping
While you're cooking the filling, chop up a heap of potatoes (maybe six or seven, if they're large) and put them on to boil. I prefer not to peel them.

Once they're cooked, mash them and mix in some soy milk (or real milk, if you prefer). I also like to add a heap of pepper.

Assembling:
Pour the filling into a dish, put the topping on, sprinkle with paprika, then put in a moderate oven for about half an hour.

Fried Mealie Pap and Pumpkin cakes

Ingredients:

* 1 cup mealie/maize/corn meal - white or yellow
* 1 1/2 cups water
* 1/2 butternut pumpkin (or thereabouts)
* some oil for frying (rice bran oil was realy nice)
* some more mealie/maize/corn meal in a bowl to dip the cakes in

Do the thing:

1. peel and gut the pumpkin, and cut into smallish pieces. microwave/roast until soft, mash up into pumpkingoo, then let cool while you're doing the rest.
2. bring the water to the boil in a mediumish saucepan
3. gradually mix the mealie/maize flour into the boiling water stirring constantly, keep on low heat.
4. it'll thicken up all of a sudden. keep stirring until it starts threatening to burn in the bottom of the saucepan.
5. when you're sick of stirring, take off the heat and stir the pumpkingoo in. let it cool long enough for you to be able to play with it.
6. heat the oil in a fry pan.
7. get a tablespoon or two's worth of the goop, make it vaguely squished ball shaped, coat in the mealie/maize flour in the bowl.
8. fry in the oil until it goes crispy and a bit brown on the outside, then flip over and do the other side.

it's pretty good if it's still a bit gooey on the outside. also, it'd work wel with polenta. also, you could bake it in the oven in a big slab instead, but it doesn't get oily crispy delicious.

Moroccan stew

Ingredients:

* a splash of olive oil
* chopped up onion(s)
* diced celery
* chopped up capsicum(s)
* heaps of chopped up garlic
* vegetable stock (3 cups, if you're counting)
* cubed potatoes (depending on how big you want this, maybe 3 or 4 big ones?)
* 1 can diced or crushed tomatoes
* 1 or 2 cans of chickpeas
* a squeeze of lemon or lime juice (a small lime, or half a lemon)
* 2 tsp grated/ground ginger
* 1 tsp ground cumin
* 1 tsp curry powder
* 1 tsp ground coriander
* 1 tsp ground cayenne pepper
* 1/2 tsp salt
* 1/2 tsp black pepper

Instructions:
1. Chop up all the bits and pieces, drain the chickpeas, juice the lemon/lime.
2. Cook onions, garlic, celery, and capcisum, in the olive oil until everything starts to soften.
3. Add the spices and cook for a bit longer. Add some water if necessary.
4. Add anything you haven't put in yet, and bring to the boil.
5. Stir frequently to avoid burning.
6. Let simmer on a lowish heat until everything is cooked and tasty. The juice should thicken and the vegetables should soften, and it should smell like the tastiest thing in the world.
7. Serve with rice or couscous when you get sick of waiting.