Vegetarian Main Meals

With such an abundance of fabulous vegetables, it's no wonder there are so many delicious vegetarian dishes created throughout the region. Here I've selected my favourites for you to enjoy. Many of them are adapted from the originals, firstly for making in the slow cooker and secondly to introduce some exciting new flavours and textures. Others are my own creations from scratch, using all-Mediterranean ingredients. For a dish leaning towards the traditional, you could go for imam bayildi - stuffed aubergines - from Turkey; but for something a little bit different, try my Creamy Pumpkin, Sage and Barley Risotto with Dolcelatte.

Turkish-style Aubergine Slippers

This Turkish dish, called imam bayildi, has numerous variations. I use a mixture of tomatoes, onion, olives, sultanas and pine nuts flavoured with harissa paste to fill the aubergines, then the finished dish is garnished with yoghurt, cucumber and mint. These are best served neither hot nor cold but warm.

Serves 4
Cooking time 1 hour high and 4-6 hours low
Serve with warm pitta breads and a green salad

2 large aubergines (eggplants), trimmed and halved lengthways
90 ml/6 tbsp boiling water
4 beefsteak tomatoes
30 ml/2 tbsp pine nuts
30 ml/2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
5 ml/1 tsp harissa paste
15 ml/1 tbsp tomato purée (paste)
60 ml/4 tbsp cold water
A good pinch of caster (superfine) sugar
30 ml/2 tbsp sliced stoned (pitted) black olives
30 ml/2 tbsp sultanas (golden raisins)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
120 ml/4 fl oz/½ cup thick plain yoghurt
30 ml/2 tbsp chopped fresh mint
5 cm/2 in piece of cucumber, coarsely grated
30 ml/2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, to garnish

Score the aubergine flesh in a small criss-cross pattern, cutting deep into the flesh but taking care not to cut through the skin. Place in the crock pot and pour the boiling water around. Cover and cook on High for 1 hour until the flesh is fairly tender.
Meanwhile, chop three of the tomatoes and thinly slice the fourth.
Heat a frying pan, add the pine nuts and fry quickly to brown. Tip out of the pan immediately so they don't burn and set aside.
Heat the oil in the pan, add the onion and garlic and fry for 2 minutes, stirring, to soften. Add the chopped tomatoes, harissa paste, tomato purée, water, sugar, olives, sultanas and pine nuts. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring, to soften the tomatoes. Season to taste.
Using a spoon, gently press down the cooked pulp in each of the aubergine halves to form a shell. Spoon in the tomato mixture and top with the tomato slices. Re-cover and cook on Low for a further 4-6 hours until cooked through.
Remove the crock pot from the base and leave the aubergines to cool until warm.
Meanwhile, mix the yoghurt with the mint. Squeeze the cucumber thoroughly to remove excess moisture and stir in. Season to taste.
Carefully transfer the aubergines to serving plates and spoon the juices over. Sprinkle with the parsley. Put a large spoonful of the cucumber yoghurt to one side and serve with warm pitta breads and a green salad.

Middle Eastern Chick Pea Tagine

This Middle Eastern casserole is rich and nutritious. It uses little fat but is packed with vegetables, fruits and pulses. I like to serve it with Mediterranean flat breads and a salad but you could choose couscous or rice. You could cook the chick peas in the crock pot the day before, cool them quickly and store overnight in the fridge, or use two large cans of chick peas and start at Step 2.

Serves 4
Cooking time 11-15 hours low
Serve with flat breads and a salad

225 g/8 oz/11/3 cups dried chick peas (garbanzos), soaked in cold water for several hours or overnight
15 ml/1 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 celery sticks, chopped
2 carrots, diced
5 ml/1 tsp ground cumin
2.5 ml/½ tsp ground cinnamon
A good pinch of ground cloves
2 courgettes (zucchini), sliced
100 g/4 oz whole button mushrooms
400 g/14 oz/large can of chopped tomatoes
75 g/3 oz/½ cup prunes, stoned (pitted) and quartered
15 ml/1 tbsp tomato purée (paste)
1 bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
A few torn coriander (cilantro) leaves, to garnish

Drain the chick peas, place in a saucepan and just cover with fresh water. Bring to the boil and boil rapidly for 10 minutes. Tip into the crock pot and cook on Low for 6-8 hours until tender (or boil in the saucepan for 1-1½ hours).
Heat the oil in a saucepan, add the onions, garlic, celery and carrots and fry for 2 minutes, stirring. Add the spices and stir for 1 minute. Tip into the crock pot with the chick peas, then stir in all the remaining ingredients, seasoning well. Cover and cook on Low for 5-7 hours until the vegetables are tender and everything is bathed in a rich sauce.
Discard the bay leaf, taste and re-season, if necessary. Spoon into bowls, garnish with the coriander and serve hot with flat breads and a salad.

Creamy Pumpkin, Sage and Barley Risotto with Dolcelatte

This is a stunning mixture of flavours and textures that will delight even ardent meat eaters. The soft, orange pumpkin, the nutty barley, the fragrant sage and the creamy yet salty Dolcelatte merge together to form a glorious combination. Barley makes a particularly good risotto in the slow cooker as it doesn't become too soft.

Serves 4
Cooking time 5-7 hours low
Serve with ciabatta bread and a mixed salad

30 ml/2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
450 g/1 lb pumpkin, diced
350 g/12 oz/generous 12/3 cups pearl barley
30 ml/2 tbsp chopped fresh sage
900 ml/1½ pints/3¾ cups boiling vegetable stock made with 2 stock cubes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
100 g/4 oz/1 cup crumbled Dolcelatte cheese
45 ml/3 tbsp double (heavy) cream

Heat the oil in a frying pan. Add the onion, garlic and pumpkin and fry for 2 minutes, stirring, until softened but not browned. Stir in the barley until glistening, then tip into the crock pot.
Add half the sage, the stock and some salt and pepper. Stir well, cover and cook on Low for 5-7 hours until the barley and pumpkin are tender. Turn off the slow cooker.
Gently stir in the Dolcelatte and cream. Cover and leave for 5 minute
Spoon into warm bowls and sprinkle with the remaining sage. Serve with ciabatta bread and a mixed salad.

Mushrooms with White Wine, Coriander Seeds and Tomatoes

Champignons à la Grecque has numerous variations. This is my favourite as I love the addition of coarsely crushed coriander seeds, but you can omit them if you're not keen on their fragrance. The dish is equally delicious chilled and served as a salad with crusty bread or a rice salad. You can also serve it as a starter in smaller quantities or as part of a buffet.

Serves 4
Cooking time 5-7 hours low
Serve with wild rice mix

450 g/1 lb baby button mushrooms (or larger ones, quartered)
1 bouquet garni sachet
5 ml/1 tsp coriander (cilantro) seeds, coarsely crushed
90 ml/6 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
175 ml/6 fl oz/¾ cup dry white wine
4 tomatoes, skinned and chopped
A good pinch of caster (superfine) sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
30 ml/2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, to garnish

Wipe the mushrooms and trim the stalks but leave the mushrooms whole. Place in the crock pot and add the bouquet garni and coriander seeds.
Heat half of the oil in a frying pan, add the onion and garlic and fry gently for 2 minutes, stirring, until softened but not browned.
Add the wine and tomatoes to the pan, bring to the boil and pour over the mushrooms. Add the sugar and some salt and pepper. Cover and cook on Low for 5-7 hours.
Taste and re-season, if necessary, then discard the bouquet garni. Remove the crock pot from its base and leave the mushrooms to stand for 15 minutes to cool slightly. Spoon over wild rice mix in bowls, trickle the remaining oil over and sprinkle with the parsley before serving.

Cheese-topped Acorn Squash with Sage and Sun-blushed Tomatoes

This is more fusion food than genuine Mediterranean but it uses true Italian flavours to create a delicious light lunch or supper dish. You can ring the changes by adding a few chopped stoned olives or some sliced mushrooms. For a more substantial meal, serve the squash with some tomato noodles.

Serves 4
Cooking time 4-6 hours low and 1 hour high
Serve with crusty bread and a mixed salad

2 acorn squashes
4 sun-blushed tomatoes, chopped
100 g/4 oz/½ cup Ricotta cheese
1 garlic clove, crushed
15 ml/1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
15 ml/1 tbsp chopped fresh sage
1 large egg
60 ml/4 tbsp milk
60 ml/4 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Small sprigs of fresh sage, to garnish

Halve the squashes and scoop out and discard the seeds. Place in the crock pot with about 2.5 cm/1 in of boiling water surrounding them. Cover and cook on Low for 4-6 hours until just tender.
Blot the cavities in the squashes with kitchen paper (paper towels) to remove excess moisture.
Divide the tomatoes between the cavities. Beat together all the remaining ingredients except half the Parmesan, seasoning to taste. Spoon the mixture into the cavities in the squash. Cover and cook on High for 1 hour until the custard has set.
Transfer to plates, sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan and garnish each with small sprigs of sage. Serve with crusty bread and a mixed salad.

Spanish Aubergine, Pepper and Potato Stew

This Spanish dish, tumbet, is popular in the Balearic Islands - particularly on Majorca. There it is often cooked in a terracotta casserole dish and baked slowly in the oven. Here I've adapted it for the slow cooker and, to save preparation time, I've used canned tomatoes to make the sauce. The eggs are my idea!

Serves 4
Cooking time 4-5 hours low
Serve with olives, crusty bread and a crisp green salad

Olive oil
2 onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 x 400 g/14 oz/large cans of chopped tomatoes
30 ml/2 tbsp tomato purée (paste)
5 ml/1 tsp dried marjoram
A good pinch of caster (superfine) sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 potatoes, scrubbed and sliced
2 large aubergines (eggplants), sliced
4 red (bell) peppers, cut into thickish strips
4 large eggs

Heat 30 ml/2 tbsp of olive oil in a saucepan, add the onions and garlic and fry for 3 minutes, stirring, until softened and lightly golden. Add the tomatoes, tomato purée, marjoram, sugar and some salt and pepper and simmer, stirring, for 5 minutes until thick and pulpy.
Heat enough oil to cover the base of a large frying pan and fry the potatoes, then the aubergines until golden, adding more oil as necessary. Drain well on kitchen paper (paper towels).
Heat 30 ml/2 tbsp more oil, add the peppers and fry for about 3 minutes until softened.
Put the potatoes in the crock pot in an even layer. Add a third of the tomato sauce and spread it out. Top with the aubergines, then half the remaining sauce. Add the peppers, then the remaining sauce. Cover and cook on Low for 4-5 hours.
Remove the pot from the base and leave to cool slightly (this dish is best served just above room temperature).
Meanwhile, put the eggs in a pan of cold water. Bring to the boil and boil for 4 minutes only (if using medium eggs, cook for 3½ minutes), then plunge immediately into cold water to prevent further cooking. Carefully remove the shells.
Spoon the cooked stew on to warm plates. Top each with an egg and carefully cut it almost in half so the yolk runs out slightly. Serve with a dish of olives, some crusty bread and a crisp green salad.

Sweet and Hot Peppers with Onions and Eggs

There are versions of this called chakchouka in the Middle East and huevos a la flamenca in Spain. Piperade is another similar dish from France, but the eggs are scrambled rather than cooked whole and usually only sweet peppers are used. The Spanish version is often served with the addition of chorizo sausage.

Serves 4
Cooking time 4-5 hours low and 10-15 minutes high
Serve with crusty bread

60 ml/4 tbsp olive oil
2 large onions, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
3 red (bell) peppers, thinly sliced
1-2 large red chillies, seeded and thinly sliced
2.5 ml/½ tsp caster (superfine) sugar
700 g/1½ lb ripe tomatoes, skinned and chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
100 g/4 oz/1 cup frozen peas, thawed (optional)
4 eggs

Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the onions and garlic and fry for 2 minutes, stirring. Tip into the crock pot and add all the remaining ingredients except the eggs. Stir well.
Cover and cook on Low for 4-5 hours until the vegetables are tender. Taste and re-season, if necessary.
Make four wells in the mixture and break an egg into each. Cover and cook on High for 10-15 minutes until the eggs are cooked to your liking. Serve straight away with crusty bread.

Butter Beans Bathed in Tomato Sauce

You'll find versions of this dish all over Greece. Fasoles karavisies literally means ‘beans as cooked on a boat'. I like the added interest of celery and carrot in the tomato sauce but you'll sometimes find it with the beans simply cooked with tomato juice and onion. You could use three drained large cans of butter beans and start at Step 2.

Serves 4
Cooking time 5-7 hours low
Serve with crusty bread, spring onions (scallions) and radishes

350 g/12 oz/2 cups butter (lima) beans, soaked in cold water for several hours or overnight
45 ml/3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for serving
2 onions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 large carrot, finely chopped
2 celery sticks, finely chopped
300 ml/½ pint/1¼ cups tomato juice
15 ml/1 tbsp tomato purée (paste)
5 ml/1 tsp dried oregano
1.5 ml/¼ tsp crushed dried chillies
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
45 ml/3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Drain the beans and place in a saucepan of fresh water. Bring to the boil and boil rapidly for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes until almost cooked. Drain and place in the crock pot.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a pan, add the prepared vegetables and fry for 2 minutes, stirring, until softened but not browned. Add all the remaining ingredients except half the parsley and bring to the boil. Add to the beans, stir, cover and cook on Low for 5-7 hours until tender and bathed in a rich sauce.
Stir, taste and re-season, if necessary. Serve in bowls, trickled with olive oil and sprinkled with the remaining parsley, with fresh crusty bread and dishes of spring onions and radishes.

Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni with Tomato and Basil Sauce

This is a classic that needs little introduction - the plus is that it is ideal for making in the slow cooker. In the old days you had to boil the pasta before you started but now, with the benefit of no-need-to-precook varieties, this dish takes very little time to prepare and will cook in just a few hours.

Serves 4
Cooking time 1½-2½ hours high
Serve with garlic bread and a mixed salad

25 g/1 oz/2 tbsp butter, melted
100 ml/3½ fl oz/scant ½ cup boiling water
450 g/1 lb frozen chopped spinach, thawed
250 g/9 oz/generous 1 cup Ricotta cheese
2 large eggs, beaten
100 g/4 oz/1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1.5 ml/¼ tsp grated nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
12-16 no-need-to-precook cannelloni tubes
For the sauce:
450 ml/¾ pint/2 cups passata (sieved tomatoes)
1 large garlic clove, crushed
2.5 ml/½ tsp clear honey
100 ml/3½ fl oz/scant ½ cup boiling water
15 ml/1 tbsp chopped fresh basil, plus a few torn leaves for garnishing

Brush half the butter over the base and just a little way up the side of the crock pot. Add half the water.
Squeeze the spinach well to remove all the excess moisture. Place in a bowl and mix with the Ricotta, the remaining butter, the eggs, half the Parmesan and the nutmeg. Season well.
Put the mixture in a piping bag fitted with a large plain tube and pipe the mixture into the cannelloni tubes. Lay them evenly in the crock pot.
Mix together all the sauce ingredients and pour over the pasta. Cook on High for 1½-2½ hours until the pasta is tender. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan, scatter a few torn basil leaves over and serve hot with garlic bread and a mixed salad.

Tunisian Sweet Potato, Carrot and Pea Casserole

This has lovely Middle Eastern flavours and is also colourful and nutritious! I like it served with some well-chilled thick creamy yoghurt spooned over and Mediterranean flat breads as an accompaniment. The harissa paste is not essential but it does add a richness that really enhances the dish.

Serves 4
Cooking time 5-6 hours low and 30 minutes high
Serve with thick yoghurt and flat breads

30 ml/2 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
5 ml/1 tsp ground cinnamon
1.5 ml/¼ tsp crushed dried chillies
15 ml/1 tbsp clear honey
30 ml/2 tbsp lemon juice
90 ml/6 tbsp water
5 ml/1 tsp harissa paste
2 large sweet potatoes, cut into 2 cm/¾ in dice
4 large carrots, halved and cut into chunks
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
225 g/8 oz/2 cups frozen peas, thawed
30 ml/2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the onions and garlic and fry for 2 minutes, stirring. Stir in the spices, honey, lemon juice, water and harissa paste and bring to the boil, stirring.
Put the sweet potatoes and carrots in the crock pot. Season with salt and pepper and pour the sauce over. Cover and cook on Low for 5-6 hours until the vegetables are tender and bathed in a rich sauce.
Turn up the slow cooker to High. Add the peas and cook on High for a further 30 minutes. Taste and re-season, if necessary. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and serve with thick yoghurt and flat breads.