Snacks, Savouries and Starters

This is an adapted recipe from The Vegetarian Epicure by Anna Thomas and a real favourite from my vegetarian restaurant days. Delicious on toast or with garlic bread this recipe can also suit vegans if you replace the butter for more oil and check that the mustard that you use does not contain honey or other non-vegan ingredient.

Delicious and very easy to make Indian snacks which are vegetarian/vegan and gluten free. Use thinly sliced potatoes in place of some of the spinach and onion for a change.

Crispy and light vegetarian, choux pastry fritters suitable as a starter, light supper or as nibbles with drinks. They take a little time to make but are well worth the effort.

Vibrant green pea flour pancakes stuffed and baked with a Greek style spinach and feta filling. You can make these the day before if you want to get ahead and have something ready to pop into the oven. The pancakes also work very well in place of sheets of lasagne in baked pasta dishes.

Such an easy way to use leftover over pitta breads or to make to go with dips at a party. These pitta bread crisps will keep in an airtight container for at least a week, if not longer.

Pork pies are much easier to make than you might imagine. Just a little time needed to prepare the filling and the pastry and some patience required with the crimping and sealing of the pies.

A perfect way to use up all those leftover pieces of cheese in your fridge. All types of cheese can be used. It will keep for a week in the fridge and is a great vegetarian recipe. Serve on toast or in a baked potato.

A fresh and summery salad which is just delicious by itself or as part of a mezze style meal. Tabbouleh is usually made with bulghur wheat but quinoa makes a great change and is also gluten free.

Moreish and quick to make, these delicious little ricotta doughnuts are perfect with a morning coffee or served as a dessert, with a dipping sauce of fresh fruit puree or chocolate. (Cooked and sieved sweetened blackcurrants are my favourite.) There is no need to use a deep fat fryer to cook the doughnuts if you don't have one. Shallow oil, about 2/3cm in the bottom of a heavy based frying pan works very well. You will just need to turn them more often.

The sweet flesh of squash and pumpkin works so well with blue cheese of any type. Perhaps not strictly a pizza but delicious. Use crusty bread for bases if you don't have time to make a dough. Try different cheese to replace the goats cheese. Experiment!

An economical and easy fish mousse that is perfect for a picnic or as a dinner party starter.

Rich, cheesy biscuits with a bit of a kick. Very moreish! Make ahead as they will store in an airtight container for about a week, or make the dough then slice and bake as you go. Makes about 40/50. Both the uncooked dough and the baked biscuits freeze well.

A savoury souffle is not as hard as it looks and can turn very economical ingredients into a luxurious dish. For a perfectly fluffy and towering souffle, remember no peeking while it's cooking. Put it in the oven (don't slam the door or you'll knock the air out) and patiently wait for the cooking time to elapse. Experiment by using different cheeses and swap spinach for mushrooms, cooked leeks, roasted peppers or anything else you fancy.

Fragrant and delicately spicy, these meatballs are quick to make in a food processor and can be steamed or fried. Serve the steamed meatballs in an Asian style vegetable broth and the fried meatballs with a dipping sauce. Makes 45 meatballs. 1 tablespoon of Thai fish sauce in the meatball mix and/or the broth will add a further depth to the flavour.