A delicious twist on the popular chana masala dish - quite fast, easy, and nutritious! 
Ingredients:
1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed, or 1.5 cups cooked chickpeas
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 cup chopped kale
1/4 an onion, chopped (optional), sliver of ginger
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1-2 tablespoons cooking oil
Pinch of turmeric and cinnamon
Salt, pepper, lemon juice to taste
Fresh herbs to garnish
1 teaspoon brown sugar (optional) 
Pinch of cinnamon 
Method:
This is the easy way to make a flavorful chana dish. Mix the onion, ginger, cumin seeds, sugar and tomatoes in a blender or magic bullet. Heat your oil in a skillet and once hot, pour the tomato mixture over the oil. Let simmer for 2-3 minutes, then add chickpeas, turmeric and cinnamon. Let the mixture cook another 5-10 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated, fold in kale and cook another few minutes. Add salt and pepper. Once you've turned off the heat, squeeze lemon juice and garnish with fresh herbs such as cilantro and/or mint. Serve with rice. 
NOTE: if no kale available, substitute spinach for an equally delicious experience!

Plov! There is actually such a thing as vegetarian or vegan plov. This delicious rice dish comes from the Central Asian region of the world and is eaten widely in many of the places I've lived and traveled in the region, including Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. There are many regional varieties and secrets - but this version is my own vegetarian one, inspired by local friends. The ingredients are:

1 cup rice (rinsed then soaked for at least 15 minutes)
1 cup cooked chickpeas
1 cup carrots, sliced thinly and uniformly 
Handful of yellow raisins (could also add a few dried apricots!)
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
Pinch of asafetida (this is widely used as a substitute for garlic and onion...however, if you prefer those, feel free to use them instead)
1/2 teaspoon salt (or salt to taste if you want to use more or less) 
1 tablespoon coconut or vegetable oil

Once the plov is ready you can garnish with our cucumber tomato salad.  You might want to add some hot sauce (adjika, sriracha or chili paste) as well. Enjoy! And please do let me know if you try it!

While this looks like quite a few ingredients, it's actually a very easy dish to make. The key is to follow the steps involved. Feel free to experiment and add other vegetables as well. That said, this combination is a good hit!  

Ingredients:

1 zucchini
1 red pepper
1 cup pumpkin
1.5 cups chickpeas (soak overnight then boil for 90 minutes before using in the recipe)
3-4 medium sized tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
1/2 cup of nuts - peanuts, almonds, cashews all work well (or any mix of them) 
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon coriander
Pinch of asafetida
Salt to taste
Squeeze of lemon juice

Directions:

Chop the zucchini, red pepper and pumpkin into small chunks. Heat the oil in a large pan, then add the asafetida, cumin and coriander. Sauté for 30 seconds.  then add ginger and sauté another 30 seconds.  Add the zucchini, red pepper, and pumpkin, and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Next, add the tomato paste and sauté another 3 minutes. 

Finally, blend the tomatoes, sugar and nuts in a blender. If the consistency is very thick, add a bit of water. Pour into the pan.  Add chickpeas and salt.  Stir occasionally. Once the tomato sauce is boiling, reduce to a low heat and let simmer for 30 minutes.   Before serving, squeeze a bit of lemon juice.  Optionally add fresh herbs to garnish. Enjoy! 

Looking for a new and original dish to serve your dinner guests? Try making this delicious vegetable pie!  Ingredients as follows:

Dough:
3 cups flour
1 cup warm water mixed with kefir or yoghurt 
(1/2 water, 1/2 kefir)
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
Tablespoon vegetable oil

Mix the dough ingredients together and knead by hand; put the dough in a plastic bag and store in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, knead again.  Split into two halves, roll out for the pie once your other ingredients are ready.

Filling:
1 cup wild rice, cooked 
1/2 cup favorite herbs - we used dill, basil and cilantro
3 tablespoons sour cream or yoghurt
2 cups chopped pumpkin
2 carrots, finely shredded
Salt, pepper to taste 
1 tablespoon olive oil 
Handful of pine nuts (optional) 

Method: 
To prepare the filling, cook the wild rice and mix in the fresh herbs and half of the sour cream or yoghurt.
In another pan, heat the olive oil and then sauté the carrots and pumpkin together, adding a bit of water if necessary.  Add a dash of salt and pepper, cover and let cook on a low heat for 15-20 minutes.

Set the filling ingredients in bowls to slightly cool. 

Now lightly brush your pie pan with olive oil. Roll out the dough and spread the first layer in your pie pan. Then, layer your pie ingredients as such:  1 layer of carrots/pumpkin, then the second layer of wild rice with herbs, and finally the third layer of carrots/pumpkin.  Top the inside of the pie ingredients with an optional thin layer of sour cream/yoghurt, and optional herbs or pine nuts. Roll out the second layer of dough and cover your pie, sealing the layers.  Brush the top of the pie lightly with olive oil.

Put your pie in the oven at 180 Celsius (350 F) for 40 minutes. Optionally, at 35 minutes put another teaspoon of olive oil or butter over the pie and let cook for 5 more minutes.  

Serve with tomato sauce or sour cream and enjoy! This makes an excellent 2nd dish for a dinner party.