Sun-dried tomato polenta with baba ghanoush

2 tablespoons vegetable oil & extra for oiling tin
2 onions, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 litre (13⁄4 pts) vegan vegetable stock
6 sun-dried tomatoes, finely diced
170g (6oz) polenta

Gently cook the onion and garlic in the vegetable oil until soft. Add the stock and sun-dried tomatoes and bring to the boil.

Slowly, in a continuous stream, pour in the polenta, beating all the time. Cook gently for 1 minute, cool slightly then pour into a well-oiled tin and allow to cool. At this stage you can cover the polenta and keep it in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Turn out and cut into triangles. Place the triangles on an oiled baking sheet and bake in a hot oven at 200ºC/400ºF/gas 6 for about 10 minutes.

Put a spoonful of baba ghanoush on each plate with a couple of hot polenta triangles. Serves 8.

Baba ghanoush

3 med-large aubergines
2 tablespoons tahini
2 cloves garlic, crushed
juice and zest of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon freshly ground cumin
1 dessertspoon fresh coriander, chopped

Pierce the aubergine in a couple of places then grill, turning twice, until the skins are black and blistered and the flesh is soft. Don’t be tempted to cook in the oven: grilling gives a much better smoky flavour.

Cool, split in half and scoop out the flesh. Leave to drain in a colander. Purée the flesh in a blender with the remaining ingredients.

Based on a recipe in Daphne Lambert's Green Cuisine: Favourite restaurant dishes