When I started cooking professionally, it was hard, if not impossible, to find a decent vegetarian meal. So-called top restaurants concentrated on the main course - meat - and never the vegetarian option. When I became head chef at one of London's most expensive restaurants, the Lanesborough Hotel, I was happy to cater for meat eaters and vegetarians alike. Other chefs often asked me why I bothered. After all, vegetarians didn't want to eat at such grand establishments, did they? I saw it differently, however. Why shouldn't vegetarian dishes be interesting and imaginative? Even nowadays, it is not unusual for high-profile chefs to talk contemptuously about vegetarians, but to me they are just customers who have decided to forsake meat and fish in their diet.

Sweet potato and coconut polenta with Asian vegetable fricassé

An Asian-Italian twist on polenta, flavoured with coconut milk - the perfect base for the quickly cooked Asian vegetable medley.

Serves 6-8

450ml good vegetable stock
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into small dice
600ml coconut milk
50g unsalted butter
175g quick-cook polenta
salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the vegetables

2 tbs vegetable oil
15g unsalted butter
1 garlic clove, crushed
1cm piece of root ginger, peeled and finely chopped
100g shiitake mushrooms, sliced
2 courgettes, sliced diagonally
1 small head of broccoli, cut into small florets
120g sugar snap peas, sliced diagonally
100ml good vegetable stock
4 tbs sweet chilli sauce

Place the vegetable stock and diced sweet potato in a pan, bring to the boil and simmer for 12-15 minutes until the potato is tender. Transfer to a food processor and blend until smooth. Return to the pan, add the coconut milk and half the butter and bring to a rolling boil. Pour in the polenta, stirring constantly, lower the heat and simmer for 5-8 minutes until the polenta comes away from the sides of the pan, and has the consistency of wet mashed potato. Stir in the remaining butter, season to taste and keep warm.

For the vegetables, heat the oil and butter in a wok or frying pan over a moderate heat, add the garlic and ginger and cook for 30 seconds. Add the vegetables, toss together for 2 minutes, then add the vegetable stock and sweet chilli sauce. Pour the wet polenta onto four serving plates or bowls and top with the vegetables. Serve at once.

Fruit ceviche soup with Thai basil oil

Serves 4

For the oil

50g Thai basil (holy basil)
75ml groundnut or vegetable oil

For the soup

200g fresh pineapple, diced
1 ripe mango, diced
1.5cm piece of root ginger, peeled and finely grated
1 tbs tamarind paste
2 tbs maple syrup
300ml fresh orange juice
freshly cracked black pepper

For the fruit ceviche

75g fresh pineapple, cut into 5mm dice
1/2 mango, cut into 5mm dice
small wedge of orange
fresh melon (charentais or cantaloupe), cut into 5mm dice
1 small red onion, finely chopped
2 kiwis, cut into 5mm dice
1 pasilla chilli, deseeded, finely chopped
juice of 2 limes, zest of 1

For the oil, place the basil and oil in a blender and blitz to a purée, then strain it and refrigerate, covered, until needed.

For the soup, place the pineapple, mango and ginger in a bowl and leave to marinate at room temperature for 1 hour.

Meanwhile for the ceviche, place all the ingredients in a bowl and toss well together. Set aside.

Place the marinated fruits and ginger in a food processor and add the tamarind paste, maple syrup and orange juice. Blend to a fine purée and then strain or sieve into a bowl. Chill for a good 2-3 hours.

Place the ceviche in the centre of four well-chilled shallow soup bowls, pour over the soup, crack over some fresh black pepper and drizzle Thai basil oil over. Serve immediately.

Vegetables à la grecque with avocado cheese

Serves 4

For the avocado cheese

1/2 avocado, preferably Haas variety
100g feta cheese
juice of 1/2 lemon
salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tbs white wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, crushed
juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp coriander seeds, crushed
sprig of fresh thyme
8 tbs olive oil
250g baby courgettes, halved lengthways
16 green asparagus tips
4 white asparagus tips, peeled and trimmed
20g fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
30g fresh basil leaves
40g fresh celery leaves
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place the avocado flesh and cheese in a food processor and blend to a smooth paste. Remove to a bowl, add the lemon juice and season to taste. Cover the bowl with clingfilm and refrigerate until required.

Heat 150ml water with the vinegar, garlic, lemon juice, coriander seeds and thyme in a pan, bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Add half the oil. Add the courgettes and asparagus and cook until just tender, retaining a little crunch to them. Remove and leave to cool, reserving the cooking liquid.

Place the parsley, basil and celery leaves in a food processor and blend, adding enough of the cooking liquid to form a light purée. Add the remaining olive oil, blend again, remove and season to taste.

Pour a little of the sauce on each serving plate, add the cooked vegetables and top with a quenelle of avocado cheese (using a spoon or ice-cream scoop). Garnish with the coriander seeds and thyme leaves from the cooking liquid.

Tuscan tomato bread pudding with peas and broad beans

Serves 4

100ml full-fat milk
300ml double cream
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
2 free-range eggs
1 free-range egg yolk
50g ricotta cheese
2 crusty bread rolls, cut into 1cm slices
1 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
4 slices of mild goat's cheese
100g oven-dried tomatoes, chopped
2 tbs pesto sauce
salt, freshly ground black pepper and ground nutmeg

For the vegetables

180g fresh broad beans, shelled
100g fresh peas, shelled
100ml good vegetable stock
50g fresh tarragon leaves, chopped
1 shallot, finely chopped
20g unsalted butter, chilled and diced
2 tbs extra-virgin olive oil

You will need 4 x 125ml ramekins.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas 4. Place the milk, cream and rosemary in a small pan, bring to the boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat, leave unstrained to infuse and cool. Strain through a fine strainer.

In a bowl, whisk together the eggs and egg yolk and gradually pour into the cream mix; season to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Add the ricotta and mix well.

Butter four ramekins and place them in a roasting tin. Brush the bread slices with olive oil and arrange in the bases of the ramekins. Place the slices of goat's cheese on top and scatter over the oven-dried tomatoes. Gently pour over the prepared cream and fill to the top. Don't worry if the bread floats to the surface. Place the ramekins in a roasting tin and pour boiling water in the tin so that it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Place in the oven for 30-40 minutes, then remove the dishes from the roasting tin. Keep them warm.

Blanch the broad beans in boiling water for 2 minutes, remove with a slotted spoon into iced water and then peel them. Cook the peas for 2-3 minutes and drain well. Heat the vegetable stock with 30g chopped tarragon and the shallot and leave to simmer for 1 minute. Place half the broad beans in a food processor with the tarragon stock and blend to a smooth creamy purée. Place the purée in a pan with the remaining beans and cooked peas and warm over a low heat. Add the butter, a little at a time, season to taste and add the remaining chopped tarragon and olive oil.

Turn out the tomato puddings onto plates, drizzle a little of the pesto over the top of each. Spoon the peas and beans around them and garnish with rosemary, if desired. Serve immediately.

Kerala pumpkin curry with cinnamon rice and beetroot raita

Serves 4

2 tbs sunflower oil
1 large onion, chopped
5cm root ginger, peeled and chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 tsp cumin seeds, lightly crushed
1 tsp good turmeric
1/2 tsp chilli powder
425g pumpkin, peeled, deseeded and cut into large pieces
150ml coconut milk
1 tsp mustard seeds
2 green chillies, chopped
8 curry leaves
200ml natural yogurt

For the beetroot raita

125ml natural yogurt
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
pinch of ground cumin
2 medium-sized beetroots, cooked, peeled and cut into 1cm dice
2 tbs chopped fresh mint
450g basmati rice, scented with cinnamon sticks

Heat half the oil in a heavy-based pan, add the onion and cook over a low heat for 8-10 minutes until soft. Meanwhile, blend the ginger and garlic to a paste together in a small food processor (or a pestle and mortar if you prefer). Add the paste to the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the cumin seeds, turmeric and chilli powder and cook for a further 1 minute. Throw in the pumpkin, mix well with the spices, add the coconut milk and simmer for about 15 minutes until cooked, but not mushy.

For the raita, place the yogurt in a bowl, add the salt, sugar and cumin, stir in the beetroot and chopped mint. Heat a small frying pan with the remaining oil, throw in the mustard seeds, chillies and curry leaves and cook for 30 seconds until the seeds begin to pop. Add to the pumpkin curry, along with the yogurt and heat through for 2 minutes. Serve with the rice and beetroot raita.

Plantain empanadas with mango and sweetcorn salsa and arroz verde

The plantains must be just ripe, as overripe black plantains are too starchy to wrap the beans.

Serves 4

3 yellow-black mottled plantains
300g black beans (soaked)
vegetable oil for cooking
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 green chilli, deseeded and chopped
1 green pepper, deseeded and chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tbs honey
1 tbs white wine vinegar
125g feta cheese, crumbled
110g plain flour
fresh coriander leaves to garnish
120ml sour cream (optional)
salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the arroz verde (green rice)

1 small onion, finely chopped
1 green chilli, deseeded and quartered
3 garlic cloves, crushed
100g fresh coriander leaves
425ml good vegetable stock
2 tbs vegetable oil
200g long-grain white rice

For the mango and corn salsa

200g tinned sweetcorn, drained
1 mango, stoned and cut into 1cm dice
25g chopped fresh coriander
2 firm but ripe tomatoes, cut into 1cm dice
1 shallot, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
juice of 2 limes
2 tbs maple syrup

Preheat the oven to 220°C/gas 7. Cut a slit through the peel of each plantain from top to bottom. Bake in the oven for up to 50 minutes. Leave to cool for 1 hour.

Cook the black beans in boiling salted water for 30-40 minutes and drain. Heat a little vegetable oil in a frying pan, add the onion, garlic, chilli, green pepper and cumin and cook over a low heat until tender. Add the beans and cook for 5 minutes, then add the honey and vinegar. Cook for a further minute, transfer to a bowl and leave to cool. Mash the mixture finely and season to taste. Add the feta and set aside.

Peel the plantains, then blend in a food processor until doughy. Remove, add the flour and roll into eight balls. Roll out to about 1cm thick. Fill each of the balls with a spoonful of the black bean mixture and fold over to form pasties, crimping the edges to seal. Refrigerate until required.

For the green rice, place the onion, chilli, garlic, coriander and half of the stock in a food processor, blend until smooth, season with a little salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a pan and add the rice, stirring for 1 minute. Add the green stock and the remaining vegetable stock, bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat, keep covered, allowing the rice to steam for a further 5 minutes.

For the salsa

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and season to taste.

Heat 5-7cm of vegetable oil in a deep-fat fryer or large pan to about 160°C, add the empanadas and fry for about 2-3 minutes until golden. Drain on kitchen paper. Serve the empanadas on a bed of the green rice, with the salsa alongside. Garnish with coriander leaves and a good dollop of the sour cream.

Pumpkin cappelletti with pumpkin crisps and curried carrot cream

For this recipe I use Asian wonton wrappers, which work well.

Serves 4

For the cappelletti

400g piece of pumpkin (or butternut squash), peeled, deseeded and cut into large chunks
1 tbs mild olive oil
1/2 tsp fennel seeds, lightly crushed
1 free-range egg yolk
2 amaretti biscuits, crushed
25g fresh white breadcrumbs
1/2 tsp Thai red curry paste
2 tbs mango chutney, finely chopped
24 wonton wrappers
salt, freshly ground black pepper and ground nutmeg

For the pumpkin crisps

150g wedge of pumpkin, peeled
vegetable oil for deep-frying

For the curried carrot cream

2 carrots, cut into small dice
150ml good vegetable stock
1 tsp Thai red curry paste
6 tbs double cream
15g unsalted butter
few fresh coriander leaves, chopped

Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas 6. Place the pumpkin in a roasting tin and sprinkle over the oil, fennel seeds and a little seasoning. Roast for 25 minutes, turning them over once or twice. Remove and leave to cool. Place the pumpkin in a bowl and crush with a fork. Stir in the egg yolk, biscuits, breadcrumbs, curry paste and mango chutney and mix well; season to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Refrigerate until needed.

For the crisps, pare long thin strips off the pumpkin, then deep-fry in hot (150°C) vegetable oil until golden. Drain on kitchen paper.

For the cappelletti, lay out the wonton wrappers on a flat surface and place 1/2 tbs of filling in the centre of each. Brush the exterior of each square with a little water and fold over on the diagonal. Press the sides to seal. Hold one corner on the long side, wrap over and press the two corners together. Place on a lightly floured tray and leave to dry.

For the curried carrot cream, cook the diced carrot in the vegetable stock with the curry paste for 10 minutes. Transfer to a food processor and purée. Return to the pan, add the cream and butter and bring to the boil. Season, add some coriander and keep warm. Cook the cappelletti in boiling salted water for 3-4 minutes, then remove and drain well. Toss with the carrot cream, top with the pumpkin crisps.

Spice-roasted nectarines with pistachio milk sauce

Serves 4

4 large firm but ripe nectarines
40g unsalted butter
10 black peppercorns, cracked
1/2 tsp Szechuan peppercorns
1/2 tsp ground star anise
30g caster sugar
2 tbs kirsch

For the pistachio milk sauce

1 small tin condensed milk
30g peeled pistachios
1 tbs kirsch
4 scoops of good-quality vanilla ice cream

Preheat the oven to 230°C/gas 8.

Cut the nectarines in half and remove the stones. To remove the skins, place in a pan of boiling water for about 4 minutes - the skins will start to wrinkle and fall off. Place the halves in an ovenproof baking dish.

Melt the butter in a non-stick frying pan, add the spices and cook for 1 minute. Add the sugar and 100ml water and lightly caramelise together; add the kirsch. Pour the syrup over the nectarines and place in the oven to roast for 5-6 minutes.

Meanwhile for the sauce, place the condensed milk, pistachios and kirsch in a food processor and blend until smooth. To serve, pour a pool of pistachio sauce in the centre of each plate, add two nectarine halves, top with ice cream and pour over the pan syrup.

· Recipes taken from Pure Vegetarian by Paul Gayler (Kyle Cathie, £19.99). To order a copy for £16.99 including free postage and packing call the Observer Book Service on 0870 836 0885