Suddenly I had a full-on vegetarian in the house. There was no warning. No 'I am planning to stop eating meat' or "I don't believe in eating animals'. There was just an abrupt announcement at dinner one night: "No meat for me. I'm a vegetarian!" Not wishing to scathe my hard-earned reputation as a "cool dude" mum, I uttered an all-knowing "as you wish darling", and re-jigged the dinner portions, thinking sullenly that this was the price I paid for sending him to an alternative, free-thinking school. It doesn't take long for the family cook to realise that the introduction of a vegetarian to the house is going to complicate meals. One can't make a vegetarian feel like a second-class citizen by giving them only a proportion of the varied evening's repast. And, since I like both vegetables and challenges, the culinary game became finding vego meals so interesting and satisfying that the carnivores did not know that they were being deprived of meat. This is the ultimate poverty tucker (pauper cuisine) dish. Just a few carrots and onions and parsley, really. Sometimes I add variations, if there is one zucchini (courgette) or one capsicum (bell pepper) hanging around looking lonely in the crisper. Never be afraid to improvise.

INGREDIENTS: 4 medium carrots 2 large onions 1 bunch parsley 2 eggs 4 cloves garlic, crushed into a paste with a little salt and nutmeg oatmeal as required salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste flour as required butter and oil as required

In a food processor or using a hand-grater, grate the carrots and onions. Finely chop the parsley. Mix in a bowl with eggs and garlic and then add enough oatmeal to gain a sticky, mince consistency, seasoning with salt and pepper according to taste or dietary requirements. Add flour to make the mixture smoother and easier to handle before moulding into flat hamburger patties no more than 1.5 cm (2/3 inch) thick. Sizzle in hot butter and/or oil. Serve with a side salad and creamy mashed potatoes flavored with chopped chives. The burgers are also nice cold.