Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 medium eggplant, cut in small pieces
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 8 basil leaves, chiffonade
• dash of Tabasco
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large baguette

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Directions:

1. Chop the onion and saute in the oil.
2. Add the chopped red bell pepper and cook until it begins to soften.
3. Add the eggplant pieces and saute.
4. Add the tomato pieces, red wine vinegar and tomato paste.
5. Add the minced garlic and basil.
6. Stir well to mix and allow all to simmer.
7. Season with salt and pepper and Tabasco if desired.

Slice the baguette ad brush each side to the slices with olive oil. Place on the grill to toast.
Serve the baguette with the eggplant on top, optionally garnished with basil leaves.

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

• 250 grams of whole wheat spirali pasta
• oil for frying or to drizzle on baking
• 1 medium eggplant, cut in small bite sized pieces
• 1 zucchini, cut in small bite sized pieces
• 1 red bell pepper, cut in small bite sized pieces
• 1 orange bell pepper, cut in small bite sized pieces
• 2 med. onions, cut in small bite sized pieces
• 12 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• herbs de Provence
• dash cayenne
• fresh basil
• lemon pepper
• salt
• olive oil
• 1-2 Tbs. nutritional yeast
• a bit of cilantro oil (made from fresh cilantro and olive oil with lemon juice)

Directions:

1. Cook the pasta in lightly salted water, drain and place in a large bowl that has a lid.
2. As it is very warm today, I will be stir frying the veggies, not firing up the oven to bake.
3. Heat some oil in a frying pan. 
Lightly saute the onions, until one side is lightly brown, and they begin to be soft.
4. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel to drain.
5. Do the same, with the bell peppers and garlic, then the zucchini, then the tomatoes, and at least the eggplant.
6. Drain the extra oil from each vegetable well, as you don’t want the salad to be too heavy with oil.
7. Make a dressing, from a bit of olive oil, lemon juice, herbes de Provence, lemon pepper, lemon juice, salt and pepper and cayenne.
8. Pour the dressing over the pasta and mix well.
9. Add the vegetables and mix again.
10. Add the nutritional yeast, mix and taste. Season to taste with additional seasonings if needed.
11. Allow the salad to season for 3-4 hours. Serve at room temperature with fresh herbs as thyme and basil.

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

for the Panko herb breaded eggplant:

• 1 eggplant, sliced thinly
• 1/4 cup soy milk
• 1/4 cup flour, seasoned with salt and Italian herbs
• 1 cup Japanese breadcrumbs called Panko
• oil for frying the eggplant

for the Spinach Pesto:

• 2 cups fresh spinach, washed
• 2 tablespoons green olive tapenade
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• pinch salt
• dash lemon juice
• dash garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 2 tablespoons almond flour
• water to thin the mixture
• 500 grams (18 oz) whole wheat pasta
• tomatoes as garnish

Directions:

to make the pesto:

1. Put all the pesto ingredients in a food processor or blender and puree to an even mixture.

for the breaded eggplant:

1. Place the flour and herb mixture in a shallow bowl or saucer.
2. Place the soy milk in a shallow blow.
3. Place the Panko in a shallow bowl or saucer.
4. Slice the eggplant in 1/4 inch rounds.
5. Dredge both sides of each eggplant round in the flour mixture, then in the soy milk then in the Panko mixture.
6. Heat the oil in a frying pan.
7. We served the eggplants on a small bed of whole wheat pasta. If you choose to do so also, then at this time, start the pot of lightly salted water and when it comes to a boil, add the pasta.
8. Meanwhile, lightly fry the eggplant rounds until golden on each side.
9. When the pasta is ready, drain and mix a bit of the pesto sauce on the pasta.
10. Serve the pasta with a couple of eggplant rounds and a generous dollop of pesto on top.
11. We garnished the meal with slices of tomato.

Notes:

You can use many different greens to make the pesto, basil is the most traditional. We had fresh spinach on hand so used that. It was very tasty. You can also use any bread crumbs to make this, but the Panko are especially nice and add an extra crunchiness.

First grilling the eggplants. The tomato sauce was delicious an interesting combination of Asian seasonings and shiitaki mushrooms with the tomato eggplant Mediterranean vegetables. It was easy to make it vegan, merely by making our own vegan ricotta from soy yogurt, nutritional yeast and a bit of cashew butter and miso. We will definitely be ejoying this more often over the year and hope you give it a try as well.

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 large eggplant
• seasoning, such as Cajun Spices
• 1 cup vegan mozzarella cheese
• handful basil leaves handful chive greens, finely chopped

for the mozzarella cheese:

• 1 cup water
• 2 cloves roasted garlic
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons tahini
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 3 tablespoons quick-cooking rolled oats
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/8 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1 &1/2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

For the tomato sauce:

• 1 can crushed tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 onion, chipped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Italian herbs
• salt and pepper
• splash lemon juice
• dash of Tabasco or cayenne pepper

Directions:

For the mozzarella cheese sauce:

1. Put it all in a food processor or blender, and process untill totally smooth.
2. Put in a saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until smooth and thick.

To make the tomato sauce:

1. Heat the oil in a small sauce pan.
2. Add the onions and sauce until glassy.
3. Add the garlic and further cook for 1 minute.
4. Add the canned tomatoes, and the herbs.
5. Add the salt and season to taste with Italian herbs.
6. Turn the heat to low.

For the grilled eggplant:

1. Heat a grill pan over high heat.
2. Thinly slice the eggplant, a minimum.
3. Season with the Cajun Seasonings.
4. Grill the thin slices to tenderize the eggplant, 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until cooked through.
5. Top each slice of cooked eggplant with a dollop of “cheese” and some minced chives and basil then roll up.
6. The eggplant roll ups should have a few greens sticking out of both ends.
7. Serve the rollups with the tomato sauce on top.

Notes:

The recipe for the vegan mozzarella was found at recipezaar.com.

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 med eggplant, cut into small cubes
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can crushed tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup water
• 1 vegetable bouillon cube
• 1-2 tablespoon Italian seasonings
• juice of 1/2 lime or lemon
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• salt and pepper to taste
• Italian seasoned croutons

Directions:

1. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan, add the onions and begin to saute.
2. As the onions begin to soften, add the eggplant and minced garlic and saute until the eggplant is soft and golden brown.
3. Put all of the sauteed vegetables into a large pot.
4. Add the crushed tomatoes, cup of water and vegetable bouillon.
5. Cook until the vegetables are soft.
6. Add the Italian seasonings and nutritional yeast.
7. Squeeze the lime or lemon juice into the soup.
8. Season to taste with salt and pepper and possibly more Italian herbs.
9. Garnish with Italian croutons.

Notes:

inspired by http://elizabethsedibleexperience.blogspot.com/(…)

It’s a very tasty casserole and easy to make. As she says, the secret is to cook it long and slow and use a really good olive oil.
We had nice wholegrain rolls to sop up the juices and enjoyed a big mixed salad with it as well.

Serving Size: 8

Ingredients:

• 1 cup mixed wild and white rice
• 1 eggplant, cut in small pieces and sauteed
• 1 zucchini, cut into matchstick sized pieces
• 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
• 3 spring onions, sliced in rings
• 2 tomatoes, deseeded and cut into small pieces
• 10-12 green olives, deseeded
• 10-12 black olives, deseeded
• 1 cup vegetable bouillon
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 Tbs. parsley, chopped
• 1 Tbs. fresh basil, chopped
• 4 Tbs. olive oil
• 2-3 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
• salt and pepper to taste
• small bunch dill, chopped as garnish

Directions:

1. Wash the rice and cook in 1 cup of vegetbale bouillon and 1 cup of water.
2. When the rice is done, put it into a large bowl and allow to cool.
3. Cut the eggplant into small cubes and saute lightly.
4. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
5. When cooled, add the eggplant to the rice.
6. Slice the zuchiini into small matchsticks and add to the rice.
7. Cut off the bottom core of the fennel and slice the fennel in thin slices, then add to the rice and mix well.
8. Add the black and green olives.
9. Add the chopped basil and parsley.
10. Using a blender, make a dressig from the olive oil, garlic, salt pepper and lemon juice.
11. Pour the dressing over the salad and mix well.
12. Allow the salad to season for an hour before serving.
13. Shortly befor serving, slice and desssed the tomato and add to the salad.
14. Garnish with some chopped dill and a few dill sprigs.

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup walnuts, chopped and toasted
• 1 eggplant
• oil for frying
• 1 cup plain soy yogurt
• 1 tablespoon walnut oil (optional)
• 1 jalapeno pepper, de-seeded and chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro or coriander, chopped
• salt to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• flour for dredging the eggplant slices
• breadcrumbs to coat the eggplant slices

Directions:

1. Toast the walnut pieces, either in the oven or in a dry frying pan.
2. Cut eggplant into 1/2 inch thick rings.
3. Lay each side of the eggplant slice in four, then in a mixture of flour and water, and then at last in breadcrumbs to coat the outside of the eggplant.
4. Heat oil in a heavy pan.
5. Fry the eggplant in the oil until each side is golden brown.
6. In a medium bowl, mix together soy yogurt, jalapeno, 1 tablespoon cilantro, and walnuts.
7. Season to taste with salt.
8. Place eggplant on a serving dish, and spoon dressing evenly over top.
9. Garnish with remaining cilantro and a few walnut pieces.

Note:

Adapted from http://allrecipes.com/

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 small zucchini, cut in small cubes
• 1/2 eggplant, cut in small cubes
• 1 red or yellow bell pepper, cut in small cubes
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 2 tsp. herbs de Provence
• 1 small can tomato paste
• cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 Tbs. oil
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3-4 Tbs. vegan margarine
• 1 large baguette
• rosemary as an optional garnish

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a pan, saute the bell pepper and the zucchini.
2. Add the onion and eggplant pieces and further saute.
3. When the vegetables begin to soften, add the tomato paste and seasonings.
4. Meanwhile, melt the vegan margarine in a small pan.
5. Add the minced garlic.
6. Cut the baguette diagonally in slices.
7. Brush the baguette with the garlic butter and toast, either in a frying pan/ on the grill or in the oven.
8. Place a generous helping of the ratatouille on each piece of baguette.
9. Garnish with a small piece of rosemary.