EGGPLANT ROLLS WITH CHIPOTLE-PEPITA SAUCE

 

EGGPLANT ROLLS WITH CHIPOTLE-PEPITA SAUCE

{Adapted from a recipe in Jump Up & Kiss Me}

Ingredients for rolls:

1 eggplant

Salt 

Olive oil

8 mushrooms, chopped

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 cup cooked brown rice

2 crumbled, cooked Field Roast (or similar) sausages

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 spaghetti squash, cooked, and shredded

1 zucchini, shredded

1 cup old, shriveled up cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 tsp dried oregano

Black pepper

Pinch regular or vegan Parmesan cheese

Ingredients for sauce:

1 red bell pepper, roasted, peeled, and seeded

4-8 cloves garlic

1 cup almonds

1 cup pepitas

3-5 chipotle peppers and sauce

2 cups vegetable stock

2 Tbsp oat milk

Salt

Directions:

1. Slice eggplant lengthwise, salt, and set aside to drain for 20 mins. Rinse and pat dry.

2. Heat 1/4 cup oil over medium-high heat. Fry each piece of eggplant til soft and lightly brown, draining on paper towels.

3. Add more oil and sautee mushrooms and garlic til starting to brown. Add lemon juice, rice, cooked sausage, veggies, tomatoes, salt, oregano, cheese, and pepper. Cook til brown then remove from heat.

4. Preheat oven to 375°. Place a spoonful of rice mixture at one end of eggplant slice and roll up. Place in lightly oiled casserole dish, seam-side down. Bake 20 mins.

5. Purée bell pepper, garlic, almonds/pepitas, oat milk, and chipotles. Add stock and salt.

6. Drizzle each roll with sauce and serve.

Creamy Vegan Porcini Pasta

Creamy Vegan Porcini Pasta

Makes 2 entree servings

Ingredients:

4 oz. capellini

1/2 oz. dried porcini mushrooms

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 Tbsp. spinach & artichoke Bitchin Sauce

Garlic powder, black pepper & salt to taste

1 clove fresh garlic, minced

Sprinkle of vegan Parmesan cheese

Pinch of dried thyme

Shake of dried oregano 

Red chili pepper

Directions:

1. Heat water for pasta. While heating, add mushrooms. Bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes.

2. Add pasta (& a dash of olive oil) and boil for 3 minutes more, or until pasta is cooked.

3. Turn off heat. Pour a bit of the pasta water into a cup. Drain the rest of the pasta and set aside.

4. Heat the pasta pot again over low-medium heat. Add oil and minced garlic. Add Bitchin Sauce and Parmesan, stirring constantly. Add set-aside mushroom water, stirring constantly. Add garlic powder, oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper. Stir and remove from heat.

5. Mix pasta with sauce, sprinkle with chili pepper, and enjoy!

Vegan Greek Farro Bowl

 Vegan Greek Farro Bowl

Such a satisfying meal in one bowl!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups dry farro

1 red or yellow bell pepper, thickly sliced & coated with a bit of oil

1/3 block Trader Joe’s vegan feta

2 Field Roast sausages

4-6 large leaves of chard, roughly chopped, stalks included

3 Tbsp Meyer lemon olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced 

1/2 large shallot, sliced

1 tsp dried oregano 

Salt & black pepper to taste

Sprinkle of lemon juice

Directions:

1. Prepare farro and sausages according to packages. While farro and sausages are cooking, roast slices of bell pepper on a roasting pan, turning and moving around until soft and slightly blackened.

2. Slice sausages and set aside. Drain farro and set aside.

3. To a large cast iron skillet over high heat, add olive oil. Quickly add chard and turn down flame to medium. Stir for a bit.

4. Add garlic, shallot, and bell pepper. Stir thoroughly.

5. Add farro, sausage, oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir thoroughly.

6. Add feta, stirring well. Add a bit more olive oil if needed to keep chard from sticking. Add lemon juice.

7. Stir all well until heated through and feta is slightly melty.

8. Serve & enjoy!

Notes:

*Experiment with adding sliced kalamata olives, quartered artichoke hearts, and red chili pepper. 

*Great served hot or cold, good for potlucks!

Minty Sweet Potato Protein Bowl

 MINTY SWEET POTATO PROTEIN BOWL

Ingredients: 

1 sweet potato, peeled & diced & nuked in a covered bowl with a bit of water for 3 mins

1/4 package Trader Joe’s cooked lentils

1 serving quinoa, prepared according to package

Handful fresh mint leaves

2 Tbsp. olive oil

Juice of 1/2 lemon

4 minced garlic cloves

1 Tbsp. Aleppo pepper

1/2 avocado

1 green onion

Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Add cooked sweet potato, quinoa & lentils to your bowl.

2. Blend lemon juice, olive oil, Aleppo pepper, avocado, salt, and mint leaves well. Add a bit of water for a thinner sauce.

3. Top bowl with sauce and a couple of mint leaves for garnish.

Notes:

*Great served hot or cold.

*Perfect make-ahead lunch for the office.

*Add a handful of spinach leaves for more nutrients.

Noodles with Purple Cauliflower & Shrooms

NOODLES WITH PURPLE CAULIFLOWER & SHROOMS

This is fun to cook and eat because of the bright purple hue and the super scrumptious mushrooms. Next time you’re at the farmers market, have these ingredients on your list! Purple cauliflower carmelizes beautifully and has a sweetness to it, and oyster mushrooms have a delicious umami flavor and delightful chewiness. Add tofu or shrimp for a meal with complete protein. 👍

Ingredients:

1/2 head purple cauliflower, broken into small pies, stalk sliced

2-3 large oyster mushrooms, sliced

1/2 red onion or whole shallot, thinly sliced

3 leaves bok choy, sliced

1/2 package Annie Chun’s brown rice maifun noodles, cooked

Sprinkle of ginger powder (or 1 tsp minced ginger), garlic powder, black pepper, and onion powder

2 Tbsp soy sauce

2 Tbsp + 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil

Chili sesame oil for garnish

Directions:

1. Heat 2 Tbsp sesame oil in cast iron pan over high heat. Add cauliflower and cook covered several minutes until starting to char. Stir and char other side. 

2. Sprinkle with ginger, garlic, onion, pepper, and soy sauce. Continue cooking covered and stirring until just tender.

3. Add onion and mushrooms. Sprinkle with additional sesame oil. Cook covered, stirring occasionally until all veggies are tender.

4. Add bok choy and stir, cooking 1-2 minutes more.

5. Serve over hot noodles, mix well, and garnish with chili oil if you like it spicy.

6. Enjoy! 

Spicy, Minty Lentils & Broccoli

SPICY, MINTY LENTILS & BROCCOLI

I love this recipe so much because it’s easy (~10 mins to prep), healthy (complete proteins & green stuff!), and has lots of different layers of flavor (literally). It’s great to make ahead for a tasty weekday office lunch - just leave off the sauces & mint until right before you eat it. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 head of broccoli, chopped

1 serving prepared rice, quinoa, or mixed grains

1/4 package Trader Joe’s cooked lentils

2 Tbsp avocado oil

1 Tsbp olive oil

Splash lemon juice

Sprinkling of garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper & smoked paprika

2 Tbsp Trader Joe’s zhoug sauce

2 Tbsp hummus (preferably roasted garlic)

Approximately 12 mint leaves, thinly sliced

Directions:

1. Heat cast iron pan on high heat. Add avocado oil when hot.

2. Add broccoli and cover, allowing to cook on high for several minutes. Sprinkle with lemon juice and spices. Continue cooking for several minutes until broccoli is tender and charred, stirring occasionally. Add olive oil at the end of cooking and set broccoli aside.

3. Heat lentils in the pan, adding a bit of olive oil if necessary.

4. Layer the cooked grains and lentils into a bowl. Cover with broccoli. Add a layer of hummus and zhoug. Sprinkle with mint. 

5. Enjoy! 😋

Vegan Fennel Feta Tarts

So, so good! Never stress about what to bring to a party again because this will please almost everyone (except it’s not gluten-free, but maybe you could find or make some wheat-free puff pastry if need be). Makes 4 with leftover filling.

Ingredients:

1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced

1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced

2 leaves rainbow chard, thinly sliced (including stems, separated)

1 package, TJ’s croissant rolls

Salt, to taste

Pepper, to taste

1/4 block, TJ’s vegan feta, crumbled

1/2 tsp dried thyme, crumbled

3 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp lemon zest + squeeze of lemon

Directions:

1. Heat oil in large cast iron pan over high heat. Add olive oil.

2. Turn flame down slightly. Add fennel, chard stems, and onions. Cook for a few minutes then turn heat down to medium-low and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Add chard leaves, thyme, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Stir well and cook for 1-2 more minutes.

4. Remove dough from package. Combine 2 pieces, roll into a ball, stretch out and place on cookie sheet. Repeat for all dough.

5. Crumble some cheese onto each dough circle. Add a heaping scoop of veggie mix. Crimp sides of dough up around the edges. Sprinkle each with more cheese.

6. Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes until dough is browned.