Roasted Eggplant with Fontina, and more

1 eggplant
olive oil
salt
pepper
homemade spaghetti sauce
whole wheat angel hair
fontina
madrigal baby swiss
some kind of stinky cheese that began with the letter R

Preheat oven to 400.

Slice eggplant into 1/4 inch thick pieces. Lay on paper towels and lightly salt. Allow to sweat for about 30 minutes. Remove paper towels and rinse.

Lightly oil eggplant slices and place in baking dish. Bake for about 10 minutes, flip over, and bake another 10 minutes, or until slightly browned. Remove from oven.

Grate cheeses. Pour a layer of sauce into a baking dish, place eggplant slices on top and season with pepper. Cover with a layer of cheese and then another layer of sauce. Repeat with next slices of eggplant, cheese, and top with remaining sauce. Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes, until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling. Serve over cooked angel hair pasta.

The second night, we added sauted spinach to the eggplant and sauce mixture. Delicious!

Portabella Mushrooms Stuffed With White Bean and Spinach Hummus

4 portabella mushrooms
1 can white beans, drained
1 cup frozen chopped spinach
1/2 tbs lemon juice
3 cloves garlic
pepper, oregano, rosemary, parsley to taste
red wine vinegar
olive oil

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine beans, lemon juice, spinach, garlic and herbs in a food processor and blend until smooth.

Place mushrooms on a baking sheet with a little bit of olive oil on the bottom. Spoon the filling on top of the mushrooms evenly. Drizzle with olive oil and red wine vinegar.

Bake approximately 20 minutes, or until hummus is golden on top.
Serve with a delicious salad and homemade slausage.

Spinach and Tofu Stuffed Shells

Adapted from Vegweb "Vegan Stuffed Shells"

1 extra-firm tofu
5 tbls nutritional yeast
nutmeg
1 onion, chopped
1 bag frozen spinach (1 lb)
4 cloves garlic
2 tbls olive oil
1 box jumbo shells
salt, pepper
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil

Cherry Tomato Sauce
1 28 oz can cherry tomatoes (Wholefoods brand)
1/2 cup old wine
Cayenne
Salt and pepper
Basil, thyme, oregano

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Blend tofu and olive oil in food processor. Reheat spinach in microwave and press out excess liquid. Add nutmeg, nutritional yeast, spinach, onions, garlic, and spices. Blend until smooth.

Cook sauce on the stove.
Add one layer of sauce on the bottom of a large baking dish.

Stuff shells with spinach mixture and place into baking dish. Cover with remaining sauce. Cover with foil.

Bake for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake for another 10 minutes.

Allow to sit for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Split Pea Surprise

1 cup green split peas
1 cup frozen spinach
1 small onion
2 cloves garlic
1 bouillon cube
1-2 tablespoons mustard seeds
1/2-3/4 cup dried coconut
1-2 tablespoons red thai curry
1-2 tablespoons ginger (grated or the paste in the jar)
dash of cumin and turmeric
water
toast mustard seeds in olive oil, add onion and saute with a little salt and pepper, add in bouillon cube, curry, ginger and other spices adding the garlic last, add in coconut, then spinach. add split beans and mix well. add water to cover, bring to a boil and stir. then simmer with the pot top partly open for 30 minutes or until peas are soft. stir occasionally so it doesn't stick to the bottom. if the water is boiling off too quickly, put the top completely on.

I think this would be good with other vegetables and I also though that instead of coconut, you could use coconut milk!

Lentil Surprise

1 cup red lentils
1 small onion
1 cup frozen spinach
1/2 pepper
1 tbl garam masala
1 tsp curry
1 tsp cummin
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut
salt and pepper
3-4 cups vegetable broth

Saute onions until golden, add salt and pepper and spices. saute garlic until fragrant, add spinach and peppers. add lentils and coconut, stir.
Cover with vegetable broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, Cover. Simmer about 20-30 minutes. add more broth if it's too dry.
Enjoy!