BBQ Chickpea Chopped Salad

Ingredients
15 oz. can chickpeas
2/3 c. BBQ sauce
1 large head romaine
1 c. corn (thawed, if frozen)
1-1/2 c. cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered or halved
1 c. shredded carrots
2-3 scallions, chopped

For the dressing: 1 avocado
1 c. milk, half-and-half, or other creamy drink
3 tbsp. lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
2 tsp. white wine vinegar
1-2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp. dried dill
1/2 tsp. dried parsley
1/2 tsp. onion powder
Fresh chives

Salt to taste

DirectionsTo make the dressing, combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.

Rinse and drain chickpeas. In a saucepan over med-low heat, simmer chickpeas in the BBQ sauce for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, chop the romaine, tomatoes, and scallions. Place in a bowl with corn and carrots. Toss to combine. When ready to assemble, distribute the salad into bowls, toss with desired amount of dressing, and top with BBQ chickpeas.

Makes 2 to 3 large salads.

Roasted Garlic & Squash Lasagna

Ingredients
For the sauce: 
3 heads garlic, tops cut off
olive oil
3 tsp. salt, plus a pinch, divided
2 lbs. butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 tsp. dried Italian herbs, like oregano, basil, parsley and marjoram
½ tsp. black pepper, freshly ground
3/4 c. vegetarian stock, warmed
1-1/2 c. half and half, warmed
3 oz. mascarpone cheese or cream cheese
3 tbsp. Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

For the lasagna: 
Olive oil
1-14 oz. pkg. Gimme Lean Veggie Protein, ground beef style
1 small onion, diced
1 tsp. dried Italian herbs, like oregano, basil, parsley and marjoram
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. black pepper, freshly ground
2 tsp. fresh sage leaves, chopped
12 whole wheat lasagna noodles, cooked
4 c. fresh, baby spinach leaves
4 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. Drizzle a little olive oil over the 3 heads of garlic, and sprinkle a couple of pinches of salt over top; wrap each head of garlic tightly in foil, and place the heads directly onto the rack of the oven to roast. After 10 minutes, toss the butternut squash with about 3 tablespoons of olive oil, a teaspoon of the salt, and the black pepper and roast alongside the garlic for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the squash is very tender.

Once the squash is tender, remove from the oven, along with the heads of garlic, and allow the squash and garlic heads to cool slightly, so they can be handled; once slightly cooled, squeeze the cloves of garlic from the whole heads, and mash lightly with a fork (they should be very tender and sweet), and set aside. Next, use a food processor, immersion blender or Ninja to puree squash and garlic together.

In a saucepan, gently heat the squash puree. Add in the stock and the half and half, and carefully whisk to completely incorporate; next, add in the mascarpone cheese, the Parmesan and the remaining 3 teaspoons of salt, and once again stir/whisk to combine, until the mascarpone and Parmesan are blended in completely; remove the sauce from the heat and set aside until ready to use for the lasagna. (If making ahead, cool the sauce completely, and refrigerate until ready to assemble the lasagna, at which time you can gently reheat.)

Place a large, non-stick saute pan over medium-high heat, and add about 2 tablespoons worth of olive to the pan; once the oil gets hot, add the ground veggie protein into the pan, and break it up with a spatula or spoon. Add in the Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Cook the protein for a few minutes until heated through and slightly browned. Remove from heat, and set aside to slightly cool.

To assemble the lasagna, begin by adding about a cup of the butternut squash sauce to the bottom of the baking dish. Add lasagna noodles to cover the sauce, and then more sauce over top of the noodles. Add about half of the veggie protein, followed by two cups of the baby spinach leaves. Drizzle lightly with  some olive oil and then sprinkle about a cup of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat the layering process and finish the lasagna by adding the remaining lasagna noodles and the remaining sauce over top. Smooth out the sauce over the noodles and finish by sprinkling the remaining mozzarella cheese over the top. Grind black pepper over the cheese and place the lasagna into the 350 degree oven to bake for roughly 30 to 35 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and lightly golden; serve while hot.


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Spicy Chinese Eggplant

Ingredients
2 large Japanese eggplants, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 onion, diced
Thai basil, chopped
Sesame oil
Coconut oil
6 garlic cloves, chopped
4 tbsp. ginger, minced
3 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tbsp. Sriracha
2 tbsp. sambal oelek (or chili garlic sauce)
2 tsp. molasses
3 tbsp. soy sauce
1/2 c. tomato sauce
1 tbsp. rice vinegar
1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
Crushed red pepper
Sesame seeds
1/2 c. water
Scallions, as garnish

Directions
Heat 2 to 3 tbsp. sesame oil in a pan & add the eggplant. Add a little crushed red pepper. Saute over medium heat until tender, but not mushy, about 5 to 8 minutes. Set aside in a bowl.

Using the same pan, heat 1 tbsp. coconut oil & saute the onion with a bit of crushed red pepper. When soft, add to the bowl with the eggplant.

In the same pan, heat 1 to 2 tbsp. coconut oil. Add 2 to 3 tbsp. sesame seeds, the garlic, and the ginger. When the garlic begins to brown, add the tomato sauce, brown sugar, Sriracha, sambal oelek, molasses, soy sauce, rice vinegar, vinegar & water. Simmer over medium-low heat for 10 minutes. Add the eggplant and onions, and simmer another 5 minutes. Stir in some chopped basil.

Serve over rice garnished with additional chopped basil, the scallions, and some additional sesame seeds. Drizzle with a small amount of sesame oil.

Moroccan Roasted Sweet Potato Soup

Ingredients
1-1/2 lb. sweet potatoes, cut into big chunks
6 large shallots, quartered
3 plump garlic cloves, unpeeled
1 carrot, cut into large chunks
1 tbsp. prepared harissa, plus extra to serve
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 qt. hot vegetable stock
1 tsp. honey
generous squeeze of lemon juice
crème fraîche, sour cream, or Greek yogurt, to serve
salt and black pepper, freshly ground

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the sweet potatoes, shallots, garlic, and carrot in a roasting pan. Mix the harissa with the oil, then pour over the vegetables and toss together so they are all well coated. Season with freshly ground black pepper, then roast, turning occasionally for 40 minutes or until tender and turning golden. Remove from oven.

Squeeze the garlic out of their skins into the roasting pan. Stir in the stock and honey, then scrape up all the bits from the bottom of the pan. Pour into saucepan and use an immersion blender to blend until smooth. Reheat gently.

Add a good squeeze of lemon juice and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Swirl crème fraîche, sour cream, or yogurt with a little harissa and top each bowl with a spoonful. Serves 6.

Roasted Vegetable Torte

Ingredients
3 zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 red onions, cut in half lengthwise and sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
olive oil
kosher salt
black pepper, freshly ground
3 red bell peppers, halved, cored & seeded
3 yellow bell peppers, halved, cored & seeded
1 eggplant, unpeeled, cut into 1/4-inch slices (about 2 lbs.)
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook the zucchini, onions, and garlic in two tablespoons of olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat for 10 minutes, or until the zucchini is tender. Season with salt and pepper.

Brush the peppers and eggplant with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and roast on a baking sheet for 30 to 40 minutes, until soft but not browned.

In a 9-inch round spring form pan, place each vegetable in a single, overlapping layer, sprinkling Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to taste between each layer. Begin with half the eggplant, then layer half of the zucchini and onions, then all of the red peppers, then all of the yellow peppers, the the rest of the zucchini and onions, and finally the rest of the eggplant.

Cover the top of the vegetables with a 9-inch round piece of parchment paper or waxed paper. Place a 9-inch flat disk (another cake pan or the bottom of a false-bottom tart pan) on top and weight it with a heavy jar. Place on a plate or baking sheet (it will leak) and chill completely.

Drain the liquids, place on a platter, and serve at room temperature.  

Serves 6.

Ricotta

Ingredients
4 c. whole milk
2 c. heavy cream
1 tsp. kosher salt
3 tbsp. white wine vinegar
Fresh herbs, as desired

Directions
Set a large sieve over a deep bowl. Dampen 2 layers of cheesecloth with water and line the sieve with the cheesecloth.

Pour the milk and cream into a stainless steel or enameled pot. Stir in the salt. Bring to a full boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat and stir in the vinegar. Allow the mixture to stand for 1 minute until it curdles. It will separate into thick parts (the curds) and milky parts (the whey).

Pour the mixture into the cheesecloth-lined sieve and allow to drain into the bowl at room temperature for 20 to 25 minutes, occasionally discarding the liquid that collects in the bowl. The longer you let the mixture drain, the thicker the ricotta. Transfer the ricotta to a bowl, discarding the cheesecloth and any remaining whey. Stir in herbs as desired. Use immediately or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. The ricotta will keep refrigerated for 4 or 5 days.

Yields about 2 cups.

Chopped Thai Salad with Coconut Curry Dressing

Ingredients

For the dressing: 
1-14.5 oz. can coconut milk
1/4 c. natural peanut butter
2 tsp. Sriracha sauce
2 tbsp. lime juice
1 tbsp. curry powder
1 clove garlic
1 tsp. salt
agave or honey, to taste

For the salad: 
3 c. kale, chopped
2 c. napa cabbage, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 mango, chopped
1 c. carrots, shredded or diced
1/2 c. roasted, unsalted peanuts
1/2 c. cilantro, finely chopped

Directions
Place all dressing ingredients into a blender (or similar) and process until smooth. Pour into a saucepan and heat until boiling. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes to thicken dressing. Allow to cool.

Assemble salad components and toss with dressing. Serve immediately.

Serves 2 as entree or 4 as side.

Golabki (Polish Stuffed Cabbage)

Ingredients

1 head cabbage

For the stuffing: 

1 lg. onion, chopped

1 bag Quorn Grounds*

1/4 c. pecans

1/3 c. sun-dried tomatoes

1/3 c. raisins

1 1/2 c. green or brown lentils, cooked

*You could substitute more lentils or a grain like bulgur, quinoa, farro, etc.

For the sauce: 

1-28 oz. can fire-roasted diced tomatoes

1-14.5 oz. tomato sauce

pinch of baking soda

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. onion powder

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp. dried parsley (or 1 tbsp. fresh)

1/2 tsp. brown sugar

1/4 c. red wine

Directions

Using a knife on an angle, cut out the core of the cabbage. Place in a large pot of water and cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and boil for 10 to 15 minutes, or until leaves begin to pull away. 

Meanwhile, saute the onions until softened, and then add Quorn Grounds. Saute until heated through and a little browned. Combine the onion mixture, lentils, sun-dried tomatoes, raisins, and pecans in a food processor and pulse until coarsely mixed. Set aside. 

By now, the cabbage leaves should be coming away from the cabbage. Using a set of tongs, gently pull each leaf away from the cabbage. You may need to pull a few away, and then boil some more, and then pull a few more away. Set leaves on paper towels to cool and dry. 

Fill each cabbage leaf with about a 1/3 cup of lentil mixture (more for larger leaves). Scoop the lentil mixture into the leaf near the stem. Fold the base over the mixture, fold the sides over the mixture and continue rolling. Place each stuffed roll into a greased casserole dish, seam side down. 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine sauce ingredients in a saucepan and cook down for about 20 minutes. Pour tomato sauce over the cabbage rolls and then bake in an oven for 20 to 30 minutes (or until hot inside). 

Serves 4 to 6. 

Lentil Bolognese

You can definitely use your favorite sauce recipe here, and just add lentils and water for the last 20 to 30 minutes of cooking.

Ingredients
1/4 c. olive oil
1 c. onion, diced
1 c. carrot, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
1 tbsp. garlic, minced
1 tbsp. basil stir-in paste (http://www.gourmetgarden.com/en-us/product/524/basil-stir-paste) OR when available, a handful of fresh basil, chopped and loosely packed
1 tsp. oregano
1 can tomato paste
2-14.5 oz. cans plain tomato sauce
1-28 oz. can or jar of diced tomatoes
1/4 tsp. baking soda (reduces acidity!)
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 c. red wine
1 1/2 c. water
2 c. red lentils, rinsed

Directions
Heat the olive oil. Saute onions, carrots, and celery until softened, about five minutes. Add garlic and saute for a few more minutes. Add paste, sauce, then diced tomatoes. Simmer for a few minutes, then add baking soda, basil, oregano, and brown sugar. Feel free to simmer for quite a while at this point. About 20 to 30 minutes before the end of cook time, add wine, water, and lentils. Simmer on very low heat to avoid burning the lentils to the bottom of the pot. Serve over a pasta that will hold the chunkiness well, like a fettucine or ditalini. Serves 6 to 8 (easily).

Pumpkin Pie Slow Cooker Oatmeal

Ingredients
6 c. water
1 c. half & half or milk
1 1/2 c. steel cut oats
1 c. pumpkin purée
1/4 c. firmly packed brown sugar
2 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt

Directions
Stir all the ingredients together in the slow cooker, cook on LOW overnight, about 8 hours. When it is done, it will still look liquidy. Give it a good stir and it will all come together. Serve immediately. Save any leftovers in the fridge or freezer. It reheats well.