Elegant Eggplant Appetizer

This is a great alternative to cooking a full meal on a hot day or the perfect appetizer at your next cocktail party. It goes well on crostini, crackers, and even as a spread on a sandwich. Serve with a green salad and you've got yourself a full meal without all the sweat.

You could probably make this in a slow cooker if you added about 1/2 cup water. Next time I'll try that method and post the recipe with any needed changes for the slow cooker.

I want to let you know I have a few other recipes coming up soon. The Not-fried Southern Summer Squash and a Not-Quite Nicoise Potato Salad were my quick and easy successes last week and are perfect for a weeknight meal.

Elegant Eggplant Spread
Makes about 2 cups
soy-free and gluten-free

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup (160 g) minced onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup (149 g) minced sweet or bell pepper
• 2 cups (164 g) minced eggplant
• 1/4 cup (13.5) sun-dried tomatoes, minced in food processor
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) red wine
• salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil over medium heat and sauté the onions and garlic until translucent. Then add the peppers, eggplant, sun-dried tomato, tomato paste and red wine. Cook until the eggplant is soft and cooked through. Add extra water or wine if the mixture gets to dry before the eggplant is completely done.

Serve warm or cold with crackers or toasted thinly sliced baguette. Use leftovers as a tasty pizza topping!

Spicy Seitan Flautas

Sometimes things just get away from me and my to-do list (and avoidance of it) finally catches up with me. So I've been doing paperwork and other dreaded tasks the past week. And I actually had something to reward myself for!

Of course that called for a dinner worth celebrating - without wearing me the heck out in the process. These flautas really exceeded my expectations. They were easy and tasted like a Mexican fiesta was going on in my mouth!!

If you are avoiding fat just add a splash of nondairy milk and some blended silken tofu to replace the vegan cheeses. I would recommend starting with half the amount called for and adding more if the filling needs it.

You could make these with refried beans or add cooked veggies if you want. I started planning my next batch while I was finishing these! 

Spicy Seitan Flautas
(see ** for gluten-free alternative ingredients)

Makes: 8 (can make 10 if you ration out the filling very carefully)
Cooking Time: about 15 minutes in a preheated 425 degree oven

• 1 1/2 cups chopped seitan (**use pressed tofu for a gluten-free version)
• 3 tablespoons salsa 
• 2 tablespoons vegan cream cheese (or blended silken tofu)
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup Daiya Pepper Jack Cheese, chopped fine (it's gluten-free!)
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• a few dashes Tabasco (Use Garlic Tabasco if you can find it)
• 1 package small 6 to 8 inch flour tortillas (preferably whole grain or **gluten-free tortillas)
  I used the reduced carb ones form Trader Joe's - there are 10 in a pack

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Take out a large sheet pan or a couple of small ones and spray a very light coating of oil on them. This is just so they don't stick, so if you have nonstick pans you may be able to skip this step.

In a large bowl mix the seitan, salsa, cheeses, and spices. You want the seitan and Daiya chopped small so you can distribute it evenly on the tortillas.

On a cutting board lay out a tortilla, take about 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons filling and spread it in a line in the first third of the tortilla. 

The Trader Joe's tortillas I used are super moist and easy to roll right out of the package. If yours are stiff you can either warm it a little in a saute pan (or in the microwave if you own one).

Start with that end and wrap the tortilla tightly (but not so tight you squeeze all the filling out). Place seam side down on your sheet pan. These can be fairly close, but don't let them touch.

Cook until they are slightly brown and mostly crunchy. This will take about 15 to 20 minutes depending on your oven and how moist your tortillas were to begin with. 

Cherry Pomegranate Gardein Beefless Tips Over Cauliflower Mash

Another quick and easy weeknight meal. A simple and nutritious cauliflower mash is the base for the beefless tips in a cherry pomegranate savory glaze. The sauce/glaze has red wine, pomegranate balsamic vinegar and Crofter's Organic Europe Superfruit Spread.

The plan for this complete meal is to start the cauliflower mash once you get home. While the cauliflower is cooking you can start the beefless tips. You can also steam some green or broad beans in the time it takes everything else to cook. It only takes about 20  minutes start to finish.

Gardein has soy and gluten. To make it soy-free use seitan. To make it gluten-free you could use chunks of pressed tofu, chopped mushrooms, or even kidney beans in place of the Gardein.

Cauliflower Mash

Serves 4 to 5 (Cut this recipe in half if you don't want any leftovers.)

1 head cauliflower, chopped into medium pieces
1 to 2 tablespoons Earth Balance
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1/4 to 1 cup Unsweetened So Delicious Coconut Milk
salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot add cauliflower and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook for 15 minutes until cauliflower is tender. Pour into a colander to drain off water and then return to hot pot with the Earth Balance, nutritional yeast, and 1/4 cup of the coconut milk.

Puree with an immersion blender adding more coconut milk if needed. They should be thicker than what's in this picture. I used my vitamix this time and it was very smooth. I actually prefer it a little lumpier - it mimics mashed potatoes better that way.


Cherry Pomegranate Gardein Beefless Tips

Serves 2 to 3
3/4 cup red wine (I used Trader Joe's Nouveau)
2 tablespoons Crofter's Organic Europe Superfruit Spread
2 tablespoons pomegranate balsamic vinegar (or plain balsamic)
1 package Gardein Beefless Tips
salt and pepper to taste

In a large saute pan add wine, superfruit spread, and balsamic. Heat over medium high heat and whisk to incorporate the ingredients as it reduces by half. This will take about 10 minutes.

Add the beefless tips and cook for 4 to 5 minutes more. Add salt and pepper to taste.

The sauce will reduce more during this and you can add more wine to thin if needed. You can keep it saucy or let it reduce to a glaze depending on your preference.

Penne with Fresh Peas Topped with a Creamy Sun-dried Tomato Sauce

This is an easy dish to throw together on a busy week night. It's a perfect place to use up some fresh summer peas and any leftover dried tomatoes you have on hand. I like to add some extra nutrition by using whole wheat pasta and flour. 

You can use any pasta you have on hand instead, just make sure to add the fresh peas in the last 5 minutes of cooking. It's also ok to substitute the nondairy milk that you have on hand. I prefer the So Delicious Coconut Milk because it is already has such a great thick texture.


This recipe is listed on Pennywise Platter, check out some of the other yummy recipes.

Penne with Fresh Peas Topped with a Creamy Sun-dried Tomato Sauce
soy-free and gluten free * with suggested substitutions

Serves 4

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/8 cup (2 tablespoons) minced sun-dried tomatoes
  (I used the food processor since mine were really dry)
• 2 cups Unsweetened So Delicious Coconut Milk
• 7 ounces whole wheat penne (* use a gluten-free pasta)
  (about 1/2 a box)
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups fresh shelled peas, rinsed
• 1 to 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour (* use a gluten-free flour or cornstarch)
• zest from 1/2 lemon
• 1 tablespoon fresh mint, minced
• salt and pepper to taste

Fill a large pot half way with water, cover and bring to a boil. By covering you slow the evaporation of the water and can buy some time for the sauce if needed.

Heat the oil over medium heat then add the garlic and sauté for about 1 minute. (You can use a non-stick pan and leave out the oil if you are reducing fat and/or calories in your diet.) Add milk and sun-dried tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes. Add pasta to boiling water now.

The pasta will cook about 12 minutes. After it cooks for 7 minutes, add the peas. The pasta and peas should be tender in about 5 minutes.

Once you add the peas to the pasta, go ahead and sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the flour over the sauce mixture. Raise the heat and mix using a whisk. The sauce should thicken, but you can add the other 1 tablespoon of flour if needed. Mix in mint and lemon zest. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Strain the pasta and peas together in the strainer, then mix the pasta and peas in with the sauce in a pan, pot, or serving bowl. Top with extra lemon zest and a sprig of fresh mint.