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1 eggplant, medium size
2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon freshly minced garlic
28 ounce can diced tomatoes, with juice
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 450°

Peel (or not peel) and cut eggplant crosswise into 1/2 inch thick slices. Arrange them on a rimmed baking sheet fitted with parchment paper. Use 1 tablespoon of the oil to brush the tops of the eggplant slices. Sprinkle tops with 1/4 teaspoon salt and some black pepper.
Roast the slices until bottoms and sides are slightly browned, approximately 10 minutes. Flip the slices over, brush with rest of the tablespoon of oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook until crisp and golden, another 5 minutes.
When finished roasting, remove pan from oven.

Reduce oven temperature to 400°.

While eggplant slices are roasting, prepare the tomato sauce. Place 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. When hot, add the onion, sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture thickens, approximately 20 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Cover bottom of a 11 x 7 inch baking dish with about 1/2 inch of the tomato sauce. Place a layer of eggplant slices on top of the sauce and top with some of the basil. Cover with a thin layer of tomato sauce and repeat until all of the eggplant slices are used up; reserve some of the basil for serving. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs, the remaining salt, lots of black pepper, and drizzle with the remaining oil.
Bake until breadcrumbs are golden and the sauce has thickened, approximately 15 minutes. Let dish rest for 10 minutes before serving. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature. Garnish with the remaining basil.

Serves 2-3

Note: You will not even miss the Parmesan. It is that good!

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4 – 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 medium baking potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 small Japanese eggplant, ends trimmed, peeled, thinly sliced on the diagonal
1 small zucchini, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
4 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 head garlic

Preheat oven to 400°

Coat bottom of 9 inch x 13 inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon oil.
Arrange vegetables in slightly overlapping rows, in baking dish.
Season with salt and pepper.
Place garlic in center of dish.
Drizzle remaining oil over the vegetables.
Bake, swirling baking dish every 10 minutes to distribute oil, until vegetables are tender and garlic is soft, 40 – 50 minutes. This keeps the vegetables moist and tender.
Remove baking dish from oven.
Remove garlic and let stand until cool enough to handle.
Squeeze garlic pulp into a small bowl and mash with a fork.
Spread over vegetables.

Serves 4 – 6

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2 tablespoons olive oil
2 leeks, cleaned, thinly sliced, white and light green parts only
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons thyme leaves, optional
1 tablespoon tarragon, chopped, optional
1 cup arborio rice
1/3 cup dry white wine
3 cups vegetable stock, warmed, divided
3/4 cup frozen peas, thawed
2 tablespoons non-dairy butter
1/2 cup non-dairy Parmesan cheese, grated
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 375ºF.

Heat a shallow Dutch oven or sauté pan over medium-high heat and add olive oil.
Add the leeks and cook until almost tender, about 4 minutes.
Add the garlic, thyme and tarragon during the last minute of cooking.
Season with salt and pepper.
Add the rice and brown slightly in pan for 1-2 minutes, until lightly opaque.
Add the wine and allow to reduce by half.
Add 2 cups of vegetable stock and stir to combine.
Bring to a simmer, cover and place in the oven to bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is al dente.
Remove from the oven, stir in the remaining vegetable stock, peas, non-dairy butter
and non-dairy parmesan cheese.
Season with additional salt and pepper and serve.

Serves 4-6

Note: Can substitute medium-sized yellow onion, diced, for the leeks

Inspired by a recipe from the chew.com

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4 large fresh tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped
2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and finely chopped
2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon fresh lemon or lime juice
1 teaspoon salt
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper

Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl and mix well.
Taste for seasoning.
Cover salsa and refrigerate.

Note: Roma tomatoes are a good choice as they are more “meaty” with less juice.

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1 head cauliflower, cut into 1-inch thick slices, approximately 4 steaks
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt
Pepper
½ cup barbecue sauce, your choice

Brush both sides of each slice of cauliflower with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Place cauliflower slices on heated grill and cook for about 5 minutes per side.

Coat each side with barbecue sauce and place back on grill for about 3 to 5 more minutes per side.
Or you can roast the cauliflower “steaks” at 400˚ on a baking sheet fitted with parchment paper for about 30 minutes, flipping them over about halfway through.
Then coat steaks with barbecue sauce and roast for 5 more minutes.

Makes 4 steaks; 1 steak per person

Note:  Do not discard the cauliflower pieces.  If grilling, season pieces with salt and pepper, brush with olive oil.  Wrap first in parchment paper,  then with heavy duty tin foil and place on grill.  If roasting, just add the seasoned pieces to the baking sheet.

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1 pound green beans, ends trimmed
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup vegetable broth or water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried basil or 1 tablespoon freshly chopped basil

In a medium saucepan or dutch oven, heat olive oil on medium-high heat.
Add green beans, garlic and seasonings.
Sauté for approximately 5 minutes.
Make sure garlic does not burn.
Add liquid.
Bring to a boil.
Cover and turn heat down to medium-low.
Cook for 20 minutes, or until green beans are tender.
Adjust the seasonings.

Serves: 4

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1 1/2 cups sliced carrots (thickness of a quarter)
1 1/2 cups sliced onions
1 1/2 cups green pepper strips
1 1/2 cups celery, sliced and peeled
2 tablespoons olive oil
15 ounce can stewed tomatoes
15 ounce can tomato puree
6 ounce can tomato paste
1 cup tomato juice
Juice of 1 lemon
2 – 15 ounce cans kidney beans, drained
15 ounce can chick peas (garbanzo beans), drained
2 large or 4 small garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

Preparation

Heat oil in large skillet on medium heat and saute chopped vegetables
until just barely tender. Transfer to large pot and add
the rest of the ingredients. Mix well. Simmer for about 20 minutes
or until hot.
Season with more salt and/or chili powder to taste.

Serves 4
Do not overcook or vegetables will be mushy.

Yield: approximately 3 quarts

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1 package ready-made pizza dough
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
8 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick pieces (about 1 3/4 cups)
1 small sweet onion, thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
1 8-ounce block non-dairy cheese, your choice; shredded
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425°

Position 1 rack in top third of oven and 1 rack in bottom third of oven.
Spray or brush olive oil on heavy large baking sheet or large pizza pan.
Press or stretch pizza dough to fit either pan.
Brush dough with 1 tablespoon oil.
Toss tomatoes, bell pepper, zucchini, and onion with remaining 3 tablespoons oil in large bowl. Arrange vegetables on large rimmed baking sheet fitted with parchment paper.
Place pizza crust on top rack in oven and vegetables on bottom rack.
Bake until pizza crust is golden brown and vegetables are softened and brown in spots, about 13 minutes.
Remove from oven.
Sprinkle crust with cheese and top with vegetables.
Top with basil and bake until cheese is melted and bubbly, about 3 minutes.
Cut into slices.

Serves 2 – 4

Note: Inspired by a recipe on epicurious.com

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Medium butternut squash; halved, seeds removed
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

Preheat oven to 350°.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place butternut squash halves on baking sheet.
Drizzle with olive oil.
Sprinkle with chili powder and cumin.
Bake for 45 minutes.
Remove squash from oven and drizzle with maple syrup.
Return squash to oven.
Bake 10 more minutes, or until squash is tender.
Slice squash halves into thin slices.

Serves 6-8

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1/2 large yellow onion, diced
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 medium sweet potato, peeled, cut into 1 inch chunks
6 ounces fresh broccoli florets, about 4 cups
6 ounces fresh cauliflower florets, about 4 cups
4 tablespoons non-dairy butter
4 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup almond milk
salt, pepper to taste

In a large pot, over medium heat, melt non-dairy butter.
Add onion and garlic and sauté, until golden, about 6 minutes.
Add potato chunks, broccoli and cauliflower.
Add vegetable broth.
Bring to a boil.
Cover pot and lower heat to simmer.
Cook for approximately 25-30 minutes, or until vegetables are soft.
Uncover pot, turn off heat.
With an immersion blender, puree soup until creamy.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Add almond milk and puree for 1 more minute.

Serves 6

Note: The soup can be made using a pressure cooker, cutting the cooking time in half.