1 medium eggplant, peeled, cut into 1 inch cubes
2 red bell peppers, seeded, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 red onion, peeled, cut into 1 inch cubes
2 garlic cloves, peeled; each cut in half
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon tomato paste or (1 Roma tomato, diced), optional

Preheat oven to 400°F.

In a large baking sheet with sides, fitted with parchment paper, add all of the ingredients, except the tomato paste or tomato. Roast 35-45 minutes, until vegetables are lightly browned and soft, stirring once during cooking. Cool slightly. Place vegetables in a food processor fitted with a steel blade, add tomato paste, if using, and pulse 3-4 times, or more, to blend. Taste for salt and pepper.

Note: If using a Roma tomato, add after mixture has been processed.

1 whole head of garlic, cloves separated, but not peeled
1 large head of cauliflower, trimmed and cut into large florets
4 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced
3 tablespoons pine nuts
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preheat oven to 450ºF.

Bring small pot of water to a boil and add the garlic cloves. Boil 15 seconds. Drain, peel, and cut off any brown parts. Cut the largest cloves in half lengthwise.

On a sheet pan, fitted with parchment paper, toss the cauliflower with the garlic, 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Spread mixture out in a single layer and roast for 20-25 minutes, tossing twice, until the cauliflower is tender and the garlic is lightly browned.

Scrape the cauliflower into a large bowl with the garlic and pan juices. Add the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, parsley, pine nuts and lemon juice. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt, toss well, and serve hot or warm.

Serves 6

Note: Can use 2 small heads of cauliflower instead of 1 large one. Can substitute brussels sprouts for the cauliflower.

2 medium large eggplants
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 cup homemade bread crumbs – recipe to follow
2 cups tomato sauce – homemade or canned
1 pound fresh Mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
fresh basil leaves
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Slice the eggplant horizontally into 1/3inch slices. Sprinkle
the eggplant with salt and pepper. Heat half of the olive oil in a
saute pan and lightly brown the eggplant on both sides.
Lightly coat a cookie sheet with olive oil, starting with the 4 largest pieces of eggplant place them on the cookie sheet. Add a few spoonfuls of tomato sauce followed by a slice of the fresh Mozzarella cheese, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and continue to layer the eggplant slices on top of each other repeating with the sauce and cheese on each layer from largest to smallest. The final layer should be covered with the remainder of the sauce and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes.
To plate it, make a small pile of bread crumbs and set one serving of
the eggplant parmesan on top. Tear some basil leaves and spread them
around the plate follow up with a drizzle of olive oil, and a sprinkle of
Parmesan cheese.
Repeat procedure for the rest of the eggplant.

Homemade Breadcrumbs

4 slices day old bread of your choice
olive oil
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Slice the bread into very small cubes and spread them out on a cookie sheet. Drizzle them with olive oil and a dash of salt and pepper. Bake until golden brown.

Serves 4

Note: Eggplants can be peeled, if desired
Substitute Daiya Vegan Cheese to make this a vegan recipe