Zucchini Eggplant Rolls

(recipe from Maine Food & Lifestyle magazine)

Eggplant slices:
1 large eggplant
Salt
Olive oil

Tomato sauce:
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil (or 1 tsp. dried)

White bean puree:
One 15-oz. can cannellini beans
1/4 cup pine nuts (I used walnuts)
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. fresh herbs (oregano, thyme, and basil are nice)

1 zucchini, cut into 3-inch matchsticks
1/4 cup breadcrumbs

Rinse the eggplant.  Cut off the top and bottom ends, so that the eggplant can stand vertically on a cutting board.  With a long knife, cut it vertically into slices 1/4-inch thick.  The first and last slices will have too much skin for easy rolling, so those will not be needed.  Choose your best eight slices (I used all of my slices) and gently rub both sides with salt.  Place them in a colander in the sink and allow them to drip for 30 minutes.  This tenderizes the eggplant and removes its bitterness.

While the eggplant sits, prepare the tomato sauce.  Saute the garlic in olive oil over medium heat until lightly browned, about 2-3 minutes.  Add the tomatoes, red pepper, salt, and black pepper.  Lower the heat and simmer 15 minutes, breaking tomatoes apart with the back of the spoon.  Stir in basil.  Simmer over very low heat while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Preheat the over to 350F and return to the eggplant slices.  Rinse them under the faucet and pat them dry.  Brush both sides with olive oil and place on a baking sheet.  Roast for 20 minutes, until the thinner parts of the slices are golden brown.

While the eggplant roasts, prepare the white bean puree.  Put all the ingredients in a food processor and puree until uniform and smooth.  (If you have any leftover, this puree also makes a great spread for crackers and tomato sandwiches.)

When the roasted eggplant slices are cool enough to handle, assemble the rolls.  Thinly spread about a tablespoon of white bean puree across a slice of eggplant, then lay 3-4 (or more if thin) zucchini matchsticks across one end.  Beginning at that end, roll the eggplant up and place it in a baking dish, seam down.  When all of the rolls are in place, spoon the tomato sauce over them and top with breadcrumbs.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the breadcrumbs are golden.  Serve with pasta, risotto, or polenta.

(A bit of an effort, but very delicious!  So flavorful!)

Roasted Ratatouille Couscous

(recipe from The Washington Post)

Olive oil or non-stick cooking spray
1 medium eggplant (about 1 lb.), cut into 3/4- to 1-inch cubes
1 lb. zucchini, cut into 3/4- to 1-inch cubes
1 large red bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 1/2- to 3/4-inch squares
2 medium onions, cut into 1/2- to 3/4-inch dice
2 tomatoes, seeded and cut into 1/2- to 3/4-inch dice (I didn't seed my tomatoes)
1/3 cup plus 2 Tbsp. olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cups uncooked couscous (I used brown rice)

Preheat the oven to 425F.  Lightly coat a large rimmed baking sheet with olive oil or spray.

In a large bowl, combine the eggplant, zucchini, bell pepper, onions and tomatoes.  Add 1/3 cup of the oil and salt and pepper to taste and toss the vegetables to coat.  Transfer to the prepared baking sheet, keeping the vegetables in one layer.

Roast until tender and just beginning to brown, 60 to 70 minutes (or less - keep an eye on them), stirring every 15 minutes and turning the pan midway through to ensure even cooking.  Transfer to a large serving bowl and set aside.

Prepare the couscous (or rice) according to package directions.  Add the cooked couscous and the remaining 2 Tbsp. oil to the roasted vegetables and stir to combine.  Adjust the seasonings to taste.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Braised Fennel Wedges with Saffron and Tomato

(recipe from asweetspoonful.com)

2 large fennel bulbs
2-3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 tsp. fennel seeds
Pinch of saffron threads
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
Finely chopped fennel stalks
Finely chopped fennel greens
3 cloves garlic, crushed
3 Tbsp. tomato paste
2 Tbsp. capers
1 1/2 cups vegetable stock (I used water)
Salt

Trim off the stalks and greens from the fennel bulbs and chop finely.  Set aside.  If the outer leaves of the bulbs look scarred, take a slice off the base and loosen them and set them aside for another use.  Halve each bulb lengthwise and cut the halves into wedges about 1-2 inches thick.  (Leave the core intact when slicing the fennel, as it's what really holds the slices together.)

Heat the olive oil in a wide saute pan over medium-high heat.  When hot, add the onion and fennel seeds, crumble in the saffron and thyme, and then cook until the onions soften and the steam releases the color from the saffron, about 7-10 minutes.  Add the fennel wedges and cook them until golden (even a little charred), turning them and the onions occasionally.  Once they are well colored, add the chopped fennel stalks and greens, garlic, stir in the tomato paste and capers, and add the stock and 1 tsp. salt.  Scrape the pan to release the juices, then cover and simmer until the fennel is tender, about 15-20 minutes.

Serve over a bed of cooked grains.

(Since I'm avoiding grains, I ate this soupy mixture with an egg cooked in it to round it out.  I also just ate it as-is.  The braised fennel is tender and has a sweet, anise-y flavor.  Really unique dish.)

Quinoa Stuffed Tomatoes

(recipe from Whole Foods Market)

1 cup vegetable broth (I just used water)
1/2 cup quinoa
4 large ripe but firm tomatoes
1/2 small onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, sliced
6 oz. tempeh, diced
2/3 cup raisins
2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme (I used a smaller amount of dried thyme)
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

Bring the broth and quinoa to a boil in a small saucepan.  Lower the heat, cover, and simmer until the water is absorbed and the grains are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.  Meanwhile, slice the top off each tomato to expose the inside.  Use a spoon to hollow out the pulp and seeds and place in a bowl.  Chop the tomato tops and add to the bowl.  Set bowl and tomato shells aside.

Preheat the oven to 400F.  In a large skillet, combine onion and 2 Tbsp. water or oil.  Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until onion begins to brown, about 6 minutes.  Stir in garlic, tempeh, raisins, thyme, pepper and reserved tomato trimmings and cook, stirring frequently, until most liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes.  Stir in quinoa and parsley.  Stuff tomato shells with quinoa mixture, mounding it on top, and place tomatoes in a casserole dish lined with parchment paper.  Bake until tomatoes are soft and filling is just browed on top, about 15 minutes.


(While making this recipe, hollowing out the tomatoes, I wondered if it was going to be worth the work...  It was!  You may actually want to double it and make 8 stuffed tomatoes!  The combination of the quinoa, tempeh, raisins with the tomato is lovely.  And each tomato packs up nicely for lunch.)