Italian Vegetable and Potato Stew

(recipe adapted from May All Be Fed: Diet For A New World by John Robbins)

1 large eggplant, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 1/2 tsp. sea salt
Olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, with leaves, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 medium boiling potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes
1 cup vegetable stock or water
1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil or 1 tsp. dried basil
1 cup black olives, pitted and chopped

Place the eggplant in a colander and toss with 1 tsp. of the salt.  Let stand for 1 hour to draw out the bitter juices.  Rinse well, drain, and pat dry with kitchen towels.  (I didn't rinse or dry...)

Heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a large pot.  Add the onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic.  Cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the eggplant, potatoes, tomatoes with juice, vegetable stock, 1/2 tsp. salt, and the red pepper flakes;  if using dried basil, add it now.  Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes.

Stir in the olives and, if using, the fresh basil, and continue cooking to blend the flavors, about 5 minutes.  Serve the stew hot.

(Very tasty and fairly simple to make.  The salting of the eggplant needs a bit of wait time.  The recipe called for pan frying the eggplant before adding to the dish, but I just threw it right in and the results were fine for me.)

Butternut Squash and Leek Pie

(recipe from Cook Your Way to the Life You Want by Christina Pirello)

Filling
2 tsp. oil
2 to 3 leeks, split lengthwise, rinsed well, and thinly sliced
Soy sauce
1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and diced
1 cup cooked chestnuts, coarsely minced
3 Tbsp. plain almond milk
About 1/4 cup coarsely minced walnuts, pan toasted, for garnish

Walnut Pastry
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
Pinch sea salt
1/2 cup walnuts, finely minced
1/4 cup walnut or corn oil
About 4 Tbsp. water

Make the filling:  Heat oil in a deep skillet over medium heat.  Add leeks and a dash of soy sauce; saute until limp, about 5 minutes.  Add squash and a dash of soy sauce; saute, stirring, until mixed in with leeks and shiny with oil.  Stir in chestnuts and milk, and season lightly with soy sauce.  Cover, and simmer over low heat until squash is soft, about 15 minutes.  Remove cover, and simmer until sauce reduces and thickens.

Make the pastry:  Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350F.  Oil a rectangular tart pan with a removable bottom.  Combine flour, salt, and walnuts in a medium bowl.  With a fork or pastry cutter, cut in oil until it is the texture of wet sand.  Slowly mix in water until dough gathers into a firm ball.  Roll dough between 2 sheets of parchment to create a rectangle that is about 1 inch larger than the pan.  Transfer rectangle to the pan and press, without stretching, to fit into crevices of pan.  Trim away excess crust flush with top rim.  Pierce in several places with a fork.  Fit a piece of foil over crust, pressing for a firm fit.  Fill crust with dried beans or pie weights to prevent crust from bubbling.  Bake 17 minutes.  Remove from oven, lift foil and beans (you may reuse the beans for pie weights), and allow crust to cool.

To assemble:  Spoon filling evenly into cooled pastry.  Garnish with toasted walnuts, and let stand about 15 minutes before slicing.

(Note:  I used a frozen pie crust!  I just baked the crust a bit, filled it with the filling, and baked more following directions on package.  Super tasty!  The chestnuts, leeks, and squash are delicious!)

Winter Vegetable Soup

(recipe from Cook Your Way to the Life You Want by Christina Pirello)

1-inch piece kombu
1 onion, diced
2 cups diced green cabbage
2 cups cubed winter squash (such as butternut)
1 cup rolled oats
6 to 7 cups water or vegetable stock
2 to 3 tsp. miso

Layer kombu and other vegetables in a soup pot in the order listed.  Top with oats, and add water.  Cover, and bring to a boil over medium heat.  Reduce heat to low, and simmer, covered, until vegetables are soft and oats are very creamy, about 40 minutes.  Remove a small amount of liquid, and use to dissolve miso.  Stir miso mixture gently into soup, and simmer, uncovered, 3 to 4 minutes to activate the enzymes in miso.

(This soup needs way more seasoning!  Season to taste, and it is delicious.)

Vegetable Bean Chili

(recipe adapted from May All Be Fed: Diet for a New World by John Robbins)

2 cups cooked kidney beans
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
2 medium carrots, finely chopped
2 ribs celery, with leaves, finely chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. sea salt
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper, plus more to taste
1 16-oz. can unsweetened tomato sauce
2 medium tomatoes or one 14-oz. can unsweetened tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 cup vegetable stock
1 1/2 cups thawed frozen corn

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onion, carrots, celery, bell pepper, and garlic, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 7 minutes.

Add the chili powder, cumin, oregano, bay leaves, salt, and pepper, and stir for 30 seconds.  Stir in the cooked beans, tomato sauce, tomatoes, and vegetable stock.  Cook, partially covered, until thickened, about 20 minutes.  Stir in the corn and cook for 5 minutes, or until heated through.  Remove the bay leaves and serve.

Creamy Butternut Squash Soup

(recipe adapted from May All Be Fed: Diet For A New World by John Robbins)

1 butternut squash (about 1 3/4 lbs.), peeled, cut into 2-inch cubes
4 1/2 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup raw almonds
1 1/2 tsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground pepper
Chopped parsley leaves, to taste
1 tart apple, such as Granny Smith, peeled, cored, and finely chopped

Put the squash and three cups of the vegetable stock in a large pot.  Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then reduce the heat, cover and cook until the squash is tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

Blanch the almonds in boiling water for 30 seconds.  Drain.

Put the blanched almonds and the remaining 1 1/2 cups vegetable stock into a blender.  Blend until smooth, about 1 minute.  Add the squash and cooking liquid, curry, salt, pepper, parsley and apple and process until smooth.

Pour back into the pot and bring just to a simmer over medium heat.

Greek Eggplant Dip

(recipe from The Vegan Gourmet)

2 lbs. eggplant (2 medium)
1/4 cup diced white onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
1 Tbsp. minced fresh oregano leaves (I used 1 tsp. dried oregano)
3 Tbsp. fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup olive oil
1 baguette or crusty loaf of bread

Preheat the oven to 400F.  Do not peel the eggplants, but pierce them in several places with a fork.  Place the whole eggplants in an ovenproof glass dish.  Bake for 40-50 minutes, until very soft.  The skin may scorch slightly.  Remove the eggplants from the oven and set aside to cool.  When they are cool enough to handle, cut in half lengthwise and scrape the pulp from the skin.

Place the eggplant pulp in a food processor and pulse to coarsely chop; do not puree.  Drain off any liquid that may separate from the pulp.  Add the onion, garlic, parsley, and oregano and pulse to combine.  With the machine running, add the lemon juice and olive oil.  Don't overprocess - the resulting mixture should be a thick, slightly chunky puree.  Transfer to a serving bowl and chill for several hours.

Serve with sliced or chunked bread (toasted if desired).

(This was a hit at the island Christmas party, 2018.)

Mushroom Tempeh Pâté

(recipe from The Vegan Gourmet)

1/4 lb. button mushrooms
2 Tbsp. olive oil
4 oz. tempeh, cubed
1 cup chopped red onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp. dry sherry
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. rubbed sage
1/8 tsp. ground allspice

Chop the mushrooms coarsely.  Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat and add the tempeh, mushrooms, onion, and garlic.  Cook, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes.  The mushroom liquid will evaporate and the mushrooms and onions will brown slightly.  Stir in the sherry, soy sauce, sage, and allspice.  Cook stirring constantly, about 5 minutes, until the liquid is gone.  Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Puree the mixture in a food processor to a thick, homogenous consistency.  Spoon into a serving bowl, cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 3 days.  Serve at room temperature with crisp crackers or baguette slices.

(Add salt and pepper to taste - I found it needed more salt!)