Tag Archives: eggplant

Coconutty Tofu and Egglant with Basil

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I just love the summer produce here in Georgia!  Berries, basil, eggplant, melons, black-eyed peas, figs, corn, peppers, jalapenos, squash, okra, and so much more!

I just purchased a bunch of long, skinny eggplants (Asian eggplants), garlic, and red onions along with other delicious items from the farmers market.  And, I decided to experiment with it.  I was inspired by an eggplant/tofu/basil dish I had in the past, at a  Vietnamese restaurant here in town.  I already had the tofu in my fridge and the basil in my backyard, so I gave it a shot.

I experimented with the ingredients until it tasted delicious.  So, now here it is.

This dish is easy, quick, delicious, filling, and pretty healthy.  It goes very well with both quinoa and brown rice.  Today, I served it with quinoa.

Ingredients:

  • 1 block of extra firm tofu (sliced in 1 inch blocks)
  • 1/2 cup of vegetable broth
  • 1 large red onion (sliced lengthwise)
  • 4 large cloves of garlic (minced)
  • 2/3 cup of fresh basil (chopped)
  • 3 medium-sized long eggplant (sliced 1 to 1.5 inches in length)
  • 3 tablespoons of coconut oil
  • 4 tablespoons of shredded coconut
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons of sriracha hot sauce (optional)
  • liquid aminos to taste

Directions:

  1. Prepare your veggies.
  2. Cook rice or quinoa.
  3. Heat up your pan/skillet.
  4. Add coconut oil.
  5. Add garlic and saute for less than a minute.
  6. Then add tofu, onions, eggplant, and broth.
  7. Cook for 10 minutes.
  8. Add liquid aminos to taste (I use this instead of salt)
  9. Cook for a bit longer until the liquid is gone.
  10. Then add basil and the shredded coconut.
  11. Cook for another minute or two.
  12. Serve over rice or quinoa.
  13. Enjoy!

Breaded Coconut Curry Eggplant Fries

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This recipe was featured on: 

Certified Yummly Recipes on Yummly.com

I just love eggplant!  I love eggplant sandwiches, eggplant curry, eggplant and tofu stir fry.  But, today I wanted to create something a bit different.  So I made these delicious, coconutty, and crunchy eggplant fries.

Reasons to love eggplant:

  1. It is a wonderful source of fiber.
  2. It is a great source of Vitamin B1 and B6.
  3. It is a great source of potassium.
  4. It contains copper, magnesium, manganese, phosphorous, niacin and folic acid.
  5. It helps reduce cholesterol.
  6. It contains antioxidants.
  7. It is a good food for type 2 diabetics.
  8. It helps fight cancer.

So, eat up those eggplants!

Ingredients:

  • 1 eggplant (med-large)
  • 2 cups of all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups of whole wheat panko bread crumbs (Ian’s brand)
  • 1.5 cups of unsweetened and unflavored almond milk
  • 1 cup of unsweetened and all-natural shredded coconut
  • 4 tablespoons of Braggs liquid aminos
  • 4 teaspoons of curry powder
  • 1 teaspoon of ginger powder
  • 1 vegan bouillon cube
  • coconut oil (3 to 5 tablespoons)

Dipping sauce #1 ingredients:

  • 4 tablespoons of VEGENAISE (vegan mayo)
  • 1 tablespoon of Asian chili paste

(mix together)

Dipping sauce #2 ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons of VEGENAISE (vegan mayo)
  • 3 tablespoons of Sriracha hot sauce

(mix together)

Note: dipping sauce is not necessary.  It is obviously healthier without it.  My daughter likes these plain or with ketchup.

Directions:

  1. Peel and slice eggplant into fry-sized pieces.
  2. Preheat oven to 385 degrees.
  3. Mix bouillon cube, liquid aminos, ginger powder, and curry powder together.  Set aside.  Note: if your bouillon cube does not mix well, heat up the milk for a minute.
  4. Mix flour and shredded coconut together and set aside.
  5. Grease your cookie sheet with coconut oil.
  6. Pour out the panko crumbs on a plate.
  7. Dip eggplant into the non-dairy milk mixture.
  8. Roll it into the flour.
  9. Dip it into the non-dairy milk mixture again.
  10. Roll it into the panko bread crumbs.
  11. Place onto your cookie sheet.
  12. Bake for 20 minutes.
  13. Serve with your sauces. 
  14. Enjoy!

Note: dipping sauce #2 is spicier than #1.  Dipping Sauce #1 is just a bit sweet and mild.

My child loved them as well!

Friday Lunch: Gardein and Eggplant Burger with Veggie Hash Browns

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Today, I made some veggie hash browns with chili leaves as a side dish for a Gardein patty and eggplant burger.  It was delicious and very easy to prepare.  I usually make my own vegan burgers, but I just wanted something quick for today’s lunch.  It took me thirty minutes to prepare, cook and serve.  And, I would usually have more veggies on the burger, but I ran out of tomatoes, lettuce and sprouts yesterday.

I used chili leaves because I have never cooked with them before.  My mom purchased it from the Asian store, when she was here for a visit, and left it in the freezer.  I am not sure what she was going to cook with it, but I was curious about it.  Surprisingly, it tastes very much like spinach.  So, if you do not have any chili leaves, feel free to just substitute it with 2 cups of fresh spinach.

Ingredients for hash browns:

  • 16 oz bag of organic hash browns
  • 1 medium-sized bell pepper (chopped)
  • 1 red sweet pepper chopped (optional)
  • 1 small-medium white onion (chopped)
  • 5 cloves of garlic (minced)
  • 2 tablespoons of dulse granules (optional)
  • 8 ounces of chili pepper leaves
  • 2 pinches of curry
  • 2 pinches of cumin
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 tablespoon of oil (coconut or olive oil)

Directions:

  1. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large pan (I used my awesome wok).
  2. Add onions and garlic.  Sweat the onions for a minute, then add the bell peppers.
  3. After a couple of minutes, add the hash browns, dulse granules, curry and cumin.
  4. Cook and stir well for about 5 minutes.
  5. Then add sweet peppers and the chili leaves or spinach.  Then, cook for a couple of minutes.
  6. Spray about 1 tablespoon on your griddle.
  7. Transfer everything on the griddle and flatten the hash browns.
  8. Cook for 10 minutes on each side in medium heat.
  9. Add salt and pepper.
  10. Serve and enjoy!

You can top it off with some cayenne peppers, jalapenos, green onions, etc.

Gardein Patty and Eggplant Burger

What you will need:

  • Whole wheat buns
  • Gardein “burger” patties
  • 1 eggplant sliced (1 inch thick)
  • 3 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons of aged balsamic vinegarrette
  • 1 teaspoon of sea salt
  • 2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning

Directions:

  1. Cook the Gardein patties according to instructions on the back of the package.
  2. Mix olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and Italian seasoning.
  3. Place the sliced eggplant in a container and pour the oil and vinegar mixture in with it.
  4. Cover and shake for a few minutes.
  5. Heat up the pan and spray a little bit of olive oil on it.
  6. Cook the eggplant in medium heat for four minutes on each side.
  7. Place it in your gardein burger.
  8. Dress it up with your favorite condiments.  Today, I used vegenaise and hot mustard.
  9. Enjoy!

Daiya “cheesy” Vegan Vegetable Lasagna

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I decided to make lasagna today after I had realized that I haven’t made lasagna in over 3 years.  I forgot how easy and quick it was to make it.

As always, this is a veganized version of the traditional lasagna.  It is MUCH healthier too!  It is tasty, delicious, “cheesy”, and very filling.

Ingredients:

  • 1.5 jars of organic spaghetti sauce
  • 1 package of lasagna noodles (organic whole wheat or brown rice)
  • 1 package of firm tofu
  • 2 cups of fresh spinach
  • 1/2 cup of fresh basil
  • 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast
  • 1 bag of mozzarella vegan DAIYA “cheese”
  • 1 large eggplant (thinly sliced)
  • 1/2 of a medium sized onion (diced)
  • 1 large carrot (diced)
  • 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 tablespoon of parsley
  • 1 tablespoon of bouillon (vegan)
  • 2 cloves of garlic (minced)
  • 1 tablespoon of grapeseed oil or cold pressed olive oil

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Prepare your veggies.
  3. Saute onions and garlic in grape seed oil until the onions are a bit transparent.
  4. Add carrots, Italian seasonings, parsley, bouillon, and tofu.  Note: squish the tofu with your hands until it looks like feta cheese.
  5. Cook together for 5 minutes.
  6. Add spinach and basil.
  7. Cook for another 5 minutes.
  8. In a 9″ x 13″ baking dish, pour a little bit of the spaghetti sauce at the bottom and layer the eggplant, uncooked pasta, tofu, and DAIYA vegan “cheese”.  Note: make sure the all pasta is covered in sauce.
  9. Here is how it looks before it is baked.
  10. Cover and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes.
  11. Enjoy!

    Sprinkled dried parsley over the bread and the lasagna.

  12. By the way, I served this with home made bread.  Click here for the bread recipe.  Note:  I also added 4 cloves of minced garlic into the bread dough before I baked it.  Delicious!

Lentil Veggie Burgers

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This is a delicious and healthy “burger” without the guilt.  This dish is packed with protein, antioxidants, grains, vitamins, and flavor.  I have also used it to make a “burger” burrito (place in a wrap with salad and salad dressing).  Love it!

Note: You can double the ingredients and make a lot more “burger” patties and store in the freezer.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup of lentils
  • 1 cup of flour (whole wheat)
  • 1/2 cup of oats
  • 1/2 cup of brown rice (cooked)
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 small eggplant
  • 1 small onion
  • 2 to 3 cloves of garlic
  • 1/2 cup of corn (optional)
  • 1.5 to 2 tsp salt (adjust to your taste preference)
  • 2 tsp of oregano
  • 1.5 tsp coriander
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp of nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp of pepper (optional or adjust to your taste preference)
  • cornmeal to cover the “hamburger” patty

Crunchy patty

Directions:

  1. Roast Eggplant: Place in a foil and bake for 20 minutes in a 375 degree oven…or until it is soft.
  2. Cook lentils in boiling water (15 to 25 minutes).
  3. Cook brown rice.
  4. Throw carrots, onions, garlic, cooked eggplant and rice in a food processor and process together.
  5. After the lentils are cooked, add the processed veggies and rice in, smash together with your hands or with a potato masher.  Note: try not to smash all of the lentils.
  6. Add corn (optional), oats, flour, and seasonings.
  7. Make “burger” patties.
  8. Cover in corn meal.
  9. Cook in a little bit of oil until the outside is crunchy.
  10. Place in a whole wheat bun and add your favorite fix ins.
  11. Enjoy!

Eggplant Soup!

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This soup is awesome!   Not only is it  “feel good” soup,  but the ingredients in the soup are very good for you, which is what you need during this time of year when everyone is sick!

**Eggplant contains fiber and protein.  It is also known for its high mineral content, high vitamin content, and antioxidant properties.

Ingredients:

  • 1 large eggplant
  • 1 large tomato
  • 1 small onion
  • 1 medium sized carrot
  • 4 cups of vegetable broth (you may adjust the amount of vegetable broth…just in case you want it a little thicker)
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon of thyme
  • 1 teaspoon of basil
  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil
  • salt and pepper

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven at 375 degrees.
  2. Slice veggies and toss it with olive oil and a few pinches of salt and pepper (onions, garlic, tomato, carrot, and eggplant).
  3. Bake veggies for 30 to 40 minutes.  Then, peel off the eggplant skin (optional…if the skin is too tough).   Note: if you want to keep the skins on, bake the whole eggplant wrapped in aluminum foil.
  4. In a food processor, process veggies.
  5. In a pot, boil the vegetable broth with basil and thyme, then add the processed veggies, salt and pepper.

Serve with a vegan sandwich or just vegan whole wheat bread.

Enjoy!

Vegan Chili With Wheat Berries

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Chilli

Perfect meal on a cold day!

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups of Bob’s Red Mill 13 Bean Soup Mix
  • 1 cup of organic wheat berries
  • 10 cups of water
  • 5 NOT BEEF bouillon cubes
  • 12 oz canned organic diced tomatoes
  • 1 cup of organic celery (diced)
  • 4 large organic carrots (diced)
  • 1/2 onion (diced)
  • 1/2 cup of diced and peeled organic eggplant
  • 1/2 cup of organic mushrooms (diced)
  • 1.5 table spoons of diced garlic
  • 1.5 table spoons of chilli powder
  • 1 pinch of paprika
  • 1 pinch of celery seeds
  • salt and pepper

Soak beans overnight and rinse before cooking.

In a large pot, add water, bouillon cubes, beans, then boil for 20 minutes.  Then, turn the heat to low and simmer for an hour then add diced tomatoes, chilli powder, wheat berries, garlic, celery, carrots,mushrooms, eggplant, paprika and celery seeds.  Simmer the chilli for a total of 2.5 hours and add salt and pepper to taste.

*Garnish with vegan “sour cream”, cilantro, or vegan cheddar “cheese”.

*You may also want to try topping this dish off with some fresh jalapeno or nutritional yeast….or both!

*Serve with organic vegan crackers or bread.

This dish contains a lot of protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, etc….basically, it is pretty good for you…

Enjoy!