Italian-Style Marinated Eggplant

The Ingredients

6 Italian or Japanese eggplants (they are skinny and FULL of flavor)

1 cup red wine vinegar

extra virgin olive oil

3 garlic cloves

3 sprigs of parsley

sea salt

red chili flakes

Warning: this is a long process to preserve eggplants. Only do this if you have a lot of time to spare.

First, peel the eggplants. Then, cut off the top and bottom. Slice eggplants into thin quarters. Then, place a heavy bowl/weight on them to remove excess water for at least one hour. Doing this will allow you to infuse them with a lot of flavor. Then, throw the eggplants (they should be somewhat mushy at this point) into a pot with water and 1 cup of red wine vinegar. Bring to a boil. Then, squeeze out excess water out of the eggplant and keep in the pot for 15 minutes. Keep squeezing so they are all dente and removed of the excess liquid. Then, place the eggplant into a jar with parsley, hot pepper, garlic cloves, and olive oil. Submerge the eggplant and keep them there for at least a week to completely be infused with the flavors in the jar. They will be good for at least two weeks...if they last that long! They are a delicious condiment on sandwiches, great with small plates and wine, and also delicious on crackers. 

The eggplants

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

The oil

What they should look like prior to adding to the olive oil mixture

 In the jar

Final product! 

Carrot Soup

The Ingredients

9 carrots

3 parsnips

2 potatoes

1 container veggie stock

3 cloves garlic

1 red onion

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

3 cups water

4 bay leaves

ginger

cumin

coriander

black pepper

sea salt

chili flakes

thyme

Peel carrots and parsnips and chop into small pieces. Peel the potatoes and dice. Throw the veggie stock into the crock pot with diced vegetables. Then, dice some garlic and onion and throw into the mixture on low hear. Add olive oil, bay leaves, water, and spices to taste. Cook on low heat for 1-2 hours. Then, purée. Enjoy! 

Onion Tomato Veggie Broth

The Ingredients

1/4 white onion

1/4 red onion

skins of 4 potatoes

3 scallions

1/2 baby leek

skins from 4 carrots

parsley

20 peppercorns

3 bay leaves

2 tbsp tomato paste

thyme

rosemary

sea kelp salt

Throw all ingredients into a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then let simmer. The whole process should take about 30-40 minutes. The broth should be a nice orange color. Freeze in an ice tray to preserve. 

Enjoy! 

Veggie Bean Soup/Sauce

The Ingredients

1 can black beans

1 can peeled tomatoes with sauce

1/2 diced onion

optional: juice pulp from baby spinach, 2 carrots, 1 tomato, and 2 celery stalks

parsley

2 veggie stock cubes

Drain the black beans and throw into a crockpot with tomatoes. Dice 1/2 a white onion and throw it in. Use leftover juice pulp to add some flavor, thickness, and veggies to the mixture. I use my own veggie stock cubes, but 1 cup of regular veggie stock can also work. Then, add just enough water to gently coat the mixture. Also, since I already flavor my veggie stock with a lot of salt and spices, I don't add any to the mixture. You can add salt, pepper, and spices to taste. Cook on low heat for 4 hours. Then, purée. You can add extra water if you want to turn the mixture into a sauce. 

Bean sauce over sunnyside up eggs. 

Honey Vanilla Waffle

The Ingredients

1 1/2 cups flour

3/4 cup soy milk

1 tbsp honey

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

3 tbsp melted butter

1/4 ground flax seeds

Mix all ingredients into a bowl and use a waffle iron to cook. Enjoy! 

Serious nom noms. 

Yummy Juice

The Ingredients

2 golden beets

4 celery stalks

1 Bosc pear

1/2 bundle of parsley

Yum! 

Asiago Parmesan Thins

The Ingredients

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

1/2 cup asiago cheese

Grate cheeses into circles and bake for 3-5 minutes at 325 degrees. Make sure they don't turn too brown, or they will be bitter. When done just right, they are crunchy and a delicious snack. 

YUM!