Grilled Eggplant Involtini

Serves 4

30 minutes or fewer

Grilled eggplant slices have a cutlet texture that’s sturdy enough to stand up to sauces, toppings, and fillings. Here, they are rolled around a tomato-and-olive filling for a veg version of a classic Italian beef recipe.

2 large eggplant, 1 peeled and diced
(3 cups), 1 cut into 8 slices, divided
3 tomatoes, halved and seeded
1 medium onion, diced (1½ cups)
6 Tbs. olive oil, divided
4 cloves garlic, minced (4 tsp.)
¼ cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained
¼ cup chopped basil leaves, plus more for garnish
¼ cup kalamata olives
3 Tbs. capers, drained
2 Tbs. chopped parsley
2 Tbs. nutritional yeast
2 cups prepared tomato sauce

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Toss together diced eggplant, tomatoes, onion, 3 Tbs. olive oil, and garlic in bowl. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Spread on baking sheet, and roast 25 minutes, or until vegetables are browned and tender. Transfer to food processor, and add sun-dried tomatoes, basil, olives, capers, parsley, and nutritional yeast; process until chunky-smooth. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

2. Heat remaining 3 Tbs. oil in grill pan over medium-high heat. Cook eggplant slices on grill pan 3 minutes per side, or until tender. Cool.

3. Coat 13- x 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Spoon 1/4 cup roasted vegetables onto edge of each grilled eggplant slice. Roll eggplant slices into logs, and place seam-side-down in prepared baking dish. Spoon tomato sauce over eggplant rolls in dish. Bake  10 minutes, or until tomato sauce is hot and bubbly. Garnish with basil leaves.

Black-Eyed Pea Croquettes

SERVES 8

The myth in the African-American community is that black-eyed peas should be eaten on New Year’s Day for good luck. The traditional dish is called Hoppin’ John, which is a mix of black-eyed peas, rice and pork sausage. There are several theories on how this dish got its name, but here is a new twist on this old favorite. The mix may be made 1 day ahead, but add the breadcrumbs when you make the patties.

6 cups water
2 cups uncooked black-eyed peas
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. canola oil
1 small onion, diced
1 Tbs. minced garlic
1 ½ cups canned fire-roasted tomatoes, diced
¼ tsp. chili paste, or more to taste
1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 scallions, thinly sliced
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
4 cups fresh breadcrumbs
Flour for dusting

Bring 6 cups water to a boil over high heat, and add peas and 1 tsp. salt. Cook peas for 1 hour or until tender. Remove from heat, and set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, heat oil on medium heat, and sauté onion until translucent, about 7 minutes. Add garlic and tomatoes, bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Add chili paste, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper, and cook for 20 minutes. Remove from heat, and set aside to cool.
Combine peas and tomato mixture. Place half of pea mixture in food processor and purée, or mash half with back of wooden spoon in bowl. Add mashed mixture to remaining beans, and add scallions, eggs and breadcrumbs. Mixture should be thick but moist. If it is too moist, add more breadcrumbs. Form mixture into 11/2-inch round patties, about 1/2-inch thick.
Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Dust each patty with flour, and gently place in skillet. Cook for about 2 minutes on each side, and repeat process until all mixture is used, adding more oil if needed. Remove from heat, drain on paper towels and serve hot.

Hoppin’ John with Collard Greens

Serves 4

Southern cooks put cruets of vinegar and bottles of vinegar-based hot sauce (like Tabasco and Texas Pete) on the table for guests to doctor up this classic New Year’s dish with tangy flavor.

¼ cup apple cider vinegar, divided
2 Tbs. agave nectar
3 tsp. olive oil, divided
1 tsp. chili powder, divided
1 tsp. salt, divided
1 large bunch collard greens, chopped
4 slices meatless low-fat bacon strips, chopped
1 small onion, chopped (¾ cup)
3 ribs celery, chopped (¾ cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
1 ½ cups cooked long-grain white rice
1 15.5-oz. can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed

1. Whisk together 2 Tbs. vinegar, agave nectar, 1 tsp. olive oil, 1/2 tsp. chili powder, and 1/2 tsp. salt; set aside.

2. Cook collard greens in pot of boiling salted water 15 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup liquid.

3. Meanwhile, heat remaining 2 tsp. oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add bacon, onion, celery, garlic, and remaining 1/2 tsp. chili powder. Cook 8 minutes, or until translucent. Add collard greens, vinegar-agave nectar mixture, 1/4 cup reserved cooking liquid, 2 Tbs. vinegar, and remaining 1/2 tsp. salt. Cover, and cook 10 minutes, or until greens are tender. Transfer to serving platter.

4. Add rice and beans to skillet. Stir in remaining 1/4 cup cooking liquid, and cook 3 minutes, or until heated through. Serve rice and beans over greens.

Vegetarian Chili

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)

1 medium green bell pepper, chopped (1 cup)

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 fresh jalapeño or serrano chiles, seeded, finely chopped

2 cans (15 oz each) Progresso® black beans, drained, rinsed

2 cans (14.5 oz each) Muir Glen® organic fire roasted or plain diced tomatoes, undrained

1 1/2 cups water

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon coarse (kosher or sea) salt

1 cup Cascadian Farm® frozen organic sweet corn
Sour cream or plain yogurt, if desired Shredded Cheddar cheese, if desired Chopped fresh cilantro, if desired Step 1. In 4-quart saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic and chiles; cook 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until tender. Step 2. Stir in black beans, tomatoes, water, chili powder, cumin and salt. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in corn. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered 5 minutes longer. Step 3. Top each serving with remaining ingredients.

Tofu Gumbo

SERVES 8

Gumbo may be made with a number of main ingredients, so why not tofu? Marinated tofu is a modern addition to this old Cajun favorite—along with the distinctive texture of okra. It’s served over a White Corn Grits Soufflé, which is fluffed with eggs and served golden brown and piping hot right out of the oven. Leftover grits may be sliced and fried like polenta for breakfast the next morning or eaten as a snack later in the day.

1 Tbs. minced garlic
½ onion, diced
¼ cup Dijon mustard
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
¼ cup peanut oil
¼ cup cider vinegar
1 Tbs. brown sugar
1 lb. extra-firm tofu, cut in ½-inch cubes
3 Tbs. plus ¼ cup canola oil
2 ribs celery, diced
1 green pepper, diced
½ red pepper, diced
1 cup diced canned tomatoes
1 tsp. dried thyme leaves
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried basil
2 bay leaves
2 cups vegetable stock
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
¼ lb. okra, cut in ½-inch pieces
½ cup all-purpose flour

Combine garlic, onion, mustard, cayenne pepper, peanut oil, vinegar and brown sugar in large bowl. Place tofu cubes in mixture, and marinate 2 to 24 hours.
Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in large pot over medium heat. Sauté onions, celery, peppers and garlic until onions are translucent and vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes, thyme, oregano, basil, bay leaves, stock, salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 15 to 20 minutes.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large skillet, and sauté okra until light brown. Remove from skillet, and add to tomato mixture.
Drain tofu, keeping diced onion. Reheat skillet, and sauté tofu until lightly browned. Remove from skillet, and add to tomato mixture.
Heat remaining 1/4 cup oil in skillet, and whisk in flour. Continue whisking mixture, or roux, until it is light brown and smells slightly nutty, for 3 to 4 minutes.
Reheat tomato mixture over medium heat, and stir in roux 1 tablespoon at a time. Continue to stir until gumbo is consistency of gravy. Remove from heat, and serve over White Corn Grits Soufflé.

Who We Are

Vegetarian