Vanilla Nectarine Agua Fresca

Ingredients:

8 nectarines
1/4 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1 tablespoon sugar (to taste)
cold water
ice

Combine nectarine, sugar, vanilla, and cold water in a blender and puree until completely blended. Run mixture through cheesecloth if desired. Serve over ice.

Lentil and Bean Paprika Soup

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon oil
1/2 onion, chopped
3 celery stalks, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 bay leaves
2 roma tomatoes, chopped
1 cup tomato puree
1 cup brown lentils
4 cups vegetable stock
1-1/2 cup black beans (or any other bean)
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
salt and black pepper, to taste

Cook onion, celery, and garlic in the oil until tender. Add paprika and bay leaves and saute until aromatic.

Stir in tomatoes, stock, and lentils. Add water until desired consistency is reached. Cover and bring to simmer. Cook until lentils are tender. Add black beans and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with the parsley.

Migas

Ingredients:

6 vegan eggs
1 teaspoon oil
1/2 large onion, minced
1 small clove garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
1 jalapeno, minced
1 tomato, finely diced
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
salt, to taste
2/3 cup vegan cheddar or pepper jack cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons cilantro, minced
1 cup tortilla chips, roughly broken

Whisk egg with salt and set aside.

In a frying pan, cook the onion and garlic in some oil. Add the peppers and cook until tender crisp. Stir in the tomato and cook until liquid is reduced. Add the seasonings and then scramble in the eggs and cheese. Stir in cilantro just before removing from heat. Top with the tortilla chips.

Stuffed Baby Eggplants

Ingredients:

8 small eggplants
olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon basil
6 roma tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup vegan parmesan
1/4 cup parsley, minced
salt and black pepper, to taste

Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise and score the flesh. Scoop out eggplant flesh with a spoon.

Drizzle eggplant shells with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake cut side up at 350 for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook onion and oil in a skillet. Add garlic and eggplant and cook until eggplant is tender. Stir in basil, oregano, and tomatoes. Cook until thickened and remove from heat.

Stir in vegan parmesan, parsley, salt and pepper.

Scoop filling into eggplant shells and sprinkle with more parmesan. Bake 30 minutes at 350. Serve hot or warm.

Spanish Lentil Stew

Ingredients:

2 cups brown lentils, soaked
soyrizo or vegan andouille sausage, sliced
1 cup tomato puree
1 tomato, chopped
olive oil
1 carrot, chopped
1 yellow potato, diced
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, sliced
3 bay leaves
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
salt, to taste
2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped


Cook potato in some oil and add carrot, onion, garlic, and bay leaves. Stir in tomato, puree, lentils, and water. Bring to a simmer and add paprika and salt. Simmer until potatoes and lentils are tender. Garnish with parsley.

Serve with crusty bread.

Note: for better flavor, puree the onion, garlic, and some water in a blender after cooking them, then stir in with remaining ingredients.

Baked Penne

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon oil
1/4 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 vegan italian sausages, diced
1 roma tomato, finely chopped
2 cups tomato puree
1 tablespoon oregano
2 teaspoons basil
1/2 teaspoon fennel seed
salt and red pepper, to taste
a pinch of nutmeg
16 ounces penne
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
mozzarella
parmesan

Cook onion and garlic in the oil. Add sausage, tomato, and puree. Season with oregano, basil, fennel seed, salt, red pepper, and nutmeg. Bring to simmer and remove from heat.

Melt butter in a saucepan. Add flour and cook 1 minute. Gradually add the milk. Season with salt when it is thickened.

Boil pasta until al dente.

Dab some tomato sauce on the bottom of a casserole dish. Pour a third of the pasta into the dish. Layer with 1/3 of the tomato sauce, bechamel sauce, and mozzarella. Repeat layers three times, finishing with some parmesan cheese.

Bake at 375 for 20 minutes.

Kale and Wild Rice Salad

Ingredients:

1 cup pomegranate arils
2 cups baby kale, roughly chopped
1-1/2 cup wild rice, cooked and cooled
1/4 cup toasted walnuts, chopped
1/4 cup feta (optional)
1/4 cup shallot, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
juice of 1/2 lemon
salt

Toss pomegranate, kale, wild rice, and feta. Combine remaining ingredients in a jar and toss with the salad just before serving.