2-3 Chinese eggplants cut into 1 0r 2 inch chunks

1/2 lb fresh green beans, stem ends snapped off

1 tbsp olive oil

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 tsp salt

Red pepper flakes (optional)

Preheat oven to 400º.

In a large casserole dish or any baking pan with deep sides, toss the eggplant, green beans, garlic, and olive oil until everything is well coated.

Sprinkle with  salt and red pepper flakes, and bake for about 25-35 minutes or until the green beans are as soft as you would like them.

Yields 4 servings.

Fruit Crisp

10 apples, pears, or combination of the two, cut into uniform slices

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup brown sugar

⅔ cup oats (quick or old-fashioned, either is fine)

1 tbsp cinnamon, plus more for sprinkling

1 tbsp vanilla

1/4 cup water

Preheat the oven to 350.

In a medium casserole dish, put the apple and/or pear slices. Sprinkle cinnamon over the fruit. In a separate bowl, mix butter and sugar. Add flour, cinnamon, and vanilla. Mix until uniform. Add the oats, using more if the dough seems wet. Sprinkle the dough mixture over the fruit evenly. Add the water and bake 45 minutes or until the apples are soft.

Makes 15 small servings.

5 carrots, grated

1 green apple, skin on, diced into small pieces

1/4 cup chopped or slivered almonds

For the dressing:

Juice of 1 grapefruit (about 1/4 cup)

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp oil

Put the apple pieces, grated carrot, and almond in a large bowl. To make the dressing, blend the grapefruit juice, vinegar, and oil in a smaller, separate bowl with a whisk. Pour the dressing over the carrot/apple mixture and toss well to coat.

For the pasta dish:

1 (12 oz) package fettuccine, preferably whole wheat

1 tbsp olive oil

1 red onion, sliced into thin crescents or half-circles

3 cups mushrooms, sliced

For the pesto:

4 cups fresh spinach, larger leaves chopped

1 cup fresh parsley

4 green onions, roughly chopped

2-3 cloves garlic

Sprig of fresh rosemary, stem removed

Sprig of fresh thyme, stem removed

¼ cup fresh basil

¼ cup olive oil

½ cup nuts of your choice, chopped

¼ cup parmesan cheese (optional)

Cayenne pepper and/or paprika for garnish (optional)

½- 1 cup water

Cook pasta according to directions on package. Probably a good idea to err on the side of ‘al dente’ since the pasta will be sautéed later.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté a few minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions are slightly browned. Add the sliced mushrooms and reduce heat to medium. Continue to sauté until the mushrooms have released their liquid, about 7-10 minutes. Remove from heat.

In a blender or food processor, add 3 cups of the spinach along with the rest of the pesto ingredients, starting with ½ cup of water and adding more as necessary. Reserve one cup of the spinach to add whole to the final dish. Blend until smooth. Since the pesto will get sautéed with the pasta, it is ok if it seems a bit watery – the heat will thicken it up a bit.

Once the pesto is smooth, add it along with the pasta to the pan with the mushrooms and onions. Add reserved cup of spinach. Heat over low or medium-low heat, stirring until everything is well-coated and spinach is wilted. Sprinkle with cayenne pepper if you would like something slightly spicy, or paprika if not.

Quinoa Banana Muffins

1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 pinch nutmeg
1/3 cup oil
1 tsp vanilla
3 overripe bananas, mashed

Rinse quinoa and add to pot with 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. In a separate bowl, mix the oil, vanilla, and mashed bananas. Add the quinoa to the dry bowl and mix well. Add in the wet ingredients and stir until well incorporated. Scoop batter into muffin pans and bake for 25 minutes.

Yields 18 muffins.

Nutrition information (per serving)
146 Calories, 5g fat, 3g protein, 3g fiber, 6g sugar

2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, chopped

5 cloves garlic, minced

6 cups chopped carrot

4 cups chopped cauliflower

4-6 cups water

1 tsp salt

3/4 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp pepper

1/8 tsp cinnamon

Chile powder to taste

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté another 2 minutes, carefully so that it does not burn. Add the carrot, cauliflower and 2 cups of water. Cover the pot and cook the vegetables until they are soft. Turn off the heat. Put the vegetables in a blender and blend until there are no lumps, adding more water as necessary. You might have to do this in stages, letting steam escape as to not blow the lid off of the blender. Return the soup to the pot over low heat. Add the spices and stir well. Let it cook about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp sesame oil

3 leeks, washed and chopped, dark green parts separated

1 head purple cabbage, chopped

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1 tsp brown sugar

2 tbsp soy sauce

Red pepper flakes (optional)

Preparation:

Heat sesame oil in a wok or large frying pan. Add white part of leeks and sauté 3 or 4 minutes until softened a bit. Add cabbage, rice vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce, and red pepper flakes (if using). Mix well and sauté about 10 minutes or until cabbage is slightly cooked down. Add the greens of the leeks and cook until they are bright green and the cabbage is flexible but still crunchy.

Yields 4 servings.

Nutrition Information (per serving):

165 Calories, 7g fat, 4g protein, 6g fiber, 9g sugar