Pasta with Eggplant, Tomato, and Ricotta

The fancy Italian name for this dish is "Pasta alla Norma," and it involves mixing eggplant and pasta with tomatoes and ricotta cheese.  The result is a deliciously creamy and fresh pasta dish that tastes excellent with parmesian and basil. (Note: I use creamy ricotta, while the original Italian recipe calls for ricotta salata, a harder version of the cheese.)

Ingredients

1 medium eggplant
2 cloves garlic, pressed
14oz can chopped tomatoes
1 onion, chopped coarsely
pinch of hot chili flakes
8oz (~250g) pasta (I like spirals)
1.5oz (50g) ricotta
large handful fresh basil leaves, chopped coarsely
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil for frying
grated parmesian

Instructions

1) Preheat oven to 400F/200C.  Trim the ends of the eggplant and slice lengthwise in half.  Cut small slices, about 1/4" thick, and set aside.
2) Coat a baking tray in non-stick spray, lay eggplant flat on tray surface, and spray the eggplant again with non-stick spray.  Alternatively you can toss the eggplant with a few T of olive oil.  Bake eggplant 15-20 minutes, flipping halfway through, until they are soft and slightly crispy.
4) Heat up a large pot of water for the pasta.
5) Meanwhile, in a large saucepan over medium heat, cook onions and garlic in 1 T olive oil until translucent, about 7 minutes.
6) Add tomatoes (with juices), and simmer for 15 minutes, until sauce is reduced. When done, remove from heat and stir in the basil.
7) While the mixture is cooking, start to cook the pasta.  (You should try to time this so that the pasta and sauce are done at approximately the same time.)
8) Drain the cooked pasta, then toss it with the tomato mixture, eggplant, and ricotta. Serve with grated parmesian.

Beet and Carrot Quinoa Salad with Tahini Dressing

Thank you to my good friend Emma Preston for this delicious recipe.  The tahini dressing is key - it provides a good, tangy finish to the veggies and quinoa.

Ingredients

1 c quinoa
2 c water
oil for frying
1.5 c grated carrot
1.5 c grated beet
pumpkin (or mixed) seeds
1 onion, chopped
1 head broccoli, florets only (cut into bite-sized pieces)
1 block tofu, cut into small strips
1/4 c soy sauce
3 T cider vinegar
1/3 c tahini
1/3 c water
2 T vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, pressed

Instructions

1) Cook quinoa as directed, or simmer gently in water for 15-20 minutes, until tender but still crunchy and all water is absorbed.  (You can add more water if you need to).
2) Fry onions in 1 T oil on medium-high heat until gold brown and slightly crispy, about 10 minutes. Set aside.
3) After onions are cooked, in the same pan fry tofu in a few T oil until golden brown.  (The best method for this is to press all of the water out of the tofu before cutting it, and then to fry it on each side with minimal flipping for 5-7 minutes.) Set aside.
4) Soak broccoli in boiling water for 3-4 minutes, until tender but still very crunchy. Drain out of water and set aside.
5) For the sauce, combine soy sauce, cider vinegar, tahini, water, vegetable oil, garlic and mix well.  If you want a thinner sauce you can add more water.
6) Keep carrots, beets, seeds, tofu, and brocolli separate, or combine with quinoa and dressing.  Serve hot or cold.