Look at that pizza; it covers almost everything good there is in life. You want to make this, trust me. I don’t feel like I need to say anything more – you already know you should be eating this right now. If you’re nervous about cooking eggplant, let me direct you here (x) for my best tips on choosing and cooking delicious eggplant. Eggplant is thirsty, generously drizzle with olive oil until it doesn’t look dry anymore for the best results.

Ratatouille Pizza
Makes 4 small pizzas
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 60 minutes

4 pitas, use gluten-free if needed
1 bulb garlic, roasted
~3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 Italian eggplant, sliced thin into half moons
1 small green zucchini, sliced into thin rounds
1 small yellow zucchini, sliced into thin rounds
1 small red onion, sliced thin into half moons
6 Roma tomatoes, halved 
Generous pinch dried thyme
1 small red onion, sliced thin into half moons
1/2 small red pepper, sliced thin
1/2 small orange pepper, sliced thin
1/2 small green pepper, sliced thin
1/4 cup tomato sauce, your favourite
1 tablespoon flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
Handful of fresh basil
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 F (205 C). Cut the top end of the garlic bulb off. Place in a small roasting dish, drizzle with oil and season with salt. Slice and salt the eggplant, zucchini and onion. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and drizzle with olive oil. Arrange eggplant, zucchini and halved Roma tomatoes (seed side up) in a single layer. Season with salt, pepper, thyme and drizzle with olive oil (paying special attention to the eggplant). Roast for about 30 minutes, until the vegetables have softened and just started to brown. Remove from oven and let cool enough for you to handle them. Cut the roasted Roma tomatoes in half. Reduce heat in oven to 350 F. Heat tomato sauce in a small sauce pan and add the roasted garlic, mashing that into the sauce. Spread sauce evenly over the 4 pita crusts.  Arrange roasted vegetables, red onion and peppers in a single, slightly overlapping layer over pizza crusts, paying as much or as little attention as you like to order. Place prepared pitas on a baking sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the crusts are crispy and the vegetables are soft. Chiffonade the basil and sprinkle it and the parsley on top of the pizza before serving. Eat at any temperature.

You can find our two previous Build-Your-Own-Taco Parties here and here.

Build-Your-Own-Taco Party: The Winter Edition
Serves 6 to 12 people

Homemade Taco Seasoning
Makes ~1/3 cup

2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon coriander (that’s the spice, not the herb, cilantro)
1 tablespoon Mexican chili powder
1 teaspoon oregano
Chili flakes, to taste

Mix together and keep in a sealed container to maintain freshness.

Jackfruit Carnita Filling

1 tablespoon canola oil (or other neutral oil)
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped fine
1 15 oz can green jackfruit in brine, drained
1 tablespoon taco seasoning
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons green pepper, diced (that’s about one quarter of a pepper)
2 tablespoons pineapple, diced
1/4 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Heat the oil in a large skillet, over medium heat and add the onions. Sautee until they become translucent. Add the jackfruit, taco seasoning, garlic, green pepper and pineapple and stir to combine. Lower the heat to medium-low and stir mixture occasionally over about 20 minutes, to help break down the jackfruit. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Using a fork, pull the jackfruit into strands (this will be easy and happen naturally). Taste for seasoning and adjust to your liking. Lay filling out on prepared baking sheet and place in the oven for about 45 minutes. You can make the (recipe to follow) roasted corn at the same time, even using the same roasting sheet.

Coriander Roasted Corn
Makes ~1 cup

1 cup fresh, frozen or canned corn
1/4 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon coriander
A pinch of salt and freshly cracked black pepper, or to taste

Preheat oven to 375 F. Combine the corn with oil, coriander and salt and pepper and lay out as flat as you can on a baking sheet. Roast for ~45 minutes, until the corn has started to take on a little darker colour. Serve hot, room temperature or cold.

Potato and Swiss Chard Taco Filling

3 medium Russet potatoes, scrubbed clean, quartered and sliced
1 tablespoon non-dairy margarine
1/2 tablespoon canola oil (or other neutral oil)
~1 cup sweet onion, such as Vidalia, peeled and chopped (this was about 1/3 of a large onion)
1 head Swiss chard, most of the stems removed, roughly chopped and rinsed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika (sweet or hot)
Splash of lemon juice
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil. Add the potatoes to the boiling water and allow to cook for a couple of minutes. Drain. Heat the margarine and oil in a large skillet, over medium heat. Add the drained potatoes, onion, salt and paprika and sautee for about 5 minutes, or until the potatoes have ever so slightly started to brown. Add the Swiss chard, lemon juice and black pepper and continue to sautee until the chard has wilted. Taste for seasoning and adjust, if needed. Serve hot or room temperature.

Leafy Cauldron’s Famous Black Bean and Eggplant Filling
Makes ~2 cups 

Updated from Build-Your-Own-Taco Party: The Autumn Edition

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 small eggplant, ends trimmed, diced and salted (how to pick eggplant can be found here)
1 small yellow onion, peeled and diced
1 tomato, chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1-540 ml can black beans, rinsed well
1 cup green salsa
2 tablespoons taco seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Heat the oil in a large skillet, over medium heat. Add the salted eggplant and let it start to sweat. Add the onion and sautee until it is translucent. Add the tomato and tomato paste and cook until the eggplant is soft. Add the black beans, green salsa and seasoning and start to mash with a fork. You can mash with a fork until it has thickened, or you can take my easy out and put it all in a food processor and pulse until it’s smooth. I prefer the fork method, as it leads to a better, more substantial texture.

Green Salsa
Makes ~1 1/2 cups

6 tomatillos, husked and halved
2 – 3 jalapeno peppers, tops removed
Juice of half a lime
2 cloves garlic, peeled
Handful cilantro, stems included
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt, or more to taste

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blitz to combine. Taste, and adjust the spice and seasoning to your tastes.

Cabbage and Chayote Salad

1 cup shredded cabbage, I used Savoy
1 medium carrot, peeled and shredded
1 chayote squash, peeled, core removed and sliced very thin (I used a peeler)
2 teaspoons canola oil (or other neutral oil)
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar

Combine all ingredients in a medium sized bowl and toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Accoutrements Suggestions 

Leafy Cauldron’s Mango-Pineapple Salsa
Shredded Lettuce
Thinly sliced bell peppers
Chopped red or green onions
Pickled Jalapenos
Your favourite jarred salsa
Diced Tomatoes
Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Chopped Pineapple
Brown rice
Refried Beans
Cilantro
Lime wedges
Guacamole, or avocado slices

Homemade Taco Seasoning
Makes ~1/3 cup

2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon coriander
1 tablespoon Mexican chili powder
1 teaspoon oregano
Chili flakes, to taste

Mix together and keep in a sealed container to maintain freshness.

Roasted Sweet Potato Filling
Makes ~2 cups

1 large sweet potato, cut into a large dice
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon taco seasoning
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line a large baking sheet with parchement paper. Toss the diced sweet potatoes with the oil and seasoning. Lay out flat on the parchment paper. Bake for about 40 minutes, until the sweet potatoes have started to brown and they are cooked through. Set aside.

Mushroom Taco Filling 
Makes ~ 2 cups

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
225 grams cremini mushrooms, chopped
1 large tomato, chopped
1/4 of a large green pepper, diced
2 tablespoons taco seasoning
Juice of half a lime
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the chopped mushrooms, in small batches, ensuring you get them nice and browned. Season with salt and add the tomato and green pepper, along with the seasoning. Continue to sautee, until the mushrooms have released all their juices and the tomatoes have made a thick sauce. Squeeze lime juice over the top, taste for seasoning and set aside.

Leafy Cauldron’s Famous Black Bean and Eggplant Filling
Makes ~2 cups 

2 tablespoons canola oil
2 small eggplant, ends trimmed, diced and salted (how to pick eggplant can be found here)
1 tomato, chopped
1-540 ml can black beans, rinsed well
1 cup green salsa
2 tablespoons taco seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Heat the oil in a large skillet, over medium heat. Add the salted eggplant and let it start to sweat. Add the tomato and cook until the eggplant is soft. Add the black beans, green salsa and seasoning and start to mash with a fork. You can mash with a fork until it has thickened, or you can take my easy out and put it all in a food processor and pulse until it’s smooth (because you’ve suddenly run out of time).

Accoutrements Suggestions

Jarred or homemade salsa, such as my Mango-Pineapple Salsa
Shredded lettuce, romaine is awesome
Beets, peeled and sliced thin
Chopped tomatoes
Chopped bell peppers
Hot sauce
Roasted corn
Pickled jalapeños
Cilantro
Sliced red onions
Corn tortillas, soft or hard
Tostada shells
Lime wedges

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Large handful of flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
6 cloves garlic, peeled and diced
2 ripe, red tomatoes, sliced
2 small yellow zucchini, sliced
2 small eggplants, sliced and then salted
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and sliced
1 large red pepper, deseeded, sliced in long strips and then halved
Large handful of fresh thyme
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Fresh basil leaves, for serving

Preheat oven to 375 F. Drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil in a shallow baking dish. Place the parsley and the garlic in a single layer on the bottom. Layer the slices of vegetables in concentric circles on top of the parsley and garlic. Drizzle with olive oil, place the fresh thyme, still on the stems, over the top of the vegetables and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook for 45 minutes. Take off the cover and cook for an additional 30 minutes. Serve hot, with whatever accompaniment you like: rice, potatoes, polenta, pasta – it all works just wonderfully.

Someone who once meant a great deal to me introduced me to both the Jean Talon farmer’s market and ratatouille, immediately after my best friend passed away. This ratatouille is inspired and dedicated to my favourite stand at the market, who grows garlic chives (and some very, very interesting herbs) and threw in some gorgeous tiny eggplant for free. I suppose it’s appropriate this will be the last thing I blog from Montreal, using Quebec produce. On to new vegetable adventures! See you next week, people!

After the recipe, I’m going to share some of my favourite photos I took from our regular trips to the market this year and try to put into words what it has meant to me.  For the uninitiated, garlic chives are also called Chinese chives and they are exactly what they sound like. Here’s an interesting article on growing the lesser-known herb. Ratatouille gets better every day after you’ve made it, but I’m not positive this will last long enough for you to discover that. Or maybe I just really, really love this dish. Plus, it’s naturally vegan and gluten-free, which means we get to enjoy it exactly the way the French intended – which is a true pleasure.

Garlic Chive Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Serves 4

3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup garlic chives, finely chopped
2 tablespoons non-dairy margarine
1/2 teaspoon salt

In a medium sized pot, bring the sweet potatoes to a boil. Simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are soft. Drain and mash with the garlic chives, non-dairy margarine and salt. Keep warm and set aside until the ratatouille is ready.

Ratatouille
Serves 4
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
5 small eggplant, ends trimmed, cubed and salted
1 small green pepper, seeds removed and cubed
1 small red pepper, seeds removed and cubed
1 zucchini, ends trimmed and cubed
1 white onion, peeled and cubed
2 tomatoes, cubed
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Basil leaves, for serving

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the vegetables and salt. Keep them moving for the first while, until they start to lose their juices. Sprinkle with salt and thyme and sautee for about 20 minutes, until all the vegetables are soft, but paying the most attention to the eggplant. Serve over the mashed sweet potatoes.

An Ode to the Farmer’s Market

It’s been hard to live in Montreal. It seems like it would be an easy place to adjust to, but it’s wasn’t. It was like leaving your home country for one you don’t need a passport to travel to. There are no jobs and the only friends one makes are people who are also ex-pats, which doesn’t do anything to help with learning French to speed along your never-coming integration into this society. Things are broken, bridges fall down, the mob has its hands on everything and it’s just not as romantic as it seems when you visit. I know I had a harder adjustment than most people, (what with the death and violence and endless unemployment) but I loved this city more than anything and it’s very hard to leave. My claw marks are all over these streets, mingled with my memories. I came here with every hope in the world and I leave with nearly none, now.

The farmer’s market was never anything but a joy, though. When we went to purchase the food for my wedding, the herb stand (Jacques et Diane, as mentioned above) the gentleman promised to replace anything that didn’t make it to the date and every single time we’ve visited since, he has showered us with complimentary produce, with no words exchanged in the same language.  To be treated with kindness and respect in an atmostphere that doesn’t really have the time for such antiquated notions, it is enough to bring tears to your eyes (and rest assured, it has). The market is a place where you can converse with the people who grow your food and flowers with their own hands – well, if one or two mumbled French words count. You can witness the seasons changing and what that means for the food on your table. I can’t think of a better place to be and it was the only place I ever felt like I’d made a home while in Montreal.

In the two times I’ve made lasagna since moving in with my husband, I’ve not has success. It’s led me to think of lasagna as something that is too much work. The first time I went all out and used a nice lentil-tomato sauce. I love lentils in my pasta sauces! But hey. he’s allergic to lentils. That was a big pan with no one to eat it. The second time, I scaled back the ingredients and kept it super simple – nothing but cheezes and homemade tomato sauce. It still didn’t work out. We toyed with the idea that he was allergic to tomatoes, especially when they were cooked and reduced for a long time, but his reactions were inconsistent. In the past few months, we actually pinpointed the allergy to BASIL. Of course! Basil is in the majority of tomato sauces! Ingredients’ lists don’t often say the specific herbs and spices, so this was a really hard one to figure out! Point is, we’re here and we have now had our first successful pan of lasagna. I wanted this to be as low prep as possible, a small portion (in case it didn’t work out) but still chock-full of goodies. My absolute favourite part is the soft, sweet onion slices that start to caramelize in the sauce while it’s cooking in the oven.

In a bizarre twist, my small pan is 8.5 x 7, but you go ahead and use an 8 x 8 pan. Now, please enjoy this really quick recipe for a fun pasta dish while I try to enjoy my first wedding anniversary.

Quickie Lasagna For Two
Serves 2, generously 

6 lasagna noodles, cooked al dente
2 cups pasta sauce, your choice, I used my vodka sauce
1 small sweet onion, sliced into thin rounds (I used Cipollini onions)
2 cups frozen spinach, thawed (or fresh, shredded)
1 cup marinated small mushrooms (sub canned mushrooms)
1/2 cup marinated eggplant. drained (spicy or not)
1 cup vegan ricotta, tofu or cashew (My quick tofu recipe to follow)
1 teaspoon olive oil
Freshly cracked black pepper

Preheat oven to 375 F. Spread 3/4 cup tomato sauce in the bottom. Lay out the slices of onion over the top of the sauce and then the spinach over that.  Spread 3 lasagna noodles over that. Carefully press 1/2 of the ricotto over the noodles. Lay out the marinated mushrooms, then the eggplant. Spoon a couple of tablespoons of sauce over that. One more layer of noodles, followed by the rest of the sauce. Top with the rest of the ricotta. Drizzle the olive oil over the top. Finish with black pepper. Cover and cook for 20 minutes. Remove the cover and bake for an additional 20 minutes.

Tofu (or Cashew) Ricotta

225 g firm tofu (or raw cashews, soaked, drained and pulsed until crumbly)
Juice of half a lemon
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Crumble the tofu until no large pieces remain. Stir the remaining ingredients in. Let sit, so the flavours can co-mingle, for as long as you have. You can use it immediately, though.

Roasted Vegetable Pizza
Serves 8 (Makes a 18 by 12 pan)

1/2 cup pizza sauce (or more to taste), recipe to follow
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing
1/4 cup diced garlic scapes, diced (optional; sub a couple cloves of minced garlic, if you rather)
Handful of kale, roughly chopped
1 Italian eggplant, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
1 small yellow zucchini, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
1/4 cup broccoli florets, cut into tiny pieces
10 small cremini mushrooms, quartered
6 cherry tomatoes, sliced thin
1/4 of a red onion, sliced thin
1/4 cup sliced sundried tomatoes
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

Preheat oven to 450 F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Salt both sides of the eggplant and lay them and the zucchini flat on the baking sheet. Drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil and flip. Salt again and drizzle with an additional tablespoon of oil. Roast until the eggplant has softened, about 12 minutes. Take out from the oven and let cool slightly. Roll out your pizza crust on the greased 18 by 12 inch pan. Spread the pizza sauce out evenly. Drizzle with another tablespoon of olive. Evenly sprinkle the diced garlic scapes and kale on top of the crust. Lay out the roasted eggplant and then the zucchini. Use the remaining toppings, laying them out as evenly as possible. Drizzle with the last tablespoon of oil. Bake for as long as your pizza crust needs – mine was 20 minutes at 450 F.

Yellow Tomato Sauce
Enough for and 18 by 12 inch pizza

1 – 300 ml can of yellow tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pinch of granulated sugar
1 cloves garlic, minced

In a small skillet, over medium heat, smash tomatoes until no large pieces remain. Add the salt, sugar and garlic and bring to a boil. Let reduce for about ten minutes, periodically smushing with a fork.

One afternoon, we took a trip out to a you-pick vegetable farm. We came home with bags of fresh produce and she went off to the kitchen and came out with this – no idea what it’s called, though it seems similar to Iraqi Tapsi – which, to this day, remains the most incredible, delicious and wonderful thing I have ever had the pleasure of eating. Simple and fast to make, this rich, silky stew is an absolute knockout. It melts in your mouth, is buttery and decadent.  There aren’t enough superlatives in the world to describe how I (and everyone here) feels about this. It is heavenly. It sparked a love affair with fresh food that will never end.

She served it in a plain pita pocket, topped with plain yogurt, with double steamed basmati rice on the side (the second steaming you cover the bottom of the pot with oil, place a small pita on the oil and then the rice back on top, which give you the fluffiest rice with a bonus pita/rice chip) and a plate of fresh herbs to cleanse your palate.  You might consider adding some chickpeas at the end, if you want to! I like it without as chickpeas hurt my stomach a lot and my husband is allergic. It’s very important you salt the eggplant before trying to cook it; you can read my guide to eggplant here. Everything, including freshly steamed rice should be on the table in less than thirty minutes.

Zibandah’s Eggplant Stew
Serves 4

3 to 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large firm eggplant, sliced into 1/2 inch half moons
1 large yellow onion, peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch half moons
1 large tomato, sliced into 1/4 inch half moons
1 large green pepper, seeds removed and roughly chopped
300 ml of tomato paste
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar

Slice and salt the eggplant. Cover the bottom of a heavy-bottomed skillet with olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add the eggplant and turn to make sure they are all coated in oil. Let them start to sweat, while you chop the rest of your vegetables. In layers, salting in between, add the onions, green peppers and then tomatoes. Let those start to sweat, turning the heat down to medium. Add the tomato paste, moving the vegetables around so they are coated in tomato paste. Season with salt and sugar. Turn the heat down to low, partially cover and let simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring once or twice. Ready to eat when all the vegetables are soft. Serve hot with rice or potatoes. Can also be served hot or cold in a pita.

There are plenty of applications for eggplant, but they’re not all with eggplant as the main star, so I’ve kept the spotlight to one simple roasted version that is my favourite. I have two more recipes planned for this week: my favourite burrito and that special one mentioned above. On to today, though! I love a bit of roasted eggplant and there are just a few steps you can take to ensure your eggplant turns out delicious.

1. Pick a good eggplant: No matter what variety you chose, make sure it is hard to your touch. If the eggplants at the store are at all soft, leave it behind for another time. The soft ones will be full of bitterness, even if you do all the other steps correctly. Cutting the eggplant should sound as though you are slicing a crisp apple.

2. Salt the eggplant before cooking; both sides. I like to leave the skin on, chop them, lay them flat, salt, flip and salt again. The salting step also helps reduce the amount of oil the eggplant soaks up in cooking.

3. Be generous with the oil. This means using a nice tasting, high quality olive oil (or whatever taste nice to you, really). Keep an eye on the eggplant and add more during cooking, if it looks like it’s drying out.

Roasted Eggplant with Fennel Seeds
Serves 2, as a side

1 small eggplant, sliced lengthwise and then into 1/4 inch half moons
1/4 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
2 – 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon whole fennel seeds
1 teaspoon dried basil

Slice eggplant and salt. Preheat oven to 375 F. Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper and drizzle olive oil on it. Sprinkle the fennel seeds evenly over the oil. Lay the eggplant slices out flat and sprinkle them with the basil. Drizzle the remaining oil as evenly as you can over the eggplant slices. Roast for ten minutes on one side, flip and roast for an additional 15 minutes, or until the eggplant has softened and begun to brown. Serve hot, on the side of whatever you like or in a sandwich.

Note: You might consider throwing some sliced zucchini and onions on to the baking sheet with the eggplant. Dream combination!

Some of my other favourite things to do with eggplant include:

1) Thinly sliced and sauteed and then right on top of the pizza sauce on a cheeseless pizza. It’s so creamy, it takes the place of vegan cheese. If I can’t find good eggplant, I simply skip making pizza. I ended up making it just after this post because I couldn’t stop thinking about it (Here).

2) Diced, sauteed in olive oil with garlic and in marinara. It adds volume to any tomato based pasta sauce.

3) Vegan YumYum’s gorgeous starter, Minature Napoleons. I made these for my husband when we first started dating. Too bad he had no idea he is allergic to most of the ingredients.

4) Ratatouille, of course, if all the ingredients are very, very fresh. Maybe even my Ratatouille Pizza.

5) Sliced into thick rounds, salted and then grilled on the barbecue.