Eggplant Tofu in Garlic Black Bean Sauce [Vegan, Gluten-Free]

Another cooking marathon weekend filled with eggplant and squash. Skip the Sucanat if you'd prefer it a little on the tart side.

EGGPLANT TOFU IN GARLIC BLACK BEAN SAUCE

4 Tbsp Garlic Black Bean Sauce (Sun Luck is Gluten-Free)
4 Tbsp Seasoned Rice or Apple Cider Vinegar
2 Tbsp Molasses
2 Tbsp Sucanat or Raw Brown Sugar
1 tsp Ground Ginger
1/2 tsp Granulated Garlic
1/2 tsp Chinese Five Spice
1/2 cup Water
1/2 Chopped Eggplant
1/2 pkg Cubed Tofu
1/2 bunch Chopped Green Onions
1 Tbsp Sesame Oil
1 Tbsp Toasted Sesame Seeds

Saute tofu and eggplant until tofu is lightly browned. Mix vinegar, molasses, sugar, ginger, garlic and five spice in water. and pour over tofu mixture. Simmer about 20 minutes until eggplant is tender. Add onions, sesame oil and seeds and combine well. Serve over rice.

Chorizo Chilaquiles [Vegan, Gluten-Free]

These is nothing better than a spicy plate of chilaquiles on the patio to kickstart a beautiful Sunday morning. Since I had a package of Soy Chorizo in the fridge, it seemed the perfect addition.

CHORIZO CHILAQUILES

12 Corn Tortillas, wedged and toasted
1 package Soy Chorizo, crumbled
1/2 package Extra Firm Tofu, crumbled
1 large Onion, diced
1 medium Red Bell Pepper, diced
1/4 cup Plant-Based Milk

Bake oiled, salted tortilla wedges until crisp or use packaged tortilla chips. Saute onion and peppers in small amount of oil. When translucent, add chorizo and tofu. Blend well and cook until heated through. Spray glass baking dish with vegetable oil. Reserve a handful of chips. Layer half the chips in the bottom of baking dish. Top with half the chorizo mixture. Repeat layers and top with crumbled tortilla chips. Drizzle evenly with milk and bake about 5 minutes in the microwave or 1/2 hour at 350 degrees in the oven, until casserole begins to bubble. Garnish as desired with soy sour cream, avocado, sliced green onions, cilantro and/or sliced black olives to serve.

DIY Vegetable Stock [Vegan, Gluten-Free]

I was shocked to see the price and sodium content of vegetable broth at my local grocers ... to say nothing of the preservatives and non-biodegradable packaging. It only strengthened my resolve to make my own.

VEGETABLE STOCK/BROTH

There is no real recipe for this one. And, yes, those are onion skins you see in my slow cooker ... along with the tough ends of broccoli, cauliflower, onions (green and yellow), red bell peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, squash and carrots, as well as spinach stems and celery leaves. Basically anything that would have gone in my compost bin after prepping for a meal goes into a bag in my freezer. It usually takes me about a week to collect enough to fill my crockpot. At that point I dump everything into the pot, fill it with water, and let it simmer on low for 8 hours. I strain it and let it cool, then ladle it into muffin cups and pop it into the freezer. Once frozen, I can transfer it into small bags or one large bag and keep it frozen until I need it.

I don't usually put zucchini, pepper seeds, or kale into the pot since they tend to give the broth a rather bitter flavor ... although that might work well for sweet sour soup  and some Asian or Indian dishes.

You can add salt and pepper to taste if you wish.