2 small eggplants (1 1/4 pounds each), cut into 1 1/2-inch-thick slices
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 can (28 ounces) plum tomatoes, drained and chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (1 cup)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 450*F.

Place eggplant on two large cookie sheets. Brush oil on both sides of eggplant and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Roast 15 minutes; turn slices and roast until eggplant has browned and is tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, in nonstick 12-inch skillet, combine tomatoes, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper; cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes have thickened, about 20 minutes. Stir in parsley.

Increase oven temperature to 400*F. In shallow 2 1/2-quart casserole, layer half of eggplant and top with half of tomato sauce; sprinkle with half of mozzarella. Repeat layers; top with grated Parmesan.

Cover loosely with foil. Bake until bubbling, about 10 minutes. Remove casserole from oven and let stand at least 10 minutes before serving. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Makes 6 main-dish servings.

Ingredients for 12 pockets:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 large eggplants/aubergines, cut lengthwise into long slices, 6 slices per eggplant

Filling:
1 cup fresh basil leaves
3 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 425F / 200C. Brush two baking sheets with oil and lay the eggplant slices on the sheets. Brush the eggplant with the remaining oil and bake for 15 minutes.

Alternatively, use a grill pan/griddle pan. Brush each side of the slices with oil and grill for about 2-3 minutes each side.

Meanwhile, make the filling by processing all of the filling ingredients in a food processor until smooth.

Remove eggplant from oven and spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons of filling onto each eggplant slice. Fold the sides over the filling and place the pockets, seam side down, on a greased baking sheet. Sprinkle cheddar cheese over the pockets and bake for 15 minutes.

Great as an appetizer or serve larger portions as an entree.

1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 red onion , sliced
2 garlic cloves , chopped
1/2 finger length piece fresh root ginger , shredded
2 mild red chillies , thinly sliced
1/2 tsp turmeric
3/4 tsp garam masala spice
1 tsp ground cumin
4 tomatoes , chopped
2 tsp tomato puree
1 can (about 14 oz) chickpeas , rinsed and drained
8 oz baby spinach leaves

Heat the oil in a wok and fry the onion over a low heat until softened. Stir in the garlic, ginger and chillies and cook for a further 5 mins until the onions are golden and the garlic slightly toasted.

Add the turmeric, garam masala and cumin, stirring over a low heat for a few secs. Tip in the chopped tomatoes and add the tomato purée, then simmer for 5 mins.

Add the chickpeas to the pan with about 10oz water (fill the can three-quarters full). Simmer for 10 mins before stirring in the spinach to wilt. Season and serve with whole grain rice if desired.

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 cloves garlic, minced (or to taste)
1 onion, halved and sliced thin
4 cups shredded zucchini, length-wise into long spaghetti-like strips
1/2 cup nonfat milk
4 ounces nonfat cream cheese, cubed
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
salt and pepper to taste
fresh nutmeg, to taste
grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

1- Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in garlic & onion, and cook 2 minutes. Mix in zucchini, and cook 10 minutes, until some of the moisture has evaporated.
2- Pour the milk into the skillet, and stir in cream cheese until melted. Mix in basil. Season with salt, pepper, nutmeg, to taste, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Serves 4

1 T olive oil
2 smallish eggplants, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 onion, diced
1 zucchini, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 jar no sugar added spaghetti sauce, 18 oz
1 cup low-fat or nonfat cottage cheese, drained
1/2 cup lowfat mozzarella, grated
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Fresh basil leaves

Heat olive oil over medium heat in large skillet and add eggplant. Saute until it begins to brown. Add remaining veggies, and continue to saute until onion begins to become translucent. Add spaghetti sauce and simmer gently 5 minutes. Add cottage cheese and continue to simmer 5 minutes more. Sprinkle mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses over top of veggie mixture and put lid on skillet. At this point you can turn off the burner, and let sit until cheese is melted.
Tear up some fresh basil leaves, sprinkle over top and serve!
Serves 4

Ricotta can be used in place of the cottage cheese.

3 medium-sized eggplants (about 4 pounds total)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Can vegetable spray
32 ounces light ricotta cheese
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup shredded reduced fat mozzarella
8 tablespoons grated Parmesan
3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
20 basil leaves, chiffonaded
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
2 cups fresh tomato sauce, recipe follows

Preheat the grill pan and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Place a rack over a large baking sheet. Cut the 2 ends off the eggplant. Cut the eggplants lengthwise, into 1/2-inch thick slices. Arrange eggplant slices onto rack. Sprinkle with sea salt to help remove excess moisture and any bitterness from the eggplants. Set aside for about 10 to 15 minutes. Rinse off the salt from the eggplants and pat dry with a towel. Spray hot grill pan liberally with vegetable spray and then place eggplant slices on the grill until lightly browned on each side and tender, about 4 minutes per side. Remove slices from the grill pan and allow to cool.

In a large bowl, beat eggs until lightly scrambled. Mix the ricotta in with the egg. Add mozzarella, 3 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese and toasted pine nuts and gently combine. Fold in basil just to combine. Do not overmix.

Place a tablespoon of the cheese mixture on 1 end of the eggplant and roll up tightly. Place the eggplant rollatini into a greased (with olive oil) 13 by 9-inch baking dish, seam side down. Continue with remaining eggplant. Evenly distribute the tomato sauce on top of the eggplant rollatini. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with remaining 5 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese and bake for 15 minutes. When cooked, drizzle the top with extra-virgin olive oil.

Simple Tomato Sauce
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
2 dried bay leaves

In a large casserole pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and bay leaves and simmer uncovered on low heat for 1 hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and check for seasoning. If sauce still tastes acidic, add unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time to round out the flavors.Add 1/2 the tomato sauce into the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Continue with remaining tomato sauce.

If not using all the sauce, allow it to cool completely and pour 1 to 2 cup portions into freezer plastic bags. This will freeze up to 6 months.

Yield: 6 cups
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour and 20 minutes
Ease of Preparation: Easy

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 cups canned white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups canned red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup canned plum tomatoes, drained and chopped
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat until hot, but not smoking. Add onion; cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are tender, about 7 minutes. Add garlic; cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute longer.

Add white kidney beans, red kidney beans, tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, and oregano. Reduce heat to low. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until mixture thickens, about 20 minutes.

Serves 6

1 (4.5 oz) can green chiles, diced
2 cups non-fat pizza cheese
1 (4 oz) container Egg Beaters (equals 2 eggs)
2 green onions, chopped

Place green chiles in a 7 ½ by 11 ½ inch casserole dish. Sprinkle w/ cheese and onions. Pour eggs over top. Sprinkle with paprika for garnish. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes.

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
6 portobello mushroom, about 4″ in diameter
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 cup red bell pepper, finely diced
1 tablespoon Italian parsley, finely diced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
arugula leaves for garnish

Recipe instructions:

Combine oil and garlic in a small skillet. Cook over very low heat until soft and aromatic, not browned. Add red pepper flakes and remove from heat.

Hold mushroom upright and tap to dislodge dirt. Clean with a soft brush. Gently cut the stem flush with the cap, reserving the stem. Paint the caps sparingly with about 1/2 the oil mixture outside then inside. Set gill-side up on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. of the salt.

With a paring knife, peel reserved mushroom stems, cut into fine dice and place in a bowl. Stir in diced red pepper, parsley and thyme. Add remaining oil mixture and remaining 1/2 tsp. salt and pepper. Let stand until somewhat juicy, about 1 hour, tossing occasionally.

Set rack in upper third of oven and preheat to 450 degrees. Divide the stuffing among the caps, spreading evenly. Bake until tender throughout, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a warm platter and garnish with arugula. Serve hot