- Preheat oven to 425°F. Line baking sheet with foil; lay cooking rack on top. Arrange bacon in rows on rack.
- Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until sizzling and crisp around edges. Drizzle with balsamic glaze; return to oven for 2 minutes. Transfer to paper towel–lined baking sheet.
- Spread Dijon over bottom half of each bun. Top with arugula, tomato slices, avocado slices, bacon and fried eggs. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drizzle with additional glaze. Serve immediately.
Tip: Add a slice of aged white Cheddar cheese and a smear of garlic mayo for a bistro-worthy sandwich.
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Stir pesto with marinara sauce; set aside. Whisk together olive oil, Italian seasoning blend, garlic, salt and pepper. Brush over both sides of each slice of eggplant. Arrange eggplant on parchment paper–lined baking sheet.
- Roast eggplant, turning once, for about 20 minutes or until browned and tender. Spoon sauce over each slice of eggplant. Toss together mozzarella and Parmesan; scatter over eggplant.
- Roast for about 10 minutes or until warmed through and cheese is melted. Broil for about 3 minutes or until cheese is browned. Sprinkle with parsley before serving.
Tip: Prepare with baby eggplant to create smaller rounds that are perfect for serving as two-bite hors d’oeuvres.
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Brush both sides of mushrooms with 2 tbsp of olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Arrange mushrooms, stem side up, on baking sheet. Roast for about 10 minutes or until slightly tender. Let cool.
- Meanwhile, heat remaining olive oil in large nonstick skillet set over medium-high heat; crumble in sausage and cook for about 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Add onion and garlic; cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until softened.
- Stir in pesto and tomatoes until well combined. Add Swiss chard; cover and cook for about 5 minutes or until wilted. Stir well and remove from heat. Divide mixture evenly among mushroom caps, mounding if necessary. Sprinkle with cheese.
- Roast for 15 to 20 minutes or until mushrooms are tender and cheese is melted. Sprinkle with basil before serving.
Tip: Use the sausage mixture to stuff hollowed-out zucchini or eggplants, or serve over cooked spaghetti squash.
- For the herbed yogurt: In a small bowl, whisk the yogurt, cilantro, lime zest and 1 tsp. lime juice. Reserve the remaining lime juice for the soup.
- For the soup: In a small bowl, stir the ground cumin, ground coriander, turmeric, ground ginger, and paprika. Set aside.
- In a medium (4- to 5-quart) Dutch oven or other wide soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onions and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and stir. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent and softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is well browned, another 5 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and fresh ginger, and stir until fragrant and well combined, about 1 minute.
- Add the spice mixture and 1 teaspoon kosher salt and stir well. Add the pumpkin and stir well. Add the broth and 3 cups water. Stir and whisk to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce to a gentle simmer and cook, uncovered, for 12 to 14 minutes. Remove from the heat and let the soup cool for 15 to 25 minutes.
- Purée the soup in three batches, of coconut milk and a little (up to 1 teaspoon) lime juice to each batch as you blend. Be sure not to fill the blender jar more than two-thirds full—a little more than half is even better. Cover the blender lid partially with a folded dishtowel (leaving a vent opening uncovered to let steam out) to prevent hot soup from splashing on you. Combine the batches in a mixing bowl; rinse out the soup pot, and return the soup to the pot. Alternatively, purée the soup with the coconut milk and 2 teaspoons lime juice in the pot using an immersion blender. Taste the soup—you may need to season with more salt, and you might want to add any remaining lime juice if you like.
Tip: Indian spices are such a great match with pumpkin; be sure to “bloom” them by adding them to the aromatics and olive oil before everything else goes in.
- Preheat grill to medium-high heat; grease grate well.
- Cut loaf into 1/2-inch-thick slices, cutting larger slices in half to make 2-inch square pieces.
- In batches, grill bread slices for 30 to 40 seconds per side or until grill-marked and toasted. Rub each piece of bread with cut side of garlic. Brush with half of the oil.
- Layer vegan cheese slice, basil leaf and tomato slice over each piece of bread. Season with salt and pepper.
- Transfer crostini to serving platter; drizzle with remaining oil. Garnish platter with remaining basil.
Tip: As a variation, substitute vegan spreadable-style goat cheese for vegan fresh mozzarella-style cheese.
- Heat oil in skillet set over medium heat; sauté onion, pepper and garlic for about 5 minutes or until softened. Add pesto and cook for 1 minute.
- Crumble sausage into skillet; cook, breaking up with wooden spoon, for about 5 minutes or until browned. Stir in tomato sauce, tomato paste and pepper; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes or until slightly thickened and sausage is cooked through.
- Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and toss with sauce. Serve with dollop of ricotta and garnish with parsley and Parmesan cheese.
Tip: For a milder version, use sweet Italian sausages.
