The Mediterranean Vegan

This eggplant/aubergine based dish has different varieties throughout Italy, most popular in the regions of Sicily, Naples, and Genoa. This recipe is for the vegan-friendly Sicilian Caponata. It can be served as an appetizer on top of bread, on pasta, or as a main dish. Serves 3-4 What you need: 4 tbsp olive oil 2 eggplants/aubergines, chopped 1 large onion, diced 1 green bell pepper, deseeded and diced 6-8 plum tomatoes, diced 1 carrot, diced (optional) 2 tsp fresh basil or 1 tsp dried basil 1/2 cup green olives, chopped 1-2 tbsp capers 1 tsp dried oregano 1 tsp salt 1 tsp sugar raisins (optional) In a large pan, heat the olive oil. Add everything to the pot and simmer on medium heat for about an hour. Serve!

You can order croquetas at pretty much every bar in Spain, though they are usually made of ham and cheese or fish. A vegetable variety is rare, but the most common types include mushroom, spinach, and eggplant/aubergine. This recipe is for spinach croquetas, but you can replace the spinach with whichever vegetable you fancy! Note: this recipe requires around 2 1/2 hours of refrigeration. Makes 10 croquetas What you need: 2 tbsp olive oil 3 tbsp margarine (or 2 tbsp more olive oil) 4 tablespoons flour 1.5 tsp salt 1.5 cups soy milk 2 cups fresh spinach or other vegetable 1 cup water 1 cup breadcrumbs Spanish croquetas are made of béchamel sauce mixed with filling. So first you will need to make your béchamel. In a medium sized pan, add the olive oil and butter until hot. Add the flour and salt and mix until a smooth paste forms. Add the soy milk and whisk on medium heat until it thickens (around 15 minutes). Then add the spinach and cook for another 5-7 minutes. If using another vegeta...

Pasta alla norma is a traditional Sicilian dish, most popular in the city of Catania, Italy. There are various theories as to its name, meaning "standard or normal pasta" in English. One revolves around playwright Nino Catania Martoglio, who when referring to the quality of the dish and its ingredients, stated "è una norma!". I must give credit to my Italian friend Francesco for creating this recipe, though he refuses to claim it without the essential ingredient of ricotta cheese that is normally present in the dish. Serves 5 What you need: 1/2 onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 tbsp olive oil 2 eggplants/aubergines, sliced 10 tomatoes, diced 2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper fresh basil 1 box tubular pasta Prepare the eggplants by slicing them and rubbing them with salt. Lay the slices flat between two cutting boards or plates and let sit for 20-30 minutes. Press down on the cutting board, squeezing any excess liquid out of the eggplants, and rinse. After rinsing, dice...

This is a very typical and easy Catalan dish. Escalivar in Catalan means to "cook in hot ashes" and refers to its traditional method of preparation, where it is grilled on an open fire. While this method is still in use, many people now make it in the oven. You can find escalivada in pretty much every bar and restaurant in Catalonia. It is usually served as a tapa on top of bread. What you need: Eggplants/Aubergines Red bell peppers Sweet onions Tomatoes Olive Oil Salt Preheat the oven to 500 F (260 C). Brush the whole vegetables with olive oil and set them on an oven tray. Place in oven for 35-40 minutes, turning twice while baking. The vegetables should be charred when you take them out. Let them cool and remove the skin and seeds of all the vegetables. Slice into strips, drizzle with a lot of olive oil and salt and serve.

Baba Ghannoug is served in many countries of the Mediterranean and under various names. In Turkey, it is known as patlican salatasi . In Greece, melitzanosalata. It is often served as a dip or salad and its base is roasted, pureed eggplant. This is the traditional Levantine variation but you can also add onion, mint, or other roasted vegetables. Serves 3-4 What you need: 2 eggplants (aubergines) 1/2 cup tahini 2 tbsp vinegar 2 tbsp lemon juice 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper 2 cloves garlic 1 tbsp parsley 1 tbsp cumin 3 tbsp olive oil Preheat the oven to 200 C (400 F). Put the whole eggplants on a baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the eggplants, let cool, and peel off the skin. Then add all of the ingredients into a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Serve with pita bread.

This Moroccan salad can be served hot or cold and is usually paired as a dip with crisp breads. You can add lemon for a tangy flavor or red chili peppers for a spicy salad. Serves 2-3 What you need: 1 large eggplant (aubergine), chopped 3-4 ripe tomatoes, chopped 5 cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp cumin 1 tsp paprika 1.5 tsp salt 4 tbsp olive oil 1/2 cup water 3 tbsp fresh parsley 3 tbsp fresh cilantro In a large pan, bring the olive oil to medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and sauté for another 3 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients, mix well, and cover. Simmer for 20 minutes on medium heat. Remove cover and with a masher or strong fork, mash the zaalouk. Cook for another 10 minutes on medium heat. Serve with bread.

This vegan casserole dish comes from the island of Mallorca, Spain. It is served in almost every restaurant, so if you are ever in the area you have a vegan staple available to you. The recipe calls for a lot of frying, so get make sure you have a lot of oil available before you begin to chop. Serves 4-6 What you need: 1 large eggplant(aubergine), sliced 1/2 inch thick widthwise 1 green bell pepper, chopped into 2-4 large chunks 1 red bell pepper, chopped into 2-4 large chunks 2 medium size potatoes, sliced 1/2 inch thick widthwise 1 medium size zucchini, sliced 1/2 inch thick lengthwise and then halved 1.5 cup tomato sauce (you can try this simple tomato sauce ) 1 tsp salt 1 tsp parsley 5 cups olive oil for frying Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F). Fill a large pan with the five cups of olive oil and bring to high heat on a stove. Chop and slice all of your vegetables before frying. To decrease bitterness of the eggplant, salt lightly after slicing and strain in a colander for 30 minu...

Patlicanli Pilav is a common dish in Turkey and is cooked similar to the Spanish food paella . Serves 3 What you need: 1 large eggplant 2 medium tomatoes 1/2 yellow onion 2 tbsp olive oil 1 cup dry basmati rice 3 1/2 cups vegetable broth 1 tsp parsley 1/2 tsp fresh mint salt pepper Cut the eggplant into bite size cubes and sprinkle them with salt to remove the bitter taste. Let the eggplant sit in a colander for 15 minutes to drain out. While waiting for the eggplant, dice the onion and tomatoes. In a large skillet on medium heat, sauté the eggplant in 1 tbsp of olive oil for around 10-15 minutes (or until brown and soft). Remove from skillet and set aside. In the same skillet, sauté the onion in 1 tbsp of olive oil until golden. Add the diced tomatoes and sauté for another five minutes. Add the eggplant back into the pan. Sprinkle in the 1 tsp of parsley, 1/2 teaspoon mint, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper. After stirring in the spices, add the 1 cup of uncooked basmati rice to the mix...