Looking at the calendar yesterday I realized that we’re a lot further into November than I’d realized.  That means Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and I’d better start figuring out what I’m going to make!

With that in mind, I thought I’d go through past posts that would be appropriate for the holiday.  Let’s start with appetizers!  (Click on the photos for the original post and recipe.)

APPETIZERS

Hot Artichoke Dip

This Hot Artichoke Dip makes a great holiday appetizer.  It’s really easy to make, so you can spend more time on everything else you’ll be cooking.  It’s also a great dish to make for skeptical non-vegans because it’s creamy, decadent and delicious!

Cheezy Crackers

Cheezy Crackers are another great choice for pre-meal snacking.  They take just a little more effort, but you can make them a day or two ahead of time.  And your guests will be so impressed that you made crackers from scratch that it will be totally worth it!

Marinated Cheeze

Another make ahead dish is this Marinated Cheeze.  It’s so tasty on crackers or crusty bread, and you won’t have to worry about any vampire attacks during your meal since you and all your guests will have plenty of garlic breath perfuming the air.

Pepper-Crusted Cashew Goat Cheese

Since we’re talking cheese (creamy and cheesy seem to be a theme with me…), I have to post my favorite vegan cheese!  This Pepper-Crusted Cashew Goat Cheese does require some advance planning, but it’s so worth it.  It’s not difficult to make, though, so don’t be intimidated by the recipe.  I can also guarantee that it’s a safe bet to serve to non-vegans.  Whenever I make this it disappears almost as fast as I can put it out.

Union Square Cafe’s Bar Nuts

And finally, one of my all-time favorite snacks, The Union Square Cafe’s Bar Nuts.  These are incredibly easy to make, can be made ahead of time and reheated, and are so incredibly tasty.  You can use whatever nuts you like best, and the herbs and seasonings are perfect for Thanksgiving.

Okay, so now that we have a few appetizer ideas, let’s move onto to soup.  Normally I don’t serve soup with my Thanksgiving meal, but I’m thinking about doing it this year.  I have my eye on a cranberry and wild rice soup that I’d like to try out, but any of the following would be perfect on your Thanksgiving table.

SOUP

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

This soup is sweet, savory and really yummy.  The recipe is a little bit more advanced, but the end flavor is worth the time and effort.

Cauliflower Bisque with Buttered Breadcrumbs

Ummmm… bisque.  This Cauliflower Bisque with Buttered Breadcrumbs is so delicious, and as I look at that photo I’m kicking myself for not making this more often.  Again, this is something you can very confidently serve to non-vegans.

Delicata Squash Bisque

Delicata Squash Bisque is incredibly easy, and one of the best soups I’ve ever tasted.  The quality of the vegetable broth you use is important here, so make sure to use a good one!

Okay, time for the main event.  For me, Thanksgiving is about sides (and it was even when I still ate turkey).  The past couple years I’ve also made a nut roast (two different ones last year) so that it feels like there’s a “main dish.”  Here are some of my favorite sides, along with that tasty nut roast.

THE MAIN EVENT

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Don’t let Roasted Brussels Sprouts scare you.  If you’re afraid of them or have had bad experiences in the past, you have to try cooking them this way, and I promise you’ll feel differently.  These were such a huge hit last year.  They’re another one of those easy dishes that free up your time for the more complicated ones.  And you don’t have to sacrifice any flavor.

Green Bean Casserole

This Green Bean Casserole is one of my favorite dishes.  The recipe is a little more involved, but making this classic dish from scratch is worth it.  I plan to double the recipe this year since it went so quickly last year.

Mashed Potatoes

Of course it wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without Mashed Potatoes, at least for me.  I make a giant pot of these every year, mostly so that there’s enough for me to stuff myself on them.  I mean, let’s just be honest with each other.

“Poultry” Gravy

There’s only one thing that can possibly make mashed potatoes better and that’s…”Poultry” Gravy!  This stuff is magical.  I make a huge batch in the morning and keep it warm in a crock pot.  You have to have plenty for the meal, and extra for the leftovers!

Holiday Nut Roast

The gravy is also amazing on this Holiday Nut Roast.  This is another recipe that takes a bit more work than the others, but that’s what makes it special.  What seems like a very disparate list of ingredients come together to make a perfectly textured savory and delicious roast.  It’s almost like stuffing and a main dish combined.  Definitely worth the effort.

Sweet Potato Casserole

And to transition us to dessert, here’s my favorite Thanksgiving dish – SusanV’s Sweet Potato Casserole.  This is the best sweet potato casserole I’ve ever tasted.  I love having something sweet and spicy to contrast with all the savory foods on my Thanksgiving plate.  It makes for great left-overs too.

Okay, now for the real desserts!  It’s hard to stray from the classics, which for my family were always pumpkin and apple pie.  I was never a huge pumpkin pie fan (although I bet I’d feel differently now), but pumpkin cheesecake is something I can definitely get behind.

DESSERTS!

Pumpkin Patch Cheesecake

This version is creamy, delicious and perfectly pumpkin-y.  It’s also much easier to make than you’d expect.

Easy Refrigerator Cheesecake

If you’re looking for something even easier, this (almost) no-bake cheesecake has you covered.  You do have to bake the crust of this Easy Refrigerator Cheesecake, but it’s still one of the easiest dessert options out there.  It’s almost like pumpkin mousse, and it will definitely impress your non-vegan guests.

Frangipane Pear Crostata

If you want to skip the pumpkin all-together, you could make this Frangipane Pear Crostata.  It takes just a bit more effort than the cheesecakes, but it’s an elegant dessert that’s not too sweet, making it the perfect finale for a rich Thanksgiving meal.

German Apple Cake

While I’m not a huge apple pie fan, I love apple cake!  If you want to switch things up this year you could make this German Apple Cake in place of the pie.

Chocolate Chip Date Cake

Now, I know it isn’t traditional, but this Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake is one of my all-time favorite desserts.  It’s simply delicious.  The flavor and texture are awesome, and it bridges the gap between Thanksgiving and the winter holiday season to come.  You could even make mini-bundts like Jenn over at Cookin’ Vegan.

Hopefully these recipes will help get you started on your vegan Thanksgiving menu, or maybe if you’re not vegan they’ll give you an idea of something to serve your vegan or vegetarian guests.  Now I just need to figure out what my menu is going to be.  What are you guys planning to make for Thanksgiving this year?

Do you guys know about Meatless Mondays?  If you’re one of my non-vegan readers, you may not have heard of this campaign, but it’s becoming more and more mainstream, and now even Oprah is in on it.  I’ve been wanting to start a Meatless Monday feature on the blog for a while now, and I’m excited to kick the whole thing off with a brand new C’est La Video!

You may be on board with the idea of going meatless one day a week, but if you’re anything like I was before I became vegetarian, you hear the world “meatless” and imagine a day of carrot sticks for lunch and a boring salad for dinner.  Even with the best of intentions, if you don’t know what to eat, you’re just not going to stick with it.

Add to that the fact that most of us are busy people, and we don’t always have a ton of time to spend in the kitchen at the end of a long work day.  If you’re intimidated by vegetarian food, you’re even less likely to want to cook, and you’re already writing off Meatless Mondays before even giving them a shot.

I want to show you guys that you can have a great meal that will be familiar to you and your family, and it doesn’t have to take a lot of time and work.  I promise you that no one will miss the meat, and even though this meal uses some pre-made products, it’s so much better for you than its non-vegan counterpart.

Is it better to make everything from scratch?  Of course it is, but you certainly don’t have to.  Using pre-made products can be a huge help, and I want to make sure you don’t have any excuses for not going meatless on Mondays!  There are plenty of great all-natural products out there, so just make sure to read those ingredient lists and choose high-quality pre-made foods.

This meal is less of a recipe and more of an assembly.  If I don’t have my favorite garlic bread spread in the fridge, I use the method shown in the video to make some Speedy Garlic Bread.  It’s really tasty, and couldn’t be easier to make.  Use a baguette, ciabatta, or whatever kind of bread you like best.

My favorite recipe for marinara sauce is also really easy to make, but some nights it’s just easier to open a jar.  Who’s with me?  Just make sure the pre-made sauce is meat and dairy free.  And don’t forget to include some veggies to round out this meal.  Some roasted or sauteed broccoli or asparagus would be tasty, but you could also serve a simple side salad like I do in the video.

Shells with “Meat” Sauce

1 pound conchiglie pasta (shells)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 bag of Boca Ground Crumbles
1/4 to 1/2 cup red wine, vegetable broth or water for deglazing the pot
1 26-ounce jar of pre-made marinara sauce (I used Trader Joe’s Tomato Basil Sauce)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta.  While the water comes up to a boil, heat a tablespoon or so of olive oil in a pot over medium heat.  Once the pot is heated, add the meatless crumbles and saute.  If they stick to the bottom of the pot, deglaze it with your liquid of choice (I like using red wine.)  Once the crumbles are heated through, add the marinara sauce to the pot, and give it all a good stir.  Cover, and reduce the heat to a simmer.  Stir occasionally.

Once the pasta water is boiling, add a generous “pinch” of salt and the pasta.  Give it a stir, and boil according to the package directions.  Once the pasta is al dente, strain it and add it to the pot with the sauce, stirring well.  Serve with Speedy Garlic bread (recipe follows.)

Speedy Garlic Bread

Sliced Bread (I usually do 2-3 slices per person)
1 whole clove garlic, peeled
Non-dairy Margarine
Vegan Parmesan

Toast, broil or grill the bread.  Cut the top off of the garlic clove, and rub the cut end on the hot bread.  Spread with margarine, and sprinkle with the vegan Parmesan.

Notes: You can use different pasta shapes if you’d prefer, but I like how the shells hold the “meat” sauce.  Don’t worry about using the exact same size jar of sauce – just use something close to that size so that you have enough sauce to coat all the pasta.  If you can’t find Boca Crumbles feel free to use another brand, or you could even cut up a couple veggie burgers.  Just make sure to check the ingredients for dairy or eggs.

I know they’re not good for you, but man were they worth it.  Popeyes Biscuits were one of my weaknesses, and the other day I started thinking about them and couldn’t get them out of my mind.  I figured there had to be a way to make a vegan version, and with the fantastical world wide web a quick search yielded a plethora of recipes to choose from.

I was pretty stunned at how easy these were to make.  Like the original version though, they’re definitely not health food.  But man, are they still worth it!  I was also kind of doubtful that four ingredients could combine to replicate the exact buttery flavor and tender texture of real Popeyes Biscuits, but they did.  My mind was seriously blown.  It’s kind of dangerous that these are so easy to make.  I’m really gonna have to hold myself back from making them way too often…

The recipe below is a combination of recipes and directions that I found online.  Enjoy!

Vegan Popeyes Biscuits

2 cups Bisquick (make sure you get a vegan version)
4 ounces vegan sour cream
3 ounces Club soda
2 – 4 ounces vegan margarine

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Brush some melted margarine in the bottom of a round cake pan [see Notes].  Mix the Bisquick, vegan sour cream and club soda together in a large bowl.  Sprinkle some Bisquick on your counter or board to keep the dough from sticking.  Dump the dough out and pat it down by hand until it’s about 1/2-inch thick.  Cut out rounds with a biscuit cutter, and place them into your “buttered” cake pan.  Brush the tops with some of the melted margarine.

Bake them for 7 to 10 minutes, or until golden.  Just before the biscuits are done, brush the tops with more melted margarine, and let them finish baking.

Notes: I used a 9-inch cake pan, but had an extra biscuit that I ended up baking in a smaller pan.  I’d use a larger cake pan, or even a larger square pan.  You don’t have to use as much margarine as the recipe calls for, but you can also save these for special occasions and splurge.  Besides, didn’t you want to  buy some bigger jeans anyway?

Ryan and I were invited to a birthday potluck over the weekend, and since I had to work on Saturday, I wanted to make something that wouldn’t be too complicated, but that would still be really tasty.  I’ve been wanting to try this recipe for a while, and it turned out to be the perfect thing: easy to make, seasonal, and no oven required (although I did broil the slices of bread, but that only took a minute or two).

I’m so glad I finally tried this recipe.  It was so tasty, and it’s definitely a perfect summer dish.  I look forward to making it with really juicy heirloom tomatoes – the ones I was able to get weren’t quite as ripe as I would have liked.  I also love that you can use whatever kind of bread and herbs you like, and you can customize the vinaigrette to your taste as well.

I followed the recipe as it was written, but I look forward to experimenting with this dish.  I have a feeling this one will be in the regular rotation!  What are you favorite no-cook summer recipes?

Let’s start with some vegan Irish sausages, soda bread and colcannon that I made for St. Patrick’s day a couple years ago.  It was my first time making homemade vegan sausages and soda bread, and both were actually much easier to make than I’d anticipated.  The sausages might seem complicated, but don’t be intimidated – they’re definitely worth the effort!

Colcannon is something I make pretty often – it’s one of my favorite dishes and one that I don’t just reserve for St. Paddy’s day.  It’s also a great way to get vege-phobes to eat some greens, because mashed potatoes make everything taste great!

Last year I made this Irish “Steak” and Stout Stew, and I’ve made it many times since last St. Patrick’s day.  I’ve served it to meat eaters on more than one occasion, to rave reviews.  It’s a really tasty all-purpose “beef” stew.  You could serve this with soda bread, in puff pastry (as shown) or with a nice loaf of crusty bread.

This Irish Whiskey Cake may look plain, but it’s deceptively delicious.  Just seeing the picture makes me salivate…  I really need to make this more often!

I’m more of a cake than frosting girl, so I like this one as is, but you could get fancy and layer this with some vanilla or Irish Creme-flavored frosting.  It’s also perfect with a simple dusting of powdered sugar, and it couldn’t be easier to make.

What’s on your St. Patrick’s Day menu this year?

When it comes to aphrodisiac foods, asparagus is the king!  I think that we can all see why people throughout history have given this vegetable that honor, and I mean that literally…

I debated serving the spears with the classic drizzle of a hollandaise sauce, but I just didn’t feel like having to wash the blender or food processor.  I’m glad my laziness got the best of me, because I really liked how these turned out.

I decided to go with simple saute in some olive oil and lemon juice, and I have to say that this was some of the best asparagus I’ve ever had.  And like the Aphrodisiac Salad, it’s nice and light so you won’t be weighed down after your Valentine’s Day dinner!

Lemon Asparagus
You can serve this asparagus on its own as a side dish, use it in sandwich wraps or enjoy it over pasta.  Serves 2-4

2 bunches asparagus
about 1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lemon
salt and fresh cracked lemon pepper, to taste (you can also use regular black pepper)

Wash the asparagus, and snap off the woody ends.  Heat a large skillet over medium high heat, and add the olive oil.  Add the asparagus to the pan in a single layer (or saute in batches) with a pinch of salt, and saute, tossing it in the pan, until it turns bright green.

Meanwhile, zest the lemon, and cut a couple slices to set aside for garnish.  Juice the rest of the lemon.  Add the lemon juice to the pan, and toss the asparagus to coat with the juice.  Transfer it to a plate, and sprinkle with salt and lemon pepper to taste.  Top with some of the lemon zest and the reserved lemon slices and serve.

For some reason I’ve really been wanting to cook with chestnut this year.  I have to admit that I’m intimidated to roast them myself, and they can also be a bit pricey.  Fortunately Trader Joe’s has pre-cooked vacuum-sealed packages of them that are so convenient to use and are also reasonable priced.  Aw yeah!

I started looking around online for recipe ideas and found a bunch for tasty sounding soups.  The weather has turned pretty chilly here so soup seemed like the perfect thing to make.  I was planning to do a shallot and leek base, but when I saw a container of mirepoix at Trader Joe’s, I thought I’d take the super easy route and use that instead.

Thanks to the pre-cooked/pre-cut products this soup was incredibly simple to make, but it tastes so rich and complex.  It would be an elegant soup to serve for Thanksgiving or any of the winter holidays, and you could easily double the recipe for a crowd.

Easy Chestnut Soup
serves 4 as a starter

1 tablespoon Earth Balance non-hydrogenated margarine
14.5-ounce container mirepoix (or about 1 cup each diced celery, onion and carrot)
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup Madeira wine
13-ounces (about 2 heaping cups) peeled and cooked chestnuts, chopped
4 cups vegetable broth (or 2 bouillon cubes mixed with 4 cups boiling water)
1/4 cup non-dairy cream
pinch white pepper
salt to taste

Melt the margarine in a soup pot over medium heat.  Add the mirepoix and a pinch of salt, and saute until it’s softened and cooked down, about 5 to 10 minutes.  Add the minced garlic and saute for a couple minutes, or until it’s fragrant.

Add the Madeira wine, and bring to a boil.  Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated.  Add the chestnuts and saute for a couple of minutes.

Add the vegetable broth, stir everything together, and partially cover the pot.  Simmer the soup for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until the carrots are very soft.

Transfer the soup to a blender, and carefully blend the mixture.  You may need to do this in batches, and depending on your blender, you may need to vent the lid.

Return the blended mixture to the pot and stir in the white pepper and non-dairy cream.  Taste for seasoning, and add salt if it needs it.  [The bouillon cubes with sea salt usually adds enough salt for my taste.]

To serve the soup, drizzle several drops of cream on top, and drag a knife through them to swirl the cream.  I also added a little bit of white truffle oil.  Enjoy!

I think I’ll try a different version of chestnut soup with shallots and maybe mushrooms, partly because I’m so excited to find inexpensive pre-cooked chestnuts.  I feel like I should take full advantage of them!  While this soup was fantastic, the amount of the carrots in the mirepoix made it a little more orange than I would have liked.  I also think that the slightly sweet chestnuts would be a great combination with earthy mushrooms.  Stay tuned for that recipe, but in the meantime, I hope you enjoy this one!

I’ve been kind of obsessed with bread lately, partly because I’ve had a work project that’s turned out to be a lot more involved than I’d initially anticipated, and when I get really stressed I sometimes  get such a nervous stomach that I lose my appetite.  One of the only things that’s sounded good to me the past couple weeks, apart from cereal, is bread.  Clearly, I’m not eating the healthiest diet right now, but I know I’ll have my raging appetite back soon enough.

In the meantime, I’ve been downing Tofurky sandwiches on sourdough, and sometimes I just eat the sourdough!  The other day I made biscuits and gravy, which really hit the spot, as it alwasy does.  But this red pepper flake flat-bread is kind of my perfect food right now.  Really flavorful (but mild and comforting) and really bready!

Making this couldn’t have been easier.  I got some refrigerated pizza dough from Trader Joe’s, brushed the top with olive oil and sprinkled on chopped fresh rosemary, red pepper flakes, gray salt and pepper.  The packaging has all the instructions for handling and baking the dough.  You could top this with different herbs, but I love the rosemary and red pepper flake combo.

With the gray weather we’re having in LA today, this would be perfect with a good bowl of soup, but it would also be right at home on a sun drenched patio with a nice class of chilled wine.  That sounds pretty great to me.  Alas… back to work.

Okay, right off the bat I have to tell you that yours truly took the above photo.  I don’t think I’m anywhere near Ryan’s level yet (although in my defense, he has been doing it for over fifteen years and happens to be amazingly talented), but I think I’m off to a good start!  He’s been giving me some photography lessons of late so that I can eventually take over as he’s getting busier and busier with work.

So, onto the food!  One of my favorite summer dishes is a simple potato and green bean salad with a vinaigrette dressing.  You know me and potatoes… it’s hard for me to not like anything even associated with them.  Green beans were one of the only vegetables I used to eat, so they’re a favorite as well.  You can use any type of green bean here, but I prefer thin haricots verts.

There was a feature on ways to use a basic vinaigrette in the magazine Real Simple years ago.  I copied the pages from my Mom’s issue and made that version many times over the years.  For some reason I always misplace the recipe, but I’ve made it so many times that now I just improvise.  The original calls for lemon juice, but you can play with different vinegars and use whatever you have on hand.  I think the original called for honey as well, so I use agave nectar instead.

This salad would be perfect to bring to a picnic or barbecue, or just to have alongside a sandwich for a nice lunch.  I also sometimes add bac’un bits or tempeh fakin’ bacon if I feel like it.  I didn’t this time, but it’s a nice addition that makes the flavor a little more hearty.

Green Bean Potato Salad with Shallot Vinaigrette

10 ounces green beans
20 ounces baby potatoes
1 medium shallot, minced
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons agave nectar
2 teaspoons minced chives
2 teaspoons minced tarragon
salt & pepper, to taste

Wash the potatoes and cut them in half.  If they’re large you can quarter them.  Put the potatoes in a pot and cover with fresh water.  Add a pinch of salt and bring to a boil.  Once they’re easily pierced and slide off the knife or fork used to test them, drain them and put them in a large bowl.

While the potatoes cook, you can either steam or boil the green beans.  Tip and tail them, and slice them into about 1 to 1 1/2-inch lengths.  Make sure they’re cooked enough to not be squeaky (this drives me crazy!), but not so much that they aren’t overcooked and mushy.  I just keep tasting them to make sure they’re the texture I like.  Drain them, and add them to the bowl with the potatoes.

For the vinaigrette, mince the shallot and add it to a small bowl.  Pour the white wine vinegar over the shallot, stir, and let the mixture set for a couple of minutes.  Add the olive oil in a thin stream while you whisk, and then add the mustard and agave nectar.  Whisk the vinaigrette well to incorporate everything, and add salt and pepper  to taste.

Pour the dressing over the hot potatoes and green beans, and toss to coat.  This will keep well in the fridge over night, but it’s best served at room temperature.

Notes: If you don’t have fresh herbs you can use dry.  Just start by adding 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon dry and add more to taste if needed.  You can also use other herb combinations, or just leave them out altogether.  Don’t worry about have exactly the measurements listed – I just used those because they happened to be the amounts I grabbed at the farmers market.  You can always double the vinaigrette if you need to, or save some of it for a different salad if you have too much.

I came across these gorgeous miniature eggplants at the Farmers’ Market yesterday morning and just couldn’t resist them. I’ve never had them before and had no idea what I was going to do with them, but I knew I could probably figure something out.  You might not be able to tell from the photo, but each of these eggplants is smaller than a regular sized egg.

I didn’t want to loose the beautifully colored skin of the little eggplants, so I thought I might grill them with the skins on.  When I also found this beautiful purple basil at the same market stand (which I’ve also never cooked with), I figured that just like the eggplant, basil is basil regardless of the size and color, and it would be perfect chopped and sprinkled over the grilled eggplant along with a squeeze of lemon juice.

Then I realized it might be really tasty to make a lemon basil pesto and serve everything bruschetta style on some toasted baguette slices.  Of course I never need an excuse to make basil pesto.  It’s definitely one of my favorite things, and I love that it’s as easy as throwing everything into the food processor.  I was really interested in seeing how the pesto would turn out with this purple basil as the base.

I’m happy to say that it was super tasty.  Pesto is so good that everything it touches is delicious.  Spread on some toasted garlic-rubbed bread and topped with little slices of grilled eggplant, it was the perfect summer afternoon snack.  It’s impressive enough to serve to guests, but simple enough that you won’t be slaving in the kitchen.  And if you have an outdoor grill, even better – your kitchen will stay cooler, which is always a plus in the hot summer months.

Baby Eggplant Bruschetta with Purple Pesto

8-10 baby eggplants
3 cups loosely packed purple basil
3 tablespoons raw pine nuts, divided
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
3 cloves garlic, divided
large pinch of gray salt
juice from half a lemon
2 1/2 – 3 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 baguette, sliced
1 tablespoon chopped Italian parsley

Wash and slice the eggplant, and either spray or brush the slices with olive oil.  Cook them over high heat on a stove-top grill pan, or on a traditional grill.  Set aside.  While the pan is still hot, grill the slices of bread, and set aside to cool slightly.  (I sprayed the slices with olive oil, but you don’t have to.)  Peel one of the cloves of garlic, and slice off the top.  Rub the garlic on one side of each of the bread slices once they’re cool enough to handle.

Put the basil, remaining 2 cloves of garlic, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, salt, 2 tablespoons pine nuts and 1 tablespoon olive oil in the bowl of a food processor, and process until a rough paste forms.  Stop the machine, scrape the sides and taste the pesto.  You might need to add more lemon juice, olive oil or salt.

Toast the remaining tablespoon of pine nuts in a small saute pan, carefully watching to make sure they don’t burn.  To assemble, spread each slice of bread with some of the pesto and top with a couple slices of the grilled baby eggplant.  Sprinkle with a tiny bit of salt, the toasted pine nuts, chopped parsley and a drizzle of olive oil.  You can also garnish these with some small leaves of purple basil.

Notes: You can use this pesto as you would regular green pesto – we had the rest of it with some gnocchi for dinner.  If you can’t find purple basil, this would also work with regular green basil.  If baby eggplants are not available where you live, you can substitute 1 small globe or one large Japanese-style eggplant.  I also found that the baby eggplants were just a little bit bitter.  I hadn’t salted them, because I figured since they were so small they wouldn’t need it.  Not sure if any of you have experience cooking with them, but if you do, I’d love to hear how you prep them, and if they’re normally bitter at that size.