Eggplant Tikka Masala

2 large eggplant, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces
2 6 oz. containers plain vegan yogurt
4 T lemon juice
6 t cumin, divided
1/4 t cayenne pepper
2 t cinnamon
2 t ground ginger
4 T oil, divided
4 t minced garlic
2 jalapeno peppers, deseeded and minced, optional
4 t coriander
2 t paprika
2 t garam masala
1 (29.5 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 c. cashew cream

Place eggplant pieces in a large bowl.  In a small bowl, mix yogurt, lemon juice, 4 t cumin, cayenne, cinnamon, and ginger.  Pour marinade on eggplant and stir to coat all pieces.  Place in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours.

Remove eggplant from refrigerator.   Heat 2 T oil in a large pan.  Add eggplant, and cook on medium heat until soft, about 20-25 minutes.  

Heat remaining 2 T oil in a separate frying pan.  Add garlic and jalapeno, and saute for 1-2 minutes.  Add remaining 2 t cumin, coriander, paprika, and garam masala to pan, and stir. Add tomato sauce, stir well, and simmer for 10-15 minutes.  Add cashew cream and stir.  Remove from heat, and mix sauce with cooked eggplant. Serve over rice, or with naan.

Carrot hotdogs

When I first got this recipe I was very skeptical, Im not a huge carrot fan, so I was not to anxious to try them. Then my grandparents came to visit and I had to plan vegan gluten free meals, grandma is celiac, and i wanted her to experience vegan eating. So we tried these out and we were all just amazed, to me they tasted the way real hotdogs off the grill taste. It was almost scary. They are now one of our familys favorite summer foods to grill.

Carrot Dogs

Peel 2 pounds of carrots and cut into hot dog lengths, drop into boiling water for 15 minutes. Cool. Soak in marinade for several hours, overnight is best.

Marinade: 

2c water

2t garlic powder

2t onion powder

2t dried basil

1/2tsp smoked paprika

2TBS peanut butter

1t sugar

1t salt

1/4t celery salt

mix marinade ingredients together and marinade the carrots.

after marinating the carrots, remove from marinade and place on oiled cookie sheet bake at 350 until tender. 

You can eat them now or place them on a grill for a few minutes then serve with your favorite condiments.