Vegan Stew Recipe (No, it's not made with real vegans)

Well, it's happened. Fred kept hinting around at starting a more plant-based diet and now he has. Aside from the half&half in his morning coffee he is meat and dairy free. I don't see him giving up the half&half anytime soon, some lines are just not to be crossed.

So as I type this while eating my Greek yogurt, I am pondering whether or not I am capable of giving up dairy. So far, not so much. This Greek yogurt with honey is really good. I mean REALLY good.

We are eating a lot of vegan meals now though. Last night Fred made a stew with eggplant, zucchini and red peppers. It was seriously one of the best things I've ever eaten. Keep in mind, I love food, good food, as in Top Chef type food. I just don't eat it anymore. This stew though, so good. Even though it was mostly vegetables, it was a very hearty, comfort-food meal.

I highly recommend hitting a local farm stand/farmer's market or your own garden if you have one and getting the ingredients to make this meal. We used all fresh, local produce which I believe makes a huge difference in flavor for any meal.

Below is the recipe I pulled up from www.yummly.com. We omitted the parsley and rosemary since we didn't have any on hand. Give it a whirl and let us know what you think!

Peace, Love, Happiness!

~Bekah

1 eggplant (cut into 1 inch cubes) 14 cup olive oil 1 cup onion (chopped) 5 cloves chopped garlic 12 cup basmati rice 1 zucchini (cut into large chunks) 1 red bell pepper (chopped) 3 fresh tomatoes (diced)

1 cup marsala wine 1 12 cups water 12 tsp salt (taste) 14 tsp red pepper flakes 14 cup fresh basil (chopped) 14 cup fresh parsley (chopped) 1 sprig fresh rosemary (chopped)

Eggplant, Zucchini, and Red Pepper Stew

1	Place eggplant in a colander and sprinkle with salt.
2	Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven or large pot. Rinse eggplant and pat dry. Saute until slightly browned. Stir in onion and saute until transparent. Stir in garlic and saute for 2 to 3 minutes.
3	Stir in rice, zucchini, red bell pepper, tomatoes, wine, water, salt and red pepper flakes. Cook over medium-high heat until mixture reaches a low boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.
4	Remove from heat and stir in basil, parsley and rosemary.

Amount Per Serving

Calories 332

Calories from Fat 125

% Daily Value *

Total Fat 14 g	21%
Saturated Fat 2 g	9%
Trans Fat	0%
Cholesterol	0%
Sodium 317 mg	13%
Total Carbohydrate 38 g	13%
Dietary Fiber 6 g	25%
Sugars 9 g

Protein 5 g

Vitamin A	41%
Vitamin C 61 mg	102%
Calcium 64 mg	6%
Iron 1 mg	8%
Potassium 821 mg	3%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.