Quick Gumbo thing

I didn't use a recipe, so I don't know whether this would best be described as gumbo, stew, jambalaya . . . but it doesn't really matter.

olive oil
1 can tomato sauce
1 cup potatoes, steamed and diced
1 fist-sized eggplant, peeled and diced
2 small zucchini, diced
2 gypsy peppers, diced
3 hot peppers, finely minced
2 cloves garlic
1/2 yellow onion
1 can black beans
2 Tofurkey sausages, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
salt to taste

Chop or mash the garlic, chop the onion. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan, then add the garlic and onion and stir gently until they soften. Add the eggplant and sautee until it begins to brown. Add the tomato sauce, potatoes, peppers, zucchini and salt (and about one can of water) and cook over medium heat for approximately 5-10 minutes. Taste periodically to check the seasoning. You may need to add water again if this thickens up too much. When everything is al dente (you know, before the zucchini gets mushy) add the black beans and Tofurkey and continue to cook until they are heated through, then serve.

I served this with Trader Joe's cornbread, but I added two ears' worth of fresh corn kernels to the mix. It was delicious.

Pancakes from heaven (savory style)

Tonight I had a bunch of summer veggies to use -- zucchini and tomatoes in particular. I decided to make zucchini pancakes.

For the pancakes.

3 med/small zucchini
1/2 medium yellow onion
1 1/3 cup potatoes (approximate)
1/4 cup feta
black pepper
1 egg or 1/4 cup egg substitute
2 Tbs flour

Steam the potatoes (or microwave, I don't care) until they can be pierced easily with a fork. Grate the onion, zucchini, and cooked potatoes in a food processor. Pour into a medium bowl, add beaten eggs, crumbled feta, flour, and lots of fresh grated black pepper. Mix well.

Heat a non-stick griddle pan or other flat pan on the stove on medium high heat and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Drop the pancake mixture in large spoonfuls onto the hot pan, spread out until they are even, and coook 2-3 minutes on both sides. They should turn nicely brown.

For the sauce

1 large tomato
1 medium onion
1 medium gypsy pepper
1 hot pepper
2 large cloves garlic.

As long as you've got the food processor out, switch blades and blend this mixture to a chunky liquid.

I put a generous amount of this sauce onto the plates, dripped balsamic glaze around the edge (not necessary, I was just being fancy), and piled the pancakes on top of the sauce. Sweetie called them "pancakes from heaven" and went back for seconds.