Ratatouille Pasta

Ratatouille Pasta

Ratatouille is a traditional French dish from the Provence area, there are many variations on it.  This is about as easy as it gets, yet healthy, delicious, & filling.  Make a salad and you have your whole meal.  The most time consuming thing is chopping all the vegetables, no need to measure anything, add or subtract whatever your gang won't eat.  I'll bet if it is chopped up enough they won't even know it's in there.  What a great way to get your family to eat more vegetables!

Eggplant

Zucchini

onion

leek

carrots

green pepper

tomato

bay leaf

thyme

salt & pepper

garlic chopped

favorite red sauce

capers

pasta 

Parmesan fresh grated

Chop vegetables small and saute the first 7 ingredients till just softened, add everything down to the pasta and let simmer.  The longer it simmers the richer the sauce, the capers add a nice flavor to the sauce.  The carrots I usually chop small but the sweetness in them really helps with the acidic sauce, for years I used a little brown sugar for that but the carrots seem to do the trick and so much healthier.  When ready to serve just boil up your pasta, mix, sprinkle with Parmesan--enjoy.  

saute in a little olive oil the vegetables

sprinkle with Parmesan

Grilled Vegetable Sandwiches

Well nice weather is slow in coming this year but the produce looked so good this week I couldn't resist.  While we had to much rain to grill I broiled them and will anxiously wait for that nice weather to get here.  I first adapted this recipe from this Rachel Ray sandwich, http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/great-grilled-vegetable-sandwich-recipe/index.html

I usually do it open face but tonight had a delicious fresh dense whole grain bread so went with the second slice of bread.

For 2 people:

1 eggplant
1 zucchini
1 large vidalia onion
portabello mushrooms
1 roasted red pepper
sliced Provolone (today I used Gruyere because I had it)
bread or rolls--had a great
a vinagrette

lemon mayo:

reduced fat mayo
lemon zest
lemon juice
celery seed
thyme
salt & pepper
red pepper flakes
dashes of Tabasco

mix, season to taste and set in refrigerator to let flavors meld

Slice all vegetables, drizzle with your favorite vinagrette (I do a homemade basalmic or a lemon dijon)  layer on a baking sheet to broil or place on preheated grill.  Turn when vegetables begin to brown, remove when flip side is browned.

Smear each side of bread with lemon mayo, layer vegetables, top with cheese you can broil the cheese if using a roll or for openface sandwich also you can panini with a top slice of bread.

mix mayo ahead and refrigerate

vegetables broiling

shredded gruyere, your favorite melting cheese will work

Ricotta Stuffed Shells

Ricotta Stuffed Shells

This is the basic recipe for Stuffed Shells, very similar to the recipe on the box I'm sure.  What a go to meal for a crowd, to make ahead, to make vegetarian, to make extra and freeze, it works for some many different occasions.  I never look at a recipe for this, you can always wing it and it is always good.



Box of large pasta shells
favorite red sauce (I have started adding capers to my sauce I like the bit of zip it gives it)
Ricotta Cheese
Mozzarella shredded
Parmesan shredded (fresh makes a huge difference)
parsley
1-2 eggs (to desired consistency)

Boil pasta --do not over cook!
Mix cheeses, parsley, eggs and any other add ins you like together.

Add in possibilities depending what you have on hand or want:

spinach, kale and leafy dark green (steamed or sauteed can be mixed into cheese mixture)
mushrooms (added to sauce or layered under shells)
chicken or ground beef or sausage ( add to sauce or layer on bottom)

Spread sauce in bottom of 13 x 9 pan, fill shells, line shells on top of sauce, drizzle sauce over shells, sprinkle with more grated cheeses.  Bake at 350 for about 30 min.  If you made it ahead and refrigerated it let come to room temp and it may need a few more minutes of baking.  If you froze it take it out the day before and put in refrigerator it takes forever to thaw.

Eggplant Parmesan

I think every time I make this it is a little different, but it is always good.  This time I added ricotta with caramelized onions and mushrooms, it came out great.

Eggplant peeled and sliced (I used 2 med sized)
onion sliced thin
mushrooms sliced
ricotta I used part skim
1 egg
Italian seasoning
parsley
Parmesan
Provolone (happened to be out of Mozzarella)
wholewheat bread crumbs
your favorite sauce
capers


Broil the eggplant slices on a cookie sheet till just browned, flip and do other side. Caramelize onions and mushrooms in a saute pan.  Mix ricotta, Italian seasoning, parsley, Parmesan and egg in a bowl.  Capers were added to red sauce giving it a nice flavor.
To assemble spread a layer of sauce in 9 x 13 pan or individual dishes layer eggplant slices, mix onion/mushroom mixture with ricotta then spread over layer of eggplant, top with another layer of eggplant, sprinkle bread crumbs over eggplant, then top with sauce.  Add more Parmesan cheese over sauce, then Mozzarella or Provolone, sprinkle more bread crumbs.  Bake till bubbly.

This is a healthier way of making it, you don't fry the eggplant and there is less breading but you still get the flavor with some crunch from the crumbs.  Great for a vegetarian meal, and you really can't mess it up.

broiling eggplant

sauting onions and mushrooms

ricotta, egg & spices

assembling

ready for oven

finished side photo 

Serves nicely when done in stacks.