Sausage Vegetable Stew

Similar to ratatouille, but without the eggplant, this vegetable stew with sausages makes a nice light dinner for two. Can be served as is or over rice.

Ingredients:

1/2 lb (3 medium sized) sausages (Italian or your favourite) cut in 1/2" slices

2 medium bell peppers, cut in squares

2 medium onions, sliced

1 small zucchini, cut in 1/2" slices

1 tsp minced garlic

14 oz can diced tomatoes

2 tbsps olive oil

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 tsp dry oregano

1/2 cup water

 

Bring olive oil to medium high heat in a skillet and sauté the sausage slices 3-4 minutes. Then add the onion and cook for 4 minutes. Add garlic, bell peppers and zucchini and cook another 3 minutes. Finally add the tomatoes, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, oregano and water. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 25 - 30 minutes.

Serves 2

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Ratatouille au Gratin

This fresh summer stew uses the abundance of veggies found at the farmer's market or in your own backyard garden this time of year.

Ingredients:

4 cups cubed zucchini

3 tbsps olive oil

1 red pepper, cut in chunks

1 onion, chopped

1 large tomato, chopped

a pinch of sugar

3 tsps minced garlic

1 tsp dry thyme

1 tbsp tomato paste

2 tbsps balsamic vinegar

5 cups cubed eggplant, mostly peeled you can leave some on

2 tbsps fresh chopped basil leaves

1 tsp dry oregano

1/2 tsp dry basil

salt and pepper to taste

2 tbsps Panko

2 tbsps parmesan

1-2 tsps olive oil

1 cup shredded gruyère or mozzarella

Heat 3 tbsps olive oil in a large pan to medium high heat. Add the onion and cook 4 minutes then add the garlic for another minute. Add the eggplant and red pepper and stir occasionally on medium heat. As I said in the ingredient list, most of the eggplant was peeled but I left some thin strips. It can be peeled or not. Next add the zucchini and tomato with a pinch of sugar and cook for 10 minutes. Add the seasonings, tomato paste, balsamic and fresh basil.

Oil a 13 X 9" baking dish. Spoon in the ratatouille. Top with cheese then combine the Panko, parmesan and oil and sprinkle on top.

Bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes.

Serves 4

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Classic Garden Ratatouille

Vibrant, chunky French summer stew can be served with rice, over pasta or on it's own with a nice crusty bread for sopping up it's fragrant juices.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups diced 1" eggplant

1 tsp salt

1/4 cup olive oil, divided

2 cups diced onion

1 red bell pepper, diced

2 1/2 cups 1" pieces zucchini

6-8 mushrooms, sliced or quartered

3 tomatoes, coarsely chopped

4 tsps minced garlic

15 oz crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce

1 or 2 bay leaves

1 1/2 tsps dry oregano

1 tsp dry parsley

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp dry thyme

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chiffonade

Cut the eggplant in cubes and sprinkle with salt. Toss in a colander and set aside while prepping the rest of the vegetables. Once ready, pat the eggplant dry with paper towels.

Heat 2 tbsps olive oil in a Dutch oven on medium heat. Add the eggplant and cook 3-4 minutes until just lightly browned. Remove to a bowl.

Add 1 tbsp olive oil to the pan and add the zucchini and mushrooms to cook for 3 minutes. Remove to the same bowl with the eggplant.

Add 1 tbsp olive oil to the pan and add the onion. Cook 4-5 minutes then add the bell pepper for another 3 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes and garlic. Next to add is the crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce. If you intend on eating the ratatouille as a stew use crushed tomatoes, but if you will use it as a pasta sauce go with tomato sauce here. Put the bay leaf, parsley, oregano, red pepper flakes and thyme in and bring to a boil for 1 minute.

Return the eggplant, zucchini and mushrooms to the pot and simmer on medium low heat for 25-30 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.

Remove from heat and take out the bay leaf. Stir in the basil chiffonade and serve.

Serves 4 and will keep in the fridge for 4 days. Or freeze for up to 3 months.

And tossed with penne it's just awesome!

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Ratatouille for Two

This end of summer favourite (yes summer's almost over) is a classic vegetable stew using the bounty of zucchini, tomatoes and eggplant that this time of year offers. Enjoy it here in a little dinner for two version or serve it as an awesome side dish!

Ingredients:

1 cup diced eggplant

1 cup diced zucchini

1 medium onion

handfull of cherry tomatoes, halved

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

1/2 red bell pepper, sliced

2-3 tbsps fresh chopped parsley and/or basil

4 tbsps olive oil, divided

1/4-1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp dry basil

1/2 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp dry thyme

1/4 tsp black pepper

Sauté onion and garlic in 2 tbsps olive oil in a medium skillet until just slightly browned. Add the rest of the ingredients, including 2 tbsps olive oil but not the parsley/basil and bring up the heat. Then cover and simmer 30 minutes.

Add the parsley/basil just before serving.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

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Baked Ratatouille with Chickpeas and Sweet Potato

Before you know it you'll be harvesting some of your favourite late summer veggies from the garden. You'll want this vegetarian, one pan dinner in your back pocket!

Ingredients:

1 medium eggplant, unpeeled and sliced 1/2"

1 medium yellow zucchini, sliced 1/2"

1 large onion, diced

1 orange sweet pepper, diced

1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced small

1 cup canned chickpeas

1-2 tbsps minced garlic

28 oz can diced tomatoes

1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup olive oil

black pepper to taste

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp dry thyme

2 tbsps tomato paste

1 bay leaf

1-2 tbsps chopped, fresh basil

2 tbsps capers with some brine

garnish with fresh basil and parsley

Easy lemon brown rice:

1 cup brown rice

3-4 cups water

zest of 1/2 lemon

3 tbsps lemon juice

Slice the eggplant about 1/2" inch thick, salt the slices and place between paper towels. Weigh it down (chopping board with water-filled pot) for 1 hour. Then rinse the salt off and cut into cubes.

Heat olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet and brown the eggplant, onion and sweet potato for about 5 minutes. 

Add the rest of the ingredients, except for the garnishes of course, cover and bake in a 425°F oven for 50-60 minutes or until the sweet potato is tender.

Serve garnished warm or at room temperature as is or...

with this easy lemon brown rice. Simply pour water over rice in a bowl, stir and leave on the counter 3-4 hours. Then drain off any remaining water, stir in the lemon juice and zest and heat in the microwave. That's it!

Serves 6

Ratatouille Deep Dish Pizza

My eggplant was finally ready to pick !!

Start by making the ratatouille.  You can make it a day or two before you want to make the pizza.

Here are the ingredients you'll need:

1 medium eggplant, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup olive oil
2 large onions, thinly sliced
3-4 garlic cloves, crushed
4 large tomatoes, blanched, peeled and cubed
1 medium zucchini, sliced or cubed
2 green peppers, sliced
1 tsp capers (optional)
1  1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dry basil
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tbsps fresh parsley

pizza dough (see recipe below)
1  1/2 cups mozzarella, shredded
parmesan cheese

Slice the eggplant in 1/2 inch thick rounds, salt both sides and lay between sheets of paper towel.

Place a board with something heavy on top for 20 minutes. This will draw the bitterness out of the eggplant.

Wipe the salt off.

While waiting for the eggplant you can blanch the tomatoes (or have them done the day before like I did).  Take a pot of water and bring it to a boil.

Place a few tomatoes in at a time and boil 1 minute. Remove with a slotted spoon and submerge in cold water.  The skins should easily peel off.  Just cut out the stem area and cube.

In a large heavy saucepan lightly brown the onion and garlic. Add eggplant and tomatoes, then zucchini and peppers.

Capers are not traditionally in ratatatouille, but I like them. Bring to a boil and add seasonings.  Cover and simmer until tender not mushy, about 20 minutes.

If you were serving the ratatouille on rice or with a nice crusty bread it would be ready right now.

But because I wanted to fill the deep dish pizza I removed the cover and cooked it on medium high heat for 15 minutes to reduce the liquid.  I refrigerated the ratatouille overnight so the flavours could blend, but you could continue making the pizza right now.

I used this pizza dough recipe

http://hotandcoldrunningmom.blogspot.ca/2014/03/this-is-best-pizza-ever.html

Once the dough is ready spray a 9 inch spring form pan with cooking spray.  Press the dough onto the bottom of the pan then let it rest a couple of minutes.  Continue pressing it up the side of the pan (it won't go all the way up) and into the corner as much as you can.

Take half the ratatouille that you made and pile it into your pan.  Keep the other half of the ratatouille for a second pizza or use it for another meal.
Top the ratatouille with 1  1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese and sprinkle with parmesan. You could also drizzle with olive oil.

Bake at 425F for 30-35 minutes.

Cool 10 minutes before cutting.