simple summer ratatouille

simple summer ratatouille

Jul 6, 2012

i have been a horrible blogger.  between a much needed mini-vacation to the beach/dunes in michigan, shooting weddings, a large pile of design work, canning a ton of peaches (in the 95 degree heat), house & land closings and now packing for our first move to temporary housing…i have been a little busy.  never fear, my husband and i have still been cooking a ton and trying to keep healthy, nourishing meals in front of our family during this busy season of our lives.  so, my little blog has suffered a bit, but i do have a bunch of recipes to share (i just need to find the time to share them).

here is a family favorite side dish.  our csa share last week was just screaming for me to make ratatouille from it.  i had these amazing onions, a huge bunch of fresh basil, a few varieties of japanese eggplant, zucchini and yellow squash!  i know this is nowhere near how traditional french ratatouille is made, but this is easy, quick and still has amazing flavor! the only main items used in this dish that were not fresh from our csa were the crushed tomatoes & garlic cloves.  that makes me happy!

the picture is right before the ratatouille went into the oven.

 

side note: a lot of ratatouille recipes include red or yellow bell peppers in them.  i think that they would make a wonderful addition.  i just didn’t have any.

 

simple summer ratatouille
Recipe Type: side dish
Author: the sprouted life
simple side dish, with a wonderful array of flavors!
Ingredients
  • 2 japanese eggplants (i peeled mine)
  • 2 medium zucchini
  • 2 medium yellow squash
  • 1 small yellow onion
  • 1 can of organic crushed tomatoes
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • handful of basil
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • sea salt to taste
  • ground black pepper to taste
  • parchment paper
Instructions
  1. peel eggplant if you want (this is not necessary) and then trim ends off of the eggplant, zucchini and yellow squash
  2. slice the vegetables thinly, using a mandolin or knife (mine were between 1/16th and 1/8th in thickness)
  3. set vegetables aside
  4. in a food processor or vita-mix puree the canned tomatoes, basil and garlic
  5. layer a thin layer of sliced onions on the bottom of a baking dish
  6. pour tomato mixture on top of the onions and spread evenly
  7. starting on the outside, begin layering the eggplant, zucchini & yellow squash into the tomato sauce all the way around the pan
  8. drizzle with olive oil
  9. sprinkle with sea salt & ground black pepper
  10. cut parchment paper to fit baking dish
  11. cover loosely with parchment paper and bake at 375 for approx. 1 hour
  12. vegetables should be fully cooked, but not mushy.

items used in this recipe:

shared on: food renegade

wilted arugula with toasted pecans {sweetened with honey}

wilted arugula with toasted pecans {sweetened with honey}

Jun 21, 2012

we have loved our csa share (community supported agriculture) and are getting ours from {farm indy} this year.

this year is our first year and i am pretty certain we will never go back.  we used to just try and make regular trips to the farmers market on saturdays, but honestly because i work in the world of photography, summer weekends are pretty hit or miss with weddings, so we never were consistent. so the ease of picking up a big box full of fresh delights each week…is amazing!

i love the challenge that i am encountering with a variety of local vegetables that i wouldn’t have necessarily picked.  though we can customize out box, i am trying to stretch myself and not always cook with the same veggies.  with my first box came creations such as wilted arugula, roasted kohlrabi and radishes & turnip au gratin (all three of which will be repeated in our home). Did you know that roasted radish is really good? i had no idea.

here is a quick picture of our first share (i didn’t include the huge bag of mixed salad greens – which happen to be the best salad greens we have ever eaten)

 did i say i love my csa?

so my first creation was slightly sweet, wilted arugula with toasted pecans, topped with raw cheese.  i like arugula in salad, but i knew that it can be pretty bitter and wasn’t sure how my little boys would do with it.  that is where the honey came in.  i figured adding a little sweetness to help balance the bitter may convince a 17-month old and 3-year old that this was good.  it actually worked, though i did have to give a long, drawn out explanation to my 3-year old about the sweet, honey sauce i made to convince him to try it.

next time, i will cut off the stems on my arugula.  it was a little tough and the stems were definitely bitterer.  I may also cut the pieces as they were pretty big bites.

 

wilted arugula with toasted pecans {sweetened with honey}
Recipe Type: side dish
Author: the sprouted life
Ingredients
  • 1 large bunch fresh arugula
  • ½ c. pecans
  • 2-3 Tbsp. olive oil or coconut oil
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 2-3 Tbsp. honey
  • pinch of unrefined sea salt
Instructions
  1. on medium-low heat toast pecans until light brown in oil of choice
  2. when pecans begin to brown, add in finely chopped garlic & sauté for about a minute
  3. stir in honey & arugula until evenly coated.
  4. heat on low until arugula is fully wilted (just takes a few minutes)
  5. add sea salt to taste
  6. serve immediately and top with raw shredded cheese (feta would be good too)

 

black bean quinoa salad (hot or cold)

black bean quinoa salad (hot or cold)

Jun 11, 2012

our family has cut back on the amount of gluten free grains & seeds that we eat dramatically, but in attempt to eat through our pantry (before we move) we have been consuming more quinoa and rice than typical.  i have been making a list of ingredients i have on hand and really trying to use them up instead of running to the store.  one complete pantry/freezer dumping dish is this black bean quinoa salad.  the nice thing about it, is that it can be eaten hot or cold, making it very versatile.

though i would like to say that i always “properly prepare” my grains/seeds by soaking and sprouting first…it doesn’t always happen {i really do believe in the practice of soaking and sprouting…and i’ll share more on why in another post}. one thing i have been pretty strict about is that if i am cooking a rice or quinoa for a meal, that i always cook it in homemade bone broth instead of water.  Not only for the amazing amount of nutrients/minerals found in bone broth, but also for the depth of flavor that it adds to a dish. you can use beef or chicken, but since i find that i use my homemade chicken broth so much faster, i typically opt for beef broth in this recipe.

every single item in this recipe, i had on had, making this a quick, flavorful, budget-friendly meal.

 

black bean quinoa salad (hot or cold)
Recipe Type: entree
Author: the sprouted life
black bean, corn & quinoa mexican style salad
Ingredients
  • 3 c. of homemade beef bone broth (chicken works also)
  • 1 ½ c. organic quinoa
  • 1 medium onion
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • 2 pint jars of black beans (we can our own, but two 14.5 ounce cans would work)
  • 1 can of tomatoes with green chilies
  • 2 cups frozen organic corn
  • 2 tsp. cumin
  • 1 tsp. coriander
  • splash of cayenne
  • sea salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. in a stockpot, bring 3 cups of broth to a boil and then stir in dry quinoa
  2. boil for 1 minute than reduce heat to low and cover until all liquid is absorbed (approx. 15-20 minutes)
  3. stirring occasionally
  4. while quinoa is cooking, finely chop onion and garlic and sauté in large skillet, over medium-low heat
  5. when onion is translucent, add in drained black beans, can of tomatoes with green chilies and frozen corn, stir in and heat through
  6. mix quinoa into skillet and add seasonings (cumin, coriander, cayenne, salt & pepper)
  7. measurements of seasonings are a rough estimate, as i always create this dish to taste and adjust accordingly
  8. can be served warm or eaten as left-overs cold

 

what’s on my plate?

Jun 5, 2012

so a good friend of mine requested the other day that i add a scrolling box into my sidebar that gives a quick blurb as to “what’s for dinner.”  her request was because many people just want quick inspiration ideas as what to make for dinner and just curiosity about what we eat on a day in day out basis…not just the recipes i decide to share.  so i added into my sidebar a twitter feed for {the sprouted life} in which i will quickly share daily what we are eating!  if you see items there that interest you and want those recipes shared, please just send me a request and i will add it to my list!

enjoy!

freezing strawberries – {what i’m working on today}

freezing strawberries – {what i’m working on today}

May 31, 2012

strawberries, strawberries, strawberries!  i feel like i have been staring at them all morning.  last night we took the boys strawberry picking and today’s project is freezing them all.  this is round two for us already this week, but we love having strawberries year round, so it is definitely worth a little extra time now.   i will be making a strawberry rhubarb tart tonight, so i will share that recipe later.