Ratatouille – Not Like The Movie – but served in an omlette

Posted: June 19, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Recipes | Tags: , , , , , | Leave a comment

When I was in college I lived off campus for two years with three roommates.  We each had responsibility to cook dinner for the house Monday through Thursday whether you were going to be eating there or not.  One of our roommates, Annie, was a vegetarian, so I was always searching for good ideas of what to make that we all would like as well as something that was inexpensive.

 

Ratatouille was a go to dish, but back then I made it with a ton of olive oil and served it covered in cheese.  It was vegetarian, but certainly was not healthy.  Since then I have discovered that both the oil and cheese were unnecessary to make a great dish.

 

Here is my much lighter version, which I used as the filling for an omelet.

 

1 large yellow onion diced

3 cloves of garlic minced

Pam

3 cups of diced eggplant

2 zucchini – diced

2 yellow squash – diced

1 red pepper – diced

1 15 oz. can chopped tomatoes (I have mentioned in previous recipes that fresh tomatoes are wasted on these cooked dishes, but if you are overwhelmed with fresh tomatoes go ahead and use them.)

30 fresh basil leaves chiffonade (That means finely cut)

 

Spray a big stockpot with Pam and place over Medium High heat.  Add the onions and the garlic and cook, stirring every 30 seconds, until softened, about 5 minutes.  Spray more Pam and add the eggplant.  Cook the same way for another 5 minutes.  Add all the other vegetables except the basil and cook another 5 minutes.  Add basil and salt and pepper.  Cook another five minutes.

Yellow Squash and Onions

Posted: May 31, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Recipes | Tags: | Leave a comment

This spring I asked Russ to pick up some plants for our vegetable garden from the farmer’s market.  I wanted 4 zucchini plants, 4 yellow squash and 4 cucumbers.  When he brought them home I said the cucumber did not look like ones I had planted for the last 16 years.   He said the lady who sold them to him told him they were bush cucumbers.  HA, they were zucchini.  So we are having an over abundance of squash already.  Top it off the yellow squash are zephyr, those half green half yellow ones that  technically  is a yellow squash, just not what I thought it would be.

So I will try and not overwhelm you with squash recipes, but this one is a favorite from my Grandmother.  It is very easy and once you have it you will want it again.

6 cups of yellow squashed sliced into ½ inch rounds

2 medium sweet onions chopped

2 t. butter

1 T. Cremora or Coffee mate (Coffee Creamer)

Salt and lots of black pepper

In a stockpot put the onions and the squash and just enough water to come half way up the side.  Sprinkle a little salt in now.  Bring the pot up to a boil and reduce to a slow boil, cover. Stir every five minutes.  After 10 minutes of cooking remove the lid so the steam can release and cook until the onions and squash are tender, about another 15 mins.  Make sure you still have liquid in the pot.  The squash will start to fall apart, which is good.  After it is done add the butter and the powdered creamer. I know powdered coffee creamer sound crazy, but you will be surprised how good it is and not that bad for you. Add Salt and lots of Black Pepper.