Ratatouille

A Sprouts market recently opened nearby and I am loving their lower produce prices. I get their advert in the mail each Tuesday, which gives me plenty of time to incorporate some of their cheaper produce in my menu for the next week. Recently they had eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, and bell peppers on sale. Hot diggity! I knew just what I wanted to make with that veggie combo-- ratatouille. It'd been years since I made ratatouille, usually because one or another ingredient always seems too pricey to me. (I'm cheap, if you haven't gotten that from this post yet, ha.) I boiled up a little leftover penne I had in the pantry, just enough for one plate for Josh, and topped it with the vegetable stew. I ate mine plain, and we both had some toasted bread and a sprinkling of grated Parmesan on top. Such a tasty way to get some summer vegetables in your diet.

Ratatouille
Recipe from Martha Stewart; Serves 8

1/3 cup olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 large eggplants (2 pounds), peeled in strips and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
4 to 5 medium zucchini (2 pounds), cut into 1-inch cubes
Coarse salt and ground pepper
3 yellow or red bell peppers, ribs and seeds removed, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

• In a Dutch oven (or other heavy 5-quart pot with a tight-fitting lid), heat oil over medium heat. Cook onions, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in eggplant and zucchini; season generously with salt and pepper.
• Add 3/4 cup water; cover, and simmer until vegetables are beginning to soften, stirring once, about 5 minutes. Stir in bell peppers; simmer, covered, until softened, 5 minutes.
• Stir in tomatoes and thyme; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Partially cover; simmer, stirring often, until vegetables are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat. If serving immediately, stir in basil. (If freezing, leave out basil.)

My notes: I halved this recipe since it was just the two of us, and that gave us each a dinner and lunch of leftovers. I used yellow squash for half the zucchini too.

Saturday Night

Saturday night our good friends Spencer and Deb were coming over for dinner. I didn't take any picture, I was too busy enjoying myself. But I thought I would put links to the recipes I used, since they are especially good this time of year. For dinner we had a salad, some beer bread, and slow cooker beef stew. Everyone really enjoyed it, and we have plenty of leftovers for dinner tonight. For dessert I made Eve's Pudding, which I'd been eager to make again for quite some time. I think it turned out even better this time, despite the fact that I messed up the batter and had to start over. Luckily I'd given myself plenty of time and had it in the oven before they arrived. Easy dinner parties are such fun!

Fast & Filling

Now that Dancing With The Stars has started I'm going to be looking for fast and easy Monday & Tuesday night meals. So last night I pulled out an old standby that we hadn't had in quite a while. This stew is hearty and filling without being heavy and without meat. It's also incredibly easy as the only thing I have to chop is an onion. I guess you could mince the garlic too, but I either use the jarred variety or my lovely garlic press. I think I've addressed my laziness already, so no need for excuses. Anyway, I'll be pulling this recipe out time and again as the cold winter months approach. I typically serve this with cornbread, but tortillas or tortilla chips would also be delicious.

Black Bean and Corn Stew
Recipe from Everyday Food; Serves 4
4 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 4.5 oz. can chopped green chiles
2 15 oz. cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 14.5 oz. cans diced tomatoes
Salt
1 10 oz. package frozen corn

• In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion; cook until softened, 5 to 6 minutes. Add garlic and cumin; cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 2 minutes more.
• To the pan, add chiles, beans, tomatoes and their juice, 2 cups water, and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, partially covered, until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes.
• In a blender or food processor, puree 2 cups of the stew. Return the puree to the pan, and add frozen corn; simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes. Serve hot.

My notes: I typically get more than 4 servings out of this. Last night I ladled 2 cups worth into my bowl for dinner. I had 1 1/2 cups for lunch today and I have about 1 1/2 cups left for tomorrow. My husband helped himself last night, so not sure how much he had then, but he divvied up the leftovers so he probably has about the same 3 cups worth left. Depending on how hungry you are you could definitely exceed the 4 servings. In fact, if you served this alongside some quesadillas or flautas you could probably stretch it quite a ways.

Cold Weather & Warm Stew

In all honesty, I had no idea that it was going to get so damn cold and wet here this weekend when I decided to make a batch of beef stew in my Crock Pot earlier this week. But now that it's chilly & damp everywhere but in our tiny apartment, I am pleased to have a giant container of it in the fridge. This is actually the only recipe I have made with the Crock Pot my sisters got us as a shower gift. I registered for this one, not because I thought it would be perfect for us, but because it came with the additional Little Dipper Crock Pot. So, in the end we ended up with a 5.5 quart slow cooker for a family of 2. And I have yet to use the Little Dipper, ha. But, it is useful, and I have lots of other recipes that I am aiming to try eventually. I came thisclose to buying some pork spare ribs the other week, but it was the same week I was purchasing the stew meat, which isn't all that cheap when you need the family pack for your big cooker. Anyway, I follow an incredibly simple recipe from my mom's slow cooker owner's manual. She made it once or twice before and I always liked it. Josh loves this stew, and it's great to have something in the fridge that he can easily heat for lunch or dinner. And, once again I totally stole this pic from Everyday Food, despite it not being the same recipe. I don't have a pic of my own stew, and even if I did, it wouldn't look as appetizing as this one.

Slow Cooked Beef Stew
Recipe from Crock Pot; Serves lots

For a 5.5 to 7 quart slow cooker:

2 lbs. baby carrots
3 pounds boneless beef chuck roast, cubed
4 large potatoes, cubed
2 10.74 oz. cans tomato soup
1.5 cups water
2 1.5 oz. envelopes beef stew seasoning mix

• Cut carrots in half crosswise. Place beef, carrots, and potatoes in slow cooker.
• In a bowl, whisk together the soup, water, and seasoning packets. Pour over beef and vegetables.
• Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or high for 4 hours.

Hint: I scrub the potatoes well and leave the skins on, it adds texture, nutrients, and fiber.