Tommaso’s Sinful Delights

Ratatouille

4 tablespoons olive oil
8 cloves garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 eggplant, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
3 zucchini, cubed
1 yellow squash, cubed
2 cups baby bella mushrooms, sliced
28oz  can San Marzano tomatoes
1c chicken or vegetable stock
1 TBSP herbs de Provence
sea salt and pepper

Liberally salt the cubed eggplant and set aside*.  Heat olive oil in a large stock pot and saute the garlic, stirring for 3 minutes until the garlic starts to brown.  Add diced pepper and continue to cook for 4 minutes, until pepper starts to soften.  Add cubed eggplant and mushrooms and saute for 5 minutes.  Add zucchini, yellow squash, tomatoes, stock and herbs de Provence.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat.  Simmer uncovered for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve over brown rice. 

*Note:  Salting eggplant prior to cooking will remove the bitterness.

This is a great dish to make when you don’t have a lot of time on your hands or just don’t feel like cooking much.  All of these items should be in your pantry already.  The olives and capers give the sauce a nice tang and salty flavour.  Serve with your favorite pasta and a simple salad as a meal or as a side dish. 

Tip:  The trick to making your sauce stick to pasta is adding a little of the pasta water to your sauce.  Pasta water acts as a thickener and your sauce will bind to the noodles better. 

Puttanesca Sauce

2 TBSP Olive Oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup pitted Greek olives, chopped
2 TBSP capers
1 TBSP anchovy paste
1 TBSP Italian seasoning
28 oz tomato puree
salt and pepper to taste

Cook pasta according to directions on package. 

Meanwhile, heat olive oil over medium heat in a saute pan.  Saute garlic for 1 minute.  Add olives, capers, anchovy paste and  herbs, and saute for a minute more.  Add tomato puree and simmer for 10 minutes. 

When your pasta is al dente, drain reserving 1/2 of water from the pasta.  Toss pasta and the 1/2 c pasta water in the  sauce.  Stir until pasta is coated.

Serve with fresh parmesaean cheese.

A lot of people don’t like beets and I’ve come to the realization that its all in the preparation.  My grandmother used to make them and boil them until all the purple bled out of the bulb.  This is the wrong way and why so many dislike this sweet root vegetable.   Beets should be tender, not mushy and slimy.  Roasting beets concentrates their flavor and the end result is a crisp texture.  Combining them with goat cheese on a bed of sautéed beet greens is a nice side dish to have with your meal.  Beet greens are edible?  Yes!  Besides not wanting to waste anything I cook with, beet greens are indeed edible and highly nutritious. 

Here is an easy recipe that will prove that beets are sweet, savory and delicious when paired with the right ingredients.

Roasted Beets and Goat Cheese with sauteed Beet Greens

-4 TBSP olive oil
-1 bunch of beets with their greens
-4 oz goat cheese
-salt

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Chop the tops off the beets, leaving 1 inch of the stem and thoroughly wash with a vegetable brush (leave the root intact.)  Toss beets with 2 TBSP olive oil and a pinch of salt.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and roast beets for 1 hour.  When beets are tender, remove from oven.  Leave the skin intact. 

While the beets roast, remove the greens from the beet stalks and wash in cold water.  Dry in a salad spinner or paper towels.   Heat 2 TBSP olive oil in a skillet and sauté beet greens until wilted. 

Plate the wilted greens.  Slice the beets and goat cheese and layer them on top of the greens.     

Note:  Beets will stain.  It’s best to cut them on a non porous cutting board such as plastic.  To wash your hands after handling, use orange cleaner or wear gloves while preparing to avoid stains in your nails.

Black beans are a terrific source of protein, vitamins, antioxidents and cholesterol-lowering fiber. This low-fat dish compliments most Latin foods, but is a great, healthy meal by itself.  If you wish to serve it with non-Latin dishes, or wish to substitute the cilantro, use  thyme or another favorite herb. 

Black Beans with Cilantro

2 TBSP olive oil
2-15oz cans of black beans, rinsed and drained
1 medium onion, diced
2-3 celery stalked, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 cups stock (chicken, beef or vegetable) *see notes below
1/4 cup + 2 TBSP fresh cilantro, chopped
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper
*Optional: sour cream

Heat olive oil in saute pan on medium heat.  Add onions, celery and garlic and season with salt and pepper.  Saute for about 5 minutes.  Add stock, beans, bay leaf and 1/4 cup cilantro.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low.  Simmer for about 25 minutes and reduce liquid. 

Remove beans from heat.  With an immersion blender, partially puree the mixture leaving half whole beans.  You may also do this in a regular blender, just pour half of the mixture in the carafe and puree, then pour back into the pot. 

Stir to combine and serve garnished with a sprig of cilantro and dollop of sour cream.

*Use the flavor of stock based on what the meal you’re serving or taste you desire.  For vegetarian version, use vegetable stock.