Easy Ratatouille Recipe: Delightful Vegetable MedleyBy foodjoyaOur easy ratatouille recipe uses diced tomatoes and a delicious tomato sauce. This dish is perfect for the vegetables from your prolific summer garden. Do you know what "ratatouille" means? According to one source, this vegetable stew likely originates from Provence and has become most popular in Nice. Dating back to 18th century, it means "stir up." Ratatouille usually consists of various vegetables, such as eggplant, onion, zucchini, pepper, tomatoes and garlic, cut in bite sizes. Some chefs cook all ingredients together, while others separately sauté each vegetable. A similar dish exists in other countries in Southern Europe and Mediterranean. Thus, for example, a close relative of ratatouille in Moldova (where we were born) is a "ghiveci," often made with cauliflower. Our easy ratatouille recipe can be used for making a side dish or main dish with grains or, better yet, with grain-free, flourless Simple Mills crackers. Polish Borscht Recipe: Beet Elixir You Will Delight InBy foodjoyaThis rich, savory borscht takes only 10 minutes of your active cooking time. Are you skeptical? Don't be. The Polish Borscht recipe is a traditional, time-tested and beloved way of cooking the festive beet soup in Poland, where my husband hails from. Of course, this borscht has a secret: it requires an extraordinary amount of brightly colored beets and a reduced cooking time. The borscht will not turn out if the beets are not brightly colored. Similarly, when cooked longer than suggested here, it will lose its scarlet color and flavor. Richly infused with simmered vegetables, the borscht is a delightful elixir of health. It is no wonder that my toddler demands his red beet soup every time, and happily sips it from a cup or devours it spoonful after delicious spoonful. Crema di Ceci e Rapini: herb-infused Italian chickpea pureeBy foodjoyaThis velvety dish is inspired by a traditional and beloved Italian dish of mashed chickpeas with dandelion greens. (If you understand Italian, take a look at the original here. In essence, Crema di Ceci e Rapini is a rich, velvety chickpea puree with a touch of Japanese sweet potato drenched in fresh herbs, garlic and olive oil. The Italians traditionally serve Crema di Ceci e Cicoria with bitter dandelion leaves (i.e., “cicoria”). But we chose broccoli rabe (“rapini”), which is more widely available in our grocery stores and less bitter than dandelion leaves. For maximum taste, we recommend using fresh chickpeas, and for this reason, the cooking times appear long. In reality, much of the cooking is passive, and you are free to do anything you like while the chickpeas are cooking. For a heartier meal, Crema di Ceci e Rapini pairs wonderfully with shrimp, calamari and halibut. Pesto Baked Cod: Make an Easy, Delicious DinnerBy foodjoyaPesto baked cod is our favorite way to cook this white fish. Bite after bite, the taste and texture are utterly perfect, with tender, succulent morsels melting in your mouth. Traditionally, to ensure juiciness and tenderness, cooks have coated cod in wheat flour and egg and then fried in oil. Because this method turns the healthy fish into an unhealthy dish, we never liked this traditional method. We found the perfect solution in pesto coated cod, adding just the right amount of healthy fat to the otherwise lean white fish. Even though we do not use flour and egg or fry, the fish is succulent, flavorful and tender, morsel after morsel.Cabbage and Leeks: Unexpectedly Decadent, Sweet, TenderBy foodjoyaEver wondered what to do with the seemingly boring white cabbage? Ever thought you could turn it into a decadent dish? This recipe accomplishes just that: In 50 minutes of rather passive cooking time, you will have unexpectedly tender and decadent sautéed, semi-caramelized Cabbage and Leeks. With plenty of parsley and thyme, you will be biting into a mouthful of delicate spring flavors. Best yet? This dish is easy (and inexpensive). Did you know that leeks-cabbage-thyme are a well-established triad? Jamie Oliver roasts Leeks with Thyme. The New York Times Cooking column offers a splendid recipe for a Cabbage, Potato and Leek Soup. Lastly and before you get to cooking, note that the recipe calls for fresh herbs; no substitutes please! Red Lentil Zucchini Balls: How to Savor SpringBy foodjoyaThese Red Lentil Zucchini Balls taste delicate and fresh, reminiscent of spring. They make a wonderful spring-light meal with salad or avocado. They also make a satisfying side for fish and vegetarian entrees. Here’s how we developed this recipe: My Mom grew fascinated with herbs, just as both of us rediscovered legumes and root vegetables. The Red Lentil Zucchini Balls were a way to put together all of our favorite ingredients. To choose the right combination of herbs for this recipe, we’ve tried many variations. This one won every time. Please try and enjoy! This recipe makes 18 to 20 pieces.
