Ratatouille always makes me think of this movie, which in turn, makes me think about my childhood pet rat (Foo). From there, it’s a leap into memories of our old house, my much missed dog Rusty and the enormous frangipani tree that stood in our front yard…
Of course, that has nothing to do with this particular recipe!
Orangette was blogging about food long before I had any idea that there was such a thing as food blogs, and probably about the same time I was living on such culinary delights as two minute noodles and Pizza Hut pizzas (what? I was at uni!). She’s written one book: A Homemade Life, and is in the process of writing another. This recipe is adapted from her Ratatouille recipe in A Homemade Life. It’s slightly different to the one my Mum used to make, which basically just cooked all the vegetables together. This one requires a bit more effort – but you can successfully multitask to save time. Alternatively, you can cook the eggplant the day before which allows you to save on a few minutes.
The finished product was served with a runny fried egg and chunks of crusty bread. Then I enjoyed it again for lunch – it’s one of those dishes that improves over a couple of days. In fact, I may have some more for lunch tomorrow!
Ingredients
- 3 medium Eggplants, sliced into 2cm thick rounds
- Olive oil
- 4 medium Zucchini, liced into 1cm rounds
- 1 medium Onion, thinly sliced
- 1 large Red capsicum, chopped
- 4 cloves Garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 Tin diced or whole tomatoes
- Handful Cherry tomatos, in half
- 3/4 teaspoon Salt
- 3 Sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 Bay leaf
- 1/4 cup Chopped basil
Directions
- Preheat oven to 200*.
- Line a baking dish/tray with baking paper and spray with olive oil spray (or coat eggplant in oil in a bowl).
- Arrange the eggplant on the tray in a single layer. Spray tops with olive oil spray.
- Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, flipping halfway. The eggplant should be soft and slightly browned.
- Meanwhile, warm 2 tbs of olive oil in a large deep frypan or dutch oven.
- Add zucchini rounds and fry on a medium high heat until golden on one side. Flip and continue frying on the other side. This should take about 10-12 minutes all up.
- Remove the zucchini from the pan and put to one side. There should be some oil remaining in the pan, but add more if you wish.
- Reduce the heat to medium, and add the onion to the pan.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, being careful not to brown. The aim is translucent - it should take about 6 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, salt, thyme and bay leaf. Stir to combine.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid and cook for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, your eggplant should be just about done. Pull it out of the oven and cut into small pieces (if you wish - I didn't bother).
- Add the eggplant and zucchini back into your pan, stir, and cover and cook on low until everything is tender (15 to 20 minutes).
- Discard the bay leaf and stir in the basil.
- I served with a fried egg and a side of crusty bread. It also makes a great side for meat (particularly lamb sprinkled with cumin) and a great pasta sauce.
Brisbane has been going through a bit of a “cold snap” – I say that with a slight tinge of sarcasm as I’m well aware our 10* temperatures are hardly going to bring on hypothermia. That being said, I am a Queenslander and my skin is exceptionally thin when it comes to the cold. Of course, at this time of year I am drawn to the dark side – gone are the light salads and healthy (ish) food habits of summer – I want cheese, I was warmth and I tell myself that additional layer of fat helps me to conserve heat.
It is in this spirit that I give you this recipe for mushroom quiche, with all my love. A couple of minor changes – I cheated and used packaged puff pastry, and I pre-browned the mushrooms in some garlic, butter and parsley for extra flavour.
Don’t even try to kid yourself that it is healthy – it’s not. It is delicious though. Worth it for a special treat (or a Wednesday night, same difference).
I’ve had this book for ages and enjoyed the stories surrounding the recipes. However, this is the first time I have cooked from it. I love lentils, I love how the French prepare lentils and I love a good poached or fried egg (with a runny yolk!) so here is my take on Elizabeth Bard’s recipe. It makes a delicious, healthy, mid-week meal.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 medium Carrots, diced
- 4-5 small Shallots, diced
- 2.5 cups Puy lentils (dried)
- 6 cups CHicken stock
- 1 can Whole tomatoes (drained), chopped
- 1 cup Dry white wine
- Handful parsley chopped
- 1 Bay leaf
- Pepper and salt to taste
- Handful Cherry tomatoes, halved
Directions
- In a large saucepan or stockpot heat the oil over medium heat.
- Add the shallots and carrot and saute for 5 to 10 minutes until the onion is translucent.
- Add the lentils and then stir to coat with the oil.
- Add stock, tomatoes, wine, parsley, bay leaf and some pepper to taste.
- Simmer on a low heat with a lid slightly ajar until the lentils are tender and most of the liquid is absorbed (about 1 hour).
- Add in the cherry tomatoes in the last 5-10 minutes of cooking.
- Serve with a poached egg on top and a sprinkle of sea salt. I also highly recommend a glass of white wine and piece of bread on the side!
My first taste of macaroons was at Laduree in Paris. From my first mouthful I was hooked. But I’ve been scared to buy them in Brisbane, as I’m afraid they won’t quite live up to how I remember them in my mind. I finally decided to tackle them this weekend, since it was looking a bit quieter than normal. My expectations were not high but I figure I have to start somewhere.
Macaroons are hard to describe – they are basically a meringue cookie (containing ground almonds), filled with some kind of sweet filling. They are light and delicate, and the texture of the cookie contrasts nicely with the unctuous filling. For my first attempt I was aiming for aqua cookies with blackberry and mascarpone filling. I used this recipe from Tartelette (she’s French so she must know how to make them no?).
However, obviously I made mine green, as I’m hoping to make some to serve at my engagement party next weekend (the theme colours are aqua, blue and green). Instead of the raspberry filling that Tartelette proposes, I used blackberry jam. Unfortunately I was a little over-zealous with the food colouring, and as a result they look kind of like frogs with tongues poking out.
I’m also interested in experimenting with chocolate ganache, and fruit-based filling. I will keep you posted on my progress.
I actually experimented with two sizes – the ones in the photograph are my small size, and are only about an inch in size. I made larger versions but alas I didn’t cook them for long enough and they crumbled on the baking paper. I actually think I prefer the smaller size anyway, they are like little sweet pockets of air that dissolve in your mouth.
Based on my first experience, and thanks to the excellent instructions of Tartlette, I have to say I don’t think macaroons are hard, so much as fiddly and reasonably time consuming. Like most baking, there is a science and a process that must be followed. I am happy to follow instructions, which is why baking works for me.
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20.10.11 | 
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