What's For Dinner: Ratatouille Toasts

Since I had a big ol' eggplant sitting forlornly in the crisper just waiting to be used up, I decided to try my hand at making ratatouille. I think I should actually call this "ratatouille," as I'm pretty sure there's a particular technique you follow to make an authentic ratatouille, and my version is also missing zucchini, which would otherwise be a key ingredient. Regardless, this savory tomato-flavored melange of summer vegetables served as a hearty topping for fresh baguette slices, and made for a pretty easy meal for a weekday night.

Ratatouille Toasts (printer-friendly version)
makes 12 toasts (or alternately four hearty bowlfuls)

1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1 organic white onion, chopped
1 organic green pepper, chopped
1 organic eggplant, chopped
1 cup organic veggie broth
1 small can organic tomato paste
2 organic Roma tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup organic cherry tomatoes, halved
fresh organic curly-leafed parsley
1 fresh baguette, sliced into small rounds

1. Add the olive oil to a large skillet and heat over medium-high heat.
2. Add the chopped onion and green pepper to the skillet. Cook until softened, about 5-10 minutes.
3. Add in the chopped eggplant.
4. Stir in the veggie broth.
5. Cover the skillet, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes.
6. Remove the cover and stir in the tomato paste. Add in the chopped and halved tomatoes.
7. Cook for an additional 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
8. Top each bread round with a generous spoonful of ratatouille. Garnish with fresh parsley.
9. Alternately, spoon the ratatouille into a large bowl and serve with crusty bread for dipping.

What's For Dinner: Whole-Wheat Spaghetti with Roasted Grape Tomatoes and Cottage Cheese

Okay, I know pasta and red sauce isn't all the exciting. However, I opted to fancy it up a bit by adding some roasted grape tomatoes to the sauce as well as a bit of cottage cheese to the finished dish to add in a little creamy flavor and interesting texture. (If it's good enough for lasagna and baked ziti, why not a spaghetti dish?) Meanwhile. what is the deal with "cottage cheese"? Something about its name gives me the heebie-jeebies, though I actually really like how it tastes. If you aren't a fan of cottage cheese, you could easily replace it with ricotta cheese.

Whole-Wheat Spaghetti with Roasted Grape Tomatoes and Cottage Cheese 
(printer-friendly version)

makes two servings

2 oz whole-wheat spaghetti

1 cup of your favorite pasta sauce

1 cup roasted grape tomatoes (recipe below)

2/3 cup nonfat cottage cheese

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season with salt, then add in the pasta. Cook according to the manufacturer's instructions.

2. Add the pasta sauce and roasted grape tomatoes to a small pot. Heat over low heat until warmed.

3. To serve, add a serving of pasta to a plate. Top with 1/3 C cottage cheese and 1/2 C pasta sauce. Serve immediately.

Roasted Grape Tomatoes

makes one pint

1 pkg organic grape tomatoes, rinsed and dried

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

fine sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Add the rinsed grape tomatoes to a glass baking dish.

3. Drizzle the olive oil and balsamic vinegar over the tomatoes. Shake the dish to evenly coat all the tomatoes.

4. Season with salt, black pepper, and brown sugar. Shake the dish again to evenly coat the tomatoes with the seasonings.

5. Place in the oven and roast for 30 minutes, or until the tomatoes have shriveled slightly.

6. Let cool for a few minutes before eating, or store in a closed container in the fridge for up to a week.