Ratatouille Gratin

The Southern girl in me would like to say that this recipe is really a vegetable casserole with a fancy name! Ratatouille, according to Food Lover’s Companion, is a popular dish from Provence that combines eggplant, tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, zucchini, garlic, and herbs—all simmered in olive oil. We eat ratatouille a lot in the summer because it makes good use of the plethora of produce in my farmers market basket. Tonight as I prepared dinner, it occurred to me that adding homemade croutons to the top would make it even better (hence the “gratin”). I used homemade wheat bread cut into chunks, and the nutty-sweetness was a nice complement to the veggies. My next idea is to reinvent the leftovers by tossing them with cooked pasta. Bread and pasta in the same dish—how could you go wrong?

Ratatouille Gratin
This ratatouille deviates from the traditional because I omitted the eggplant (there was none in my basket this week).
1 onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, cut into chunks
2 garlic cloves, minced
Olive oil
1 to 2 zucchini, cut into chunks
1 to 2 yellow squash, cut into chunks
1 (14.5-oz.) can diced tomatoes (2 large tomatoes, cut into chunks, may be substituted)
2 tsp. herbs de Provence
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 Tbsp. butter

Whole-wheat bread, cut into chunks
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Sauté onion and bell pepper in hot oil for 10 minutes or until vegetables soften. Add in garlic, and cook 1 more minute. Stir in zucchini and next 4 ingredients. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes or until mixture begins to break down. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Meanwhile, melt butter in olive oil in an oven-proof skillet. Add bread chunks, and season with salt and pepper. Cook until all liquid is absorbed. Transfer pan to oven, and bake at 400° for 10 to 15 minutes or until bread is crusty.
3. Pour vegetable mixture into a baking dish. Top with croutons, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes.

Lemony Chicken Florentine Pasta

Andy loves this pasta recipe, but because it has so much cream, it’s too rich to have often. (Don’t get me wrong—it positively delicious and worth the fat on occasion!) So when I saw a recipe for chicken florentine pasta on The Pioneer Woman’s blog, I had to try it. The recipe that follows is my version. Because the ingredients are so similar to Andy’s favorite pasta, I decided to add in some lemon juice and zest. The result is fantastic, and Andy declared that the taste is comparable to his fave. Enjoy!

Lemony Chicken Florentine Pasta

1 lb. chicken breasts, cut into chunks
Salt and pepper

1 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup chicken broth
1 (6-oz.) bag baby spinach
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

Pinch of crushed red pepper

Zest and juice from 1 to 2 lemons (depends on size)

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

12 oz. pasta, cooked (I used radiatore, but any type will work.)


1. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Melt butter in oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken until cooked through and browned. Remove from pan.

2. Add garlic to pan, and cook for 1 minute. Stir in wine and next 2 ingredients. Season with salt and peppers; stir in lemon zest and juice. Return chicken to the pan. Reduce heat to low, and cook for 10 minutes or until mixture thickens slightly. Stir in 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Toss with pasta, and sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Scones Two Ways

For breakfast today, I decided to experiment with two variations of my favorite scone recipe. The cherry one is for Andy who prefers sweets for breakfast. I am more of a savory person, so the bacon-cheddar is right up my alley. I made both with one batch of batter, omitting the sugar and vanilla in the bacon version. Orange zest in the cherry version made the perfect complement to the dried fruit. We will definitely have these again—the options are endless!

Bacon-Cheddar Scones

Makes 4 scones

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup butter, cut into cubes
1 egg
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup white cheddar cheese, shredded

1. Place flour and next 3 ingredients in food processor bowl. Pulse until mixture resembles coarse sand. Place flour mixture in a mixing bowl. Stir in egg and buttermilk until combined; add in bacon and cheddar. Scoop batter onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
2. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until done.

Cherry-Orange Scones

Makes 4 scones

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. sugar

1/2 Tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup butter, cut into cubes
1 egg
1/4 cup buttermilk

1 tsp. vanilla
1 (6-oz.) bag dried cherries

Zest from 1 orange

1. Place flour and next 4 ingredients in food processor bowl. Pulse until mixture resembles coarse sand. Place flour mixture in a mixing bowl. Stir in egg, buttermilk, and vanilla until combined; add in dried cherries and orange zest. Scoop batter onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
2. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until done.

Recipe Rewind: Oven Pancake With Fresh Berries

3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Zest from 1 orange
3/4 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
Fresh blueberries and chopped strawberries

1. Combine eggs and next 7 ingredients in a blender, and process until smooth. Pour into a buttered pie plate.
2. Bake at 425° for 15 minutes or until puffed and golden. Remove from oven, and top with berries. Serve with warm maple syrup, if desired.

Lemony Salmon

My mom loves fish, but it’s not something she makes for herself. Tonight I decided to make salmon with potato galette and zucchini gratin, so I invited Mom to come over. She and Andy both really liked the flavor of this dish, and I liked how simple it is. You can’t beat fish to help you get dinner on the table in 30 minutes. Enjoy!

Lemony Salmon
1 (1-lb.) salmon fillet
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
Zest and juice from 1 lemon
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
Thin lemon slices

1. Sprinkle salmon with salt and pepper on both sides. Drizzle a little olive oil in the bottom of an oven-safe skillet; place salmon in skillet. Add dill, lemon zest, and lemon juice to fish; pour in soy sauce. Top salmon with lemon slices.
2. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until fish flakes with a fork and is opaque.

Spinach Salad

Tonight I decided to try my hand at The Pioneer Woman’s spinach salad recipe. I followed her instructions for cooking the onions and mushrooms and really liked the intense flavor that added. As a counterbalance, I added some sliced Granny Smith apples—this offered some crunch and tart-sweetness. The dressing is a super-simple red wine vinaigrette made with bacon drippings. Delicious! I paired the salad with Cheesy Garlic Breadsticks.

Spinach Salad
Crumbled blue cheese would be a delicious addition.
4 bacon slices, chopped
1 small red onion, cut in half and thinly sliced
1 package sliced mushrooms

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard

1 bag baby spinach

1 to 2 Granny Smith apples, cored and thinly sliced

1. Cook bacon until crisp. Drain on paper towel. Reserve 3 Tbsp. bacon drippings, and set aside.
2. In a separate pan, sauté onions and mushrooms in hot oil until tender; season with salt and pepper.

3. Add reserved bacon grease to a small pan, and stir in red wine vinegar and next 2 ingredients. Whisk until mixture is combined and thoroughly heated.

4. Combine spinach, onions, mushrooms, and apples in a bowl. Pour in dressing, and toss to coat. Top with crumbled bacon.

Cheesy Garlic Breadsticks

1 pizza dough round
4 Tbsp. butter, softened
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 to 2 cups shredded colby-Jack cheese
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh or dried parsley

1. Roll out pizza dough, and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet that has been sprinkled with cornmeal. Spread butter over top of dough, and sprinkle with garlic. Sprinkle cheese and parsley over top.
2. Bake at 425° for 12 to 15 minutes or until crust is done and cheese is melted.