Tag: gluten-free

Late Summer Oven Ratatouille

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Though the actual assemblage of this dish is more akin to a tian, it delivers a pretty presentation and tastes great, too. Like most amazing things, it is excellent the next day, too. I’ve included photographs inside the recipe for putting it together. If this makes it difficult to print, let me know, and I’ll adjust it.

rataouille close

Late Summer Oven Ratatouille

For the sauce:
2 cloves garlic
7 Roma tomatoes, seeds removed
1/2 cup loosely packed basil leaves
1/4 teaspoon sea salt (or to taste)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper (or to taste)
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

For the rest:
1 medium eggplant, sliced 1/16 to 1/8-inch thick (try to find one with a smaller diameter)
1 yellow zucchini/summer squash, sliced 1/16 to 1/8-inch thick
1 green zucchini, sliced 1/16 to 1/8-inch thick
1 red onion, sliced 1/16 to 1/8-inch thick
1 to 2 red peppers, cored and sliced in rings 1/16 to 1/8-inch thick
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Additional sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly oil an 9-inch square baking dish.

Put the garlic in the food processor. Pulse until finely chopped. Add the Roma tomatoes, basil, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Pulse until combined and almost pureed. Pour the mixture into a fine mesh sieve and drain the excess water.

Pour the tomato mixture in the bottom of the dish. Line the eggplant, yellow and green, zucchini, onion, and red pepper upright in a pattern, starting around the perimeter of the dish and working your way to the centre.

rataouille first step

Brush with remaining olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

rataouille second step

Cover the vegetables, loosely tucking into the inside of the dish with foil or parchment paper. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, until vegetables are softened but not mushy. Uncover and let cool at least 30 minutes before serving.

rataouille baked

Deli-Style Coleslaw

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A bit of sweet, a bit of tang, a bit of creaminess, and a lot of flavor. This coleslaw is the perfect canvas for adding in your favourite ingredients. Try sunflower seeds and dried cherries for an alternative to the pecans and raisins. And take the time to grate your own cabbage—it tastes much better than the pre-bagged versions. I love Mutsu apples in here, but I know they aren’t available everywhere, so I made some more common suggestions below.

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Deli-Style Coleslaw

1 cabbage, about 6 inches in diameter
2 medium carrots
1 red apple (such as Fuji)
1 green tart apple (such as Granny Smith)
4 green onions (just the greens)
1/2 heaping cup pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup raisins
1 large avocado
Juice from 1/2 a large lemon
Sea salt to taste
3 to 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Fresh ground black pepper to taste

Using a box grater, mandoline, or the shredder on a food processor, shred the cabbage, carrots, and apples. Toss together in a large bowl. Finely chop the greens of the onions. Add them to the cabbage, along with the pecans and raisins. Toss to mix.

Put the avocado, the lemon juice, a pinch of salt in a food processor. Turn on and process until smooth. With the motor running, add the olive oil, starting with 3 tablespoons, adding an additional tablespoon for a thinner consistency (depending on the size of your avocado). Add the vinegar. Stir to mix, adding additional salt and lots of ground black pepper to taste. Mix with the cabbage mixture, letting the flavours sit for at least a couple hours before serving.

Mizeria (Polish Cucumber Salad)

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A traditional Polish side dish, very unlike my grandma used to make! The name means “misery” in Polish…perhaps because it is traditionally doused in sour cream, making vegans (and those watching their cholesterol) have to pass. Don’t let the addition of tofu detour you; it delivers the same creamy texture and tang of the original dish.

miziera cucumber

Vegan Mizeria (Polish Cucumber Salad)

3 large field cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1 batch Sour “Cream” (recipe follows)
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon agave nectar
2 tablespoons minced fresh dill
Freshly ground pepper

Sprinkle the cucumber with salt. Refrigerator for 1 hour.

Mix together the sour “cream”, vinegar, agave nectar. Mix with cucumbers. Stir in fresh dill. Season with pepper. Refrigerate until serving.

Sour “Cream”
1 12oz/340g box silken firm tofu
1 lemon
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

Put the tofu in a food processor. Add juice from half the lemon, the vinegar, and the salt. Process until smooth, then keep it running while adding the oil through the feed tube. Taste for seasonings, adding lemon and salt if desired. Refrigerate for up to 3 days.