This ratatouille recipe from Style at Home is a great way to use up the tomatoes and zucchini in your late-summer garden. I also added some leftover eggplant. Use a canned or jarred pasta sauce, your favourite homemade version, or make this one from Mario Batali.
Avoiding Additives and Preservatives
If you use a purchased tomato sauce, check it for preservatives. Make sure your dried herbs don’t contain colour or anti-caking agents.
Slice tomatoes and zucchini (I also used eggplant)
Cover bottom of dish with tomato sauce
Layer tomatoes and vegetables over sauce and bake until tender
Ingredients:
½ cup (125 ml) pasta sauce
1 tbsp (15 ml) tomato paste
¼ tsp (1 ml) each dried oregano and pepper flakes
2 small green or yellow zucchini sliced ⅛-inch thick (0.32 cm)
1 tbsp (15 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
½ tsp (2 ml) salt
¼ tsp (1 ml) pepper
1 small plum tomato sliced ⅛-inch thick (0.32 cm)
2 tbsp (30 ml) thinly sliced fresh basil
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 425 F (210 C). Spread pasta sauce in bottom of 5- cup (1.25 L) oval casserole dish. Stir in tomato paste and half of oregano and hot pepper flakes.
In large bowl toss together zucchini, tomato, oil, salt, pepper and rest of dried spices.
Arrange zucchini and tomato slices in casserole dish in overlapping, concentric circles. Bake until the sauce is bubbling and the zucchini is tender, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with basil before serving. Serves 4.
From Style at Home
This hearty salad from Style at Home keeps well because it is made with Israeli couscous, a toasted pasta shaped into tiny balls a little smaller than peas. The recipe is just a guide; you can be very creative with this dish. I skipped roasting the tomatoes, left out the tuna and halloumi, and added sun-dried tomatoes and feta cheese.
Avoiding Additives and Preservatives
Use freshly squeezed lemon juice and a Dijon mustard without preservatives such as President’s Choice Old Fashioned Dijon. Other ingredients that may include additives are the tuna, beans, artichoke hearts, capers and halloumi.
Toast the dry Israeli couscous to bring out its nutty flavour
You can add lot of ingredients to the couscous, including tomatoes, artichoke hearts and herbs
Toss with a lemony dressing
Ingredients:
Lemon chive dressing
2 tbsp (30 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
¼ cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp (30 ml) finely chopped shallots
2 tbsp (30 ml) finely chopped chives
2 tsp (10 ml) lemon zest
1 tsp (5 ml) Dijon mustard
½ tsp (2.5 ml) sea salt
½ tsp (2.5 ml) freshly ground black pepper
For salad
1 pint (250 ml) multicoloured cherry tomatoes
3 tbsp (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
1- ½ cups (375 ml) uncooked Israeli couscous
1 5-oz jar (150 g) chunk Italian tuna in olive oil
1 18-oz jar (532 ml) large butter beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup (250 ml) quartered fire-roasted marinated artichoke hearts
¼ cup (60 ml) chopped fresh basil leaves
1 tbsp (15 ml) capers, rinsed
9 oz (255 g) halloumi, cut into 6 pieces
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C0
In a small bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the lemon chive dressing; set aside.
Cut the tomatoes in half and lay them, cut sides up, on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of the olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until the tomatoes are a little wrinkly but still moist. Allow to cool slightly on the baking sheet.
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil in a pot over medium heat; add the garlic and cook until just sizzling.
Add the Israeli couscous and stir to coat in the garlic oil. Cook for 3 or 4 minutes, stirring, until lightly toasted and then add 2 cups (500 ml) cold water. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, until the water is absorbed and the couscous is tender. Remove from the heat, stirring to fluff.
Pour the lemon chive dressing over the couscous and stir to combine. Add the roasted cherry tomatoes, tuna, butter beans, artichoke hearts, basil and capers. Stir gently to combine.
Heat a grill pan over medium heat. Grill the halloumi slices for 1 to 2 minutes per side, until golden. Serve the Israeli couscous salad warm, topped with the grilled halloumi. Serves 4 to 6.
From Style at Home
