zucchini

Food Friday: Ratatouille

Ratatouille

Peel, Slice and salt to get rid of excess moisture:

2 1/2 cups diced eggplant

Put in a deep skillet:

1/3 cup olive oil

Saute until golden:

¾ cup thinly sliced onions (red or yellow)

2 cloves garlic

Add:

4 thinly sliced green peppers

3 cups zucchini, cut into cubes

2 cups chopped tomatoes

Add the drained eggplant.

Sprinkle the mixture with:

Olive oil

Add

½ teaspoon oregano and 1 teaspoon basil

Simmer covered over low heat about 45 minutes.

Uncover and continue to heat 15 minutes longer to reduce the mount of liquid

Add:

Salt and fresh pepper

Serve hot or cold with sour cream.

Ratatouille was always a dish we made for New Year’s Eve and ate it along with cheese fondue. It was a perfect match. I recommend it. I have also had it with lamb chops and mashed potatoes and it is delicious.

Food Friday: Zucchini

Potato pancakes were a family favorite in Russia when I lived there. Russians love their potatoes. They eat them cold in salads, boiled with meat, and fried. I made up this recipe to make it a little more interesting. This can be an entire meal or a side dish.

Zucchini – Potato- Feta Pancakes

1 large zuccini (or two small to medium) Grated

3 medium potatoes (any kind you happen to have around) Grated

1 small red onion (I cut a big one in half) Grated

3/4 cup Feta cheese – You can use either soft or crumbled

2 Eggs

4 Tbsp flour

Salt and Pepper

Sour Cream or Plain Yogurt

You can grate everything by hand but it is much quicker and easier if you have a food processor. Takes about a minute.

Mix in the eggs, flour, cheese, salt and pepper

Salt would depend on how salty the Feta is, I would taste it first. I use about 7 turns of black pepper.

Put some oil in a non-stick pan and get it good an hot. Then put a generous spoonful in the pan and flatten it out. It will take a while to cook. Probably about 5 minutes on each side. Then I put them in a glass place in the oven at 350 degrees F to keep them warm and let them cook a bit more.

Serve with sour cream or plain yogurt.

Enjoy! За здоровье! (Za zdarov’e!)

Food Friday: Budin Azteca

Today we land in Mexico. One of my favorite food places. This is a layered casserole that is really worth the effort. Vegetarians can leave the chicken out. For a variation, use pork instead of chicken.

Budin Azteca (Aztec Casserole)

2 tablespoons oil

½ cup chopped onion (125g)

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped