Ratatouille

Ratatouille is a French Provencal rustic dish.

I used to be quoted at work when the girls would ask me “how did you make that Zena?”

My reply…”well first you need a bag of Ratatouille”. These days its a 150g tub

Ingredients

olive oil or spray low calorie oil
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
1 yellow/orange bell pepper
1/2 large onions
1/2 garlic clove/s, peeled and crushed
1 aubergine
2 courgettes
2 tins chopped or whole tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato puree
water
fresh basil/parsley/chives/oregano or mixed dried Italian herbs
rock salt & cracked black pepper

Instructions

1. Peel, core and roughly chop all vegetables
2. Heat oil in large stock pot
3. Add aubergines and brown slightly for about 5-10 mins
4. Add onions and garlic, stirring into hot oil and lightly fry until clear
5. Add courgettes, peppers and cook through for a further 5 minutes
6. Add tinned tomatoes, tomato puree, herbs, seasoning and water to cover slightly. You don’t want it to look like soup. Just have enough liquid to be left to simmer in
7. Simmer with lid on for at least 30 minutes
8. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Notes & Tips

• I love to leave this in the pot overnight before freezing as I feel the flavours come out more.
• Bag it in portion size bags and freeze. It is great for months, that’s if it lasts that long.

Some ideas how you can adapt the recipe, add more ingredients and turn a bag of ratatouille into a main meal:

Ratatouille and Shrimp Soup,  Chicken Cacciatore, Chicken, Ratatouille Crepes, Vegetable Curry, Chicken and Shrimp Gumbo, Moroccan Lamb Stew

Simple Ham & Cheese Omelettee

Ingredients

low calorie spray butter
1 large egg
splash semi skimmed milk
small piece of cooked ham chopped finely
1 slice light leerdammer cheese
dried chives
sea salt & ground pepper

Instructions

1. 1. Heat fat in a shallow omelette or pancake pan, brush evenly over pan and edges
   2. Crack an egg into a large mug
   3. Add splash milk, salt and pepper and whisk with a fork
   4. Pour into hot pan, after a minute sprinkle chopped ham, and chives evenly around the pan
   5. Brake cheese slice over pan too
   6. Once starting to look more solid and the edges can be lifted by a palette knife, switch off heat and gently roll the omelette from one side of pan to the other and roll out onto a small plate
   7. ta da

Moroccan Lamb Tagine with Couscous  

Ingredients      (for 2 servings)

chilli olive oil or spray low calorie oil
1 lamb steak
selection of chopped vegetables of your choice;
onion, courgette, red pepper, 2 cauliflower florets & brocolli, squash cubes, sun-dried tomato, other preferred veg
1/3 tin chopped tomatoes
4 dried apricots
4 chopped almonds
garlic clove
moroccan mixed spice
vegetable bouillon, & water
Couscous, flavoured if preferred

Instructions

1. Heat oil in deep braising pan
2. Fry off  meat till brown, add Moroccan spice
3. Add onion, garlic, fry for 2 minutes
4. Add all vegetables, tinned tomatoes, apricots and chopped nuts, bouillon and some water.
5. Cover and summer until tender
6. Pour boiling water over couscous and simmer for 3-5 minutes, fluff up and serve with stew

 

Banana Pancakes /Crepe

 

 

Ingredients

1 egg, 1 small banana, 1 pinch baking powder, 2 drops vanilla, 1 cal butter spray, raspberries, sprinkle Splenda

Instructions

1. Mash banana
2. Add to beaten egg
3. Add vanilla & baking powder.
4. Mix well.
5. Spray pan 1 cal butter spray, and brush around pan.
6. Pour mixture all in at once to hot pan if feeling brave to toss.
7. Once well bubbled & firm and able to be moved from pan sides without splitting……Count to 5 then toss!!.
8. Sprinkle raspberries on top and some splenda if desired.
9. Roll up & serve.

This make 1 crepe or 2 pancakes

 

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