Purging along {& bakin' ratatouille}.

since friday night, book shelves have been thinned, stacks {and stacks} of magazines (all of which i intended to read- cover to cover... none of which have been) recycled, garbage bags filled, barbies purged, walls scrubbed, drawers- bins- closets- keepsakes- organized, ...4 large truck loads to the good will later... and this is only the beginning.

ryan's almost finished listening to simplicity parenting, and man- all we can think is- how the hell did life get so OUT OF CONTROL in the past 2 years???  how did we (we, who pride ourselves on deshittifying) accumulate so. much. sh*t?

much more to come on this topic, but for now, onto lighter fare... 

ratatouille. 

it was last night's dinner, and- talk about simplicity.

now that summer's just around the corner {10 more days!?!}, i am declaring that it be added to the weekly rotation (also a key learning from the aforementioned book, but more on that later).

zucchini... squash... tomatoes... basil... bell peppers... a summer garden, captured all in one pot.

{and so hearty & flavorful, the kids don't even remember just how "healthy" it really is... & just how many dreaded bell peppers are mixed in.  we've been eating only vegetable-based dishes, and in an effort not to make two separate meals, we no longer omit them- or cut them super huge so they can pick them out... & tonight, for the first time- they both ate the entire meal- bell peppers & all!  guess they figured it wasn't worth all of the effort to dissect each bite.  proud parenting moment :).}

 

 

baked ratatouille

*adapted from the master your metabolism cookbook, by jillian michaels

serves 4

2 tbsp olive oil (I used grapeseed oil, & then drizzled a little olive oil on each dish just before serving)

1 medium chopped red onion

1 1/2 tbsp chopped garlic

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (used only a tiny bit)

1 tbsp tomato paste

2 bell peppers (used one yellow, & one orange), cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 (28-oz) can diced tomatoes, drained

2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/4 inch-thick half-moons

2 medium summer squash, cut into 1/4 inch-thick half-moons

2 (15-oz) cans beans- cannellini, chickpeas... (I used leftover pinto beans from a big pot I made on Monday night)

1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves, or 1 tsp dried

20 basil leaves, torn in 1/2, plus a few extra for garnish (I had a lot to use up, so I used 30 leaves)

salt & pepper

2 tbsp grated parmesan, optional (I omitted this)

Preheat the oven to 400.  Have a 3-quart baking dish ready.

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium high heat.  Add the onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes.  Stir in the tomato paste and cook for about 1 minute more.  Add the peppers and cook until softened, about 8 minutes.

Stir in the drained tomatoes, the zucchini, squash, beans, thyme, basil, salt, and pepper.  Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes.

Pour the mixture into the baking dish.  Sprinkle with cheese, if using.  Bake until bubbling and lightly browned on top, about 30 minutes.  

Garnish with a few fresh basil leaves & a lovely drizzle of olive oil.

                         

good stuff, i tell ya.