Experimental Ratatouille

This is one of my experimental recipes. I've found a bunch of ratatouille recipes on line and in cookery books. I kind of liked the layered idea in this one. It may be that I'll just pan saute the whole thing, but I'd like to see what you all think first!

not mine, but I thought it was pretty ratatouille!

Experimental Ratatouille

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 eggplant

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons dried parsley

1 t thyme

Crushed red pepper to taste

Black pepper to taste

1 t basil

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 zucchini, sliced thin

1 cups fresh mushrooms, sliced thin

1 red bell pepper, chopped

2 large tomatoes, chopped

2 T Romano cheese - optional

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray Pam inside a 1 1/2 quart casserole.

Cut all vegetables except the eggplant and measure your spices to make assembly a snap.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium high skillet over medium heat. Saute onion until soft. While the onion is sautéing, quickly dice the eggplant and add the diced bits to the pan as they are chopped until the entire eggplant is in the pan. Exposure to air is not a friend of eggplants and one reason it is often bitter or soggy. Add the chopped garlic and stir until the eggplant is soft (10 minutes or so). Add parsley and other seasonings – stir well.

Spread eggplant mixture evenly across bottom of prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle with some of the cheese.

Add alternating layers of zucchini and cheese, mushrooms and cheese, bell pepper and cheese, and finally tomatoes and cheese on top of the eggplant.

Bake, covered, in preheated oven for 30 minutes, remove the lid and allow the cheese to brown and the juices to evaporate a bit.

Top with a sprinkle of Romano cheese and serve with couscous.

Laura's Experimental Crunchy Almond Butter Granola Bars

Easily varied to your taste for a delicious snack or quick breakfast. This recipe is currently under construction and testing, but the most recent version (below) was pronounced DELICIOUS! The bar does not yet quite hold together, but was so tasty the testers were picking up each crumb.

If you would like to collaborate with us on this recipe, give it a try with modifications you think necessary to make the bar stay together but not be like a rock, then post your suggestions below.

The nutrition facts can be found at Calorie Count!

Crunchy Almond Butter Granola Bars

makes 12 bars

Ingredients:

3 1/2 T chunky almond butter
3 T. honey
3 1/2 T pure maple syrup
1 T vanilla
1 T brown sugar
1 1/2 cups Kashi Go Lean cereal (not the crunchy type)
1/2 cup bran cereal
1 1/2 cups rolled oats (not the quick-cook kind)
1/3 cup dried fruit such as cranberries or blueberries
1/3 cup salted sunflower seeds
1-2 t cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325°.

8- or 9-inch square pan lined with a long sheet of parchment paper that extends up the side of the pan a bit and then lightly sprayed with Pam.

In a medium pot, warm almond butter, honey, syrup, vanilla, and brown sugar until sugar has melted and almond butter has thinned. In a large bowl, mix all dry ingredients and sprinkle with cinnamon. Pour warm liquid over the dry ingredients, mixing well.

Spread the mixture into the pan and press well (use a piece of parchment paper. Bake for about 25 minutes. When you remove the pan from the oven, use a piece of parchment paper to flatten the bars a bit. Allow to cool completely. Lisft the ends of the parchment and place the granola onto a cutting board and cut into bars or squares.

Note:

substitute your favorite nut butters, syrups, cereals, dried fruit, seeds, or nuts. Try it with a bit of coconut either raw or toasted.

Janice's Spicy Experimental Hummus

I love spicy hummus and eat it all the time, but I've never made it before. The following recipe is still in the experimental stage, and is a combination of several interesting recipes that I found on line. I liked how some of the cooks used a variety of oils instead of tahini. I've never owned a tahini, but I usually have both sesame and olive oil so I'm going with that. As I improve it, and with suggestions from you all, we'll make this recipe the best spicy hummus around!

Woop! Let's get our collaborative cookery game on! Tell me how to make spicy hummus!

The nutrition facts (thus far) can be found at Calorie Count!

Spicy Experimental Hummus

Ingredients:

1 (16 ounce) cans garbanzo beans, drained

1 lemon juiced
1/8 cup sesame oil
1/8 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 jalapenos, seeded and diced
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Directions:

In the bowl, combine the garbanzo beans, lemon juice, sesame and olive oil, garlic, jalapenos. Season with black pepper, cayenne, cumin and oregano.

Mix using the stick blender or a mixer on low speed until the ingredients start to blend, then turn the speed to medium, and blend to your desired consistency. 

Cover and refrigerate overnight to allow the flavors to blend.

Notes:

Adjust the proportions of liquids to suit your taste. 

 Beat it thoroughly or use a blender if you like creamy hummus and not so much if you like it to have more texture.