This is actually a combination of two recipes from Real Simple magazine, along with my own personal twist. Ratatouille is usually thought of as a summer dish, given the use of produce such as eggplant, bell pepper, tomatoes, zucchini and summer squash. It also works well as an end-of-the-season dish, when the last of the summer produce arrives at the grocery store or farmer’s markets. For the past two weeks, my local grocery store has had the biggest, most beautiful zucchini, so I wanted to seize what it probably my last chance of the season to enjoy them!

Ratatouille is traditionally a meatless dish, comprised of vegetables and fresh herbs. One of the Real Simple recipes combined this dish with Italian sausage, which is a favorite in our house. It seemed like a winning combination, so I created this recipe for some dinner guests and received rave reviews. To complete the meal, I served this over warm egg noodles tossed with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of fresh basil.

Tip: Cut the eggplant first and place in a colander. Sprinkle with salt and allow to set while you prepare the rest of the vegetables. Rinse  and pat dry before adding to saute. This will remove most of the bitter flavor and improve the texture of the eggplant (prevents it from getting overly soggy and mushy).

Look for eggplants that heavy for their size. This indicates ripeness and also improves the texture and flavor of the dish.

Ratatouille w/ Italian Sausages
adapted from Real Simple

4 Italian sausages, 1 lb, halved if desired
Olive oil
Sea salt
1 sweet yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 large eggplant, about 1 lb, cubed
1 large zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 can (14 oz) petite diced tomatoes, do not drain
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken stock
Cracked black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400F and coat a 13×9 baking dish with cooking spray.

In a large skillet, heat about 1 tbsp olive oil. Brown sausages on both sides, about 3 minutes per side (sausages do not need to be cooked through). Arrange in a single layer in prepared baking dish and set aside.

In the same skillet, add onion and garlic. Sprinkle with sea salt and saute 2-3 minutes. Add eggplant, dried oregano and red pepper flakes. If pan begins to dry out, add a little more olive oil. Saute 3 minutes and add zucchini and bell pepper. Saute an additional 3 minutes, then add tomatoes with liquid and chicken stock. Bring liquid to a boil and stir in chopped basil. Season to taste with black pepper.

Pour vegetable mixture over sausages in prepared baking dish. Turn sausages to coat (if desired, cut sausage in half). Bake, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes, until sausages are cooked through. Remove from oven and allow to set for 10 minutes before serving.

As the dish cooks, the vegetables should start to release liqiud and create a sauce in the pan. If the pan dries out, though, just add a little more chicken stock.

The original recipe from Cooking Light Magazine was for pork, not chicken, and used just cherry preserves. I added the apricot jam and decided to use frozen cherries for extra flavor. I served this chicken over egg noodles and zucchini sauteed with sweet onion, garlic, tossed with sesame seed oil. By slicing the chicken and tossing with the cherry-apricot sauce, it made a delicious stir-fry style dish.

Chicken w/ Cherry-Apricot Sauce
adapted from Cooking Light

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenders
Olive oil
Sea salt
Cracked black pepper
1 cup frozen pitted cherries, thawed
1/4 cup apricot jam or preserves
2 tsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
1 tsp rice vinegar
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

Using a meat tenderizer or small frying pan, pound chicken between two pieces of wax paper until about 1/2 to 1/4 inch thick. Season on both sides with salt and black pepper. Heat about 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook about 5-6 minutes on each side, until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink. Set aside and keep warm.

In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Add to hot skillet, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any browned bits. Heat until slightly thickened, about 2-3 minutes or until sauce is warmed through. Pour sauce over chicken and serve.

I prefer to slice the chicken first, then pour the sauce over top.

Quick and easy dinners are a life-saver after a long day. Pasta dishes fit the bill perfectly, because while you wait for the water to boil and the pasta to cook, you can chop and saute veggies and warm sauces. It involves a small amount of multi-tasking, but the result is a relative fast meal that doesn’t skimp on flavor.

Recently, a friend was seeking suggestions on what to do with Great Northern White Beans. These are one of my favorite pantry items to go to, so I provided her with a couple of my white bean recipes, and it got me thinking about other white bean dishes. This recipe is what I could call a pantry-scraper, because all of the ingredients I stock regularly (except zucchini, and really, a can of diced tomatoes would work here just as well).

Spaghetti w/ Zucchini & White Beans

8 oz dried spaghetti, broken in half
Sea salt
Olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped
1-2 medium size zucchini, diced
1/4 to 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (to taste)
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 can (15 oz) Great Northern White Beans, drained and rinsed
Parmesan cheese, optional

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add 1 tbsp sea salt and dried spaghetti. Cook 8-10 minutes, until desired tenderness. Drain, toss in olive oil, and keep warm.

Meanwhile, heat about 2 tbsp olive oil in large skillet. Saute garlic and onions with about 1/4 tsp salt for 3-5 minutes, until softened. Add zucchini, red pepper flakes, and oregano and saute 3-5 minutes, until zucchini is cooked through but still crisp. Add white beans and saute until warmed through, about 2-3 minutes. Add additional olive oil to pan if needed.

Add cooked pasta to skillet. Toss, adding some reserved pasta water if pasta begins to stick. Top with Parmesan cheese before serving, if desired.

As soon as I saw this recipe, I knew James would love it. The rustic, hearty flavors have a slightly southern flair, given the recipe came from Southern Living magazine. Of course, I made a few alterations to the recipe (the original version had dried plums, which just did not sound good!) and the results were a big hit. The biggest substitution was using kielbasa instead of Italian sausage, which worked out really well in the dish.

The main issue I had with the original recipe was that it used pre-packaged measurements in the ingredient list (ex: 1/2 of a 20 oz  package of bite-sized dried plums), which means you have to actually buy the package or put forth your best guess on the amounts. Given the economy, many people are buying in bulk and using simple measurements such as “1 cup” or “1/2 cup” would lend itself better to the recipes usability.

Kielbasa & Peppers w/ Couscous
adapted from Southern Living

1 cup couscous
1 cup golden or regular raisins
1 lb kielbasa, sliced 1/2 inch thick
2 tbsp olive oil
2 sweet bell peppers (red, orange, or yellow) thinly sliced
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
Sea salt
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 Granny Smith apple, diced
1 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 tbsp orange juice
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch
Cracked black pepper

Bring 1 cup of water to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in couscous and 1/4 tsp sea salt. Cover and let set for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and stir in raisins.

In a large skillet, heat olive oil. Over medium-high heat, saute bell peppers, onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes with 1/4 tsp sea salt for 3-5 minutes, until tender. Add kielbasa to pan and saute until warmed through, about 5 minutes. Add additional olive oil to pan if needed. Add diced apples and an additional 1/4 tsp of sea salt and saute 2-3 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together chicken broth with orange juice, brown sugar, cornstarch, and 1/2 tsp sea salt. Add to skillet and bring liquid to a boil. Reduce heat and cover, simmering for 2 minutes or until liquid has thickened slightly. Remove from heat and toss all ingredients. Season to taste with cracked black pepper.

Serve kielbasa and peppers over a bed of couscous. Spoon additional sauce from the pan over top.

Muffin Madness continues with this fall-flavor inspired creations. The original recipe was for quick bread, and I made some additions to give it some bigger flavors. When I bake, I tend to gravitate toward recipes that have bold flavors rather than subtle. While tastes vary from person to person, it seems many people enjoy a burst of flavor.

Originally, the only spices in the recipe were 1/4 tsp of cinnamon and 1/4 tsp of nutmeg, which for an entire batch of muffins is just not enough. I upped the cinnamon, added ginger and orange zest, and topped the muffins with cinnamon-sugar.

Most “quick bread” recipes (breads without yeast) can be converted into muffins. A general rule of thumb is to fill the muffin cups 3/4 full and bake for 20-25 minutes at 350-375F.

Sweet Potato & Fresh Cranberry Muffins
adapted from Cooking Light magazine

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
3/4 cup canned pureed sweet potato (from a can)
3 eggs
1/3 cup orange juice
1 tsp orange zest
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup fresh cranberries, chopped

Preheat oven to 350F and spray a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. In a separate bowl, combine sweet potato puree, eggs, orange juice, and melted butter. Add to dry ingredients and stir until just moist. Fold in cranberries.

Spoon batter into muffin tin, filling each cup about 3/4 full. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar or chopped nuts, if desired. Bake 20-25 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. Allow to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before serving.

Makes approximately 18 muffins.