I'm a sucker for everything Bittman
Photo Credit: The New York Times
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I can't remember a time when I didn't follow his writing. Columns in the NY Times, his blog, cookbooks, you name it
Simple dishes that are full of flavor, easy to prepare, and darn good.
So when his new cookbook came out, I couldn't resist.
He talks freely about his journey
The switch to a partially vegan diet when faced with a decision: change the way you're feeding your body or enter the world of medication. (He was overweight and pre-diabetic)
He shifted to veggies, fruit, and grains, following a fairly strict vegan diet. All processed foods were eliminated for the better part of the day, and the things he simply couldn't give up completely were saved for after 6 pm, and (mostly) in moderation.
I bought the book, not because I buy into the philosophy necessarily, but because his recipes always provide ideas, along with a solid base from which to start.
(Personally, I strive for 5-6 small(er) meals every day in a ratio of carbs, protein, and fat, and give myself grace 10% of the time. It's my sweet spot. What works for me.)
So this week, when I was in the want for quick and easy, I remembered the recipe I'd flagged with the movie title in its name: Ratatouille.
Roasted veggies and chickpeas, healthy, tasty
ps: My husband is a sucker for movies (I really know nothing about movies) Would he catch on?
At home I cooked up the cartoon dish created by an imaginary rat. It satisfied my inner Bittman while providing the slightest bit of movie entertainment.
Fun
To address my mental checklist: “Protein? Where's your protein?” The first night we added shredded chicken. The second, grilled steak. Both were absolutely delicious.
As with most dinners, I'm gravitating toward lately, it lends itself to lots of variations. The addition of roughly chopped greens (kale or spinach) changing up the herbs, adding different protein sources, or using up whatever veggies you have on hand.
Enjoy!
xoxo
(ps: Wikipedia offers up some pretty cool facts about Ratatouille)
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~ Adapted from Mark Bittman
Chickpea Ratatouille
Ingredients
- 1 lb small eggplant, cut into large chunks
- 1 lb roma tomatoes, cored and chopped
- 2 zucchini, cut into large chunks
- 1 medium red onion, sliced
- 2 red (or yellow bell peppers) cored, seeded, and sliced
- 8 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced
- 2 heads roasted garlic
- 1 tsp. salt
- 3 cups cooked (or canned chickpeas) rinsed and drained
- 3 Tbsp herbes de province
- olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° F.
- Combine vegetables, garlic, salt, and oil. Spread across 2 cookie sheets, or a large roasting pan would work as well
- Roast 30 to 40 minutes, or until the veggies are lightly browned and tender (The tomatoes will have released a bit of their water, creating a sauce) Give it an occasional stir
- Mix in the chickpeas, and roast 5 to 10 minutes more, or until they are heated through
- Add the herbs, season with salt and pepper, if desired
- Don't forget to throw in some protein of your choice before serving (we've used shredded chicken and also grilled steak)
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