Lower fat and top flavored Ratatouille & falafals..tips & photos

Cook the eggplant (eggplants act like a sponge when added to hot oil, by boiling you use much less oil in the whole dish) for the ratatouille,in boiling salted water, then drain

Add canned chopped tomato in juice to the drained cooked eggplant

Saute the onion, bell peppers and onion, garlic in olive oil and add to the eggplant tomato mix, and simmer for 25-30 mins covered.

Saute the cooked chickpeas, bell pepper, zucchini and onion, garlic in olive oil for the falafal

The cooked low fat ratatouille add herbs of choice

Add turmeric and ground cumin, sea salt & ground pepper

The sauteed veggies and chickpeas

I like to add raw celery & chopped cilantro to this mix which will be processed, then I like to add an egg and dry breadcrumbs, for Vegan just add fresh breadcrumbs.Allow to "marinate" overnight then shape into golf balls sized balls, roll in dry breadcrumbs and drizzle with oil then bake in 350f oven for 25-30 mins...serve with sauce of choice, either tahini,(with lemon juice and garlic), or minted yogurt

Along time ago, when I worked in a Hotel in London, we made falafal with just soaked chickpeas, then deep fried. They tasted OK but the gas problems and indigestion after was monumental..cooking the beans beforehand and also cooking the vegetables, then processing and baking makes for a far more superior falafal and the flavors are more intense, also there is less oil used.

More photographs tomorrow

Red bell Pepper and yam soup; Spring vegetable soup; Roasted vegetables; vegetable and black bean curry with rice; mild curried couscous pilau; Green beans and millet "risotto"; Cinnamon and local grown zante currant sour dough breads..Photos of prep for tomorrow's menu

Vegetable and black beans cooked in a mild curry sauce..which I then reduce without the vegetables to keep everything firm textured..then pour over and allow to marinate overnight.

Couscous and vegetable pilau mildly flavored with curry spices

The heat wave is finally over we have just had a week of record breaking temps., in triple digits even at the beach!

Yellow fleshed potatoes and yams with fresh rosemary for the roasted vegetables

Spring vegetable soup

Red bell pepper and yam soup..blended and finished with coconut cream

The completed roasted vegetables, purple onion, tomatoes, zucchini, bell peppers, Yukon gold potatoes and yams,a s they cool I add some fresh lemon juice to cut the oil..roasted with olive oil & fresh rosemary from the garden,,this is to be served with a roasted peanut and orange salad

Millet cooked risotto style with vegetable stock and olive oil..it is important to wash the millet well, and allow to soak for 15 mins, then drain. Before sauteing with the vegetables in oil and then top up with  stock, and stir regularly as with rice,adding the green beans in  final few minutes of cooking; and chopped raw tomato and cooked broccoli florets as it cools down.

Whole wheat, sourdough breads with local Venice grown Zante currants and ground cinnamon..great bread, fat, dairy and sugar free.  Cooked in steam filled oven at 400f for 35 mins.

Strawberry-peach Eve's pudding; Apricot-almond cookies; fresh fruit salad; Chickpea-Mushroom Burgers..Photos and tips..vegetarian menu

It is the height of the Strawberry season & this heat wave is making them very sweet

Cooked chickpeas sauteed with onions, herbs, mushrooms and bell peppers, then added cooked broccoli, and process.

 

The strawberry-pineapple-peach filling for the Eve's pudding ( sponge cake topped dessert)

The baked apricot-almond cookies, before cutting while warm

Previous 2 the baked Eve's Puddings

The chickpea, mushrooms & broccoli "burgers"..drizzle with olive oil and bake in 350f oven for 25-30 mins, served with a chopped salad

Samosa filling (vegetables and mild curry spices) Flax seed and whole wheat pastry.."strudels"

Fresh fruit salad with jicama..pineapple, kiwi fruit, bananas, oranges, strawberries..sugar free too

The almond-apricot cookies cut while warm (recipe is on this blog from last year)