What to Cook on Sunday?

Roasted Ratatouille with Eggs & Cheese

Served with plenty of crusty bread and a green salad, this is a perfect dish for brunch or a light supper. Roasting is an excellent technique for ratatouille because the vegetables retain a distinct texture, yet the flavors meld. Pay close attention while you are cooking the eggs in the oven; they turn from nicely set to hard as a rock in a flash.

Prep time: 20 minutes

Start to finish: 1 hour 40 minutes

Makes 4 servings.

Per serving: 402 calories; 21 g total fat (6 g sat, 11 g mono); 227 mg cholesterol; 34 g carbohydrate; 22 g protein; 7 g fiber; 775 mg sodium.

To make ahead: Prepare recipe through Step 4, cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Reheat before continuing. Degree of difficulty: Moderate

Ingredients:

1 small eggplant (about 12 ounces), trimmed, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 medium onion, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 small zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 small red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Freshly ground pepper to taste

1 28-ounce can plum tomatoes with juices

2 tablespoons torn fresh basil leaves, plus more for garnish

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley

4 large eggs

4 ounces part-skim mozzarella, thinly sliced and cut into 1/4-inch strips

4 slices Italian bread (1/2 inch thick), preferably whole-wheat

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Use a large baking sheet with sides and lightly coat with cooking spray.
2. Combine eggplant, onion, zucchini, bell pepper and garlic in a large bowl; drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil; toss to coat. Spread the vegetables on the prepared baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Roast the vegetables, uncovered, turning often, until lightly browned and tender, about 45 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Cut the tomatoes into chunks. Stir tomatoes (and their juices), basil and parsley into the vegetables. Cover with foil.
4. Bake until the ratatouille is hot and bubbling, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven.

5. With a large spoon, make four evenly spaced indentations in the hot ratatouille. Carefully break an egg into each indentation. Sprinkle cheese over the vegetables and eggs. Bake, uncovered, until the eggs are set and the cheese is melted, 8 to 10 minutes.

6. While the eggs are baking, toast bread and drizzle each slice with 1/2 teaspoon olive oil. Divide bread slices among 4 plates or shallow soup bowls.
7. To serve, lift an egg and ratatouille from the baking dish and place on top of a slice of toasted bread. Spoon remaining vegetables and juices around the edges, distributing evenly. Garnish with more basil, if desired.

A Pie to Warm the Heart

Ingredients:

1 pack of fresh English Spinach leaves, steamed and drained
400g of sliced butternut squash
1/2 bag of frozen mixed peppers
200g of sliced fresh mushrooms
1 large brown onion, sliced
1/2 tin of thick condensed mushroom soup
A dash of nutmeg
2 tsp of Parmesan cheese
2 sheets of rolled puff pastry

How to make it:

1. Spray the pan with non stick cooking spray and add the onions and mushrooms, saute until tender. Add the peppers and saute again until tender. Simmer for 15 minutes. Add Salt and pepper to taste.
2. Add the mushroom soup and stir and allow to simmer for another 15 minutes. Remove from pan.
3. In an oven proof dish, lay out the first sheet of puff pastry at the bottom of dish. Now we start layering. First spread out the cooked spinach leaves, then the roasted butternut squash on top. Then pour out the contents of the pot on top of all that and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and nutmeg.
4. Cover the contents of the oven proof dish with the second layer of puff pastry and seal the edges so it looks like a pie. Make several slits and place in the oven to cook.