Cookbok Club: Julia Child's Ratatouille

Julia Child is probably one of the very first cooking shows I ever watched. Her voice is one of the most recognizable ones ever and she is beyond respected in the food industry. Her book Mastering the Art of French Cooking is a staple in kitchens across America and has been for over forty years. Kitchen beginners and experts alike can find something to make within the pages of this book- and can learn to master the art of French cuisine. Now that I have made something from this book, I feel like I'm really winning in the kitchen. Ha! 

I'm a veggie lover and as much as we eat them, I've never made this classic dish. It's so basic, yet so much more than just sauteing or roasting your veggies- there's a real method here and that's how all of Julia Child's recipes seem to be. So simple, yet so complicated. That's the best way to describe this veggie side dish. 

Word to the wise- this isn't exactly a quick and easy dish. It takes time, and had I done some extra prep work, I probably wouldn't have had to take some short cuts. I'll definitely be making this again when I have a few extra moments to take my time and love it into existence (like risotto). Regardless, this is full of flavor and I love that it focuses on simple, fresh ingredients. I LOVE eggplant and although the recipe calls for peeling it, next time I will definitely leave the skin on. I also left the skin on my tomatoes and didn't seed them to save on time. 

This was wonderful served alongside my Oven Roasted Lemon Caper Cod. Let me know if you try making this classic French dish!

Julia Child's Ratatioulle
recipe from Julia Child

1 large eggplant
1 large zucchini
1 tsp. salt, plus more for seasoning
4-6 Tbsp. olive oil, divied
1/2 pound thinly sliced yellow onion (about 1.5 cups)1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 green pepper, thinly sliced
2 coves mashed garlic
pepper
2-3 roma tomatoes, peeled and then seeded and juiced
3 Tbsp. minced parsley

Peel the eggplant and cut lengthwise slices about 3/8" thick about 3" long and 1" wide. Slice the ends off the zucchini and cut into similar size slices as the eggplant. Toss the eggplant and zucchini in a bowl with some salt and let it sit for 30 minutes. Once it has sat, pat dry with paper towel. 

In a 10-12" inch skillet with 4 Tablespoons of olive oil, sautee the zucchini and eggplant for about one minute on each side, or until slightly browned. Transfer to another dish.

In the same skillet, cook onions and peppers and add additional oil if needed. Cook until tender, but not browned. Stir in the smashes garlic and add some salt and pepper to season.

Slice tomato into strips and lay it on top of the peppers and onions. Cover the skillet and cook for five minutes, or until the tomatoes have gotten juicy. Uncover, raise the heat and boil for several minutes until the juice has almost entirely evaporated.

Transfer all but 1/3 of the tomato mixture to another dish. Top the remaining 1/3 of tomato mixture with 1 Tablespoon of fresh parsley. Arrange half of the zucchini and eggplant mixture on top, then half of the remaining tomatoes and parsley. Put in the rest of the eggplant and zucchini and top with the remaining tomatoes and parsley. 

Cover and simmer on low for 10 minutes. Uncover, tip the skillet and baste with the juices. Raise heat and cook, uncovered, for about 15 more minutes, basting often.


Link up your Julia Child recipes below and don't forget- next month's book is Giada's Feel Good Food! We hope to see what some of you have been cooking!

An InLinkz Link-up

Salmon Burgers

Salmon cakes? Salmon burgers? Salmon patties!? Whatever you want to call them, here's my new favorite recipe. I've scrolled right past these SO MANY TIMES but decided to finally give them a try. Why did we wait so long!? Mark asked the same thing after the first time I made these. We are loving these lately! The flavor is great and if you don't love that fishy flavor you are in luck because these burgers are super mild. 

It turns out that canned salmon is a thing and it's much less scary than it sounds. You could certainly use fresh salmon, cook and form into patties, I love the quick and easy route when using the stuff right out of the can. Bonus points because this also makes it a very budget friendly meal. Cannot get enough of these and they make for the BEST lunch the next day. Serve them on top of a salad with a side of sweet potato wedges and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. 

Thanks to my friend Allison for sharing this recipe with me! 


Salmon Burgers

2 6oz. cans wild salmon, drained
2 eggs, beaten
2 Tablespoons minced shallots
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons green onions, finely chopped
1 tsp. salt/herb mix (I used salt + herbs de provence)
2 tsp. whole grain or brown mustard
2-3 tsp. coconut flour
1/4 cup coconut oil

Combine all ingredients except coconut flour and oil in a mixing bowl. Add coconut flour in 1 tsp. increments until the mixture isn't "wet". 

In a large pan over medium heat, melt coconut oil. Form salmon mixture into patties and place in the pan of hot oil. Allow patties to brown before flipping- about 5-6 minutes on each side. Cook all the way through and serve. 

Oven Roasted Lemon Caper Cod

Fresh week- fresh menu and fresh fish recipe! I almost always do my grocery shopping on Mondays and we almost always have fish on Mondays. No special reason, it's just become habit! 

I posted last night's dinner on my Instagram stories and got tons of questions about my fish and how I cooked it. I always have hopes of having time to photograph dinners with my big girl camera but it almost never happens. I snapped this photo quickly before we ate so this is what we are rolling with. 

We LOVE cod in our house. It's a flaky and mild fish and it takes on pretty much any flavor you cook with it (it's also mu favorite fish for fish tacos!) This is wild caught fresh cod from Harris Teeter and it was delicious. I've done previously frozen fillets before and though they are a little more budget friendly, it's just not as good. This recipe couldn't be easier! I'm a lemon lover and it's my favorite flavor with fish. The capers get slightly roasted and crunchy at the end adding in the perfect salty bite. I served this with sauteed broccolini and roasted red potatoes. Easy, simple and healthy!

Oven Roasted Lemon Caper Cod

1 lb. fillet fresh cod
Salt + pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lemon, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp. butter (I like Kerrygold), cut into thin slices
2 Tbsp. capers
Olive oil, for drizzling

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet or baking dish with parchment paper.

Place fish fillet on prepared baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. Top with minced garlic, followed by butter slices and finish with the lemon slices on top. Add a quick drizzle of olive oil. Bake for 15 minutes, remove from the oven and add capers on top, then cook for an additional 5 minutes or until the fish is cooked through and flaky. 

Hello, 2018 + First Meal Plan of the New Year!

Two thumbs up for a peppermint latte but two thumbs down for no more red cups. 

If I'm being honest, the end of the holiday season always leaves me feeling a little sad. We wait and wait and wait for this time of year and then it passes us by in a blink! We soaked it all in and truly enjoyed the season but I always wish it could last a little it longer. Our twinkly tree is still thriving and glowing and we are enjoying it through the rest of this week. I need a few more snuggly nights by my tree with a Hallmark movie playing in the background. I even made a "Winter playlist" to ease me back in because I can't stop with the Christmas music abruptly. 

I do love the fresh start of a new year, though! We have been in vacation mode for awhile now and it will be nice to get back to early mornings in the gym, routine and my favorite- MEAL PLANNING! We aren't doing a true Whole 30 in January but I'm trying to keep our meals mostly Whole 30. I've found Instagram to be a huge resource for meal ideas and I have so many friends who are on board as well so I always have people to recipe swap with. 

Here's what's on our menu this week:

Chicken Picatta + Pan Roasted Brussels Sprouts + Salad

Cajun Salmon + Green Beans + Roasted Red Potatoes

Hawaiian Chicken Burgers + Roasted Sweet Potato Fries + Salad

Sausage + Greens Roasted Veggie Bowls 

Turkey Taco Spaghetti Squash

Sushi Takeout (I have been craving this for WEEKS!)

If you are looking for healthy recipe inspiration for the New Year, here are a few of my favorites to follow:

No Crumbs Left
Pretend It's a Donut
Ambitious Kitchen
Skinnytaste
The Defined Dish
Pinch of Yum

Also related to the start of the new year, I just jumped onboard with Emily Ley's 2018 Simplicity Challenge. I'm a few days behind but luckily, the past three days have been easy to catch up with. Today's challenge was to clean up your phone! It sounds a little silly, but it felt so good. I deleted apps that I don't use, turned off almost all notifications and organized everything into folders. I also deleted old contacts and moved time sucking apps to the last page of my phone. You can follow the challenge on Instagram by following @emilyley and #simplicitychallenge2018. (not sponsored- just loving the idea of incorporating this in January)

Cheers to a great 2018!

Easy Paleo Sunday Meatballs

Spaghetti and Meatballs are the Hallmark of a proper Italian Sunday. When the weather gets cooler, a bowl of pasta is like a big hug and comforting in all of the best ways. Meatballs just taste better on Sundays. I posted a quick picture of these meatballs on my Instagram stories last night and got tons of comments asking for the recipe- so here you go! This is probably the most un-appetizing picture I've ever posted, but hope to update it next time I whip these up, which will likely be very soon since this a menu staple in our house.

This is my base meatball recipe and what I always go by. Turkey, pork, sausage, beef- it all works! I keep the ratio of meat to seasonings the same and tweak as I need depending on what I am making. One thing that always makes a big difference is browning the meatballs on the stove for a bit, and then finishing them in the oven. If you have time to babysit the meatballs for a few minutes on the stove, don't skip this step!

I LOVE meatballs mixed with breadcrumbs and parmesan, but I promise you won't even miss it with this recipe. The flavor is amazing, especially if you have fresh basil on hand. We had these with a simple marinara over spaghetti squash for a healthier Italian Sunday.

Enjoy!

Easy Paleo Sunday Meatballs

1.5 lbs. ground beef (I like 80/20 for these)

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1 egg

handful fresh basil, chopped

1.5 tsp. salt

1 tsp. fresh ground pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and mix with your hands until combined. (be careful not to over-mix!) Roll into ping pong sized balls and place on your prepped baking sheet. 

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat with 1 Tablespoon of olive oil. Place meatballs in skillet and brown for 10 minutes, rotating every 2-3 minutes. You may have to do these in batches. Once they are browned, transfer back to the baking sheet. Bake for another 10 minutes or so. 

Taco Turkey Spaghetti Squash

It's been a whirlwind few weeks! The four of us went on nearly a week long trip to Florida and two days later I packed my bags back up and enjoyed a girls weekend in the mountains. I had the best time on both trips but it's nice to be home for a bit. After a week of indulging, I'm anxious to get back to my regular gym routine and back in the kitchen. We are keeping it light, easy and healthy this week. My body is craving ALL THE VEGGIES. 

This turkey taco spaghetti squash is a newer favorite around here. It's the perfect weeknight meal and comes together so fast. I LOVE the fresh pico de gallo that my Harris Teeter sells, making this dinner easier than it already is. It's loaded with fresh tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, cilantro, lime, jalapeno, spices and ZERO junk. It's one of my favorite grocery store finds of all time. 

I was inspired by this Skinny Taste recipe, but adapted it a bit to make it my own. It's hardly a recipe- that's how EASY and fool-proof it is. This is also a great lunch to have on hand- packed with protein and vegetables and super filling to power you through the day. We all love this dinner and I hope you do, too. 

Taco Turkey Spaghetti Squash

1 lb. lean ground turkey breast
1 spaghetti squash, roasted
Fresh pico de gallo or salsa of your choice
avocado, thinly sliced
Taco seasoning (my homemade recipe below)

Taco seasoning:
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder

Roast spaghetti squash. See my fool-proof method here. 

In a large saute pan on medium-high heat, cook ground turkey. When the turkey is cooked all the way through, add taco seasoning and simmer for 3-5 minutes. To plate it all together, layer a pile of spaghetti squash and top with turkey and pico/salsa. Serve with avocado on the side. 

Arugula Pesto

I'm having a moment with Pesto. It's always been my favorite of all the condiments and lately I CANNOT STOP. We always, always, always had homemade pesto on hand growing up and I used to find the small spoons out of the silverware drawer and sneak tastes.

Pesto for breakfast, pesto for lunch and pesto for dinner please. 

For breakfast on eggs and avocado, for lunch on a lettuce wrap and for dinner on naked burgers with a giant slice of ripe tomato and fresh mozzarella. The main components are something green, something nutty (NUTS), a little garlic and a lot of olive oil. Many recipes call for grated parmesan but I've been leaving that out and not missing it one bit- making it Paleo and Whole30 friendly, too! This also makes it better for freezing if you make a bigger batch and don't sneak it by the spoonful straight from the fridge. 

Arugula gives this pesto a spicy and nutty punch alongside the usual suspects of basil and olive oil. I opted for walnuts and added fresh lemon juice to brighten it all up. Pesto forever!

Arugula Pesto

1 cup fresh basil leaves

2 cups baby arugula

2 cloves garlic

1/3 cup chopped walnuts

olive oil

juice of 1/2 large lemon

salt + pepper to taste. 

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the garlic and nuts until finely chopped. Add the arugula and basil. While the processor is going, add the olive oil in a slow drizzle, until you reach the desired consistency. Finish with fresh lemon juice and pulse a few more times. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Cauli Crust Skillet Pizza with Sausage, Mushrooms + Peppers

Pizza is our FAVORITE. Normally, I'm all about eating the real thing and just going all in on Fridays when we either make homemade pizza or venture out to one of our favorite local spots. But sometimes, I just can't wait until Friday and the craving hits hard. I'm all about clean and healthy eating but I've never really been into healthy pizza alternatives. If I'm going to eat pizza, I'd rather EAT PIZZA. 

I did, however, have a change of heart last week when my friend posted a picture of her cauliflower pizza crust on Instagram. My mouth was seriously watering and I saved the recipe. I've had cauli crust on my radar for quite some time and I was eager to give it a whirl. 

This cauliflower crust is AMAZING! I'm not saying that this should replace your weekly (real) pizza night, but I am saying that you should give this a try for when the pizza craving hits but you're trying to stay healthy. Mark was a skeptic and I totally won him over with this! If you're expecting this crust to hold it's own and act like a real pizza, it just doesn't do that. Know that you'll be eating it with a fork and just load on the toppings. 

Now, you can make this crust as easy or as complicated as you want. I ended up pulsing mine in the food processor and cooking for 15-20 minutes, then squeezing out some of the liquid, but I certainly don't think it's necessary. Next time I'm going to try just pulsing and mixing it raw, then cooking it in the oven before topping with my toppings. Skp the cheese (in the crust and on top) to make this Paleo and Whole 30 friendly! 

Make your Monday taste like a Friday. Kind of.

Cauliflower Pizza Crust

recipe adapted from ifoodreal.com

1 small head cauliflower

1 egg

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. oregano

Preheat oven to 275 degrees.

Wash and chop cauliflower into florets. Place in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the cauliflower is finer than you would when making cauliflower rice.

In a bowl, combine cauliflower, egg, cheese and seasonings. Mix until combined. 

Form "dough" in a cast iron skillet or on a baking sheet, pressing it together. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Top with toppings of choice. (I did Italian sausage, peppers and mushrooms with marinara and mozzarella) Bake until cheese is nice and bubbled. Cut and serve!

Sweet Potato + Sausage Breakfast Hash

When I was younger, Hash was a joke in our house. I don't even remember the exact details of what happened but my mom (who is an incredible cook) made Hash and none of us liked it and from there on out we called it mush. It's been a long standing inside joke for years but I'm a grown up now and here I am sharing a recipe for hash. The truth is, I think it's a terrible name for a dish but it's what it's called so we are sticking with it.

I don't love eggs, but they are my go-to breakfast these days. They are quick and easy and always keep me full and satisfied. When I have extra time, a tasty bed of veggies like this one actually makes me excited for breakfast. Most mornings I'm not even super hungry, but skipping breakfast is not something I like to do and starting my day off with something nutritious and healthy ensures I'll make good eating choices the remainder of the day. 

This is really just one giant pile of sweet potatoes, peppers and sausage topped with two over easy eggs- just the way I like them. It's colorful, healthy and full of flavor. Make a bunch of this on Sunday to enjoy all week long and add your favorite veggies or whatever you have on hand! Ignore the breakfast in the title of this post...I think this mush would be delicious to eat anytime of day! 

Sweet Potato + Sausage Breakfast Hash

1 large sweet potatoes, diced (the smaller they are cut the faster they will cook)
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 links mild Italian sausage, crumbled
olive oil
salt and pepper 

In a medium/large cast iron skillet or saute pan, drizzle olive oil and heat on medium high. Add potatoes and onion, and saute until onions become fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add peppers and let the veggies saute and sizzle, tossing occasionally. Cook until potatoes are soft on the inside and crispy on the outside. Season with salt and pepper. Smoked paprika is another tasty addition! Toss in sausage and cook until heated through. Top hash with two eggs anyway you like them! 

Butternut Sausage Bake with Kale + Tomato Cream

I don't love calling a meal a "bake" but that's what this is and it's delicious and healthy so I'm just going to go with it. I've never been into casseroles but a hearty meal like this full of healthy things is something I can always get on board with. Especially when I only have one pan to clean up!

I couldn't love this recipe any more if I tried. It's the ultimate weeknight meal for the Fall- easy, healthy and all of the good Fall flavors. We had it on regular rotation in our house last Fall and it's made it's way back to our menu again. It's loaded with the good stuff- roasted butternut squash, Italian sausage and tons of kale. The coconut milk in the tomato cream is an unexpected twist and it all bakes up perfectly in the oven in my cast iron skillet. 

Butternut Sausage Bake with Kale + Tomato Cream
recipe from Paleo Running Mama

3.5 cups chopped butternut squash
olive oil
1 lb. sweet Italian pork sausage, casings removed
1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1/2 cup marinara sauce
1/4 cup full fat coconut milk
3-4 cups kale, roughly chopped
1 egg, whisked
salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400. 

Toss squash with a Tablespoon or so of olive oil, and a little salt and pepper to season. Spread evenly on a baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes. 

In a large skillet (I use my cast iron), cook sausage and onions. When sausage is almost cooked through, add marinara and coconut milk. Bring to a boil then turn down to simmer on low. 

Add kale and toss, allowing it to wilt and soften. Once butternut squash is done roasting, remove pan from heat and add squash to the sausage, tomato and kale mixture. Toss everything evenly. If you are baking it in a separate dish, pour into baking dish. Drizzle whisked egg mixture over everything and gently toss to combine. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until bake is golden brown on top and set.

Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Greek Turkey Meatballs

Meatballs are a weeknight dinner staple around here. I love throwing in different flavors and they make for delicious lunch leftovers. Bonus points because Will almost always eats them. These Greek Turkey Meatballs are so fresh and light for Summer. The lemon zest is an incredible addition to the meatballs and makes all the difference I think! Thanks to my friend Faith for passing along this yummy recipe! 

I prepped the chopped ingredients during naptime and just mixed the meat in and popped them in the oven, making for a dinner that was ready in 30 minutes. I served these on top of my favorite salad (arugula, romaine, green onions, feta and kalamatas with roasted lemon vinaigrette) and it was bright and delicious! Minus the small amount of crumbled feta in our salad, this meal was entirely Paleo and Whole 30 friendly. 

If I wasn't Italian, I would want to be Greek. 

Greek Turkey Meatballs
recipe adapted from Primally Inspired

1 lb. lean ground turkey breast
1/2 red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
zest of 1 lemon
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper
drizzle of olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Form meatball mixture into 1-1/2 inch balls. Line up  on prepared baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until meatballs are firm and cooked through.