Veggie Day - Asian Ratatouille

Every day should be a Veggie Day but considering today's the National Holiday I thought I'd share a recipe which makes vegetables the star! Ratatouille is a great dish which is so easy to make but can look so elegant. You can make it with ingredients you have on hand and can substitute in whichever veggies you prefer.

ASIAN RATATOUILLE

• 1 pound mixed grilled vegetables (cucumbers, peppers, onions, zucchini, and eggplant)
• 3 tablespoons Chinese marinade
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 2 packages of Wasabi rice crackers or any other rice cracker

1. Mince all the vegetables fine or combine ingredients and pulse a few times in a food processor; do not over process.  You want to mince the vegetables and puree them.
2. Spoon a small teaspoon per rice cracker or serve in bite size portions on spoons.

*Variation:

Asian Ratatouille Dip:

Prepare as above adding a cup of sour cream or Mediterranean yogurt; taste and adjust seasoning, adding a little lemon juice if necessary.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.  (You may prepare this recipe in advance; refrigerate, well wrapped or in a covered container for up to a day before serving.)  Serve with vegetables or crackers.

Egg-in-the-hole toasts with ricotta

Happy National Egg Day! Eggs are so wonderful because they are so diverse. They can be the star of a dish or help hold it together (literally!). For this special day I'm going classic and serving brinner. For those of you who aren't familiar with the term, it means serving a traditional breakfast dish for dinner! There's something about having eggs when the sun goes down that whimsical and 2x more delicious. Bon appetit!

Egg-in-the-hole toasts with ricotta

Prep time: 5 min. Total Time: 30 min.

Serves 4

Baked with bread and cheese, eggs go from morning staple to delicious dinner.

4 slices rustic bread (1 inch thick)

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil from brushing, plus more for drizzling

8 ounces (1 cup) fresh ricotta cheese

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

4 large eggs, room temperature

2 ounces (1/4 cup) shaved parmesan cheese, for serving

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Tear out middle of each bread slice to form a 1-1/2 inch hole, reserving torn pieces. Arrange slices in a baking dish. Tear bread from middles into smaller pieces. Brush slices on both sides and pieces all over with oil, and sprinkle pieces around slices. Bake until toasted and golden, about 12 minutes. Leave oven on.
2. Mix ricotta with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Season with pepper, and fold in thyme. Spread mixture onto slices, avoiding the hole in each slice, and drizzle with oil.
3. Break 1 egg into each hole, and season with salt. Bake until egg whites are set, about 12 minutes. Top each slice with Parmesan, and garnish with toasted bread pieces.