Sloppy Jacques (Ratatouille on Toasted Sourdough Bread)

For a cookbook style copy of this recipe for Sloppy Jacques (Ratatouille on Toasted Sourdough Bread), click HERE!

Low in fat and calories, high in nutrients, and wonderfully easy to make, ratatouille (“rah-tah-too-eee”) – the classic savory dish made from tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, bell peppers, onions, garlic and herbs – is ideal for anyone who cooks, from experienced chefs to novice home cooks, and all levels in between. It is also enormously versatile, served as a meal with pasta or rice; as a filling for omelets, crepes or stuffed potatoes; as a side dish; and any other way you can imagine.

This recipe highlights my favorite way to serve ratatouille, something I call “Sloppy Jacques” style: using the ratatouille to top two slices of sourdough bread that have been brushed with herbed olive oil and lightly toasted, and garnished the combination with crumbled goat cheese and a kiss of balsamic vinegar.  (Of course, if you want to serve it in some other way, go right ahead. One of the great beauties of ratatouille is finding new ways to use it!)

Aside from how it is served, another way in which ratatouille recipes vary widely is in how the vegetables are cooked. Some recipe have the raw vegetables all cooked in a pot together. Others have the ingredients layered and baked as a casserole. Another frequently employed method is to sauté each of the vegetables separately (or, at the very least, in carefully chosen combinations), and then simmered all together in a pot to finish. The Sloppy Jacques recipe that follows is based on that last one; I feel it gives the cook the most control over how much each vegetable is cooked, making it easier to avoid overcooking some and under-cooking others just to get the rest cooked right.

You’ll also note that this recipe adds celery and mushrooms to the more traditional ingredients. I just think they work well here, in terms of both texture and flavor.

This recipe makes 4 meal-size servings.

First, we'll make the rosemary olive oil:

Combine ¼ cup of olive oil and 1 /2 tsp dried rosemary in a small bowl and heat in a microwave till warm, about 30 seconds. Set aside until ready to use.

Next, the ratatouille!

Line a colander with paper towels.

Slice 1-1/4 pounds of yellow squash or zucchini into ¼” thick rounds. Put 1 Tbsp of olive oil into a pan over medium-high heat.

Add the squash in a single layer (work in batches if necessary) and cook until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. When done, remove the squash from the pan and set aside in the colander.

Cut 2 green bell peppers and 1 red bell pepper into ½“ squares. Cut 2 stalks celery into ½“ slices.

Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and put in the green pepper, red pepper, and celery. Cook for about 4 minutes.

When done, add the peppers and celery to the squash in the colander.

Cut 1 pound of eggplant into ½“ cubes. Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and put in the eggplant. Cook for about 4 minutes. When done, add the eggplant to the colander.

Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and put in 12 ounces of sliced mushrooms; 2 sweet onions (Vidalia or similar) cut into ½” pieces, and 3 cloves of minced garlic. Cook for about 4 minutes. When done, reduce the heat to low, and transfer the vegetables from the colander back into the pan.

Add a 14 ounce can of diced tomatoes, 1 bay leaf, 1 tsp dried thyme, 1 tsp dried basil, and 1 tsp dried parsley. Cook uncovered over low heat for 20 - 30 minutes until the vegetable are soft and cooked, but not mushy. Add salt and pepper to taste.

To serve:

Brush eight slices of sourdough bread with the herbed olive oil and lightly toast.

Place two slices on each plate.

Top the bread with the ratatouille, Sloppy Joe style.

Drizzle lightly with balsamic vinegar.

Garnish with crumbled goat cheese, and serve warm or at room temperature.

For a cookbook style copy of this recipe for Sloppy Jacques (Ratatouille on Toasted Sourdough Bread), click HERE!

Hope you enjoy this version of a French classic!

Thanks for visiting. Come by again next week for another kitchen-tested, home-cook friendly recipe for your cooking and dining pleasure! Till then, stay well, keep it about the food, and always remember to kiss the cook. ;-)

Chicken Provencal Melt on Sourdough Bread

Ah, bonjour, mis amis!

Chicken Provencal Melt on Sourdough Bread is an easy, delicious twist on a classic tuna melt. Serve it with a good soup – more on that below – and you’ve got a hearty, healthy homemade meal everyone can enjoy! It’s so good you may have trouble believing it is made from reduced-fat ingredients that, truth be told, would probably have a traditional French chef chasing me down with a meat cleaver.

Some cook’s notes before the recipe itself:

• Although it’s possible to make this recipe with boneless chicken breast, since the chicken is made more moist and flavorful by being cooked bone-in, and by being baked with the herb rub between the skin and the meat, I used drumsticks. (Two pounds of drumsticks gave me about one pound of meat after the bones and skin were removed after roasting. If you decide to use a boneless cut, remember to use the smaller amount.)

• Provencal (pronounced “proe-ven-sahl”) herbs are dried herbs typical of the Provence region of south-eastern France. It would be easier if there were only one mixture of herbs called Provencal but, alas, it is not to be. The mixture I’ve used here is but one of several generally accepted combinations.

• As always when working with raw proteins, and poultry in particular, use safe food-handling practices to prevent cross-contamination.

It’s also worth noting that a delicious hot soup is the perfect accompaniment to the Chicken Provencal Melt. In the photo at the top, it’s shown with a favorite Cream of Tomato soup made from an outstanding recipe generously shared on-line by the Michelin-starred Bistro Jeanty in Yountville CA. You’ll find the recipe at http://www.bistrojeanty.com/home/bistrojeanty/pdf/Bistro-Tomato-Soup.pdf. (I make it without the puff pastry, and reduce the fat by using fat-free half-and-half instead of heavy cream, and by replacing the butter with butter substitute. (If you make this with the fat-free half-and-half, add it a little at a time, making sure each amount you add is incorporated into the soup before adding more. Also, after adding the half-and-half, heat the soup only till steam begins to rise from the surface. Add the half-and-half too quickly, or letting it boil, can cause the half-and-half to separate and harm the soup.)

Back to the Chicken Provencal Melt. This recipe makes 4 servings.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the following to make the Provencal herb mix: 4 tsp dried marjoram; 4 tsp dried thyme; 4 tsp dried savory; 1/2 tsp dried basil; 1/2 tsp dried rosemary; 1/4 tsp dried sage; and 1/4 tsp dried fennel. Grind the mixture by hand or with a spice grinder (or small coffee grinder dedicated to grinding herbs and spices.)

Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil to the herbs to form a wet rub. Set half of the rub aside in a separate container for later use.

While the oven is heating:

• Dry the chicken drumsticks with a paper towel. Pull back the skin and apply the wet rub to the chicken meat. Fold the skin back over the meat after the rub has been applied.

• Prepare 2 tablespoons minced celery; 2 tablespoons minced green onions; 2 tablespoons of grated carrot; 1 tablespoon of toasted chopped pecans or walnuts; and 1 teaspoon minced flat-leaf parsley. (The celery and carrot stalk portions left over can be used to line the bottom of the baking dish you use for the chicken in the next step.)

Bake the chicken in a baking dish until cooked through, about an hour and ten minutes.

Let the drumsticks cool enough to touch, then remove the meat and skin and cut the meat into small chunks. Combine in a bowl with the remaining chicken salad Provencal ingredients: 1 teaspoon fresh lemon or lime juice; 2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish; about ¼ cup reduced-fat mayonnaise (added a bit at a time until the desired texture is reached); and salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste. Set the mixture aside until ready to use.

Lay out four slices of sourdough bread. Spread a light coating of the reserved herb rub on one side of each bread slice. Place the bread on a baking sheet and place in the broiler till lightly toasted, turning the slices over half-way.

Remove the baking sheet from the broiler and place two tomato slices on the top (seasoned side) of each slice of bread.

Spread the chicken mixture on top of the tomato slices, and drizzle each with a little balsamic vinegar.

Top each serving with a fat-free cheese slice (American or cheddar), and return the baking sheet to the broiler till the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 3 minutes. Serve immediately.

Now break out the soup and a nice white wine, and enjoy a glorious gastronomical experience! (And remember that the leftovers make a great next-day chicken salad sandwich.)

See you next week with another offering for your cooking and eating pleasure! Till then, stay well, keep it about the food, and always remember to kiss the cook. ;-)