Leek and Morel Mushroom Phyllo Pies

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IMG_4874.JPG

Last Updated July 8, 2024

Handheld, light and flaky phyllo pies with a savory mushroom, leek, and parmesan filling. Seasonal and satisfying.

My favorite way to make these is with morel mushrooms, but these can also be made with other mushrooms, such as white or brown button mushrooms. Morel mushrooms are a delicacy where I’m from in Michigan, and definitely not available year round or in all places.

Morel Mushrooms

I've hunted for morel mushrooms with my family for as long as I can remember. Apparently it's not as common outside of the mitten and non-Michiganders sometimes think we're crazy.

There are two main types, that I know of anyway, black and white.  The season for blacks is just before the white, usually end of April to mid May, and the whites start mid May to the end of May, all depending on the weather.  After you pick the mushrooms it's best to soak them in salt water for a bit to clean them and evict any bugs. When I was younger my mom would throw out the mushroom water in the woods in the hopes that more morel mushrooms would grow. That never happened. However, we do have a spot or two in our woods that always have white morels.

Some years you can barely find any morel mushrooms, just a handful, best enjoyed lightly breaded in flour and fried in butter. Other years you find plenty, and when you’ve had your fill of them fried, you can start to use them in other dishes. 

These phyllo pies, my friends, are an absolutely delightful way to eat morels. They can be a bit fussy to make, but they’re worth it.

Phyllo plays an important part in these, it is the vessel that transports all the lovely mushrooms, leeks, and cheese to your mouth. I’m aware you can make your own homemade phyllo dough, but for most of us simple folk, it’s absolutely fine to use store-bought phyllo dough.  I've never made phyllo and don't have plans to. To you die hards out there that make it at home, my hat is off to you. In the meantime, I'm going to stroll over to my freezer and pull out some phyllo. Whew, hard work.  

Leeks vs. Wild Leeks

If you’re lucky enough to live in an area where morel mushrooms grow, chances are you might also have wild leeks available to you. Wild leeks, also known as ramps or spring onions, are small onion-like greens that grow plentiful in the woods. They’re quite small when compared to their regular leek counterparts, but have a wonderful smell and taste. While you’re out foraging for morel mushrooms, you might as well pick some wild leeks, too. Pull from the bottom to be able to pull up the whole white onion-looking root.

If you don’t have or prefer to use wild leeks, 1 regular leek from the store will do the trick.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you buy something using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

Recipe adapted from Drizzle and Dip

Leek and Morel Mushroom Phyllo Pies

Makes about 12 pies

Ingredients:

  • 2 Tbsp / 28g oil

  • 4 garlic cloves, minced

  • 1 medium store-bought leek or about 12 wild leeks/ramps (about 3 cups / 270g), finely chopped

  • 1 shallot or 1/2 small onion, diced

  • 4 Tbsp / 56g butter or oil

  • about 5 cups / 375g chopped morel mushrooms, or other kind of mushrooms

  • 1/4 cup / 60g milk

  • 1/2 cup / 65g grated parmesan cheese

  • salt and pepper, to taste

  • 1 16 oz. package phyllo pastry sheets, thawed

  • melted butter or olive oil for brushing phyllo dough

Directions:

How to fold the phyllo pies

How to fold the phyllo pies

Oven 350°F / 177°C.  Line two sheet pans with parchment paper.  

  1. In a large saucepan, heat oil.

  2. Add garlic, leeks, and onion and sauté until tender onions are translucent and garlic fragrant.

  3. Add butter and mushrooms, cook until the liquid released from mushrooms has mostly evaporated; add milk and cook until the mixture is thick, just a few minutes. 

  4. Remove from heat and add cheese, mixing just until melted. Salt and pepper to taste. Allow to cool slightly while you prepare the phyllo dough.

  5. Remove phyllo pastry from plastic, unroll, and set aside the first two sheets to work with; cover remaining sheets with a slightly damp cloth to prevent them from drying out and becoming brittle.  

  6. Working quickly so the sheets don't dry out, brush the top side of one sheet with a bit of butter or oil and lay the second sheet on top. Cut the layered sheets lengthwise in thirds, so you will know have 3 long strips. 

  7. Now for the fun "flipping" part.  (See photo above for reference.) Working with the first strip, spoon a small amount of filling, about 1 Tbsp, in the top corner.  Take that corner and fold it down until the tip reaches the opposite side; the filling should now be covered.  Next flip it straight down, the top should be level again. Fold again, taking the filled corner to the opposite side.  The dough should be kept taught through all this, but not so taught it rips.  Continue flipping/folding until the end of the strip. Use a dab of butter or oil to stick the end of the strip to the pie, if desired.  Place on pan, tucked side down, and repeat until all the filling or all the phyllo pastry has been used up.  Wrap any remaining phyllo tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until next use.

  8. Brush the tops of the pies with butter or oil and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden.       

Jenny's Notes:

  1. Store-bought leeks differ greatly from “wild leeks” in size. You may also know wild leeks by the name of ramps or spring onions.

  2. Give your phyllo dough ample time to thaw. Cold or frozen phyllo will crack as you try to unroll it, and can mess up your slicing and folding/flipping of the pies.

  3. If your phyllo is brittle or cracking, it probably got dried out. Keep phyllo dough in its plastic until absolutely necessary, then once opened keep under a damp towel. Once you start working with some of the sheets, move quickly so they won’t dry out. No need to panic, just don’t dawdle.

Leek and Morel Mushroom Phyllo Pies
Yield 24 servings
Author
Prep time
1 H & 15 M
Cook time
25 Min
Total time
1 H & 40 M

Leek and Morel Mushroom Phyllo Pies

Flaky phyllo hand pies stuffed with a leek, morel mushroom, and cheese filling.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Oven 350°F / 177°C. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper.
  2. In a large saucepan, heat oil.
  3. Add garlic, leeks, and onion and sauté until tender onions are translucent and garlic fragrant.
  4. Add butter and mushrooms, cook until the liquid released from mushrooms has mostly evaporated; add milk and cook until the mixture is thick, just a few minutes.
  5. Remove from heat and add cheese, mixing just until melted. Salt and pepper to taste. Allow to cool slightly while you prepare the phyllo dough.
  6. Remove phyllo pastry from plastic, unroll, and set aside the first two sheets to work with; cover remaining sheets with a slightly damp cloth to prevent them from drying out and becoming brittle.
  7. Working quickly so the sheets don't dry out, brush the top side of one sheet with a bit of butter or oil and lay the second sheet on top. Cut the layered sheets lengthwise in thirds, so you will know have 3 long strips.
  8. Now for the fun "flipping" part. (See photo above for reference.) Working with the first strip, spoon a small amount of filling, about 1 Tbsp, in the top corner. Take that corner and fold it down until the tip reaches the opposite side; the filling should now be covered. Next flip it straight down, the top should be level again. Fold again, taking the filled corner to the opposite side. The dough should be kept taught through all this, but not so taught it rips. Continue flipping/folding until the end of the strip. Use a dab of butter or oil to stick the end of the strip to the pie, if desired. Place on pan, tucked side down, and repeat until all the filling or all the phyllo pastry has been used up. Wrap any remaining phyllo tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until next use.
  9. Brush the tops of the pies with butter or oil and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden.

Notes

Store-bought leeks differ greatly from “wild leeks” in size. You may also know wild leeks by the name of ramps or spring onions.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

102.58

Fat

5.01 g

Sat. Fat

1.98 g

Carbs

11.88 g

Fiber

0.81 g

Net carbs

11.05 g

Sugar

0.34 g

Protein

2.62 g

Sodium

158.93 mg

Cholesterol

7.2 mg

Nutritional information is approximate, based on 1 phyllo pie

phyllo pies, hand pies, morel mushroom, leeks
appetizers, snacks, sides
American
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IMG_4871.JPG

Have you ever gone morel mushroom hunting?  Tell me about your adventures in the comments below! :)

Pappa al Pomodoro

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IMG_4924.jpg

Last Updated August 14, 2024

This post may contain affiliate links. If you buy something using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

I remember clearly the first time I ate Pappa al Pomodoro.  It was DELICIOUS, and at the time I had absolutely no idea what it was.  I had recently arrived in Italy for the second time in my life, and my friends took me to a local pizzeria.  The owner, who knew my friends by sight, brought us each a little plate of this red...mush...with olive oil drizzled on top.  I took one bite, might have closed my eyes and had a Ratatouille moment, then wasted no time in devouring the rest. The flavors seemed such ordinary everyday ingredients, but each took their turn on the tongue, twirling and waltzing together in such harmony as to become a dish not quickly forgotten, and leaving the palate wanting more.  One of my friends can't have gluten, and asked if any of us wanted her mush.  "Really, there's gluten in this?  That stinks, I'm sorry you can't try it...I'll TAKE IT."  Actually, the rest of us probably split it, I don't really remember.  

After this first encounter, I needed to know what that magical substance was.  What is it called?  What are the ingredients? How do you make it?  I'll save you all my searching and wondering: Pappa al pomodoro has a base of bread, tomatoes, and broth, and where there are tomatoes there is usually basil, and round it out with some garlic and good extra virgin olive oil.  That's it!  And I bet, you probably have all or most of those ingredients on hand.  

You can think of it like a very simple tomato soup, but you just add a bunch of bread to thicken it up. Haha honestly, I’m still working on a way to describe this that doesn’t make it sound weird. It’s just one of those things you have to try to believe how simply and deliciously wonderful it is.

Pappa al Pomodoro is a traditional Tuscan "poor" dish, and once I knew what it was, saw it everywhere on restaurant menus around Florence.  It's normally eaten as a primo piatto, or first course, but I like to make it the MAIN course.  At home, of course, away from the overly inquisitive eyes of the Italians.  The genius of it is, it uses stale bread, reducing food waste.  Hence it being a "poor" dish, in which the Tuscans back in the day found tasty ways to recycle every food bit. 

If you've been to Tuscany and tried Pappa al Pomodoro, hopefully this recipe will bring a bit of its exuberance back into your life.  If you've never tried it, give this recipe a go for a taste of Tuscany!  Because the ingredients are simple and each flavor really shines through, I recommend being a little extra picky on the quality and freshness of ingredients you use.  (But, I'll give you some cheats, see "Jenny's Notes" below.)

Pro tip:  As you're pronouncing "pappa" really lay on those p's.  If you say it too quickly, your Italian friends or Italian wanna-be friends might think you're talking about the Pope, whom they call "Papa."  And a tomato Pope, at that, because, ya know, pomodoro means "tomato."  :)

Recipe adapted from the cookbook "Toscana in Cucina The Flavours of Tuscany."  Click on the Amazon link for more delicious Tuscan dishes, with recipes in both English and Italian!  

Pappa al Pomodoro

Serves about 6-8

Ingredients:

IMG_4931.jpg

  • 6 Tbsp / 84g olive oil

  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

  • crushed red pepper flakes, to taste

  • 1 lb. / 500g ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped

  • several fresh basil leaves, plus more for the garnish

  • 4 cups / 950g vegetable broth

  • 10 oz / 300g stale artisanal bread, sliced thinly (breads made with just water, flour, yeast work best)

  • extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

  • salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

  1. Heat oil in a large pan over medium-low heat and add garlic, cooking until sizzling and fragrant, ensuring it doesn't burn.  Add a bit of crushed red pepper, then the tomatoes and basil.  

  2. Bring to a simmer; after a few minutes add the broth.  

  3. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then add the bread.  

  4. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  

  5. Remove the pan from the heat and leave covered for about an hour.  

  6. When ready to serve, stir gently and drizzle with olive oil, dust with pepper, and top with a basil leaf or two.  

Buon appetito! 

*Wine Pairing from Toscana in Cucina: Muraccio - Parrina DOC Rosso - La Parrina, Albinia (Grosseto) 

Jenny's Notes:

  • Also super delicious with grated parmesan on top…

  • I know the bread description is a little vague, but you probably won't find the 1 kg hunk of unsalted Tuscan bread in your local grocery store in the States. You want a bread with simple ingredients: flour, water, salt yeast, or at least as simple as possible. Enriched breads, or those made with milk/eggs/oil, aren't the kind of bread you want to use for this kind of recipe. Nor is the sliced sandwich bread with preservatives ideal. You could look for a good ciabatta, baguette, or other rustic bread.

  • To make this recipe simple, the bread should ideally be sliced or torn into chunks BEFORE it goes completely stale. Trying to slice a solid loaf of stale bread is not fun. However, should this happen, it is still possible to make this recipe work. You can add the bread in one big chunk to the pot. You will want to be a bit more proactive in stirring and making sure it stays submerged as much as possible, flipping if necessary, so it has time to soften and break up. If at the end of the hour there are still some chunks, they should be soft enough where you can break them up with a spoon.

  • If you find chunks of bread, particularly of crust, still present after the hour is up, and you can't seem to get them to break up, an immersion blender can be used in a pinch. It changes the texture a bit (makes it a bit creamier/pastier), which isn't ideal, but I have done this before and it was still very good! You may want to consider using a different kind of bread the next time.

  • You could also use chicken or beef broth, but vegetable seems to be most commonly called for in Italian recipes.

  • This freezes well for quick meals, simply bring to room temperature and heat before serving!

  • I do confess I've made this once very much modifying the freshness rule, and to my surprise it didn't turn out half shabby. Just promise me one thing. Make this the real way before going for the modified version. What follows is for emergency situations only. ;)

  1. 1/2 tsp garlic powder instead of garlic cloves

2. 16 oz jar tomato sauce, tomato purée, or can of diced tomatoes instead of 1 lb. tomatoes (I've used sauces with grilled eggplant and even olives added to them for a twist.)

3. Plain ol' water instead of broth. You'll probably need to add extra salt and pepper, though.

Pappa al Pomodoro
Yield 6-8 servings
Author
Prep time
25 Min
Cook time
15 Min
Inactive time
1 Hour
Total time
1 H & 40 M

Pappa al Pomodoro

A classic Tuscan "poor man's" dish that utilizes stale bread, tomatoes, garlic, basil, and a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Serve as a main dish or side.
Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Heat oil in a large pan over medium-low heat and add garlic, cooking until sizzling and fragrant, ensuring it doesn't burn. Add a bit of crushed red pepper, then the tomatoes and basil.
  2. Bring to a simmer; after a few minutes add the broth.
  3. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then add the bread.
  4. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  5. Remove the pan from the heat and leave covered for about an hour.
  6. When ready to serve, stir and drizzle with olive oil, dust with pepper, and top with a basil leaf or two.

Notes

Also super delicious with grated parmesan on top…


I know the bread description is a little vague, but you probably won't find the 1 kg hunk of unsalted Tuscan bread in your local grocery store in the States. You want a bread with simple ingredients: flour, water, salt yeast, or at least as simple as possible. Enriched breads, or those made with milk/eggs/oil, aren't the kind of bread you want to use for this kind of recipe. Nor is the sliced sandwich bread with preservatives ideal. You could look for a good ciabatta, baguette, or other rustic bread.


To make this recipe simple, the bread should ideally be sliced or torn into chunks BEFORE it goes completely stale. Trying to slice a solid loaf of stale bread is not fun. However, should this happen, it is still possible to make this recipe work. You can add the bread in one big chunk to the pot. You will want to be a bit more proactive in stirring and making sure it stays submerged as much as possible, flipping if necessary, so it has time to soften and break up. If at the end of the hour it has set there are still some chunks, they should be soft enough where you can break them up with a spoon.


If you find chunks of bread, particularly of crust, still present after the hour is up, and you can't seem to get them to break up, an immersion blender can be used in a pinch. It changes the texture a bit (makes it a bit creamier/pastier), which isn't ideal, but I have done this before and it was still very good! You may want to consider using a different kind of bread the next time.


You could also use chicken or beef broth, but vegetable seems to be most commonly called for in the Italian recipes I've seen.


This freezes well for quick meals, simply bring to room temperature and heat before serving!

Nutrition Facts

Calories

298.55

Fat

18.68 g

Sat. Fat

2.61 g

Carbs

28.07 g

Fiber

2.95 g

Net carbs

25.1 g

Sugar

6.06 g

Protein

5.88 g

Sodium

892.31 mg

Cholesterol

0 mg

Nutritional information is approximate; based on 6 servings.

pappa al pomodoro, Tuscan recipe, Italian recipe, Florentine recipe, stale bread
Main, side
Italian
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Pinwheels 3 Ways: Avocado Veggie - Buffalo Chicken - Thanksgiving

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From top to bottom: Thanksgiving, Veggie, Buffalo Chicken

Last Updated August 11, 2024

Pinwheels. Also known as veggie rolls, veggie wraps, or veggie roll-ups, (but that just makes me think of fruit roll-ups, yuck. No offense to my fruit roll-up loving friends. Actually, every once in a blue moon I see a fruit roll up and think, hey, that sounds good right about now. Then I walk on. That's the end of the story.)  Or you could just call these tortilla/veggie/cream cheese concoctions for what they are; delicious. That would be fine. And the truth.  

Pinwheels make for a great snack or appetizer, or lunch because it can be hard to stop eating these! They're also very portable, quick, and simple to make, which make them ideal for parties, potlucks, lunch at the office, etc.  

The formula is very easy to get the hang of, think tortillas, cream cheese, and your flavors. Deli meat is easy to roll and adds some protein. Chopped, sliced, or grated veggies, raw or cooked, add some nutrients. Other kinds of cheese are tasty. Spices and herbs add flavor. Tuna and sliced hardboiled eggs could be a very European take on these. The options are endless, feel free to create your own!

Following are some of my favorite pinwheel flavors: Fresh Veggie and Avocado, Buffalo Chicken, and Turkey Cranberry a.k.a. Thanksgiving.  

This post may contain affiliate links. If you buy something using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

Recipes by Jenny

Avocado Veggie Pinwheels

Makes about 24 pinwheels

Ingredients: 

Hmm, these photos could use improving upon…

Hmm, these photos could use improving upon…

  • 4 8-inch or 6 6-inch flour tortillas

  • 8 oz / 225g cream cheese, softened

  • 1/3 cup shredded carrots, or about 1-2 small carrots

  • 1/3 chopped spinach or broccoli

  • 1 bunch green onions, chopped

  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder

  • 1/4 tsp dill weed

  • salt and pepper, to taste

  • 1/2 cup guacamole

Directions:

  1. In a medium bowl, mix together cream cheese, carrots, spinach, green onions, garlic powder, dill weed, and salt and pepper.  

  2. Distribute evenly over tortillas, spreading almost to the edges.  Spread a thick layer of guacamole over cream cheese mixture.  Roll up tightly.  

  3. Trim edges and slice into approximately 1 inch slices.  Serve or chill until it's par-tay time.  

Avocado Veggie Pinwheels
Yield 24
Author
Prep time
25 Min
Total time
25 Min

Avocado Veggie Pinwheels

Tortillas slathered with seasoned cream cheese, avocado, and veggies, rolled up and sliced.
Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. In a medium bowl, mix together cream cheese, carrots, spinach, green onions, garlic powder, dill weed, and salt and pepper.
  2. Distribute evenly over tortillas, spreading almost to edges. Spread a thick layer of guacamole over cream cheese mixture. Roll up tightly.
  3. Trim edges and slice into approximately 1 inch slices. Chill until ready to serve.

Notes

All quantities are very approximate. You could double basically any ingredient you want to have more filling, less filling, more flavor, less flavor. The tortilla is your playground.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

68.72

Fat

4.49 g

Sat. Fat

2.11 g

Carbs

5.73 g

Fiber

0.61 g

Net carbs

5.05 g

Sugar

0.50 g

Protein

1.52 g

Sodium

104.65 mg

Cholesterol

9.47 mg

Nutritional information is approximate, based on 1 pinwheel.

pinwheels, roll ups, veggie rolls, veggie wraps, avocado, buffalo chicken pinwheels, Thanksgiving pinwheels, vegetable wraps, cranberry sauce, appetizer, finger food, snack
American
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Buffalo Chicken Pinwheels

Makes about 24 pinwheels

Ingredients:

  • 4 8-inch or 6 6-inch flour tortillas

  • 8 oz / 225g cream cheese, softened

  • 1/3 cup / 80g Frank's hot sauce

  • 1/2 cup cooked chopped or shredded chicken

  • 1 bunch green onions, chopped

  • 1/4 cup blue cheese, crumbled, optional

Directions:

  1. In a medium bowl, mix together cream cheese, hot sauce, chicken, green onion, and blue cheese.

  2. Distribute evenly over tortillas, spreading almost to the edges.  Roll up tightly.  

  3. Trim edges and slice into approximately 1 inch slices.  Serve or chill until it's par-tay time.   

Buffalo Chicken Pinwheels
Yield 24
Author
Prep time
15 Min
Total time
15 Min

Buffalo Chicken Pinwheels

Tortillas slathered in Frank's hot sauce and cream cheese with chicken and green onions, rolled, and sliced for bite size hot wing pinwheels.
Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. In a medium bowl, mix together cream cheese, hot sauce, chicken, green onion, and blue cheese.
  2. Distribute evenly over tortillas, spreading almost to the edges. Roll up tightly.
  3. Trim edges and slice into approximately 1 inch slices. Chill until ready to serve.

Notes

All quantities are approximate. You could double basically any ingredient you want to have more filling, less filling, more flavor, less flavor. I often use canned chicken for the buffalo chicken. Pinwheels aren't exactly a showcase of your cooking/baking skills, anyway, so I like to keep things chop, chop. (Literally)

Nutrition Facts

Calories

74.28

Fat

4.60 g

Sat. Fat

2.40 g

Carbs

5.20 g

Fiber

0.30 g

Net carbs

4.90 g

Sugar

0.42 g

Protein

3.02 g

Sodium

177.01 mg

Cholesterol

14.74 mg

Nutritional information is approximate. Based on one pinwheel; includes blue cheese.

pinwheel, veggie roll up, veggie wrap, buffalo chicken, blue cheese, buffalo chicken wrap, buffalo chicken pinwheel, canned chicken
snack, appetizer
American
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Thanksgiving Pinwheels

Makes about 24 Pinwheels

Ingredients:

  • 4 8-inch or 6 6-inch flour tortillas

  • 8 oz / 225g cream cheese, softened

  • 1/2 cup cranberry sauce

  • 8 oz sliced deli turkey (or leftover Turkey!)

  • 1/3 cup chopped spinach, optional

Directions:

  1. In a medium bowl mix together cream cheese, cranberry sauce, and spinach.  Distribute evenly over tortillas, spreading almost to the edges.  

  2. Layer turkey slices over cream cheese mixture.  Roll up tightly.  

  3. Trim edges and slice into approximately 1 inch slices.  Serve or chill until it's par-tay time.  

Thanksgiving Pinwheels
Yield 24
Author
Prep time
15 Min
Total time
15 Min

Thanksgiving Pinwheels

Tortilla spread with cream cheese, cranberry sauce, and turkey, rolled and sliced for a nostalgic bite-sized taste of Thanksgiving.
Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. In a medium bowl mix together cream cheese, cranberry sauce, and spinach. Distribute evenly over tortillas, spreading almost to the edges.
  2. Layer turkey slices over cream cheese mixture. Roll up tightly.
  3. Trim edges and slice into approximately 1 inch slices. Chill until ready to serve.

Notes

All quantities are approximate. You could double basically any ingredient you want to have more filling, less filling, more flavor, less flavor. Like I said, the tortilla is your playground. I like the spinach, it gives it a nice punch of color. It also makes the roll versatile for Christmas, beautiful red and green!

Nutrition Facts

Calories

79.26

Fat

4.10 g

Sat. Fat

2.05 g

Carbs

8.14 g

Fiber

0.39 g

Net carbs

7.75 g

Sugar

2.56 g

Protein

2.63 g

Sodium

182.60 mg

Cholesterol

14.67 mg

Nutritional information is approximate. Based on one pinwheel; Includes spinach.

pinwheels, veggie roll ups, Thanksgiving, cream cheese, Thanksgiving pinwheel, Thanksgiving wrap, turkey, cranberry sauce, spinach
snack, appetizer
American
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Jenny's Notes:

  • All quantities are approximate.  You could double basically any ingredient you want to have more filling, less filling, more flavor, less flavor.  Like I said, the tortilla is your playground.  

  • I like the spinach in the Thanksgiving roll, it gives it a nice punch of color.  It also makes the roll versatile for Christmas, beautiful red and green! 

  • I usually use canned chicken for the buffalo chicken. Pinwheels aren't exactly a showcase of your cooking/baking skills, anyway, so I like to keep things easy.  

Refrigerator Dill Pickles

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Last Updated August 11, 2024

Summertime calls for watermelon, lemonade, ice cream, swimming, and cook outs.  And every quintessential cookout will have something to cook outside, usually meat and vegetables in some form.  (I know we're all thinking hamburgers, bratwursts, and hotdogs, but hey, there are some other weird traditions out there, too.)  And if you're cooking out, you're going to need buns and condiments.  And the best condiment award goes to....pickles!!

Not only does it have the best taste (opinion), but it stands alone.  As in, if you eat a pickle, no one will think twice.  But if we see you munching on a romaine lettuce leaf or slurping on a spoonful of ketchup, well, you might get some stares.  Of course, this is coming from someone who doesn't like hamburgers and once ate a romaine sandwich.  As in, onion, ketchup, mustard, and pickles sandwiched between to Romaine lettuce leaves.  Mmmmm.  Yeah, it was weird.  But I was so hungry, and hamburgers were the only option, I rather enjoyed it.  That's now on the worldwide webs.  Maybe I should change my heading to be: "Jenny, the girl who eats condiments like a main dish." Don't worry I won't, only you, my seven followers, are now privy to this information.  Haha.  

Back to pickles.  Now that we have remembered how great pickles are, did you know they are super easy to make at home?  Yes they are, and now you know that too.  Boil some water, throw some ingredients in a jar, chop up some cucumbers, stick them in the fridge, and voila!  Pickles.  

This post may contain affiliate links. If you buy something using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

Recipe adapted from my mama

Refrigerator Dill Pickles

Makes about 24 spears/servings

Ingredients:

  • 3 1/2 cups / 830g water

  • 1 1/4 cups / 296g white vinegar

  • 1 Tbsp / 12g sugar

  • 1 Tbsp / 17g salt

  • 1 tsp / 2g turmeric, optional

  • 4 cups or about 2-3 large cucumbers, cut into slices, spears, or shape of choice

  • 2 cloves garlic

  • 2 heads fresh dill

  • 1 tsp red chili flakes, mustard seeds, or celery seeds, optional

Directions:

  1. Stir together water, vinegar, sugar, and salt in a large saucepan.  Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.  Remove from heat and allow to cool completely. 

  2. In a large glass jar or container, 4-quart or larger, arrange garlic, dill, cucumbers, and any spices you choose to use.  Pour the cooled liquid over the cucumbers, discarding or saving any leftover for another use.  Top with lid, sealing well, and refrigerate.  

  3. They will start to taste pickle-y the next day, but for optimum flavor refrigerate at least 3 days before consuming.  

Jenny's Notes:

  • I recommend making this recipe once as is to get an idea of the flavor profile, then play around to make it your own!

    1) If you like more bread & butter or sweet style pickles, up the sugar

    2) If you love dill, use more dill

    3) Add sliced onions or bell peppers

    4) Add more red pepper flakes or other hot pepper for more spice

    5) Really, add whatever suits your fancy. The garden is your playground.

  • The turmeric is for color, not so much flavor, to get that idyllic yellow pickle.  However, if you could care less about having a yellow pickle or don’t enjoy turmeric, leave it out!  I for one don't think the turmeric is very obvious in this recipe, but it's detectable if you really think about it.  

Refrigerator Dill Pickles
Yield 24
Author
Prep time
15 Min
Cook time
10 Min
Inactive time
72 Hour
Total time
72 H & 25 M

Refrigerator Dill Pickles

Classic dill pickles made in your refrigerator in just 3 days.
Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Stir together water, vinegar, sugar, and salt in a large saucepan. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.
  2. In a large glass jar or container, 4-quart or larger, arrange garlic, dill, cucumbers, and any spices you choose to use. Pour the cooled liquid over the cucumbers, discarding or saving any leftover for another use. Top with lid, sealing well, and refrigerate.
  3. They will start to taste pickley the next day, but for optimum flavor refrigerate at least 3 days before consuming.

Notes

I recommend making this recipe once as is to get an idea of the flavor profile, then play around to make it your own! 1) If you like more bread & butter or sweet style pickles, up the sugar2) If you love dill, use more dill3) Add sliced onions or bell peppers4) Add more red pepper flakes or other hot pepper for more spice5) Really, add whatever suits your fancy. The garden is your playground.The turmeric is for color, not so much flavor, to get that idyllic yellow pickle. However, if you could care less about having a yellow pickle or don’t enjoy turmeric, leave it out! I for one don't think the turmeric is very obvious in this recipe, but it's detectable if you really think about it.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

10.04

Fat

0.04 g

Sat. Fat

0.01 g

Carbs

1.91 g

Fiber

0.20 g

Net carbs

1.72 g

Sugar

1.09 g

Protein

0.25 g

Sodium

276.95 mg

Cholesterol

0.00 mg

Nutritional information is approximate. Based on one pickle spear.

dill pickles, refrigerator pickles, homemade pickles
condiment, snack
American
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Tourte Milanese

/

Last Updated August 8, 2024

Tourte Milanese, also known as Tourte Milanaise.  No, the second version does not include mayonnaise.  Part of the family en croute, or encased in dough.  Who doesn't want to eat food, soup, and anything edible wrapped in flaky, buttery dough? In this case, roasted peppers, herbed scrambled eggs, cheese, spinach, and meat.

The green from the spinach, the white (ish) from the eggs, and the red from the roasted peppers is supposed to be an ode to the Italian flag. You can use whichever kind of sweet peppers you like, and as you can see from my photos, I used multi-colored peppers that time!

This tourte is a showstopper piece for sure. You will feel quite accomplished pulling this out of the oven, and taking your first bite into the explosion of hot, flaky layers, melty cheese, herbs, sweet peppers, smoky meat, and garlicky spinach. It may look intimidating, but you can adjust this recipe to how much time and effort you want to put into it. For example, you can make your own puff pastry, or you can pick it up at the store. You could roast your own peppers, or buy a jar of already roasted peppers. I enjoy making everything as home-made and from scratch as possible, but sometimes life just doesn’t allow that. 

I recommend reading through the recipe once or twice and taking a peek at my notes at the bottom to make your game plan.  For example, if you’re making your own puff pastry, that in and of itself can easily be a two day recipe, so you'll want to make that a day ahead, or way ahead, and freeze it until you have the urge to make a recipe like this.  

Want some inspiration?  Watch this fun video of Julia Child and Michel Richard making Puff Pastry and Tourte Milanese!

This post may contain affiliate links. If you buy something using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

Tourte Milanese

Serves 8-12

Ingredients:

For the Crust

  • 1 lb. / 450g puff pastry, home-made or store bought

  • Egg wash made from 1 egg beaten with 1 Tbsp water

For the Eggs

  • 10 eggs

  • 1 Tbsp chopped fresh chives or green onion

  • 1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley or basil

  • 2 tsp snipped fresh tarragon or fresh oregano

  • salt and ground pepper, to taste

  • 3 Tbsp / 42g butter

For the Rest of the Filling

  • 6 large red bell peppers (or use a 16oz jar or two of roasted red peppers)

  • 1 1/2 lbs / 680g spinach

  • 1 Tbsp / 14g olive oil

  • 1 Tbsp / 14g butter

  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

  • salt and pepper, to taste

  • 1/4 tsp grated nutmeg

  • 8 oz / 225g Swiss cheese

  • 8 oz / 225g smoked turkey or ham

  • about 1/2 cup each of bread crumbs and shredded parmesan cheese, optional

Directions:

Generously grease an 8in / 20cm springform pan.  

Make the Crust

  1. Cut off 1/4 of the puff pastry, cover, and set aside.

  2. Roll out the remaining pastry to roughly 1/8'‘. If working with store-bought, you may have two squares that you will have to press together at the edges as close to a square as you can for rolling out. Be sure to roll it thin enough so it will have a chance to be baked all the way through in the oven.  It should be big enough to cover the bottom and sides of your springform pan with an overhang.  Carefully press into pan, being sure to press all the way into the corners.  Cover and refrigerate.

  3. Roll out the remaining 1/4 of puff pastry until it is roughly 1/8" thick. Again, you may have to cut and press together to get as close to a square as you can before rolling out. Cut out an 8 in / 20cm circle, using an 8 in / 20cm pie plate or cake tin as a template.  Place on a plate or baking sheet, cover, and refrigerate.  

Make the Eggs

  1. Whisk eggs, herbs, salt and pepper together.  Melt butter in a skillet over low heat and pour in eggs.  Gently stir, continuously moving the setting eggs towards the center and allowing runny eggs to reach the bottom of the pan.  When the whole mixture has started to thicken, but still a bit runny, remove from heat and pour onto a plate. Cover and refrigerate and until ready to use.  

Roast the Peppers

Skip this step if you bought roasted red peppers.  

Method 1: Place peppers over an open flame on your stove top until blackened.  Flip and allow second side to roast.  Repeat until all peppers have been roasted.  

Method 2: Place all peppers onto a tinfoil lined sheet pan.  Place under broiler in your oven, checking every few minutes, until peppers are blackened.  Turn peppers over and roast second side.  

Once peppers have been roasted, place in an airtight container or ziploc bag for about 20 minutes.

Remove peppers and rub the skin off.  Cut out the stems and slice from top to bottom, laying them flat.  Remove seeds and trim away any inside veins.  

Place peppers on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb any excess liquid, cover, and refrigerate.

Blanch and Sauté the Spinach

  1. Bring a large amount of salted water to a boil.  Add spinach and blanch for 1 minute.  Drain in a colander and rinse in cold water to stop it from cooking.  Press the spinach to remove excess liquid.  

  2. Place oil, butter, and garlic in a large frying pan over medium heat.  When garlic starts to sizzle, add blanched spinach and sauté for 3 minutes.  Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.  Remove from heat and transfer spinach to a plate lined with paper towels.  Cover and refrigerate until needed.  

Assemble the Tourte

Preheat oven to 350°F / 177°C.  

Remove the pastry lined pan from the fridge, along with your eggs, peppers, spinach, cheese, and turkey/ham.  Layer your ingredients in this order, laying them flat and spreading to the edge:

  1. Bread crumbs and grated parmesan, optional

  2. Half of eggs

  3. Half of spinach

  4. Half of turkey/ham

  5. Half of cheese

  6. All the peppers

  7. Other half of cheese

  8. Other half of turkey/ham

  9. Other half of spinach

  10. Other half of eggs

Trim the pastry overhang to within 1 in / 2.5cm of the pan. Brush the inner side of with egg wash and fold over filling. Brush the other side with more egg wash. 

Remove the round pastry top from fridge, re-rolling if it has shrunk any. Place over the folded edges of the tourte, pressing down to seal. Brush with more egg wash. Cut a vent in the center of the dough, or use a knife to trace a design. Or, you can cut out shapes from the puff pastry scraps to decorate the top. Brush shapes with more egg wash.

Optional: Chill assembled tourte in fridge for 30 minutes or more prior to baking. It will require more baking time if chilled.

Place tourte on a tinfoil lined baking sheet and bake for 1 hour 10 minutes - 1 hour 30 minutes, or until pastry is puffed and a deep golden brown.  

Cool for 30 minutes before releasing from pan and serving.

To reheat leftovers, place in an oven preheated to 350°F / 177°C for 20-30 minutes. 

Jenny's Notes:

The recipe above is pretty traditional, however, it can easily be adjusted to your tastes.  

No soggy bottoms here!

No soggy bottoms here!

  • Can be assembled a day ahead.  

  • Store-bought puff pastry is usually pre-rolled quite thin, so as you roll it out it will get even thinner. When I made my own, and as you can see in the video of Julia Child and Michel Richard, homemade is more delicate to roll out and won’t get as thin, more like 1/4”.

  • Before layering in the filling, I suggest sprinkling the bottom with a grated hard cheese, such as parmesan, or bread crumbs, to avoid the soggy-bottom syndrome. I did a combo of cheese and bread crumbs.

  • For the herbed scrambled eggs, chives, parsley, and tarragon combo is more traditional, but I prefer green onion, basil, and oregano.

  • Feel free to use whichever color peppers you like! I roasted multi-colored mini sweet peppers in these photos.

  • Instead of using paper towels to absorb extra liquid from the spinach and peppers, you can also place them in a strainer over a bowl.

  • 1 1/2 lbs of spinach may seem outrageous, but it really cooks down. I have used a scant pound before when that’s all I had, but the spinach is surprisingly delicious and I wouldn’t modify the recipe down if I had a choice.

  • Play around with cheeses! You'll want softer cheeses, ones that melt well. Think cheddar, gruyère, havarti, gouda, brie...I enjoy half Swiss and half dill havarti, or another favorite is smoked gruyère.

  • When I made homemade puff pastry, this tourte required the longer bake time. With store-bought pastry it often only requires the lower end of the baking time. But again, this will also vary depending on your oven.

Tourte Milanese
Yield 8-12 Servings
Author
Prep time
1 H & 30 M
Cook time
1 H & 30 M
Inactive time
30 Min
Total time
3 H & 30 M

Tourte Milanese

Layers of turkey, cheese, spinach, roasted red peppers, and eggs encased in flaky puff pastry.
Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

For the Crust
For the Eggs
For the Rest of the Filling

Instructions

Make the Crust
  1. Generously grease an 8in / 20cm springform pan.
  2. Cut off 1/4 of the puff pastry, cover, and set aside.
  3. Roll out the remaining pastry to roughly 1/8'‘. If working with store-bought, you may have two squares that you will have to press together at the edges as close to a square as you can for rolling out. Be sure to roll it thin enough so it will have a chance to be baked all the way through in the oven. It should be big enough to cover the bottom and sides of your springform pan with an overhang. Carefully press into pan, being sure to press all the way into the corners. Cover and refrigerate.
  4. Roll out the remaining 1/4 of puff pastry until it is roughly 1/8" thick. Again, you may have to cut and press together to get as close to a square as you can before rolling out. Cut out an 8 in / 20cm circle, using an 8 in / 20cm pie plate or cake tin as a template. Place on a plate or baking sheet, cover, and refrigerate.
Make the Eggs
  1. Whisk eggs, herbs, salt and pepper together. Melt butter in a skillet over low heat and pour in eggs. Gently stir, continuously moving the setting eggs towards the center and allowing runny eggs to reach the bottom of the pan. When the whole mixture has started to thicken, but still a bit runny, remove from heat and pour onto a plate. Cover and refrigerate and until ready to use.
Roast the Peppers
  1. Skip this step if you bought roasted red peppers.
  2. Method 1: Place peppers over an open flame on your stove top until blackened. Flip and allow second side to roast. Repeat until all peppers have been roasted.
  3. Method 2: Place all peppers onto a tinfoil lined sheet pan. Place under broiler in your oven, checking every few minutes, until peppers are blackened. Turn peppers over and roast second side.
  4. Once peppers have been roasted, place in an airtight container or ziploc bag for about 20 minutes to steam.
  5. Remove peppers and rub the skin off. Cut out the stems and slice from top to bottom, laying them flat. Remove seeds and trim away any inside veins.
  6. Place peppers on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb any excess liquid, cover, and refrigerate.
Blanch and Sauté the Spinach
  1. Bring a large amount of salted water to a boil. Add spinach and blanch for 1 minute. Drain in a colander and rinse in cold water to stop it from cooking. Press the spinach to remove excess liquid.
  2. Place oil, butter, and garlic in a large frying pan over medium heat. When garlic starts to sizzle, add blanched spinach and sauté for 3 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Remove from heat and transfer spinach to a plate lined with paper towels. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
Assemble the Tourte
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F / 177°C.
  2. Remove the pastry lined pan from the fridge, along with your eggs, peppers, spinach, cheese, and turkey/ham. Layer your ingredients in this order, laying them flat and spreading to the edge:
  3. Bread crumbs and grated parmesan, optional
  4. Half of eggs
  5. Half of spinach
  6. Half of turkey/ham
  7. Half of cheese
  8. All the peppers
  9. Other half of cheese
  10. Other half of turkey/ham
  11. Other half of spinach
  12. Other half of eggs
  13. Trim the pastry overhang to within 1 in / 2.5cm of the pan. Brush the inner side with egg wash and fold over filling. Brush the other side with more egg wash.
  14. Remove the round pastry top from fridge, re-rolling if it has shrunk any. Place over the folded edges of the tourte, pressing down to seal it. Brush with more egg wash. Cut a vent in the center of the dough, or use a knife to trace a design. Or, you can cut out shapes form the puff pastry scraps and decorate the top. Brush shapes with more egg wash.
  15. Optional: Chill assembled tourte in fridge for 30 minutes or more prior to baking. It will require more baking time if chilled.
  16. Place tourte on a tinfoil lined baking sheet and bake for 1 hour 10 minutes - 1 hour 30 minutes, or until pastry is puffed and a deep golden brown.
  17. Cool for 30 minutes before releasing from pan and serving.
  18. Can be assembled a day ahead.
  19. To reheat leftovers, place in an oven preheated to 350°F / 177°C for 20-30 minutes.

Notes

The recipe above is pretty traditional, however, it can easily be adjusted to your tastes.  

  • Can be assembled a day ahead.  
  • Store-bought puff pastry is usually pre-rolled quite thin, so as you roll it out it will get even thinner. When I made my own, and as you can see in the video of Julia Child and Michel Richard, homemade is more delicate to roll out and won’t get as thin, more like 1/4”.
  • Before layering in the filling, I suggest sprinkling the bottom with a grated hard cheese, such as parmesan, or bread crumbs, to avoid the soggy-bottom syndrome. I did a combo of cheese and bread crumbs.
  • For the herbed scrambled eggs, chives, parsley, and tarragon combo is more traditional, but I prefer green onion, basil, and oregano.
  • Feel free to use whichever color peppers you like! I roasted multi-colored mini sweet peppers in these photos.
  • Instead of using paper towels to absorb extra liquid from the spinach and peppers, you can also place them in a strainer over a bowl.
  • 1 1/2 lbs of spinach may seem outrageous, but it really cooks down. I have used a scant pound before when that’s all I had, but the spinach is surprisingly delicious and I wouldn’t modify the recipe down if I had a choice.
  • Play around with cheeses! You'll want softer cheeses, ones that melt well. Think cheddar, gruyère, havarti, gouda, brie...I enjoy half Swiss and half dill havarti, or another favorite is smoked gruyère.
  • When I made homemade puff pastry, this tourte required the longer bake time. With store-bought pastry it often only requires the lower end of the baking time. But again, this will also vary depending on your oven.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

686.27

Fat

45.9 g

Sat. Fat

16.93 g

Carbs

42.33 g

Fiber

5.69 g

Net carbs

36.63 g

Sugar

6.64 g

Protein

28.54 g

Sodium

494.18 mg

Cholesterol

281.18 mg

Nutritional information is approximate and based on 8 servings, including bread crumbs and parmesan.

Tourte Milanese, Julia Child, Michel Richard, spinach, roasted red peppers, en croute, scrambled eggs, cheese, puff pastry,turkey, Italian flag
breakfast, dinner
Italian, French
Did you make this recipe?
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Ratatouille

/

Last Updated August 7, 2024

Rat patootie.  Ratatouille.  Only one of my favorite Pixar films AND one of my favorite foods.  A cartoon that takes place in Paris, is all about cooking, French accents, chefs, crispy baguettes....ah yes.  Never fails to make me hungry for cheese, saffron, bread, and maybe some wine.  From the day I first saw it, in the theatre in New York City with my mom back in 2008, I wanted to make ratatouille.  I didn't know what it was before the movie, but Pixar animation made it look delicious.  

After some research and googling, I soon learned that there were many different versions of ratatouille, originally a hearty peasant dish from the region of Provence, France.  (Remember Igor's flashback to his mother's cooking and country home when he firsts tastes the ratatouille?) One source likened it to stew in America. What kind of stew you ask? This is exactly the point, as every region and cook in America has their own version of stew, and it can vary widely. Apparently this is also true of ratatouille.  

After making this many times over the years, I came down to two favorite recipes.  

One involved sautéing the eggplant first for 10 minutes with the spices, then adding it to the bottom of the baking dish. The remaining sliced vegetables were then layered over the eggplant, with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese between each layer of vegetables.

The second involved spreading a seasoned tomato sauce in the bottom of the baking dish and then alternating the vegetables around the dish in a pretty spiral, like it’s served in the film.

I could never decide which version I wanted to make, so finally I combined the two for the best of both worlds.  I omitted sautéing the eggplant, kept the tomato sauce on the bottom, and kept the cheese and the pretty spiral.

That combination is what follows.

Looking for an oval baking dish? I use this Le Creuset pan and couldn’t love it more for casseroles and baking! It’s prettier than a 9x13 rectangular pan and is so easy to clean, even the baked on cheese from this dish!

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

Ratatouille

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

IMG_4690.JPG

  • 1 1/2 cups / 355g tomato purée or sauce (unseasoned)

  • 1/2 onion, finely chopped

  • 2 garlic cloves, minced

  • 1 tsp fresh oregano or 1/4 tsp dried

  • 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

  • 2 Tbsp / 28g olive oil

  • 8 oz / 240g mushrooms, thinly sliced

  • 1 medium eggplant

  • 1 medium zucchini

  • 1 medium yellow squash

  • 1 bell pepper, optional

  • 1 cup / 110g shredded parmesan cheese

  • fresh or dried thyme

  • salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Oven 375°F / 177°C.  Ungreased oval baking dish, about 10in / 25cm long, or 9x13in / 23x33cm pan. 

  1. Add tomato purée to a small bowl.  Stir in onion, garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, 1 tablespoon of oil, salt, and pepper.  Spread in the bottom of the baking dish.

  2. Layer sliced mushrooms over tomato sauce.

  3. Using a mandolin or by hand, slice eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, and bell pepper into 1/4 inch slices.

  4. Working in concentric circles, alternate and arrange the vegetables over the mushrooms.  You may have a small handful of misfit vegetables left over.  Save for another use (stir fry!) or lift a layer of your vegetables in the pan and sneak the excess underneath where the eye can't see. 

  5. Drizzle vegetables with remaining tablespoon of oil, season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle cheese evenly over top.  Sprinkle thyme over cheese. 

  6. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until tomato sauce is bubbling around edges of the pan and vegetables are tender when pierced with a knife.  

  7. Eat as is, or served over quinoa, rice, couscous, or with some crusty French bread!

Jenny's Notes:

  • 1 6oz can / 170g tomato paste mixed with 3/4 cup / 170g water can be substituted for the tomato purée.

  • Sometimes I omit the red pepper flakes and use a spicy oil in place of the plain olive oil.

  • If you want to save time assembling the vegetables you can layer them instead of alternating and making circles. i.e. layer all the eggplant slices, then squash, zucchini, etc.  

  • You could add an extra layer of cheese between the mushrooms and vegetables.  

  • Feel free to add or substitute vegetables! 

Ratatouille
Yield 4-6 servings
Author
Prep time
40 Min
Cook time
55 Min
Total time
1 H & 35 M

Ratatouille

A classic French peasant dish made famous by the Pixar animated film "Ratatouille." This version has a tomato base, plenty of eggplant, zucchini, squash, and mushrooms, with thyme and parmesan cheese. Naturally gluten-free.
Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Oven 375°F / 177°C. Ungreased oval baking dish, about 10in / 25cm long, or 9x13in / 23x33cm pan.
  2. Add tomato purée to a small bowl. Stir in onion, garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, 1 tablespoon of oil, salt, and pepper. Spread in the bottom of the baking dish.
  3. Layer sliced mushrooms over tomato sauce.
  4. Using a mandolin or chopping by hand, slice eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, and bell pepper into 1/4 inch slices.
  5. Working in concentric circles, alternate and arrange the vegetables over the mushrooms. You may have a small handful of misfit vegetables left over. Save for another use (stir fry!) or lift a layer of your vegetables in the pan and sneak the excess underneath where the eye can't see.
  6. Drizzle vegetables with remaining tablespoon of oil, season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle cheese evenly over top. Sprinkle thyme over cheese.
  7. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until tomato sauce is bubbling around edges of the pan and vegetables are tender when pierced with a knife.
  8. Eat as is, or served over quinoa, rice, couscous, or with some crusty French bread!

Notes

1 6oz can / 170g tomato paste mixed with 3/4 cup / 170g water can be substituted for the tomato purée.Sometimes I omit the red pepper flakes and use a spicy oil in place of the plain olive oil. If you want to save time assembling the vegetables you can layer them instead of alternating and making circles. i.e. layer all the eggplant slices, then squash, zucchini, etc. You could add an extra layer of cheese between the mushrooms and vegetables. Feel free to add or substitute vegetables!

Nutrition Facts

Calories

319.11

Fat

15.92 g

Sat. Fat

6.00 g

Carbs

33.75 g

Fiber

9.15 g

Net carbs

24.60 g

Sugar

15.12 g

Protein

16.35 g

Sodium

571.85 mg

Cholesterol

19.80 mg

Nutritional information is approximate and based on 4 servings.

ratatouille, Pixar Ratatouille, thyme, eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, vegetables, healthy, gluten-free, parmesan cheese, tomato, mushrooms, peasant dish
Lunch, Dinner, Side Dish
French
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @jennyblogsandbakes on instagram and hashtag it #jennyblogs
IMG_4693.JPG