Ratatouille With Feta Green Olives And Almonds Recipes

OLIVE --SAUTEED ALMONDS

Steps:

• Blanch the almonds 1 1/2 minutes in boiling water; drain. Plunge into cold water, then slip off the skins. Spread the almonds out on several thicknesses of paper toweling and pat dry. Transfer to fresh paper toweling and let dry 24 hours. Heat the oil in a 10-inch iron skillet over moderate heat about 2 minutes or until an almond, dropped into the oil, sizzles gently. Add half of the almonds to the oil and saute, stirring often, 4 to 5 minutes over moderately low heat until the color of light caramel. Dump the almonds into a colander set over a heatproof bowl; shake to drain off as much oil as possible, then drain on paper toweling. Return the oil to the skillet and fry and drain the remaining almonds the same way. Sprinkle with salt and cayenne and toss well; store in an airtight canister. Note: the sauteeing oil can be used to dress vegetables or salads.

RATATOUILLE WITH POLENTA ROUNDS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a large baking dish.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; cook and stir eggplant, zucchini, onion, green bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives, and garlic until vegetables start to become tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in wine, basil, thyme, and oregano; season with salt and black pepper. Bring ratatouille to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 3 minutes.
• Pour ratatouille into prepared baking dish and arrange polenta slices and mozzarella cheese rounds over the top.
• Bake in the preheated oven until casserole is simmering and mozzarella cheese is melted and bubbling, about 20 minutes.

GREEN OLIVE AND ALMOND TAPENADE

Steps:

• Blend olives, parsley, almonds, and lemon juice in bowl of a food processor, scraping down side occasionally, until finely chopped. Add oil in a stream with motor running to form a paste.

SHEET-PAN RATATOUILLE WITH GOAT CHEESE AND OLIVES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees, and arrange two racks in the top and bottom thirds.
• On one rimmed 13-by-17-inch sheet pan, toss together onion slices, zucchini, 1/4 cup oil, 3 thyme springs, 2 rosemary sprigs, 3 garlic cloves and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
• On a second rimmed baking sheet, toss together eggplant, red peppers, 1/4 cup oil, 3 thyme sprigs, 2 rosemary sprig, 3 garlic cloves and 3/4 teaspoon salt.
• Place one tray on the top rack, and a second on the bottom rack of the oven. Roast both for 40 minutes, stirring vegetables two or three times.
• Add tomatoes to the baking sheet with eggplant and peppers, then continue to roast until the tomatoes burst and the zucchini turn deeply golden brown, another 20 to 25 minutes. The vegetables will become very caramelized, and that's a good thing, particularly with the zucchini and onions.
• Transfer zucchini and onions to the baking sheet with eggplant, mix well, and spread in an even layer (it will just fit). Drizzle vegetables with another 1 tablespoon oil, then sprinkle goat cheese and olives over the top. Roast until goat cheese is soft and warmed through, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Transfer vegetables to a serving platter, drizzle with a little more oil and squeeze juice from the one of the lemon wedges over the top. Garnish with basil leaves. Serve hot or warm, with more lemon wedges on the side.

ROASTED CAULIFLOWER WITH FETA, ALMONDS AND OLIVES

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, toss the cauliflower with the olive oil. Season well with the salt, pepper and red-pepper flakes, if using, and toss again. Spread the mixture evenly onto a large sheet pan and roast until crisp and golden, about 25 to 30 minutes, tossing halfway through to ensure even browning.
• Meanwhile, toast the almonds in a skillet over medium-low heat, stirring frequently to ensure they don't burn, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Once the cauliflower is roasted, toss it in a large bowl with the feta cheese, olives, half the almonds and 1 tablespoon parsley until combined. Top with remaining almonds and parsley, and lemon. Season with flaky salt, if desired.

GRILLED RATATOUILLE SALAD WITH FETA CHEESE

Steps:

• Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Place eggplant, zucchini, red bell pepper and onion on baking sheet. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper; turn to coat. Grill vegetables until tender and tinged with brown, turning frequently, about 6 minutes for eggplant and zucchini and about 10 minutes for red bell pepper and onion.
• Divide vegetables between 2 plates; drizzle with vinegar. Sprinkle cheese and basil over and serve.