Gnocchi à la Ratatouille

I was mulling over my options for dinner last night when I realized that I already had almost everything I needed for a perfect dinner right in the fridge.  The leftover ratatouille would make the perfect base for a completely new meal.  The problem was I could not decide whether I wanted to make a veggie quiche, veggie pasta, a veggie omelette, veggie pizza, veggie risotto.  The list went on and on with various possibilites.  I finally decided that I would make Gnocchi à la Ratatouille.  I had handmade gnocchi I bought at the market yesterday morning, a jar of pesto in the fridge, and some olive oil.  I didn't need anything else.  If you don't happen to have handmade gnocchi (think it is a fair guess that you don't), I bet you have a box of pasta or rice in the pantry.  The point of this post is to show that you can transform leftovers into a great new meal using basic ingredients you have around the house.  Simply apply the process below to whatever you have on hand.

Leftovers are not only a great way to save cash but also a great timesaver. So, the next time you want to trash something ask yourself if there is any way you can reinvent it the following night. There is bound to be a way. Give it a try and you'll be surprised.



Check out the transformation from leftovers to incredibly easy and tasty dinner...

I took the leftover ratatouille.

Added a spoon full of pesto (can be store bought or homemade) and a couple tablespoons of olive oil.  Mixed and reheated (microwave or on the stovetop).

The gnocchi I used - which has a very short cooking time (abour 3 minutes).

Brought salted water to a boil, threw in the gnocchi and when they rose to the top they were ready.

I mixed the reheated veggies with the gnocchi.  Et voila!  A delicious and healthy dinner on the table in no time. 

Ratatouille

Ratatouille.  It's not just a movie.  It's also a delicious vegetable dish from the Provence region of France.  So, when examining the daily market yesterday, it did not take me long to figure out that I wanted to make a version of the dish for dinner.  There were just so many gorgeous, fresh vegetables from which to choose that it was a no-brainer.  Here is my impromptu recipe for ratatouille.  Try it tonight; it's quite simple. 

Ingredients: red bell pepper, eggplant, carrot, onion, zuchinni, 2 cloves garlic, salt, pepper and of course herbes de provence.  Sidenote: most ratatouilles have tomatoes, but I decided to omit them this time around.  Feel free to add them to your dish.  Second sidenote: all the veggies I used cost just 2 Euros and 50 centimes!

Cut each veggie into a brunoise or small dice.  Keep veggies separate. 

Sauté each veggie separately in olive oil until slightly softened but still with a bite. Seasoning to taste with salt, pepper and herbes de provence as the veggies cook.

Once all veggies are cooked, mix together and reheat in the sauté pan for a few minutes.  Check seasoning and adjust as necessary.

I also sautéed some shrimp with the same spices I used in the ratatouille.  Be careful when cooking shrimp.  They are easy to overcook.  About a minute per side is all they need.  Once they start turning pink, they are ready.

Et voila!  Dinner in Provence, straight from the market.