This great Sunday Recipe post comes from Joe!
Ratatouille Niçoise and Braised Bratwurst
From Joe: This is a recipe that I’ve adapted from the great folks over at Primal Palate: http://www.primalpalate.com/recipe/ratatouille/
This is easy to make (just a lot of vegetable chopping and slicing), but turns out a huge portion of vegetables that will easily serve 4+. The bratwurst were obtained locally from The Rock Barn and were delicious, if not strictly paleo (beer braising isn’t the same as beer-drinking, right?). In general, keep an eye on your sausage ingredients as many manufacturers will add starches and sugars to their recipes. This could easily be substituted with roasted chicken or pork loin, as alternatives to the bratwurst.
Ratatouille (serves 4-6):
- 1 Red Bell Pepper, sliced thinly
- 1 Eggplant, sliced thinly
- 1 Yellow Squash, sliced thinly
- 1 Zucchini, sliced thinly
- Herbs de Provence
- Olive Oil
- 1 Yellow Onion, chopped
- 3+ Cloves Garlic, minced
- 5 Tomatoes, chopped
- Fresh Basil
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Heat oven to 400 F. Toss the thinly sliced vegetables (red bell pepper, eggplant, yellow squash, zucchini) in olive oil, Herbs de Provence, and salt. Arrange on a baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes or until the veggies become soft (I cooked mine longer and tossed/rotated them while cooking).
While the vegetables are roasting, heat 1 Tbsp Olive Oil in a heavy pan on medium high heat. Saute onion until translucent then add tomatoes and garlic. Reduce heat to a simmer and leave uncovered, stirring occasionally. Near the end of cooking, add freshly chopped basil to taste.
To serve, plate the roasted vegetables and top with the tomato sauce (alternatively, plate tomato sauce and top with roasted vegetables).
Bratwurst:
Braising Liquid
The Rock Barn Bratwurst
This is entirely up to the chef, but I prefer my bratwurst to be beer braised. Choose a light ale or lager, such a a pilsner, as you do not want overly bitter or floral notes clashing with your brats. Simply arrange the brats in a pan, cover approximately 3/4 with liquid, and simmer partially covered until firm and cooked through (approximately 10-15 minutes or longer, depending on several factors such as the temperature of the meat prior to cooking and the amount of space in the pan).
Other braising liquid suggestions include a dry white wine, chicken or beef stock, apple cider, or water that has been seasoned with salt and your choice of herbs (Herb de Provence would work nicely here as well).