July 6, 2015
Ella’s Kitchen
July is here, and so is the heat and humidity. It is a time for snacks, salads and sandwiches. Enjoy this exciting month! -Ella
Summer Garden Casserole
6 ounce can of tomato paste
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 Tablespoons minced garlic, more if you like
4 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
3/4 cup water 1 small eggplant, thinly sliced
1 zucchini, thinly sliced 1 yellow squash, thinly sliced
2 bell peppers, thinly sliced (I use one red and one yellow)
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (can substitute basil leaves)
Salt and pepper to taste
(Hint – if using the eggplant, coat each side with salt and let them stand about 1/2 an hour in advance. This keeps them from being soggy in the recipe)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Place a skillet over medium heat and add the chopped onion, sautéing the onion until tender and translucent (only a few minutes). Then, add the garlic and sauté for another minute. Remove the skillet from the heat and set aside. Get your baking dish and lightly grease with cooking spray. Mix the tomato paste, sautéed onion and garlic, water, and one tablespoon of olive oil together in a bowl until everything is thoroughly combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and then spread this mixture along the bottom of the dish. Toss sliced vegetables in a bit of olive oil, just enough to very lightly coat them.Take the thinly sliced eggplant, zucchini, squash, and peppers and begin arranging them along the outer edge of the dish – alternating between vegetables. You’ll follow the outer edge of the dish and then work in a circle toward the middle, until you get to the center. Finish by drizzling the top of the vegetables with two tablespoons of olive oil and adding salt and pepper to taste. Then, sprinkle the top with thyme leaves. Cover the dish with a piece of parchment paper, trimmed enough to fit inside the dish and cover the vegetables. Bake until the vegetables are tender and fully roasted, about 45 minutes.
Ranch Pretzels
2 – 1 lb bags of pretzels
1 C. olive oil ( I saw one recipe that called for butter-flavored oil like Orville Redenbacher’s)
1 packet of ranch dressing mix
1/ 2 – 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 Tablespoon dill weed
Blend oil, ranch dressing and seasonings together in a large mixing bowl. Add the pretzels and coat evenly.
Spread pretzels on an ungreased cookie sheet Bake in preheated 275 degree oven for 20 – 30 minutes, stirring once or twice while baking.
I recommend lining cookie sheet with parchment paper. My daughter made a triple batch using the same cookie sheet for each batch. The paper made it easy to not have burned seasonings on the pan each time it was used.
Baked Zucchini Slices
2 zucchini, washed and sliced very thin
2 teaspoons olive oil Sea salt Pepper (coarse or cracked is best, but fine ground will do) Paprika
Toss the zucchini slices in the olive oil, salt and pepper. Sprinkle with the paprika. This adds a lot of color. Bake at 250 degrees for 25 – 30 minutes.
When I did this, mine did not look as pretty as the picture, but I didn’t slice mine thin enough. I also baked slightly longer since they were thicker… but they sure tasted good!
Raw Sweet Potato Sticks with Ranch Dip
3 medium sweet potatoes
1 pint of unflavored yogurt
1 packet of ranch dressing mix
Peel and wash sweet potatoes, Cut into strips like you do for carrot sticks. Wash, then pat dry.
Mix packet of ranch mix with the yogurt. Put dip in an attractive serving dish and surround with the sweet potato sticks. You could also add celery, bell pepper, and pod peas to the relish tray. Enjoy your summer snack.
Filed Under: Featured, Health & Wellness
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