Fresh Summer Recipes

Although we're nearing the end of July, the bounty of summer produce is still in full swing! Check out the ratatouille recipe below to utilize those juicy garden tomatoes, plentiful zucchini, and fresh herbs. Mix up your staple grains with fluffy whole grain couscous and try making your own nutritious salad dressing!

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Ratatouille

Ratatouille is a French dish featuring vividly colored vegetables layered over a richly flavored tomato sauce baked in a casserole dish or cast iron skillet.  It can also be made as a stew. This dish is best made in the summertime when all of the ingredients are in season and their flavor and nutrient profiles are at their peak.  Farmers markets will often carry heirloom varieties of vegetables in different colors, adding more visual appeal to the dish. For those with little ones, try including them in the vegetable layering steps.  This is a great way to increase their curiosity of the rainbow colors of fresh ingredients and entice them to try a delicious vegetable packed dish they helped create!

Makes 12 side servings
Recipe adapted from Allrecipes
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Ingredients:
​For the sauce

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, minced
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 medium carrot, grated
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 small stalk celery, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon fresh rosemary or ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary
• 2 bay leaves 
• 1 ½ (14 ounce) cans “no salt added" crushed tomatoes
• 1 Tablespoon honey

For the ratatouille

• 3 zucchini, sliced
• 3 yellow summer squash, sliced
• 6 Roma tomatoes, sliced
• 3 Chinese eggplants, sliced
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• ½ teaspoon fresh rosemary or ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Directions:
Sauce-

1. Heat the oil in a medium non-reactive pan and add the onions, salt, black pepper and grated carrots.  Sauté until the onions are translucent.
2. Add the garlic and celery and sauté until the celery becomes soft.
3. Stir in the dried oregano, rosemary, and bay leaves and let cook until fragrant.
4. Stir in the crushed tomatoes and honey and let simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Stir frequently to keep from burning.

Ratatouille-

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and pour the sauce into a 9 x 13 baking dish.
2. Make rows of alternating slices of zucchini, yellow squash, Roma tomatoes, and eggplant over the sauce.  Make sure that the rows are tightly packed into the dish.
3. Combine the olive oil and rosemary and brush over the vegetables.
4. Sprinkle the salt and pepper evenly over the vegetables and cover with foil.
5. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil, and bake for another 10 minutes.
6. Portion the ratatouille into 12 equal servings.
7. Serve with pasta, potatoes, rice, or couscous.  ​

Nutrition Facts per Serving (1/12th of recipe): 78 calories, 15g carbs, 4.5g fiber, 2g fat, 3.3g protein, 276mg sodium, 655mg potassium

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​Tangy Honey Mustard Dressing

Store bought salad dressings are convenient, but they often have a lot of added sodium and sugars to make them taste good.  Making dressings yourself can help to reduce sodium intake if salads are a part of your daily routine. The best part about making your own is that it's very easy and you can customize your dressing to your desired taste and texture!  Simple ingredients like olive oil, vinegar, and herbs can turn into a vibrant dressing with a little know-how. This honey mustard recipe features the use of probiotic filled yogurt as a way to add creaminess to the dressing without adding the extra calories from mayonnaise. It also uses fresh lemon juice for extra tanginess and stone ground/dijon mustard for a nice kick. ​

Makes 12 servings
Recipe adapted from Cookie + Kate

Ingredients:

• ½ cup plain nonfat or low-fat yogurt 
• ¼ cup olive oil or canola oil
• ¼ cup Dijon or stone-ground mustard
• 3 Tablespoons honey
• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice​
• 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar or more lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic, pressed or minced
• 1 Tablespoon minced shallot
• ¼ teaspoon fine salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a medium-small bowl and whisk together.
2. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
3. Enjoy on spring salad mix or as a dip!

Nutrition Facts per Serving (2 Tablespoons): 68 calories, 6g carbs, 0g fiber, 5g fat, 1g protein, 107mg sodium, 40mg potassium

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Perfect Whole Wheat Couscous

Couscous is often thought of as a grain, but it is actually a pasta.  It is a wonderful starch to have on hand, especially if time is running short.  All you need is boiling water and 10 minutes. That’s all it takes to put this wonderfully fluffy pasta on the table.  It goes great with rich stews and saucy main dishes because it soaks up flavor so well. Be sure to get whole wheat couscous to increase the fiber content of your meal.
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Makes 8 servings
Recipe adapted from SAGA
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Ingredients:​

• 1 cup whole wheat couscous
• ¼ teaspoon salt and pepper
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 1 ¼ cups water

Directions:

1. Put the couscous in a medium heatproof bowl and mix in the salt and pepper if desired.
2. Boil the water.
3. Pour the boiling water over the bowl of couscous and cover with a large plate or matching lid if available. Let sit for 10-12 minutes.
4. Remove the plate or lid and fluff the couscous.  Serve hot.

Nutrition Facts per Serving (1/2 cup): 88 calories, 18g carbs, 1g fiber, 0g fat, 3g protein, 72mg sodium, 6mg potassium

~Genesis, MS Nutrition, Dietetic Intern ​