Ratatouille

Serves 8–12

Ingredients

2 large eggplant, peeled and cut into 1" dice sea salt

2 Tbsp. olive oil

3 c. onion, diced

½tsp. freshly ground black pepper 5 cloves garlic, pureed

3 Tbsp. tomato paste

3 c. fresh plum tomatoes, diced (approx. 6 tomatoes)

3 c. canned plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped with juice

2 c. red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1" dice

1 c. yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1" dice

3 c. green zucchini, diced

2 c. yellow zucchini, diced

3 Tbsp. dried thyme

3 Tbsp. fresh basil, chopped

Directions

Sprinkle eggplant with salt and let stand in a colander to drain for ½ hour – 1 hour to drain. Press out excess moisture. Rinse the eggplant with water and pat dry with paper towels. Heat a 12" omelette pan over medium heat. Add olive oil and heat for another minute. Sauté onions until soft. Add black pepper and garlic and continue to cook for another minute. Transfer onion / garlic mixture to the slow cooker crock. Add tomato paste, eggplant, tomatoes, fresh and canned tomatoes with juice, bell peppers, zucchini, dried thyme, ½ teaspoon salt. Mix well. Cover and cook for

3 hours using the Auto setting or cook for 2 hours on High and

1 hour on Low. The vegetables should be tender, but still hold their shape. Stir in fresh basil. Serve hot, at room temperature, or chilled.

Shrimp, Chicken & Sausage Jambalaya

Serves 8-12

Ingredients

3 tsp. gumbo filé ¼ tsp. sea salt

½ tsp. dry mustard

3 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped

3 tsp. ground cumin, toasted

2 bay leaves

¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

Salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste 3 Tbsp. olive oil

2 lbs. chicken breasts, skinless/boneless, diced 1lb. fresh chorizo sausage, cut into ½"–thick slices 1 c. onion, finely diced

½ c. celery, finely diced

1 c. red pepper, finely diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

4 c. long grain rice

10 c. chicken stock

½lb. 21–25 count shrimp, peeled & deveined 2 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced

3 Tbsp. fresh Italian parsley, chopped

Directions

Combine gumbo filé, sea salt, dry mustard, thyme, cumin, bay leaf, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper in a bowl and set aside. Heat a 12" Calphalon nonstick omelette or 3 qt. sauté pan over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Season chicken with salt and black pepper and brown on all sides. Transfer chicken to a bowl. In the same pan brown sausage and transfer to the same bowl as chicken. In the same pan over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and sauté onions for 2–3 minutes or until they become soft. Add celery, red pepper and garlic and sauté for another minute. Transfer to a large bowl. Add spice mixture and rice to vegetables and stir

to combine ingredients. Add chicken and sausage to slow cooker crock. Top with rice mixture and stir in stock. Cook for 2 hours on High. Add shrimp and tomatoes and stir to combine. Cook for an additional 30 minutes on Low. Remove bay leaves, stir in parsley, and check for final seasoning adjustment (salt & pepper) and serve.