Ratatouille is a cute Disney film - but this is not exactly that - it's the infamous dish that the movie was named after - an assortment of colorful "characters" that come together to form something beautiful:  a metaphor for the movie magic.

Ratatouille is the French version of a poor man's vegetable stew.  It's missing the meat, but don't let that discourage you.  This meal packs flavor and pairs excellently with some good bread.  You'll notice the Mediterranean influence of spices.  It's a distant cousin of the Mexican squash dish - "calabacitas", and notably differs in spices and purposely omits the hot peppers and jalapeños (although a little jalapeño for heat in this dish would not be a bad thing if you lean towards the heat).

Leftovers keep well for 2-3 days in the refrigerator, and if you can't find a specific color zucchini, onion, or pepper, don't worry. The idea is to make this dish colorful!  Historically, peasants used whatever color vegetables they had on hand.  Fresh or dried herbs may be used, and if you don't have marinara sauce, any type of tomato sauce works just fine.  I have even used cherry tomatoes in an equivalent amount when I don't have large tomatoes on hand.   Bon appetite!


Ingredients:
 
1 eggplant (cut into big chunks or slices)
1 big yellow squash or zucchini (2 if small) (cut into chunks)
1 green, yellow, or red pepper (cut into bite size pieces)
1 medium onion (cut into chunks)
¼ cup marinara sauce
¼ cup water
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
½ tsp oregano
½ tsp basil
¼ tsp thyme
3 cloves garlic (chopped)
2 large tomatoes (cut into chunks)
6 tbsp olive oil
 
 
 
Directions:
 
1.   Cut all vegetables.  The idea is you want some purple, red, yellow and green, if possible – so choose different colors of zucchini/yellow squash, and peppers.
 
2.  Place all vegetables in a large 4-quart pot as you cut them.  Add olive oil.  Heat on medium-low heat and stir occasionally so the garlic doesn’t fall to the bottom and burn and all vegetables are coated in olive oil.  Let everything sauté while stirring for about 10 minutes.
 
3.  Add spices, sauce, and water.  Keep stirring occasionally.
 
4.  Lower heat to low, and cover.  Stir every 3-5 minutes until eggplant is soft and zucchini and peppers are mostly soft but not mushy.  Serve alone or with bread.

​Serves 4.

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Go ahead, drool.  This tuna noodle casserole is mouth-wateringly delicious.  It's the kind of comfort food that warms you up from the inside, out.

I don't know exactly how this recipe originated. I remember my mother making a version of this when I was little.  I then tried to duplicate the flavors on my own by adding a little bit of this and more of that.  Now, I've got it down pat,  in memory, and I decided it might be time to document it so I can share this super easy recipe with the rest of the world.

I'm all for one-dish dinners sometimes - fewer dirty pots and pans, and I relish the simplicity of it all.  There's something so satisfying about adding several ingredients to the same pot and coming up with a culinary chemistry experiment of flavors that really works.  And, like most casseroles and stews, the leftovers are just as good, if not better, a day or two later.

I love gourmet food, but sometimes, it's good to get back to the basics, too.

Ingredients:

2 cans Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Condensed Soup (do NOT substitute other kinds of ready-made mushroom soup here... you need the condensed version)
1 bag of medium wide egg noodles
3 cans of tuna (undrained)
1 regular-size bag of frozen peas and carrots (NOT the family size)
salt + pepper to taste

Instructions:

1.  Prepare a large oven-proof pot with boiling water.  While the water is heating up, preheat the oven to 375˚.

2.  Add the entire bag of egg noodles to the boiling water and cook until tender.  Drain but do NOT rinse.

3.  Place the drained, still warm, cooked noodles back into the same large pot you just cooked them in.

4.  Toss all of the FROZEN peas and carrots on top of the cooked noodles.  (You don't need to cook them!)  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

5.  Pour both cans of condensed cream of mushroom soup on top of the peas and carrots.

6.  Add the 3 cans of undrained tuna.

7.  Mix everything together.

8.  Bake uncovered in the pre-heated oven for 30-40 minutes.

9.  You'll know it's done when a few of the noodles on top are slightly crispy!

10.  Enjoy!

Special Notes:

Serves 6 - 8, or fewer with leftovers.

Place leftover cooled casserole in air tight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.  Reheat leftovers in the microwave for best results.

Variations: 

Use frozen mixed vegetables instead of just peas and carrots.

Add a 1-2 cans of mushrooms to the mix to make it extra mushroom-y.  (Use the canned or jarred kind. They need to be pre-cooked and moist.)

Sprinkle with crushed potato chips during the last 5 minutes of baking.

Comedian Michael "Wheels" Parise is an executive chef classically trained in French, Italian, Mediterranean, and American Southern cuisine.  Here is his recipe for Italian Wedding Soup.  To see more of his culinary creations follow him on Instagram @wheelselive.  Bon Apetite!

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Ingredients:

¾ lb. ground chicken, turkey, pork, beef, veal, or a combination
½ cup dry bread crumbs or panko
3 large eggs
½ cup grated Romano cheese, divided
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh oregano (or 1 tsp. dried)
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. fresh ground black pepper
3 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
1 medium yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
8 cups chicken stock
1 bunch greens (such as escarole) trimmed & torn into bite-size pieces (about 6 lightly packed cups)
red pepper flakes (optional)
lemon wedges (optional)


Instructions:

1. Combine ground meat, bread crumbs, 1 egg, and ¼ cup each of the cheese, oregano, salt, and pepper in a bowl. 

2. Mix, and form into ¾ to ½ inch balls.  You should have 20-30 meatballs, depending on how large you form them.

3. In a large skillet, heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil over medium high heat.

4. Add the meatballs in batches and cook, turning until browned all over.  This should take 3-5 minutes.  (If they are still pink in the middle, don’t worry; they will continue to cook in the broth.)  Set them aside on paper towels or a paper bag to absorb excess oil.

5. In a 4-6 quart soup pot, heat the remaining 1 Tbsp. oil over medium high heat.

6. Add the onion and garlic.  Sauté until the onions are tender and the garlic is soft, but not browned (about 5 minutes).

7.  Add the stock and bring to a boil.

8.  Add the greens, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.

9.  Add the meatballs and cook another 5 minutes.

10. Meanwhile, combine the remaining 2 eggs and cheeses in a small bowl, stirring with a fork to blend.

11. Slowly pour the egg mixture into the hot soup, stirring constantly.

12. Cover and simmer just until the eggs are a bit set, about 30 seconds.

13. Season to taste with salt and pepper, maybe even a pinch of red pepper flakes and a squirt of lemon juice.  Serve immediately.



Special Notes:

Serves 6-8

Leftover soup will keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator up to 3 days.  To re-heat, simmer gently over low heat.

So does that top photo get your mouth watering?  The work you put into this salad is well worth the wait!  I must admit, as I am typing this, I am eating a big bowl full of this Cold Summer Salad, and convincing myself that the copious amount of veggies in here negate all calories from the carbohydrates in the pasta. :)

(Really, though, it's ok - everything in moderation is just fine!)

This is the time of year to take advantage of the fresh produce available at local markets and make this salad sing!  At first glance, you may think that this may require a bit of prep work - but never fear - there's a reason why this recipe is here - in Emergency Eats!  It's because - this salad thrives on being made a few hours to a few days in advance.  Prepare it on a weekend and enjoy it fresh from the fridge 3 - 4 days afterwards.  No heating required.  It can be a hearty side dish that is very complimentary to bbq, or sit down and sink your teeth into forkfuls for lunch.

Like all creations that Chef Jeff puts into play, this salad is full of flavor.  This is no boring noodles with Italian dressing thing.  So pull up some vegetables, and let's plunge right in to this refreshingly tasty "salad".  And I say "salad" loosely, because there's no lettuce to be seen for miles around here. 

One more thing - this has a kids' seal of approval.  The sweet cherry tomatoes, the saltiness of the black olives, the fun rotini style pasta, and the juicy artichokes enhance the deliciousness of everything else.  It just all comes together, and you won't be serving chicken nuggets tonight!  Never hold back when it comes to young taste buds.  When you introduce new foods to kids at young ages, you will be surprised with the versatility of their palates over time!

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Ready, set, assemble!  On the left, the ingredients you will need for this dish, including the dressing.  On the right - all veggies, chopped and ready to join each other in culinary perfection. - Photo Credit:  Jeff Doucette

Salad Ingredients:

1 small can or jar artichoke hearts (NOT marinated!) - reserve liquid for dressing
1 can black, pitted olives, drained (sliced or whole)
1/2 cup sliced sun dried tomatoes (reserve liquid from jar)
1/2 - 1 pint of cherry tomatoes, cut in half (if you can't find cherry tomatoes, just cut regular tomatoes into 1 inch chunks)
2 cups broccoli (broken into 1" - 2" pieces) (blanched in boiling water for 1 minute and cooled in an ice bath)
1/2 - 1 medium red onion (if you want this salad really oniony, go with a whole onion, otherwise, I caution you, and just go with half!)
1 large lemon
1 bunch scallions (sliced into 1" pieces)
2 large carrots (thinly sliced)
1/2 lb. rotini pasta (if you can' find rotini pasta (the curly-q spirals), it's ok to substitute bow ties)

Dressing Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
3 Tbsp. olive oil
4 Tbsp. white cider vinegar (or just plain white vinegar is fine!)
3 cloves garlic (minced or put through a garlic press)
3 Tbsp. fresh oregano (or 1 tsp. dried)
3 Tbsp. fresh basil (or 1 tsp. dried)
3 Tbsp. fresh parsley (or 1 tsp. dried)
2 Tbsp. fresh dill weed (or 1/2 tsp. dried)
1 tsp. mustard
reserved liquid from artichoke hearts (approximately 1/4 cup)
1/2 cup sliced roasted peppers
reserved liquid from roasted pepper jar (approximately 1/4 cup)
reserved liquid from sun dried tomatoes (approximately 1/4 cup)

***Reserved liquid measurements are approximate!  You will probably have more from the artichoke hearts and less from the peppers and sun dried tomatoes, that's ok!***

Instructions:

1.  Bring 2 - 3 quarts of water to a boil.  Add 1 tsp. salt.

2.  While the water is coming to a boil, cut most of the stalk off of the fresh broccoli, and then snap off the florets with a small part of the stalk intact, using your hands.

3.  Add the broccoli to the boiling water for 60 seconds; then remove it from the water using a slotted spoon, and place it in an ice bath.  (An ice bath is ice water placed in a bowl. This stops anything put in here from cooking and instantly cools it down.)

4.  KEEP THE WATER BOILING ON THE STOVE!

5.  Add 1/2 lb. (usually 1/2 a box) of rotini pasta.  (Rotini is the curly-q pasta; but you can use bow ties, too.)  Boil the noodles for 8 minutes and NO MORE!  You want al dente noodles; not mush! 

6.  While the noodles are cooking, cut the carrots as thin as possible or use a mandolin on the thinnest setting.

7.  Get yo'self a BIG ASS bowl.  Start putting your veggies in there as you slice and dice them so you have plenty of room on your cutting board.  This bowl is where the salad will go anyway, so get it out!

8. Cut the ends off of the red onion and cut it in half lengthwise.  Remove the skin.  Slice and then dice as small as possible.  (This is the part where you may only want to use 1/2 the onion, depending on how onion-y you like things.)  Add it to the big ass bowl.

9.  Drain the black olives and slice into rings.  Add it to the bowl.

10.  Cut the artichoke hearts into quarters, and don't forget to reserve the liquid!  Why not pour the liquid directly into the blender (or food processor to save on dirty dishes! :)  Place the artichoke hearts ONLY in the big bowl.

11.  Cut the sun dried tomatoes into thin strips, and don't forget to reserve the liquid!  Add just the liquid to that blender (or food processor) because that's where it will end up anyway! :)  Place the sun dried tomatoes - you got it - in da bowl!

12.  By this time, your noodles are probably done.  8 minutes max!  Drain and rinse the noodles under cold water and set them aside.  (I know you're wanting to place them in the bowl, but not yet!)

13.  Keep on cutting!  Cut the green part of the scallions into 1/2" pieces, then cut the white part into thin rings.  Yes, place them in THE BOWL!

14.  Cut the tomatoes in 1/2 if using cherry tomatoes.  If you have regular size tomatoes, then go for 1" chunks.  Add them to the bowl.

15.  NOW, add your noodles to the bowl and toss everything about a bit.

16.  Prepare the dressing. Ok, ok, I'll break it down into steps for you. If you wanted to conserve on dirty dishes, you already should have your sun dried tomato liquid and your artichoke heart liquid in the blender or food processor.  If it's not there, get it there.

17.  Juice 1 lemon and put the juice without the seeds in the blender.  (I'm not going to type "or food processor" in every step, so just play along if you are using one please!)

18.  Take the garlic, oregano, basil, parsley, dill weed, salt, sugar, pepper, olive oil, vinegar, mustard, roasted red peppers, and the liquid from the red pepper jar in the measurements listed above and put them all in the blender, too.

19.  Blend for 1 minute on high speed.

20.  Pour the dressing over the salad and mix well.  Refrigerate the salad for minimum 2 hours if you possibly can do so.  The flavors will meld even more if you can store the salad overnight.  Just be sure to mix the salad before serving because some of the dressing will settle on the bottom of the bowl.


Yield:  Serves 6 heaping bowl fulls for 6 hungry people.  If you want to use this for a side dish, it serves 8 - or 4, with 4 portions leftover.

Special Notes:


Other salad additions could include blanched baby asparagus spears chopped into 1 inch pieces.

This stores 3 - 4 days in the refrigerator.

This is a great "make-ahead" item to bring to a bbq.... and there's NO mayo in it, so you don't have to worry about keeping it at sub-zero temperatures!

I love my meat.  I just don't have it in me to become a herbivore.  However, I always keep an open mind when it comes to food - even if I had horrible experiences in the past with dry, tasteless, cardboard-like veggie burgers that I couldn't even gag down with a healthy dose of ketchup.   Yeah, you all know what I'm talking about.  Those pre-made patties you've grabbed out of the freezer section of the supermarket and attempted to grill, only to gasp at the rock-hard, flavorless hockey puck disappointment between your bun.

Given my previous encounters with veggie burgers of the wrong kind, be assured, I would never put one in front of you that I couldn't truly enjoy.  Chef Jeff has created moist, flavorful patties that pack a protein punch where, well, you won't be asking yourself "Where's the beef?"  They even look like beef patties.  The black beans deepen the dark brown color and serve a dual role with its chickpeas companion to provide a juicy, protein-rich experience that you can sink your teeth into with a spice blend that adds just enough of a smoky, savory overtone.

The Emergency Eats part is two-fold.  First, this dish takes under half an hour to assemble, so it's fast when you have to fly.  You will find yourself with eight healthy burgers, which, for most families is a bit too much for a single sit down dinner.  That's where the ease of the freeze comes in, so you have pre-made patties for a future quick occasion.  One thing I can't stand about most food blogs is that they don't know when to shut up and show off the food, so on that note -  Bon appétit!

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Ingredients:

1/4 cup green pepper (finely chopped)
1/4 cup red pepper (finely chopped)
1/4 cup onion (finely chopped)
1/4 cup carrots (finely chopped)
1 large egg (for a vegan version you can use 1/4 cup water instead)
1 Tbsp. olive oil (for sautéing vegetables)
4 Tbsp. + olive oil (for frying burgers)
1 can chickpeas (or garbanzo beans)
1 can black beans
1 garlic clove (pressed or as TheLadyinRed prefers, minced)
1/2 tsp. salt (divided)
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. cumin (or use a 1/2 tsp. if you like a smokier flavor)
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 cup brown rice
1 tsp. soy sauce

Instructions:

1.  Heat a large pan to a medium-high temperature.  Choose a pan that you can also use to cook your burgers in so you have one less dish to do!  Add 1 Tbsp. oil.

2.  Add the green and red pepper, onion, carrot, and salt.  Sauté for about 4 minutes just to make them a little tender.

3.  While the veggies are sautéing, use a food processor, or a really good blender on super high speed, or a spice grinder, to grind up the brown rice into a powder.  If you can find brown rice flour in the store, more power to ya!  But this is how you can make your own.  Make sure that you grind it as fine as possible or you will have crunchy uncooked rice bits in your burgers and that's not what we're going for here.

4.  In a bowl beat 1 egg until fully blended and add the brown rice flour and soy sauce.  (Yep, I cheated.  I didn't blend the egg first!  I just had to put a little more muscle into it is all when I mixed it with the brown rice flour.) ;)  Mix it well.

5.  Strain the chickpeas and the black beans.  Rinse them and drain them really well.  Add them to the bowl with the egg-flour mixture.

6.  Add the 1/4 tsp. salt, black pepper, cumin, paprika and garlic.

7.  Mash the beans only half way so they are not pureed but not in huge chunks either. 

8.  Add the sautéed veggies.  Mix everything until it's fully combined. 

9.  Refrigerate covered for about 15 minutes so it sets.  Longer is better.  You can even refrigerate this overnight; but 15 minutes should do it.

10.  Measuring a generous 1/4 cup of the mixture at a time, mold it into patties.  Place the patties on waxed paper for easy removal.  This should yield 8 patties.  (Don't worry if 8 is too many, you can freeze* what you won't use for the future. Check the Special Notes below.)

11.  In the same pan you sautéed the veggies in earlier, heat up 4+ Tbsp. of olive oil on medium-high heat. 

12.  Fry the burgers for approximately 4 minutes on each side.  When you flip them over, do it CAREFULLY.  They are more fragile and pliable than beef burgers.  If you attempt to flip a burger and it looks like it's going to fall apart, it's not cooked enough on that side.  Give it another minute or two.

And that's all folks!  Pile on your fixins of choice and enjoy!

Special Notes:

Yield:  8 burgers

*Freeze your burgers for future enjoyment!  Here's how:  When you are molding your burgers, place them on waxed paper.  Do NOT place them on top of each other as they will stick together if you freeze them that way.  Separate each burger layer with another sheet of waxed paper.  Wrap the burgers in waxed paper, then with a sheet of aluminum foil.  Place the entire packet in a large Ziploc bag and freeze them.  The burgers can either be microwaved for 1-2 minutes, baked, or fried, once you thaw them out.  They will remain freezer-fresh for 3 weeks.

Variations:


The American Burger:  Serve as you would a regular hamburger and for those who like McDonald's Big Mac sauce, add equal parts mayonnaise, mustard, and ketchup.


The Asian Burger:  Add 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh ginger, 1/4 cup chopped scallions, and a splash of roasted sesame oil to the final burger mixture before forming patties.  Optional:  Top burgers with teriyaki sauce and serve with fried rice.



The Mexican Burger:  Do NOT add soy sauce to the final veggie burger mixture.  Instead, add 1 Tbsp. chopped jalapeno peppers and 1 Tbsp. enchilada sauce.  After frying, top the burger with additional enchilada sauce, avocado slices, and some sour cream.  Serve with Spanish rice.  You can also chop up the finished burgers and served in taco shells or enchiladas.  You can roll it up in tortillas with lettuce, onion, tomatoes, salsa, etc.


The Italian Burger:  Do NOT add soy sauce to the final veggie burger mixture.  Instead, add 1/4 cup tomatoes after squeezing out as much liquid as you can from them, and discard that liquid.  Add 1/4 cup small cubed mozzarella cheese, 1/4 tsp. dried oregano, 1/4 tsp. dried basil, and 1 additional pressed or minced garlic clove.  After frying, cover the burger with  pasta sauce and serve with pasta.  If you want to make veggie burger Parmesan, leave out the cubed mozzarella, and once you fry the patties, cover the burgers with tomato sauce and a slice or two of provolone or mozzarella cheese.  Then broil the patties for 5 minutes until the cheese is melted.


The Super Veggie Burger:  Add additional very finely chopped vegetables in small quantities to the carrot/onion/bell pepper sauté such as zucchini, broccoli, etc.  Just make sure that as much liquid as possible is removed before adding them in.  Extra liquid will make these burgers fall apart during frying, creating a mess. 

Traditional cottage pie has a crust of mashed potatoes.  Chef Jeff keeps with tradition in this sense, but as always, he provides a bit of a twist in his recipes, which in this case gives your mouth a wonderful texture to appreciate.  Toasted whole grain bread serves as a base for this casserole, which has light and fluffy cloud-like mashed potatoes floating above a bed of tender mixed vegetables and browned ground beef.  This recipe is a hearty and homemade one dish option when you need something for 'Emergency Eats'.

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Ingredients:

1 to 1 1/2 lbs. ground beef  (TheLadyinRed used 1lb. of ground beef as it was easier to purchase.  You can also use a combination of ground beef and ground pork.)
1 bag of frozen mixed vegetables
1 lb. 8oz. of red potatoes (That's about enough to fill up a 9"x13" casserole dish 3/4 of the way.)
1 stick butter
4 cups beef stock
6 slices whole grain bread (You can substitute wheat bread.)
2 garlic cloves (crushed or sliced roughly)
1/4 cup flour (or Wondra) (TheLadyinRed prefers to use Wondra - less lumps in gravy.)
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder (optional)
3/4 cup whole milk
additional salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:

1.  Cut the potatoes into cubes.  Leave the skin on.  Place them in a large pot and fill the pot with water.  Salt the water and bring it to a boil.  Boil the potatoes for approximately 15 minutes, until a fork pierces them with little resistance.

2.  While the potatoes are cooking, toast all 6 slices of bread while the potatoes are boiling.  You want the bread to be toasted until it's brittle, the texture of croutons.   Place the bread aside to cool.

3.  In a medium saucepan, place the frozen mixed vegetables and 3 cups of beef stock.  Bring it to a boil, and then reduce it to a simmer.  Reserve 1 cup of the beef stock to add later.

4.  While the broth is simmering with the vegetables and the potatoes are boiling, sauté the ground beef with 2 crushed (or sliced) garlic cloves and a dash of salt and pepper.

5. When the meat is browned, take it off the heat and place it to the side.

6.  Check on the potatoes, and when they are fork tender, drain them, but do not rinse them.

7.  In the same pot that the potatoes were just in, melt the stick of butter and add 3/4 cup milk..  Bring it to just about the boiling point.

8.  Add the potatoes back into the pot with a 1 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper, and 1/4 tsp. garlic powder.

9.  Mash, mash, mash!

10.  When the vegetables and stock are boiling, take the reserved 1 cup of beef stock and whisk in 1/4 cup flour (or Wondra) until smooth.  Take the mixture and add it to the boiling stock and vegetables.  This will thicken the stock into a gravy.  Simmer for 5 minutes and remove from heat.

11.  Preheat the oven to 425°.

12.  Break up the toast into 1" pieces and line the casserole dish with them.

13.  Layer the ground beef on top of the toast bits.

14.  Top the beef with the vegetables and gravy.

15.  Scoop the creamy, fluffy mashed potatoes onto the top of the dish and spread evenly.

16.  Bake it in the oven for 15 - 20 minutes until the soft peaks of the potatoes start to brown.

17.  Let the dish rest for about 15 minutes so when you slice into it, the layers stay stacked upon serving.

Special Instructions:

Grated Parmesan or cheddar cheese is a nice addition to add to the top before baking.

Serves 6.

Silky, salty sour cream and potatoes are a classic combination.  You probably think of baked potatoes topped with a white dollop of rich, thick cream, or perhaps classic chips and dip. When you transform the ingredients into a soup, you get spoonful after spoonful of that slightly tangy-salty flavor with the satisfying bite of a starchy potato.

This is one of those recipes handed down for at least four generations now in my family.  It all started waaaaay back in Hungary when probably my great-great grandmother, if not generations further back, made the most out of what they had, and stretched it to feed their families.  It's so simple and savory that even in times like these when food is more than abundant, you can't help but serve up a bowl with a side of bread for a meal that hits the spot.

My "Gan", or my grandma, had this recipe in her repertoire.  I remember her teaching me how to make it, step by step - a pinch of this, and eyeballing ingredients until they "looked right".  I never wrote it down until now.  But!  I'm glad I am - because I want at least four more generations to carry on the tradition of her potato soup. 

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Ingredients:

3-4 large baking potatoes
1 16oz. container sour cream (NO light/diet versions here!  You don't want to skimp on flavor!  I prefer to use Breakstone's Sour Cream.)
pinch of salt
1 tsp. vinegar
3 Tbsp. flour
1 tsp. caraway seeds (optional)
chopped chives (optional)

1.  Peel the potatoes.

2.  Chop the potatoes into bite size pieces, approximately 1 inch "cubes".  They're not really "cubes", but that's ok!  The imperfection of the soup is what makes it so authentically homemade!

3.  Put the potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with about 3 inches of water.  (It's ok if the water looks starchy!  No worries!)  Add a pinch of salt to the water.  Bring the water to a boil and cook the potatoes until fork tender.  As the potatoes boil, you'll see a starchy foam come to the top of the pot.  You can just skim it off with a spoon and discard it.

4.  While your potatoes are cooking, in a separate bowl, mix the 3 Tbsp. flour with enough water so it's a little thicker than milk.  (This will thicken your soup.)  Mix until it's smooth.

5.  Add the entire container of sour cream to the flour-water mixture.

6.  Mix the sour cream and flour-water mixture until it's well-blended and smooth.

7.  When the potatoes are fork-tender, add the sour cream mixture to the pot and stir.  Lower the heat to medium.  Stir occasionally until the sour cream mixture assimilates with the water to form a soup.

8.  Add 1 tsp. of vinegar.  Stir.

9.  When the soup comes to a boil, turn off the heat.

10.  The garnishes are optional, but boy, they make your soup look appetizing!  Snip some chives into small bits and place aside.

11.  Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish each with a sprinkle of chives and some caraway seeds. 

Special Notes:

This will easily serve four people and can suffice as a main meal if you pair some good bread with it on the side.

Leftover soup can be stored in containers in the refrigerator for 4 - 5 days.

As you simmer this almost-ratatouille– and I say "almost" because who ever heard of a ratatouille with sauerkraut and pineapple???!! – your kitchen will take on the aroma of an Italian eatery.   Zucchini is the primary component of this dish, which is very versatile to serve on the side, or standing alone. 

Upon my first tasting of this vegetarian stew-of-sorts, my meat-eater side envisioned adding pre-cooked sautéed chicken breasts cut into juicy wedges as a culinary complement.  You could even spoon this over tilapia or sole that’s been poached in a light lemon-butter sauce.  But if you are a veggie purist, do as Chef Jeff does, and savor this sweet and sour savory preparation alone, or served over pasta or rice.  Any way you enjoy this you can’t go wrong.  And as always with 'Emergency Eats', there’s something to be said for the recipe as a time saver.  Not only can you assemble this dish in under an hour, but, you can store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, or immediately freeze the unused portions for future quick meals.

Get ready to try some zippy zucchini!  Here we go!

Ingredients:

1 28oz. can of tomato sauce (or puree)
1 large red bell pepper (or you can use green or yellow, too)
1 large onion
2 garlic cloves (smashed well - take out your frustrations on them - go ahead!  It's hammer-time!  LOL  - or just pound them with the side of your chef's knife)
1 cup of sauerkraut + the juice (approximately 8oz.)
1 20oz. can crushed pineapple (or cut into small pieces)
5 cups (approximately) thinly sliced zucchini (you may need 1 or more zucchini depending upon their size)
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 Tbsp paprika
2-3 Tbsp. olive oil (for sauté)
salt & pepper to taste

3.  Heat olive oil in a large pot.  (TheLadyinRed used a stock pot for the sauté and total dish preparation to save on clean-up time.)

4.  Sauté the peppers, onions, sauerkraut, and 2 crushed garlic cloves until the peppers are pliable and semi-translucent.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Special Notes:

Serves 5 - 6 easily!  You will probably have leftovers.

You can refrigerate leftovers for up to 2 days.  You can freeze leftovers immediately after preparation, too, for an easy "Emergency Eats" thaw and heat meal.

Serve over pasta, rice, or alone.  If you want to add a protein to this dish, you can add pre-cooked bites of sautéed chicken, or serve this over a sole or tilapia separately poached in a lemon-butter sauce.

Ingredients:

6-8 eggs (TheLadyinRed uses 6, but it won't hurt if you add 1 or 2 more)
1 bunch scallions
1 bunch asparagus
2 large red potatoes, cut into 1 inch chunks (if you don't have red potatoes, any old potatoes will work just fine!)
1 Tbsp. butter
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or you can use Gruyere, American, Monterey Jack, Colby, Swiss)
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (this gives it the luscious "gooey" effect where that hot melted cheese is a little stretchy)
1 tsp salt
1/3 tsp ground pepper

3.  Drain the cooked asparagus and set it aside.  (You can cook the asparagus up to 1 day ahead for an easier to assemble dish.)

4.  Place the potato chunks in the same saucepan (Less dirty dishes!  Hurray! :)  )  Cover them with water so they are about 1"  submerged.  Add 1/2 tsp salt.

5.  Cover the saucepan and bring the potatoes to a boil.  After about 15 minutes of boiling they will be fork tender.  Test it out and give 1 or 2 pieces a stab.  If your fork goes into it easily, it's done.  Drain them.  (You can boil the potatoes a day before, too, if you want to cut down on last minute prep-time.)

10.  Add 6 - 8 eggs, depending on how "eggy" you like things.  (A regular frittata will take approximately 12 eggs, so we're scaling this back a bit.)  Just crack them right on top of the veggies in the pan.