Poor Man's Ratatouille

Photo of Me by the fabulous Jordan P from BFSI, July 2011

After a month of not posting much, you’d think I’d be posting every day. I had this exercise plan of running every other day, but my body decided against it. I’ve been feeling tired, anxious, and obsessive about my body. Even after the good news from the doctor (as in, my cholesterol went down over forty points since February and it appears that my current Armour Thyroid dosage is just right), the obsessive focus on my weight concerns me.

As I met with Cheryl on Friday, tears stung my eyes but didn’t fall. She encouraged me to pursue the wisdom of our aloof furry companion, the Cat. The Cat, you see, isn’t focused on why he is loved. He isn’t achievement-oriented and doesn’t think of ways to deserve love. The Cat, along with other animals, receives our love simply because we love them. Only humans are foolish enough to think we have to daily come up with ways to deserve love and feeling accomplished.

For one week, I am to think of what my body is doing beautifully and what I’m doing right. It’s Day 2 of Gratitude and Positive Attitude…

So far, so Golden.

Poor Man’s Ratatouille

Crust
5 oz Rice, cooked
1 oz Flaxseed meal
2 tbsp. Olive oil
1/4 tsp. Sea salt
1/4 tsp. Pepper

Top Layer
2 oz Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
2 – 4 Garlic cloves, thinly sliced
0.5 oz Basil, coarsely chopped

Middle Layer
1 Green zucchini (Medium or Large), thinly sliced
1 Yellow zucchini (Small), thinly sliced
1 White onion (Medium), halved and thinly sliced
1 Red bell pepper (Medium or large), thinly sliced

Bottom Layer
6 oz Tomato paste

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Put the ingredients for the crust in a food processor on pulse until combined but not smooth.
In a deep 9”x9”-baking dish, layer the bottom thickly with tomato paste and top with the vegetables.
Sprinkle the chopped basil, the garlic, and then the cheese.
Top the dish with the crust and bake for 45 minutes.

Serves 4.