I must confess to shopping blindly last week… I usually plan my week’s menu ahead and then shop accordingly – so I don’t waste anything and I don’t have to spend hours trying to figure out what to cook for dinner.

Yesterday, as I was cleaning out the fridge, I realised I had heaps of veggies that I need to use before my weekly shop. Also, I had some uncooked patties that I had to use.

So – here it is, my ratatouille stacks (using pattipans instead of zucchini):

Layer spinach & mushrooms, hamburger patties (or a steak!), ratatouille and top with roasted tomatoes on the vine.

Spinach & mushrooms:

10 large spinach leaves

5 mushrooms

2 tbs butter

2 tbs cream

white pepper

Heat butter in a pan and sauté mushrooms. Add spinach, wilt it down slightly (don’t let it get soggy, you still want some crunch to it) and then add cream and pepper. Set aside.

Ratatouille:

1/2 an onion

6 pattipans, diced

1 large aubergine, diced

2 large red tomatoes, diced

Olive oil

Salt

Peppadew spice

Start off by sautéing the onions in olive oil, add aubergine. Next, once those two have softened a bit, add pattipans and more olive oil. Add tomatoes, season with salt and peppadew spice, add another glug of olive oil, reduce heat and just let it simmer away until you’re happy that all the flavours have mingled nicely and everything is cooked.

Roasted vine tomatoes:

Place a vine of tomatoes in an oven roasting dish, sprinkle with olive oil & ground sea salt and bake at 180C for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, grill for 5 minutes in the oven.

Once everything is ready – remember to grill those patties! – assemble and enjoy!

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