Turkey Ratatouille

This week has been insane! I am in the middle of my nine day work week stretch and trying to get it together. I have been working on my time management schedule by following tips outlined in Tell Your Time by Amy Lynn Andrews. It is going and progress is SLOW,but progress none the less. I am still tweaking my  weekly schedule which is difficult due to my  three week rotating schedule. Putting a weekly schedule to better manage my time is a goal of mine for 2013. I also have been striving to adhere to a grocery budget and coming up with some type of menu planning strategy.

I am fly by the seat of my pants gal when it comes to creating a menu for the week. This is what I came up with a chalk board with all my fresh ingredients for weekly meals.

                                     

As items get used they are crossed off or the quantity is changed. So far this has been working really well! I am planning on also doing an inventory for all my dry pantry goods too. Putting the chalk board strategy in action on Monday night I made a stir fry with the shrimp, snap peas, peppers, & onion. I used the cauliflower to make a curry cauliflower rice. I didn't snap photos of the curry cauliflower, but will be making it again in the future to share with you all.

Turkey (Paleo) Ratatouille

1 large zucchini washed and thinly sliced length wide into wide strips ( I recommend using a mandolin)
1 yellow bell pepper cut into quarters and seeded
1 orange bell pepper cut into quarters and seeded
1/2 of a large onion thinly sliced ( I recommend using a mandolin)
1 eggplant peeled and  thinly sliced ( I recommend using a mandolin); I also recommend salt soaking the eggplant for an hour, rinse, and pat dry before using.
3 TBS of olive oil
1 lbs of lean ground turkey
1/8 tsp of fresh grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp of sea salt
1/8 tsp of ground pepper
1 tsp of Italian Seasonings
2 garlic gloves minced.

24 oz of strained tomatoes
Ricotta Cheese or Cashew Nut Cream

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large mixing bowl combine zucchini,peppers, onion, and eggplant. Toss with olive oil. Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and spread vegetable mixture onto trays in a single layer. Bake for 15-20 minutes until tender. Remove from oven and cool. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees  Meanwhile cook turkey in a large skillet with nutmeg, sea salt, pepper, Italian seasonings, and garlic cloves. Cook until meat is cooked through. Spread 1/2 cup of strained tomatoes on the bottom of a 13x9 glass casserole dish. Top with 1/2 of cooked vegetables and then meat mixture. Cover with 1 cup of strained tomatoes. Then top with remaining vegetables and top with remaining strained tomatoes. If you like you may top with ricotta or cashew nut cream (this is what I used.) Bake for 30 minutes in oven. Serves 4-6.