Dinner and a Movie

A couple of weeks ago we watched Pixar's Ratatouille. Shockingly, my kids were begging me to make the dish - even after I told them what vegetables are in it. Suddenly I thought - what is taking me so long!! They want to eat squash and zucchini!! So we went for it this weekend. Dinner and a movie. We watched Ratatouille (again), and we made Ratatouille (+ herb crusted Tilapia). It turned out delishous and they ate it up. 

Now they want me to make the soup from the movie. Whatever that was! Heck I'll make it up. I think this is a great way to get kids to try something new - pairing it with a movie or show. Now the trick is to think of some others...if you have any ideas - please share them with us.

Herb Crusted Tilapia 

(Makes 4 fillets. You could use other type of white fish as well.)

Mix the following together: 2 tbs chopped parsley, 2 tbs chopped chives, 2 tbs chives, 2 tbs tarragon, 3 cloves of chopped garlic, 1 1/2 bread crumbs, salt & pepper. Brush each fillet with olive oil and dredge in each side in the bread/herb mixture. Heat about 3 tbsp of olive oil in a large saute pan on medium. Once hot, saute the fillets in the pan on each side until the fish is cooked through. About 2-3 minutes on each side, depending on the size.

(note: I served this with a little sour cream & horseradish mixture)

Ratatouille

(Serves 4 as a side dish. Double recipe for larger portions.)

For this dish you'll need: 3 cloves of garlic, 2 tbsp of tomato paste, 1/2 can of diced tomatoes (no juice), 2tbs olive oil, dash of salt, dash of thyme, dash of oregano, 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley, pepper to taste; 2 yellow squash and green zucchini, 1 medium red onion, 3 roma or plum tomatoes, 1 red and 1 yellow bell pepper, and parmesan cheese; and a baking dish.

 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Slice the vegetables into 1/4 inch slices. Mix the 1st 9 ingredients together in a food processor. It will be a thick sauce. In your baking dish, pour a layer of the sauce down on the bottom of the pan. Next lay a thin layer of onion. Lay the the zucchini, squash and tomatoes alternating as you wish. They are like stacked like cards on their side. Next, lay the peppers around the edge. Lastly, pour the remaining sauce onto the vegetables. Cover dish with foil, and bake for 50 minutes. Remove from oven and remove foil. Sprinkle parmesan flakes on top and bake uncovered for another 10 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes and then bon appetit!

Comments

[Cheryl Arkison]

I can't think of any good link-ups right now, but the Show/Food link that does get used the most in our house is the "Party in Your Tummy" song from Yo Gabba Gabba. Gets them everytime.
http://backseatgourmet.blogspot.com/2008/12/games-we-play-and-songs-we-sing.html