vegetable sides – Twiins in the Kitchen®

Ciambotta Twiins Style (Italian Summer Vegetable Stew)

Servings: 6-8
Time: 20 minutes prep, Cook 50 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

If you’re lucky enough to have a have a garden with an abundance of fresh vegetables, you must try making some Ciambotta (pronounced chim-botta)! Even if you don’t have a garden, grocery stores are full of a variety of fresh, local produce during the summer. It’s a delicious and nutritious way to use your harvest or take advantage of the fresh produce available now. Ciambotta can also be spelled giambotta, depending on the region of Italy. This version is a southern Italy farm dish. The great thing about this dish is you can use whatever veggies you like. The key is big, equal size cubes or chunks... and it’s naturally Gluten-Free. I served it with crusty whole wheat French bread drizzled with EVOO and Za’atar seasoning. It was delicious. Enjoy. 😋❤️

Ingredients

1 large yellow onion, cubed
8-10 cloves large garlic, peeled and diced
1/4 cup EVOO
4-5 golden Yukon potatoes, cubed
6 large Roma tomatoes, skin & seeds removed, cubed
2 medium eggplants, ends removed and cubed
2 medium zucchini, ends removed and cubed
1 large green bell pepper, washed, seeded & cut into big chunks
1 large red bell pepper, washed, seeded & cut into big chunks
1 large yellow or orange bell pepper, washed, seeded & cut into big chunks
2 handfuls of fresh spinach (optional)
1 jalapeño (I used jalapeño) or long Italian hot pepper (optional)
Salt & pepper, to taste
20 fresh basil leaves, torn right before adding
1 sprig Greek oregano, (optional)

Directions

Boil the Roma tomatoes for a few minutes until the skin starts to crack. Remove from boiling water and cool. Once cool enough to handle you can easily peel off the skin., Cut them in half, remove the seeds and cube.
In a minimum 6 qt deep Dutch oven, On medium-high, heat EVOO until it starts to shimmer.
Add the onions and garlic and turn several times until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add the tomatoes, bell peppers, jalapeño pepper, zucchini, potatoes, give it a good turn.
Add the eggplants last. Turn well and cook about 10 minutes.
Add salt and black pepper to taste and tear the basil leaves, sprig of Greek oregano (if using) and add to pot. Stir together.
Lower flame to medium-low and cover. Cook about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Now is a good time to prepare any pasta or crusty bread.
For the bread: Preheat oven to 400ºF. Slice the Italian or French bread into 1/2-inch slices and place on foiled baking sheet. Drizzle each piece with EVOO then sprinkle with Za’atar seasoning, garlic powder, & a little sea salt.
Bake about 4 minutes until golden brown. (Bake when Ciambotta is just about done)
Serve in pasta dishes with crusty bread on the side or over pasta & garnish with fresh basil leaves.

Notes: Serve with crusty gluten-free bread to keep completely gluten-free or use Italian or French bread to soak up the juices! Can be served with pasta too.

Recipe adapted from Pasquale Sciarappa.

After turning garlic and onions for a few minutes, add the tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, eggplant, & torn basil leaves

Stir well then cover on medium heat for about 20-30 minutes or until potatoes are tender

Did you make this recipe? We would love to hear from you. Please leave us a comment below or Tag @twiinsinthekitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #twiinsinthekitchen.

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Whenever we visited our beautiful, tiny, Grandma Tessie, we always looked forward to her cauliflower frittata (“cauliflower pie” as she called it). Although she never learned how to cook before getting married, it wasn’t long before she became a wonderful cook. Unfortunately, she never wrote down any of her recipes which have led us to weeks of trial & error to recreate. We’re happy to say we finally got it!❤️

Ingredients

- 1/4 cup chicken broth or stock
- 1 head cauliflower, florets only (16-ounce frozen cauliflower florets may be substituted)
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 8 eggs, beaten
- 1 Tablespoon light or heavy cream
- 3/4 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, grated
- 1 Tablespoon Italian seasoned bread crumbs (for Gluten-free either omit breadcrumbs or replace with 4C® Gluten-free seasoned breadcrumbs)
- 4 Tablespoons EVOO
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- Frittata Pan ( a large skillet with a cover can be used in place of a frittata pan)

Instructions

Cook fresh cauliflower florets in a large pot with chicken broth and salted water. If using frozen cauliflower florets add chicken broth to cauliflower and microwave on high 8 minutes…either method, cook until soft but firm, not mushy.
Drain the cauliflower and set aside in a medium bowl to cool. Once cooled, chop the cauliflower into smaller pieces
Spray skillet with cooking spray to prevent sticking.
On med-high heat add 4 Tablespoons EVOO and heat until hot.
Add onions and cook on med-high until golden brown & caramelized.
Add garlic, cook an additional 1 minute. Add chopped cauliflower, sauté on medium heat for about 5 minutes, meanwhile…prepare egg mixture
After beating the eggs add cream, Pecorino Romano cheese, bread crumbs, salt, and pepper, mix well.
Lower heat to med-low and pour the egg mixture into the skillet and stir to mix then cover. Cook until eggs set about 5-6 minutes. Watch closely that it doesn’t burn.
Using a large plate, cover the top of the skillet so you can flip the pan over and back into the skillet for an additional 5 minutes. Make sure you use oven mitts to protect your hands from getting burned while flipping.
If using a frittata pan, simply flip the pan over to other pan side and continue to cook for 5 minutes.
Insert a toothpick into the center to test for doneness. If still clinging to toothpick cook additional time until toothpick comes out clean.
Slide frittata onto a serving dish and garnish with parsley sprigs and grated cheese (optional).

Frittatas can be served warm or room temperature and make a great brunch item or side dish for any meal.

For a variation try using your favorite vegetables in place of cauliflower.

Did you make this recipe? We would love to hear from you. Please leave us a comment below or Tag @twinsinthekitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #twiinsinthekitchen.