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Hello, foodies...

I hope you had a fantastic New Year's. I am having an absolutely wonderful time on vacation...really taking some time to relax and think about new things we might try in 2015. Have you made any resolutions? If so, what are they?

Let’s toast to a New Year…  it is going to be an exciting one on In the Kitchen with David. We are kicking off January with our new theme: Budget-Friendly, Make Ahead Meals. We have everything from mouthwatering appetizers, soups, salads, and more! And, I'll be sharing some meal-planning tips throughout the month right here in my blog. So what's our first dish of the month? A hearty, Ratatouille Soup, which freezes beautifully.

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  2 Tbsp vegetable oil
  
  


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  4 cups medium-diced onion
  
  


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  3 cups medium-diced red pepper
  
  


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  2 tsp salt, divided
  
  


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  1 tsp pepper, divided
  
  


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  5 cups medium-diced eggplant
  
  


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  5 cups medium-diced zucchini
  
  


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  3 (14.5-oz) cans stewed tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano
  
  


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  1 (15-oz) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  
  


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  1 quart vegetable stock
  
  

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  Heat the oil in a 4- or 5-quart stock pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions, peppers, 1 tsp of salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, and sauté until the onions are translucent and the peppers are soft. Add the eggplant and sauté until it begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the zucchini and sauté until it begins to soften, another 5 minutes.
  
  


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  Remove about 3 cups of the sautéed vegetables from the stock pot and set them aside to cool. Add the stewed tomatoes, cannellini beans, vegetable stock, and remaining salt and pepper. Bring the mixture up to a simmer for about 10 minutes over medium heat.
  
  


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  In a blender, being careful with the hot liquid, purée the vegetables in batches. Start on  low and slowly increase the speed until you have a smooth soup. Place the puréed soup into another large stock pot, add the reserved sautéed vegetables, and bring the soup up to a simmer over medium heat until heated through.
  
  

It can be very easy to plan for the week if you take advantage of your weekends. A free hour on Sunday could be time enough to make a batch of my Ratatouille Soup, which you can then refrigerate or freeze for later. It just takes a little planning, but imagine working a long day and knowing you're coming home to a healthy, hearty meal.

Tell me about a budget-friendly, make-ahead recipe you have. Do you make soup? Salad? Casseroles? My dear friend, Carolyn Gracie will be with you once again this Sunday afternoon for In the Kitchen with David at 12pm ET.

Foodies, I wish you all a happy, healthy and delicious New Year!

Keep it flavorful!

- David