Heart-Healthy Gratin

Most gratins are composed of what… butter, cream, cheese and potatoes.

#heartattackonaplate

So how does one still enjoy the taste and texture of a gratin… sans the brush-with-death and medical bill?

4 Tbsp Olive Oil
4 Tbsp gluten-free flour or Quinoa flour
3 cups 0% fat plain Greek yogurt

1 Tbsp minced garlic
1/4 cup wine - red or white
1 shallot - fine dice
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tbsp herbs de Provence
1 Tbsp oregano
2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp smoked sea salt (or just Himalayan sea salt if you opt not to use "smokey")
Juice of 1 lemon
5 zucchini - peeled into wide, thin sheets
5 yellow squash - peeled into wide, thin sheets
2 large purple potatoes - peeled into wide, thin sheets

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and lightly oil (with EVOO) an 8 by 10 inch pan.

Use a wide vegetable peeler in order to peel the squash and potatoes into wide, thin sheets. If you are unable to do so, simply use a mandolin in order to thinly-slice the veggies and potatoes.

In a sauce pan, combine the 4 Tbsp Olive Oil and gluten-free/quinoa flour. Cook for about 5 minutes - constantly stirring on a medium/low heat - in order to cook a light-blond roux. The purpose of the roux is to act as a thickening agent to bind the potatoes together. As the roux is cooking (and you are stirring), add the 0% Greek yogurt to a separate sauce pan. Warm until the yogurt begins to simmer, then keep warm until the roux has finished cooking. After five minutes of cooking, the roux and the yogurt are ready to be combined. Slowly whisk the yogurt into the roux - constantly stirring, in order to prevent separation from occurring. To the sauce, add the garlic, herbs de Provence, oregano, cayenne pepper, smoked sea salt and lemon juice. Keep warm on the stove.

In a small sauté pan, sweat (cook on a medium heat), the shallots in 1 tbsp olive oil. After 5 minutes, the shallots will not longer be crunchy (ready!). Turn the temperature up to a high heat, then deglaze with the wine. Allow the wine to reduce until no more liquid remains… then add the shallots to the sauce that had been left to warm.

Layer the zucchini, yellow squash and purple potatoes in the lightly-oiled pan… then pour the sauce over the entire layered veggie/potato dish. Place in oven and allow to cook until the squash and potatoes are tender, and the top is golden brown (depending on your oven, this may take between 45 minutes to 1 hour). While the dish is cooking, be sure to rotate the pan once or twice, in order to prevent one area of the dish from cooking faster than another area.

Once cooked, allow to cool. When serving, use cookie cutters/cut creative shapes/ring molds in order to present the "stacked veggie/potato" tower. I recently paired my tower with a brilliantly seared scallop, butternut squash coulis, and reduced balsamic vinaigrette. A touch of delicate micro-greens and light sprinkle of pistachio dust finished the composed dish.

"A good cook is a sorceress who dispenses happiness" - Elsa Schiapirelli

Love y'all dearly!