Ratatouille |
Servings: 6
Ingredients:
• Olive oil | 4 Tbsp, divided | |
• Eggplant | 1 medium | |
• Onion, yellow | 1 medium | |
• Garlic | 3 cloves peeled & minced | |
• Bell pepper, frozen green, red and yellow mix |
8 oz. or 1 red bell pepper |
|
• Tomato | 1, 14.5 oz can diced or 2 medium, peeled |
|
• Zucchini | 1 medium | |
• Yellow squash | 1 medium | |
• Herbs de Provence | 1½ tsp | |
• Salt | 1/2 tsp | |
• Pepper | 1/4 tsp | |
Reverse Columns |
Directions:
- Cut the eggplant into strips, 1½" long, 3/4" wide and 3/8" thick. Mix in a bowl with 1 or 2 tsp kosher salt. Let drain for 1-3 hours. Rinse off the salt in a colander then pat dry with paper towels. This will remove some of the bitterness. To bypass this step, consider using a few smaller young Japanese eggplants. They are less bitter than the large mature eggplants and do not need to be salted.
- Chop all the vegetables before starting. Onions and bell pepper can be in strips, 1/4" wide, 2" long. Squashes can be in 1/4" thick half rounds.
- In a large non-stick fry pan, fry the eggplant in 2 Tbsp oil until browned on both sides. Set aside.
- In a Dutch oven, sauté the onions at a medium heat (4) until translucent. Add in the garlic. Stir for another minute.
- Add in the bell peppers. Sauté until half cooked.
- Add in squashes, tomatoes (with juice) and spices. Reduce the heat (3), cover and simmer for about 15 minutes.
- In the last 5 minutes add in the eggplant. Careful not to break it up when stirring.
- If there is a bit of water still on the bottom, boil uncover until reduced.
Notes:
Serve over couscous, polenta, rice or penne. For protein, sautéed tofu on the side works well, or try melting one of your favorite cheeses on top.
For couscous, prepare 2 cups Trader Joe's whole wheat couscous. Follow directions on the box. Makes about 6 cups when cooked.
Ratatouille can also be served on a grilled baguette for a hot open sandwich. Melt a slice of cheese on top. Swiss, provolone or jack are good choices.
In place of Herbs de Provence, a mixture of thyme, basil, savory and rosemary, you can use basil (1 Tbsp fresh chopped or 1 tsp dried), thyme (1/2 tsp dried) and parsley (1 Tbsp fresh chopped or 1 tsp dried).
To peel the tomatoes, core the stem end, score an X on the bottom, place in boiling water for 30 seconds then using a slotted spoon move to a bowl of ice water. When cooled, you can then easily hand peel them starting from the X on the bottom. Using a can of diced tomatoes instead will save a lot of time. Also, the juices from the can when reduced will add a tomato broth. If using fresh tomatoes, adding a little marinara sauce will give the broth a boost.
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