Ratatouille
Getting your kids to eat one vegetable is a chore--forget about five in one dish. Lucky for you, a little rodent movie star has recently given this dish loads of kid appeal (not to mention loads of veggies).
- 1 cup olive oil, divided (¾ cup and ¼ cup)
- 1 large eggplant cut into cubes (about 1½ inches)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 large onions, peeled and cut into coarse strips
- 3 medium zucchini, washed and cut into cubes (about 1½ inches)
- 1 green, 1 yellow and 1 red pepper, stemmed, seeded and cut into strips
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- One-half of a 6-ounce can tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon each: parsley, basil and oregano (dried)
- Freshly ground pepper, to taste
- Hot, cooked rice
Heat oven to 400 degrees.
Line a 1½-quart ovenproof casserole dish with foil and add ¾ cup of olive oil.
Add eggplant and salt. Toss in oil to coat.
Cover pan with foil and bake for 35 minutes.
Meanwhile, in large skillet, heat ¼ cup oil over medium heat.
Add onions, zucchini, peppers and garlic and cook over medium heat approximately 20 minutes, until vegetables are tender.
Next, add the tomatoes and tomato paste, herbs and pepper. Simmer an additional 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove cooked eggplant from oven and add to the skillet. Cook an additional 10 minutes, stirring to combine.
Remove from heat and serve hot over rice, if desired, or at room temperature.
Submit!
