Then, of course, the movie. Disney's that is. It kind of sealed the experience. Now the son that elicited tears from his mother when he actually ate a broccoli spear, requests this dish ... along with the movie, of course.
Here is my version. Most recipes call for generous amounts of olive oil. I've paired it down for my waistline only.
Ratatouille
Ingredients(Preparation Note: I try to keep all of my vegetables cut into chunks of 1-inch to 1 1/2 inches. This gives the vegetables better consistency, more even cooking, and they hold their shape much better.)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 yellow onions,chopped
4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
4-5 medium tomatoes, chopped
4 small to medium zucchini,chopped
2 medium eggplant, stemmed, chopped
1 medium yellow pepper, chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried dill
2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried)
2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried)
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Line a large roasting pan with foil. Add the onion, garlic, tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, and peppers to pan. Sprinkle dried thyme and dried dill over the vegetables. Toss with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cover pan tightly with foil and bake for an hour to an hour and a half, or until vegetables are bubbling and eggplant is soft.Remove Ratatouille from the oven, sprinkle with fresh herbs and serve immediately. It is excellent as a side dish, tossed with pasta or served on toasted slices of french bread. Add a ground meat for additional protein.
This recipe freezes well in air-tight containers for up to 3 months. (If freezing, leave out the fresh herbs until serving).
