Easy Ratatouille Recipe
Fresh Vegetables
Use Vegetables That You Have on Hand
Since I love to garden, I usually have an assortment of fresh vegetables on hand. Many years ago my French father taught me how to make ratatouille from a little of this and a little of that. Ratatouille is a quick and easy Mediterranean dish. The only skills you need are to be able to cut vegetables and measure ingredients. You can use any vegetables and herbs that you have on hand.
I leave the peel on for most vegetables. However some people do not digest tomato skins well. If that is the case in your family, then use large tomatoes, not the cherry size. You can quickly peel them by sticking them with a fork in the stem end and dunking them into boiling water for 30 seconds or so. The peel will crack and curl up so that it can be easily removed. This is another cooking tip that my father taught me.
Baby Ichiban Japanese Eggplant
Easy Ratatouille Rating
Juicy Tomatoes
Vegetables and Herbs
Yvonne's Ratatouille Cook Time
Ratatouille Ingredients
- 1 large onion or 8-10 shallots
- 2 bell peppers or 4-5 banana peppers
- 1-2 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 2 Icaban Eggplant
- 2-3 yellow or medium Zucchini squash
- 12-15 cherry or 6 Roma tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons of chicken broth granules
- About 2 tablespoons of Fresh herbs or 1 teaspoon dried
- 2-3 tablespoons of Olive oil
- 1 tablespoon of butter
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup water
- Grated Parmesan Cheese
- Brown Rice
Instructions
- Cook the brown rice according to package directions. Chop the onions and peppers. Cube the Eggplant and slice the squash. Halve the cherry tomatoes or quarter the romas. Remove the skin if desired.
- Pour the olive oil into a frying pan. (I use a seasoned black iron skillet.) Heat the oil on medium. Sautee the onions, garlic and eggplant for 2-3 minutes. Add the sliced squash and halved tomatoes. Sprinkle the chicken broth granules, the chopped herbs and a couple of pats of butter on top. Add some water so the bottom layer doesn't burn and to help steam the vegetables. Cover and turn down heat to medium low. Simmer for about 15-20 minutes until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Salt and pepper to taste. Stir the ratatouille to mix. Serve over brown rice and sprinkle with grated parmesan.
Possible Ratatouille Ingredients
Here's a quick list of some of the vegetables that I have used in ratatouille:
- Eggplant
- Peppers
- Tomatoes
- Squash
- Cucumbers
- Snap Beans
- Corn
- Mirliton
- Carrots
- Onions or Shallots
- Various herbs, especially herbes de Provence
Ratatouille has its origins in Mediterranean cuisine so it is a "heart healthy" dish. It can be served as a side dish, or as a main dish when accompanied with pasta, rice or bread. My father, who was born in the Catalan district of southern France said that you could put in what ever vegetables that were available at the time. The various combinations are endless. It can also be eaten heated as a side dish or chilled with oil and vinegar as a salad. Just add a little chopped meat and you have a one dish meal.
Sweet Banana Peppers
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