For me and, er, you-ille?
This was my first try, and let me tell you it was a lot easier than my first lasagna from scratch (notice there are no pictures of it). I must
say, French peasants were on to something with this dish, I don't think
anything easier to make has ever tasted more delicious! Two of my
favorite things: Little effort required, big payoff. The only thing that
disappointed me was that I had to use microscopic, store-bought
zucchini (as opposed to the King Kong sized zucchini
I've become accustomed to), so I had to triple up the zucchini each
time it was its turn to be layered into the dish. As it turned out, it
was kind of convenient to have them bite-sized, so you won't find me
complaining. Another thing that pleases me about this dish is that it basically looks the
same cooked as it does before it goes into the oven, which excites me
and makes me feel like I'm doing something good for my body, instead of
pumping it full of chemicals ... now if I could just be assured that my
veggies haven't been genetically altered, I'd be set!I totally recommend trying this to everyone. This was my first ratatouille to make, and eat, and my first time doing anything with an eggplant ... so I'm not exactly sure how it was supposed to turn out or taste like, but I love it so I figure I'm off to a good start!
Ratatouille
Ingredients:
1 bell pepper
1 eggplant
2 cloves garlic
1/2 onion, finely chopped
2 tomatoes
2 0r 3 zucchinis
herbs ( I used basil, and parsley)
1 cup tomato puree or can of stewed tomatoes
2 Tbs olive oil, divided
salt & pepper
Pre-heat oven to 375*
Fill bottom of basic 10" baking dish with tomato puree or stewed tomatoes. Add garlic, chopped onion, and 1 Tbs of olive oil, salt & pepper (don't be shy).
Slice up your veggies into thin slices, and begin layering on top of tomato sauce in the baking dish, alternating your veggies, and working in concentric circles. Once they're all snuggled in, drizzle with 1 Tbs of olive oil, salt & pepper once more, and add your spices.
Cover with parchment paper, and bake for 45-55
minutes. You want your veggies to be soft, and relaxed enough to release
their juices, not soggy, limp and stringy, nor do you want them to
start browning. 45 minutes worked perfectly for me ... then again, my
oven is possessed, so you're kinda on your own here!Serve while hot, or even cold in the summer, on rice, potatoes, by itself, or with a meat. It really is one of the most versatile dishes I've ever come across.
Bon appétit!
