Ratatouille!

Ratatouille!

If you have not heard of the dish ratatouille... odds are you haven't watched many animated movies in the past few years.
Though there is some debate on how on earth you are *actually* supposed to make the stuff, (and there seem to be as many versions as there are people who've tried to make it.) the general consensus remains that it is a " traditional French provincial stewed vegetable dish, made of tomatoes,egg plant, zucchini, onions and peppers." And it generally served with (or over) some form of grain, such as pasta, bread or rice.
So! After some research... Yup, you've guessed it. I made my own. =)
This particular recipe is not the fancily layered kind that you saw in the movie, but the slightly more conventional, provincial stew style. Of course, " more conventional" is relative with me. ^_^ But my family really loves it. I hope you all will too.


Sarah and Susie's Provencal style Ratatouille


One medium/large onion, diced

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, diced ( opt.)

One half of a medium sized eggplant cut into 1/2 inch cubes

Two pint cans diced tomatoes (3 1/2 to 4 fresh tomatoes can be substituted. blanch and peal tomatoes, dice into 3/4 inch pieces and drain off excess liquid.)

One half of a green bell pepper cut into1/2 inch pieces

One medium zucchini cut into 1/2 inch cubes

One medium summer squash cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 Tbs fresh thyme chopped

Two small bay leaves

½ tsp onion powder

1 1/2 to 2 tsp salt ( or to taste)

1/2 to 1 tsp pepper ( or to taste)

2 tsp olive oil

1 (15 oz) can canned beef (opt)

Saute onions and in olive oil until tender.
Add egg plant, garlic and tomatoes. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
Add green pepper, zucchini, summer squash, thyme, salt, pepper, bay leaves, and extra olive oil ( and beef if using beef) and simmer until vegetables are tender and tomatoes are reduced slightly. (approximately 10 -20 minutes) Ratatouille should be the consistency of a thick soup or stew when finished. (This may take slightly longer if using fresh tomatoes)
Remove bay leaves and serve over rice, polenta or other grain. =)
( A time saver tip; I like to use the "Ten minute brown rice" it is quick [ takes SO much less time than regular brown rice] and has basically the same nutritional value as the long cook kind.)

( note: Traditional ratatouille does not contain beef. I just added that because my family has a distinct protein preference. =)


Special thanks to Susan T! Her and I spent quite a fun afternoon in her kitchen creating this recipe. =D