It’s amazing how much our taste buds change. I remember being served ( yes served, I never would have put it on my own plate) this mushy vegetable mix as a child. It was definitely a challenge to get it down… a bit slimy, and hard to tell what was in it. Not exactly my choice, but I’m happy my parents were priming my taste buds for the future. Nowadays, I crave it. It’s better tasting than it looks for sure…I love it! Ratatouille is the perfect mix of savory, and acidic vegetables, cooked together into a big pot filled with memories and nutritious goodness. The vegetables, and herbs simmer together to create a creamy texture, bursting with flavor. I add a bit of fennel seed to this recipe, and I promise you, it works. It may sound weird, but I absolutely love the hint of flavor it adds. This dish is super simple to make, and great to eat warm, or cold…sometimes I take it straight out of the fridge for a couple of bites, and find myself having a hard time stopping….and really there is no need to. It’s all good for you. Ratatouille can be served as a main, or side dish…It’s delicious alongside rice, quinoa, or a protein of your choice. You could also serve it as an appetizer with some crusty bread. Don’t be fooled by its appearance…It is soooo good.
Ingredients:
- 1 large eggplant cut into chunks
- 3 large zucchinis cut into rounds
- 1 large bell pepper (any color) chopped
- 4-5 large tomatoes cut into small pieces
- 1 large onion diced
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Touille time:
Prepare all the vegetables, by chopping them up into chunks. I like to have them vary in size a bit, so that some of them cook a little faster than others. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a large pot and cook the diced onions till lightly browned. Next pour in all the remaining ingredients including the fennel seeds. Continually stir all the vegetables in the pot over medium heat. Be careful to make sure nothing starts to burn on the bottom. Add the extra 2 tablespoons of olive oil as needed to help cook things down, and get the juices to start forming. Once everything is starting to cook down a little bit, you can let it simmer for approx. 20-25 minutes, stirring every once in a while until everything is soft, cooked through. It’s ready to serve, or wait and serve it at room temperature, or chilled…It’s truly delicious any way! I hope you give this dish a whirl…You might find yourself craving it, just like I do…Especially when I see beautiful dark purple eggplants popping up in the stores. Wishing you good health and good luck on all of your cooking adventures.
