Ratatouille Recipe
This wonderful dish is the essence of Provence. The best time to prepare it is in the Summer when the tomatoes are full of flavor. If you want to prepare it at other times, I recommend using Muir Glen organic crushed tomatoes with basil. I know, it’s a sacrilege, but it helps you savor this dish in all seasons. You can savor ratatatouille as a main dish, soup, side dish, or as a great pizza topping. Here’s the version Helene taught me. Enjoy!
Servings: 4
Prep Time: 20 min.
Cooking Time: 1 hour
INGREDIENTS
• ½ cup vegetable broth
• 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium white onion, peeled and cut in half moons
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 small green bell pepper, cut in thin slices
• 1 small red bell pepper, cut in thin slices
• 3 small eggplant, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 3 medium zucchini, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 3 large perfectly ripe tomatoes, or 1-28 oz Muir Glen Organics crushed tomatoes with basil
• 3 oz tomato paste (skip if you use ripe fresh tomatoes)
• ½ cup red wine (the secret ingredient)
• 1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped fine
• 1 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped fine
• 1 Tbsp Herbes de Provence blend
• 1 tsp sea salt
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
PROCEDURE
- Peel and chop onions and garlic. Toss together in a bowl and let sit for 5 min.
- Cut green and red bell peppers, take the seeds out, cut in four sections and slice thin.
- In a large skillet or pot, heat the vegetable broth and olive oil over medium-high heat; add the onions, garlic and bell peppers and sauté for 5 minutes, or until tender.
- Add the eggplant, zucchini and tomatoes (or canned tomatoes); mix well and cook for 10 more minutes until they start to soften.
- In a separate bowl, mix the tomato paste and red wine together. Stir in the parsley, basil, Provence herbs and spices.
- Add this flavorful mix to the vegetables and stir well. Lower the heat to simmer and continue to cook, covered, one more hour until all the vegetables are melted, like a stew or thick soup.
- Serve in white porcelain bowls to show off the ratatouille’s bright colors (remember, we eat as much with our eyes as with our mouth) and sprinkle with a few fresh parsley leaves.
Chef’s tips: This dish can be a satisfying dish by itself, eaten warm or at room temperature. The flavors seem to bloom better at these temperatures than when hot.
• It also is a wonderful side dish with a sautéed filet of white fish.
• Another trick I learned from Helene is to prepare or buy a par-baked pizza crust and top it off with ratatouille mixed with one beaten egg and bake. The ratatouille tends to be runny so the egg holds it together. Sprinkle your favorite grated cheese on top: Romano, parmesan, or Swiss. Enjoy!
Posted with permission from chef-nutritherapist, Alain Braux's "How to
Lower your Cholesterol with French Gourmet Food." This wonderful dish
is the essence of Provence. As heard on the "Good News Health" and
"Let's Get Healthy" radio shows 9/5/09. You may purchase the book at
any Peoples Rx location or at Amazon.com.
Also, check out www.AlainBraux.com.
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