Week 10, Meal 3

Ratatouille. Something that for awhile I had no idea how to make. The name of a kids movie. Also, the delicious dinner I just made.

Ratatouille

1 eggplant, peeled and cut in to thick slices
1 zucchini, sliced lengthwise
1 2 small fresh onions or 1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium to large green pepper chopped to bite size pieces
2 cloves of garlic
5 tomatoes, peeled and de-seeded, chopped up
3 T. tomato paste
1 small can of whole tomatoes
1 large handful fresh basil, chopped
Salt & Pepper
1 T. nutritional yeast
1-2 t. dried thyme

Start by brushing your eggplant with olive oil and grilling it on both sides. Do the same for the zucchini. Next, saute the onions and garlic. Once softened, add the green peppers. Cut the eggplant and zucchini in to bite size pieces and add it to the pot along with the fresh and canned tomatoes, nutritional yeast, thyme and tomato paste. Season well. Cover and simmer on low heat for 10 minutes. Your vegetables should be mostly cooked from the grilling it. Add the basil and serve! I enjoyed that all the food was fresh (save the canned tomatoes and paste) and that all the veggies still had a little bit of bite. I served it with bread to mop up all the delicious sauce.

I had looked for a recipe and instead decided to do what I usually do and make one up. I also learned how to peel tomatoes and found it surprisingly easy. I boiled water and salted it. I prepped my tomatoes by cutting out the stem and slicing and X on the other side. I placed them in to the water for 20 seconds and then in to ice water for 1 minute. After that, the skins should easily come off and you can take the seeds out by squeezing the tomatoes.