Ratatouille
My in laws travel out to Australia from the UK on what has become an annual basis. I consider ourselves to be very lucky that they travel out to visit us as much as they do. During their stay (In our Aussie summer) we spend time catching up, playing petanque on the beach, swimming, playing cards and, eating!
Usually we will mix it up between dining out and eating in but my favourite past time has got to be watching Pointless on the telly while we prepare a meal together.
I decided to document this ratatouille for you all as for me it reminds me of my in laws. I rather like my father in laws ratatouille A LOT. It’s the simple things in life that bring great pleasure and often I believe this to be true about food. Sometimes the less complicated a dish, the easier it is for the ingredients to shine and be flavourful.
Ratatouille is a French stewed vegetable dish, typically consisting of onions, zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, herbs and red peppers fried and stewed in a little oil.
Ratatouille is:
Flavourful
nourishing
Warming
Good for you!
This dish can be served warm or cold, however at the moment, being winter here I much prefer it served straight from the pot, nice and warm.
A tip with this dish is that if you don’t have time to roast your own capsicums, you can use store bought capsicums that you find in a jar in the long life food aisle. If you have a little extra time, I definitely recommend roasting your own, tearing the capsicums into strips is satisfying and the flavour is incredible.
I like to serve my ratatouille with fresh, lightly toasted sour dough with a drizzle of olive oil. It makes a terrific light supper on its own or a filling meal when paired with a grain like rice or served alongside bread.
Every time I make this dish, it reminds me of a time in summer, sat by a pool at the air BnB my in laws were staying at, eating ratatouille, olives and bread. It was a warm summer’s night. A perfectly simple night of good food, company and trying to point out a cheeky possum in the garden, as my mother in law hadn’t seen one before.
If you have any questions or if you make this recipe, or even have an idea for a recipe you would like to see ‘veganised’, drop me a comment below or let me know on Instagram @theplantritionist
Talitha xx
Preheat a gas oven to 200 degrees. Place capsicums on a roasting tray and leave them to cook for 45 minutes or longer – until most of the skin is blackened. Once they are done, cover the tray with kitchen towels so that the capsicum can ‘sweat’ a little.
Meanwhile, add a generous splash of olive oil, along with eggplant and zucchini to a large pot over medium heat and fry until the eggplant and zucchini begin to soften and lightly caramelize.
Once the eggplant and zucchini begin to soften, add the onion and garlic and continue to cook until the onions are soft and translucent.
Add the tinned tomatoes, herbs, medijool date and season well with salt and pepper. Turn off the heat.
Now it’s time to prepare the capsicums. Prepare the capsicums by peeling off the skin gently. Don’t worry if you can’t get all of the blackened skin off. Gently scoop out the seeds (this can get a little messy but be patient). Using your hands tear the capsicums into thin strips.
Add the strips of capsicum to the large pot and return the pot to heat for approximately 30 minutes or until vegetables are soft and well cooked.
Plate up and add a few fresh sprigs of basil to each bowl and a sprinkle of chilli flakes for a little heat.
Enjoy the Ratatouille on its own or serve with freshly toasted sourdough, a baguette or alongside some rice.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat a gas oven to 200 degrees. Place capsicums on a roasting tray and leave them to cook for 45 minutes or longer – until most of the skin is blackened. Once they are done, cover the tray with kitchen towels so that the capsicum can ‘sweat’ a little.
Meanwhile, add a generous splash of olive oil, along with eggplant and zucchini to a large pot over medium heat and fry until the eggplant and zucchini begin to soften and lightly caramelize.
Once the eggplant and zucchini begin to soften, add the onion and garlic and continue to cook until the onions are soft and translucent.
Add the tinned tomatoes, herbs, medijool date and season well with salt and pepper. Turn off the heat.
Now it’s time to prepare the capsicums. Prepare the capsicums by peeling off the skin gently. Don’t worry if you can’t get all of the blackened skin off. Gently scoop out the seeds (this can get a little messy but be patient). Using your hands tear the capsicums into thin strips.
Add the strips of capsicum to the large pot and return the pot to heat for approximately 30 minutes or until vegetables are soft and well cooked.
Plate up and add a few fresh sprigs of basil to each bowl and a sprinkle of chilli flakes for a little heat.
Enjoy the Ratatouille on its own or serve with freshly toasted sourdough, a baguette or alongside some rice.
