RATATOUILLE

Ratatouille is a French dish. The name is comprised of two components:

* "rata" is slang from the French Army meaning "chunky stew"
* touiller, "to stir"

Thus, the meaning of the word is a chunky stew that is stirred.


Think of ratatouille as is more of a concept dish than a specific recipe. Similar to American "stew", it can take on a number of forms and is open to interpretation and experimentation. Let your tastes and preferences inspire you to create your own signature version of ratatouille!

The basic components that define the ratatouille are:

* tomatoes (the main ingredient)
* zucchini
* eggplant
* garlic
* onions
* herbs

These ingredients are traditionally sauteed in olive oil and can be served over rice or potatoes, preferably with a crusty French bread.

Recipe for a simple ratatouille

Ingredients:

* 1 medium sized onion, chopped
* 3 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 medium or large eggplant, diced
* 1 can stewed tomatoes
* 2 medium zucchini diced into large chunks
* add herbs as desired (try basil)
* olive oil (enough to sauté onion/garlic)
* salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

* Sauté the onion and garlic until tender
* Add eggplant and tomatoes, bring to simmer
* Simmer, covered for 15 minutes
* Add zucchini
* Simmer for 10-15 more minutes until vegetables are suitably soft
* Remove from heat
* Stir in the herbs, season to taste

Serve over:

* Rice
* Egg noodles
* Pasta
* Boiled, cubed potatoes

Modifications to the basic recipe for ratatouille

Just with any recipe, ratatouille is open to interpretations. Great additions include diced chicken, sauteed firm tofu, and more seasonal vegetables. The dish may be topped with grated cheese at the time of serving.

The dish when prepared following the recipe included here, is a vegan dish, meaning that it contains no animal products. This could be a great dish to serve at a dinner party where a mixture of omnivores and vegans are present. This article contains more tips on hosting such a dinner party.

Ratatouille as prepared here is also relatively low-fat. The only fat comes from the olive oil. Omitting the olive oil creates a fat free dish.

This dish is also fairly low-sodium. Since the dish features delicious, fresh vegetables, cutting own on salt can be easy. The only thing to watch out for is the canned tomatoes. Make sure that you are using tomatoes that do not have added sodium, or simply use fresh tomatoes.