Monday, June 15, 2009

Ratatouille Recap

   No, unfortunately I am not talking about Remy the rat who has dreams of becoming a chef—although we do have similar ambitions! Instead I wanted to try my hand at making this popular dish. A little background on this dish you ask?

“Ratatouille is usually served as a side dish, but also may be served as a meal on its own (accompanied by rice or bread). Tomatoes are a key ingredient, with garlic, onions, zucchini eggplant, bell peppers, marjoram and basil, or bay leaf and thyme, or a mix of green herbs like herbes de Provence. There is much debate on how to make a traditional ratatouille. One method is to simply sauté all of the vegetables together. Some cooks, including Julia Child, insist on a layering approach, where the eggplant and the zucchini are sautéed separately, while the tomatoes, onion, garlic and bell peppers are made into a sauce. The ratatouille is then layered in a casserole – eggplant, zucchini, tomato/pepper mixture – then baked in an oven.” –Wikipedia

I didn’t do any of the following methods! Instead I followed a recipe based on the slow cooker since I could pop it in during the afternoon and 3 hours later I’d have a steaming bowl to eat with supper! I had never had Ratatouille before, but knowing my love for vegetables and all things tomato-based, I placed a sure bet this would become a standard side of mine. I was right—I have made it twice in the past couple of weeks. It does use a lot of veggies though, and due to my money conscience mind, I decided to check out how much per serving I was really paying.

  • Canned Diced Tomatoes= $1.00
  • Canned Tomato Sauce= $0.53
  • Egg Plant= $1.69
  • Red Onion= $0.70
  • Yellow Squash= $0.53
  • Mushrooms= $1.50
  • 2 Bell Peppers= $1.99

Recipe Total= $7.94-----6 Servings Amounts to $1.32

  When you look at it like that it’s not bad at all! Plus this recipe takes no culinary skills—well besides chopping, but I think you’ll be able to handle it! :-)

Easy, Pleasing Ratatouille

Serves: 6    Prep Time: 15 min.  Slow-Cook: 3 hrs on HIGH or 5 hrs on LOW

Ingredients:

  • 1 small eggplant(about 1 lb), peeled and cut into 1/2’ cubes
  • 1/8 tsp plus 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 medium-size red onion, chopped
  • 2 medium-size sweet bell peppers, seeded and cut into 3/4’ pieces
  • 1 package(10 oz) mushrooms, cleaned and quartered
  • 1 can(14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
  • 1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
  • 3/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 medium-size yellow squash, quartered and cut into 3/4’ pieces

Directions:

  • Place eggplant in strainer and sprinkle with 1/8 tsp of salt; let stand 20 min and press out as much liquid as possible.
  • In a 4 to 5 quart slow cooker, combine eggplant, onion, bell pepper, and mushrooms. Drain diced tomatoes and stir in along with tomato sauce, black pepper and Italian seasoning. Cook on HIGH for 3 hours, or LOW for 5 hours.
  • Add squash into slow cooker for last 45 minutes of cooking time.

Nutritionals Per Serving:

  • Calories- 82
  • Fat- 0 g
  • Protein- 5 g
  • Carbs- 18 g
  • Fiber- 6 g
  • Sodium- 446 mg (a bit high, try using reduced sodium diced tomatoes and sauce)
  • Cholesterol- 0 mg

CIMG0083

5 comments:

Jenny said...

that movie is one of my favorite animated films =) and you do remind me of remy.. you both are sweet and adorable little chefs =)

Erica said...

Ever since that cute movie I have been dying to try this! I also have a huge love for all things veggie & tomato based- your recipe sounds simple and tasty. Good luck with the last minute prep for the party!

Healthy Beach Bum said...

i LOVE that movie!!!! All of those disney pixar movies are too cute for words. That recipe is great! I am all about cheap meals that taste great. You are such an amazing chef-ista! (is that a word???lol)

tinyirishdancer said...

Yum! That movie inspired me (a while back) to try making my own ratatouille, and I LOVED it. So fresh and delicious. It's like summer in a bowl. =]

Your rendition looks fabulous, too - I'll have to try it out!

Anonymous said...

Love ratatouille! I only had the pleasure of trying it once, and LOVED it...I can't believe the cheap prices and the superb nutritional value! This would be SO good on top of a crusty bread with goat cheese!