Anyone Can Cook! Ratatouille with Ratatouille [Video]

Apparently summer is officially over, and we’ve had to pick and salvage most of the last of our garden crop for the year… eggplant, zucchini, green peppers, basil, oregano, and tomatoes. This called for a big pan of ratatouille (French vegetable stew) – which is great to eat while watching the Disney Pixar movie…Ratatouille.

I have a real weak spot for this movie, because up until a few years ago, I used to threaten people that if they irritated me, I would tie them up and force them to eat something that I cooked.  Trust me when I say that this was a very serious, possibly deadly threat. I couldn’t make a pot of rice and often burned water trying to boil it. When I decided to go vegan, I realize that I would have to learn how to cook – a person can only live for so long on Boca Burgers and Oreo cookies (yes, Oreos are vegan).

Vegan cooking is so much more  pleasant (and easy) than any cooking I had ever done (or attempted to do) before, and I have been pretty amazed with myself for all the great dishes I’ve learned to make. There are no gross-out factors like raw meat or slimy eggs.  If you’re buying organic (know your source, I can’t stress that enough) – or growing your own veggies and herbs, then there are no E. coli or salmonella contamination threats in your kitchen, either – in fact, much of what you cook can be eaten raw, after a good washing.

This recipe might look like a lot of work, and does contain many interesting herbs… but as Chef Gusteau says in the movie – anyone can cook! This actually goes together very easily and takes less than an hour to make.

Ratatouille (from the Compassionate Cook Cookbook)

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 large onion, diced

• 1 bay leaf

• 4 tbsp dry red wine (I used grocery store cooking sherry)

• 1/2 cup tomato juice

• 4 – 5 cloves garlic, crushed

• 1 tbsp dried basil (fresh is better, if you have it.  ditto for all the other herbs.)

• 1/2 tbsp dried marjoram

• 1/2 tbsp dried oregano

• dash of ground rosemary

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp black pepper

• 1 zucchini, sliced

• 1 green bell pepper, chopped

• 1 red bell pepper, chopped

• 1 eggplant, cut into small cubes

• 2 large tomatoes, cut

• 5 tbsp tomato paste

Preparation:

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Sautee the onion until translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Add the bay leaf, wine and tomato juice and stir well. Then add the garlic, herbs, salt and pepper and mix until well blended. Cover the saucepan and simmer for ten minutes over low heat.

Add the zucchini and peppers, stir well, cover and simmer for another 5 minutes. Add the eggplant, tomatoes and tomato paste and stir again. Cover and continue to simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 8 more minutes.

Serve over rice or with French bread.  Or if you’re like me, with whatever bread you have on hand… or over your favorite pasta.