Easy Ratatouille Recipe

Traditional ratatouille recipes recommend cooking each vegetable separately, i.e., saute onions and then remove from the pan, add more olive oil and then cook the next vegetable. The following is a streamlined version of this classic French vegetable medley.

Ratatouille Express

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 onions, slivered
• 3 bell peppers, cut into one inch squares(try different colors)
• 2 eggplants, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 2 zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 4 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
• 2 pounds tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
• salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Preparation Time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes

1. Heat olive oil in a heavy soup pot on medium heat. Sliver onions and add to oil.
2. While the onions cook, chop the bell peppers and add them to the pot, stirring well.
3. Chop the eggplants and add to the pot, stirring well to coat the eggplant with oil. At this point all the olive oil will have soaked into the eggplant, so you need to stir often to keep things from burning until they soften some.
4. Chop the zucchini and stir it in once the eggplant has softened a bit.
5. Chop the garlic and add to the vegetables, stirring well.
6. Chop the tomatoes and add them.
7. Mince the thyme and add it along with salt and pepper to taste. Stir well and cook two minutes.
8. Turn down heat and cover the pot. Simmer until everything is soft and well blended - about 40 minutes.
9. Stir in basil and remove from heat.

4 to 6 servings

Roasted Winter Squash and Apple Soup

from Dr. Andrew Weil:

1 large winter squash (about 2 1/2 pounds), such as butternut, buttercup or kabocha; peeled, seeded and cut into 2-inch pieces
2 medium onions, peeled and quartered
3 garlic cloves, peeled
2 tart, firm apples, peeled, cored and quartered
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and red chili powder to taste
4 to 5 cups vegetable broth

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large roasting pan, toss the squash, onions, garlic and apples with the oil to coat. Season well with the salt and chili powder. Roast, stirring every 10 minutes, until the vegetables are fork tender and lightly browned, about 40 minutes.

2. Put half of the vegetables and 2 cups of the broth in a food processor and purée until smooth. Repeat with the remaining vegetables and broth. Return puréed mixture to the pot. If the soup is too thick, add more broth. Correct the seasoning and heat to a simmer.

3. Serve in warm bowls with dollops of cilantro-walnut pesto.

Dr. Andrew Weil’s
Cilantro-Walnut Pesto

1 cup walnut pieces
2 cups cilantro leaves, washed, drained and stemmed
1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1. Put the walnuts in a food processor and grind them fine.

2. Add the cilantro, jalapeño, salt, vinegar and 2 to 3 tablespoons of water and blend. Blend in a little more water if necessary to make a thick sauce. Taste and correct the seasoning, adding more salt if necessary.

Vegetable Salsa

2 T. vegetable oil
1 c. diced onions
1 c. diced celery
1 c. diced carrots
3 garlic cloves, minced
1-2 c. seeded hot peppers( we use less and it has a more moderate but still satisfying amount of heat. Your call.)
3 T. chopped fresh parsley or 1 T. dried
1 T. chopped fresh cilantro
4 cups tomato puree or canned tomatoes or 6 c. fresh tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 c. wine vinegar ( can use apple cider vinegar)
1 t. salt
1 t. sugar

In a large saucepan, heat the oil. Add the onions, celery, carrots, garlic, and hot peppers. Saute until the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the parsley, cilantro, tomatoes, vinegar, salt, and sugar. Simmer for 45 minutes.

Allow to cool slightly. Then blend in food processor - you can keep it a little chunky if you like. Return to saucepan and simmer for another 30 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings.

This salsa will keep in the refrigerator for a few weeks. But it will be gone before that! It also freezes easily or you can process it with the hot water bath method.

Author's note: This is not a classic salsa but it happens to be a favorite. The addition of vegetables gives it a thick texture, which makes it an excellent sandwich spread - perfect on grilled cheese sandwiches and burgers if all kinds. It is also great in omelets, on cooked rice or vegetables, and in sauces as a seasoning base. In fact, this salsa has more uses than I can list. So I make up double and triple batches, and put the extra up in canning jars. It freezes well.