My First Meal- Ratatouille

Ratatouille
Recipe by: Emeril Lagasse
• 1/4 cup olive oil, plus more as needed
• 1 1/2 cups small diced yellow onion
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 2 cups medium diced eggplant , skin on
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1 cup diced green bell peppers
• 1 cup diced red bell peppers
• 1 cup diced zucchini squash
• 1 cup diced yellow squash
• 1 1/2 cups peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions: Set a large 12-inch saute pan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Once hot, add the onions and garlic to the pan. Cook the onions, stirring occasionally, until they are wilted and lightly caramelized, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the eggplant and thyme to the pan and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the eggplant is partially cooked, about 5 minutes. Add the green and red peppers, zucchini, and squash and continue to cook for an additional 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, basil, parsley, and salt and pepper, to taste, and cook for a final 5 minutes. Stir well to blend and serve either hot or at room temperature.

There are a few things that I did differently when preparing this meal. To begin with I used a little more garlic about a teaspoon and a half total. I peeled the eggplant before I diced it. I used canned diced tomatoes because it is a lot easier than peeling a tomato yourself. It is not important that the tomato is seeded. I also cut all of the veggies in circles rather than the long way.

This recipe was excellent. It has a great taste and it made for excellent leftovers. I actually used the leftovers to make two different meals because it made a lot. I used the left over juice to pour over some penne pasta which I added a few of the leftover veggies to. I also grilled a piece of chicken and added it to my contraption. I topped it off by baking it with a handful of mozzarella cheese on top of it.

My fiance gave the meal an 8 on a scale of 1-10 for taste. He said it would have been better if it had chicken in it. Overall he thought it had a great taste. He also rated it a 9 on fullness and an 8 on presentation. He thought the chicken would make it more filling.