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5 Riffs on Ratatouille

Nancy Einhart — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 07:15:47 PDT

'Tis the season for ratatouille. This traditional French recipe, made with eggplant and zucchini, uses end-of-season produce in a comfy, cozy cooking method. It's usually prepared as a stew, but we love the flavors so much, we've found five more ways to riff on the classic dish.

Source: Smitten Kitchen

Ease Into Fall With Easy Ratatouille

Nancy Einhart — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 10:05:34 PDT

Ratatouille may be the perfect Summer-to-Fall transition dish. It savors the heartiest of late Summer's vegetables, namely eggplant and zucchini, but offers the warm, slow-cooked comfort you need in cooler weather. It's traditionally prepared as a stew on the stove top, but this simple recipe roasts the vegetables in the oven along with bell peppers and plum tomatoes, then serves them over polenta.

The recipe calls for fresh shucked corn stirred into creamy polenta, but since corn is on its way out of the farmers market, I left it out and opted for oven-baked polenta instead. Also, I subbed in Greek yogurt for the ricotta, just because I thought it would be interesting, and it was. Ease into Autumn with this easy recipe after the break:

Fast & Easy Dinner: Grilled Ratatouille With Ricotta

partysugar — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 06:50:36 PDT

Traditionally, ratatouille is a slow-cooked vegetable dish that can simmer on the stove for hours. However, this recipe takes the basic elements and makes them accessible to the busy home cook. Instead of combining the zucchini, eggplant, and bell peppers in a large pot, the vegetables are individually charred on the grill. A generous shaving of salty cheese and a chunk of toasted bread slathered with chopped olives makes this a hearty, yet healthy vegetarian meal. For the recipe, keep reading.

Go French With Savory Crepe Ratatouille

YumSugar — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 16:00:59 PDT

After making a scrumptious ratatouille sandwich, I couldn't get the tasty French dish out of my mind. This time, I opted to serve the cooked vegetables in a more traditional way: in a classic French crepe. Considering the prep work, ratatouille is a time-consuming dish, but once the veggies are cooking it's pretty fast and effortless. For the ratatouille, it's important to use your largest pan - I actually used a wok as it holds a larger volume. Each bite of the final dish is a complex and delicious combination of eggplant, onions, bell peppers, squash, tangy goat cheese, and crisp crepe. If you don't have time to make ratatouille, be sure to give the crepe recipe a chance. Crepes are simple to make and easy to customize - try adding herbs and cheese for a different take on the savory version. Or do what I did with the extra crepes and create a sweet crepe with strawberries and a thin layer of Nutella. To get started on your own French dinner,

Ratatouille
From Emeril Lagasse

Ingredients

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.

Serves 4-6 generously.

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Basic Crepes
From Alton Brown

Ingredients

2 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1 cup flour
3 tablespoons melted butter
Butter, for coating the pan
Ratatouille, for serving

Directions

In a blender, combine first five ingredients and pulse for 10 seconds. Place the crepe batter in the refrigerator for 1 hour. This allows the bubbles to subside so the crepes will be less likely to tear during cooking. The batter will keep for up to 48 hours.
Heat a small non-stick pan. Add butter to coat. Pour 1 ounce of batter into the center of the pan and swirl to spread evenly. Cook for 30 seconds and flip. Cook for another 10 seconds and remove to the cutting board. Lay them out flat so they can cool. Continue until all batter is gone.
After they have cooled you can stack them and store in sealable plastic bags in the refrigerator for several days or in the freezer for up to two months. When using frozen crepes, thaw on a rack before gently peeling apart.
Place ratatouille on a quarter of the crepe, crumble goat cheese. Fold into a triangle and serve.

Makes 8-10 crepes.

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'Wich of the Week: Open-Face Ratatouille Sandwich

Nancy Einhart — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 14:00:13 PDT

Sometimes even a sandwich lover needs a serious serving of vegetables, so the other night, I turned my nutrition attention to these yummy open-face ratatouille sandwiches, made with roasted eggplant and red pepper, among other hearty things.

Initially, I made the sandwiches according to the recipe, and they were perfectly delicious with just a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and a dusting of herbs. But I thought they needed something to close up their open-facedness, so I also made a version with melted provolone, which I preferred. For more details and to get the recipe,

Roasting makes the veggies very moist, and the balsamic vinegar helps hold them all together. I definitely endorse the fresh thyme garnish, which makes it more interesting. Since the veggies are somewhat mild, I recommend using a high-quality artisan bread with a strong flavor, such as olive bread; I found a delicious chili bread at Trader Joe's, and the spiciness was a nice touch. I didn't have zucchini, so I left it out, but that doesn't mean you should. Check out the recipe below.

Open-Face Ratatouille Sandwich
Modified From Better Homes and Gardens

Ingredients

1 small eggplant, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 small zucchini or yellow summer squash, cut into 3/4-inch slices
1 medium red pepper, cut in strips
1/2 of a small red onion, cut in 1/2-inch wedges
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon herbes de Provence, crushed
6 cherry tomatoes, halved
4 large 1/2-inch slices artisan bread, such as chili bread or olive bread
1 clove roasted garlic, halved
2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
4 slices of provolone cheese
Fresh thyme sprigs (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a large shallow roasting pan with nonstick cooking spray. Add eggplant, zucchini, red pepper, and onion to prepared pan. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with herbes de Provence, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. Toss to coat.

Roast vegetables 30 minutes, tossing once. Add tomatoes to roasting pan. Roast 15 to 20 minutes more or until vegetables are tender and some surface areas are lightly browned.

Meanwhile, rub bread with cut sides of the garlic clove. Place one slice of the bread on each of four serving plates. Sprinkle balsamic vinegar over vegetables; toss gently to coat.

Spoon warm vegetables on bread. If desired, garnish with fresh thyme sprigs. Cover each sandwich with a slice of cheese and return to oven until bread is toasted and cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.

Makes 4 sandwiches.

Nutrition Facts (without cheese): Calories 250, Total Fat (g) 7, Saturated Fat (g) 1, Cholesterol (mg) 0, Sodium (mg) 328, Carbohydrate (g) 43, Fiber (g) 8, Protein (g) 7, Vitamin C (DV%) 90, Calcium (DV%) 5, Iron (DV%) 14

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Which Oscar-Winning Film Do You Want to See Next?

BuzzSugar — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 08:30:00 PST

Well, the results are in, and we now have movies that will forever be known as Oscar-winning. A lot of you said you go see the films once they're nominated, but if you didn't get to all of them before Sunday's show, maybe now's the time. Some people were so smitten with Marion Cotillard's acceptance speech that they want to rush out to see La Vie En Rose for her performance. Others want to check out There Will Be Blood so they know why everyone is talking about milkshakes. What about you? Which Oscar-winner is next on your list of must-sees?

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What Do You Think About the Best Animated Film?

BuzzSugar — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 18:01:12 PST

Ratatouille just won Best Animated Feature Film! This was a great category this year that included Persepolis and Surf's Up. What do you think of this win?

Image courtesy of Disney/Buena Vista Entertainment

2007's Favorite Foodie Film Is . . .

YumSugar — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 10:01:31 PST

Ask anyone and they'll tell you I'm really just a big kid at heart. Turns out a good portion of you are too. In fact 62 percent of you voted Ratatouille your favorite food film of 2007. While we've had a few disagreements in our Best of 2007 recaps, this is one case where I completely agree with you. Ratatouille is such a fabulously cute film and completely droolworthy. It's hard to believe that the food is not real. Also, I love that an entire generation of children is going to grow up knowing what a sous chef is.

To check out a clip where Remi explains the working of a gourmet chicken,

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What Is Your Favorite Foodie Film of 2007?

YumSugar — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 06:59:39 PST

Now that we've covered all the little screen options - fave foodie reality shows, fave foodie shows, and fave cooking show - we thought we'd turn our Best of 2007 coverage to the big screen. Which of these foodie films is your favorite of 2007?

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Buzz News Roundup, 12/3

BuzzSugar — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 13:31:33 PST

TV Guide reports that Tom Petty has been picked for the Super Bowl halftime show.
Christian Bale is in talks to play John Connor in Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins, reports Variety.
Amy Sedaris, Chris Kattan, and Tom Everett Scott will star in Tanner Hall, an indie film set at a boarding school that started its life as a failed UPN pilot, writes The Hollywood Reporter.
Rosie Thomas, Califone, and Mark Kozelek are among the musicians pitching in on a new compilation with songs about every U.S. president, Pitchfork reports.
Ratatouille leads the field with 13 nominations for the Annie Awards, which recognize achievements in animation, writes The Hollywood Reporter.
NBC is buying blocks of reality and "adventure" programming from the producers of Ice Road Truckers, reports The New York Times.
Michelle Trachtenberg and Melora Hardin (Jan from The Office) will join Zac Efron and Matthew Perry in the movie 17, writes Zap2It.

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