As winter descends upon us with its bone-chilling cold and gray skies, our hearts crave comfort and warmth. Enter ratatouille, a French dish that embodies the essence of coziness and flavor. Its vibrant mix of tender vegetables stewed in a rich tomato sauce is a symphony of culinary delight, perfect for warding off the winter blues. In this article, we will take you on a culinary journey as we explore the art of crafting the ultimate winter ratatouille, a dish that can be enjoyed as a hearty main course or transformed into an elegant appetizer that will impress your guests.
Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!
WINTER RATATOUILLE
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Toss the squash and potatoes with 2 tablespoons of the oil, salt and pepper. Spread in a single layer on a large rimmed baking pan and roast, stirring once or twice, until tender and golden brown in spots, 15 to 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat the remaining tablespoon oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, rosemary and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring, until softened, about 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes and roasted vegetables and simmer until slightly thickened and the flavors have blended, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl.
WINTER RATATOUILLE (WITH OPTION TO MAKE INTO A GREAT APPETIZER!)
I made this into an appetizer for New Year's Eve and it was a huge hit! I also had enough leftover ratatouille for a side dish the next day. This is a great, easy and healthy recipe. It is very versatile: adjust the veggies to your liking, make into an appetizer (see directions and note below), enjoy as a vegan main dish or serve as a side. *Oh, I just thought of another great idea, you could serve this over pasta...yum! **Please do look at my extra notes about olive oil amount and cooking time for the veggies. Both are personal preference and I noted what I like to do.**
Provided by LifeIsGood
Categories Onions
Time 28m
Yield 6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, cook for 2 minutes. Add yellow and orange bell peppers and cook for another 2 minutes. Add zucchini, yellow squash and eggplant and cook for 2 more minutes. Add garlic, tomato, salt and pepper and cook for about 1 minute.
- Note: I like to continue cooking all the veggies for several more minutes. It's a personal thing, I like my ratatoullie veggies really soft and like letting the flavors meld together.
- Note: You may need to add some additional olive oil as you add more veggies. This depends on the size of your veggies and your personal preference. I usually do add a tablespoon or two more as I cook out the veggies.
- To make into an appetizer:.
- Spoon ratatouille into the mini phyllo cups and bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for about 8 minutes, or until heated through.
- Note: you could also choose to fist put in a bit of boursin cheese into the phyllo tart first, then add the ratatouille on top and bake as directed.
RATATOUILLE APPETIZER PIZZA
It's a melting-pot appetizer! French ratatouille, Greek cheese and Middle Eastern bread make a top-notch pizza.
Provided by Betty Crocker Kitchens
Categories Appetizer
Time 32m
Yield 18
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Heat oven to 375°F. Cut zucchini and yellow squash lengthwise into 4 strips; cut strips into 1/4-inch slices.
- Spread 2 tablespoons of the eggplant meze evenly over pita folds; place on cookie sheet. Top each with one-third of the zucchini, squash, onion, cheese and oregano.
- Bake about 12 minutes or until heated through and cheese browns slightly. To serve, cut each pita fold into 6 wedges. Sprinkle with pepper.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 50, Carbohydrate 7 g, Cholesterol 5 mg, Fiber 1 g, Protein 2 g, SaturatedFat 1 g, ServingSize 1 Serving, Sodium 125 mg
RATATOUILLE RECIPE BY TASTY
Here's what you need: eggplants, roma tomatoes, yellow squashes, zucchinis, olive oil, onion, garlic, red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, salt, pepper, can of crushed tomatoes, chopped fresh basil, chopped fresh basil, garlic, Chopped fresh parsley, fresh thyme, salt, pepper, olive oil
Provided by Robin Broadfoot
Categories Dinner
Yield 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 20
Steps:
- Preheat the oven for 375˚F (190˚C).
- Slice the eggplant, tomatoes, squash, and zucchini into approximately ¹⁄₁₆-inch (1-mm) rounds, then set aside.
- Make the sauce: Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch (30-cm) oven-safe pan over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion, garlic, and bell peppers until soft, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then add the crushed tomatoes. Stir until the ingredients are fully incorporated. Remove from heat, then add the basil. Stir once more, then smooth the surface of the sauce with a spatula.
- Arrange the sliced veggies in alternating patterns, (for example, eggplant, tomato, squash, zucchini) on top of the sauce from the outer edge to the middle of the pan. Season with salt and pepper.
- Make the herb seasoning: In a small bowl, mix together the basil, garlic, parsley, thyme, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Spoon the herb seasoning over the vegetables.
- Cover the pan with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover, then bake for another 20 minutes, until the vegetables are softened.
- Serve while hot as a main dish or side. The ratatouille is also excellent the next day--cover with foil and reheat in a 350˚F (180˚C) oven for 15 minutes, or simply microwave to desired temperature.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts : Calories 230 calories, Carbohydrate 32 grams, Fat 11 grams, Fiber 8 grams, Protein 5 grams, Sugar 16 grams
RATATOUILLE
Time 2h
Yield Makes 8 to 10 side-dish servings
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Cut an X in bottom of each tomato with a sharp paring knife and blanch together in a 4-quart pot of boiling water 1 minute. Transfer tomatoes with a slotted spoon to a cutting board and, when cool enough to handle, peel off skin, beginning from scored end, with paring knife.
- Coarsely chop tomatoes and transfer to a 5-quart heavy pot with garlic, parsley, basil, and 1/3 cup oil. Simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes break down and sauce is slightly thickened, about 30 minutes.
- While sauce is simmering, toss eggplant with 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large colander and let stand in sink 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook onions in 3 tablespoons oil with 1/4 teaspoon salt in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer onions with a slotted spoon to a large bowl, then add 3 tablespoons oil to skillet and cook bell peppers with 1/4 teaspoon salt over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Transfer peppers with slotted spoon to bowl with onions. Add 3 tablespoons oil to skillet and cook zucchini with 1/4 teaspoon salt over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer zucchini with slotted spoon to bowl with other vegetables.
- While zucchini are cooking, pat eggplant dry with paper towels. Add remaining oil (about 1/4 cup) to skillet and cook eggplant over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 10 to12 minutes.
- Add vegetables, remaining teaspoon salt, and black pepper to tomato sauce and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are very tender, about 1 hour. Cool, uncovered, and serve warm or at room temperature.
Tips:
- To save time, use a food processor to quickly slice and dice the vegetables.
- If you don't have a mandoline, use a sharp knife to thinly slice the zucchini and eggplant.
- Make sure to season the vegetables well with salt and pepper. This will help to bring out their natural flavors.
- Don't overcrowd the pan when cooking the vegetables. This will prevent them from cooking evenly.
- If you're making the appetizer version, be sure to cut the vegetables into small pieces so that they're easy to eat.
Conclusion:
Winter ratatouille is a delicious and versatile dish that can be enjoyed as a main course or as an appetizer. It's a great way to use up seasonal vegetables and it's also a healthy and flavorful meal. With a little planning and preparation, you can easily make this dish at home. So next time you're looking for a cozy and comforting meal, give winter ratatouille a try. You won't be disappointed!
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