Either I haven't noticed or I'm the last to realize how good the no
salt added tomatoes are. Unbelievably fresh tasting. I'm going to
buy that stuff from now on.

--

If it feels like an oven outside, why doesn't it smell like brownies?

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Simple Ratatouille
by E. Casey Lunny.


Ingredients:

1 medium sized onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium or large eggplant, diced
1 can stewed tomatoes
2 medium zucchini diced into large chunks
add herbs as desired (try basil)
olive oil (enough to sauté onion/garlic)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Sauté the onion and garlic until tender
Add eggplant and tomatoes, bring to simmer
Simmer, covered for 15 minutes
Add zucchini
Simmer for 10-15 more minutes until vegetables are suitably soft

Remove from heat
Stir in the herbs, season to taste

Serve over:

Rice
Egg noodles
Pasta
Boiled, cubed potatoes

Modifications to the basic recipe for ratatouille

Just with any recipe, ratatouille is open to interpretations. Great
additions include diced chicken, sauteed firm tofu, seitan and more
seasonal vegetables. The dish may be topped with grated cheese at the
time of serving.

The dish when prepared following the recipe included here, is a vegan
dish, meaning that it contains no animal products. This could be a
great dish to serve at a dinner party where a mixture of omnivores and
vegans are present. This article contains more tips on hosting such a
dinner party.

Ratatouille as prepared here is also relatively low-fat. The only fat
comes from the olive oil. Omitting the olive oil creates a fat free
dish.

This dish is also fairly low-sodium. Since the dish features
delicious, fresh vegetables, cutting own on salt can be easy. The
only thing to watch out for is the canned tomatoes. Make sure that
you are using tomatoes that do not have added sodium, or simply use
fresh tomatoes.

This dish is great year-round. During the summer months, when fresh
vegetables are abundant, this can be a light, easy dinner. During the
winter months, when heartier fare is desired, adding more protein and
serving over potatoes can make a comforting dish.