I have no idea where this summer is going. Things started off so smooth and fun, then our camper broke (I know!), we got a large project for work that stresses me out every now and then, family visited, my kitchen has been in a perpetual state of yuck, and I’ve been working on a fun non-work-related project. Now, all of a sudden, it’s the middle of August and I’m feeling confused. I feel like I’ve missed out on the summer of 2014, even though with all three kids home all day every day, it has been an extremely long summer. All you moms out there know exactly what I’m talking about.
But anyway, school starts this week for 2 kids, and the third starts next week. Halleluiah!!! 3.5 hours without bickering and begging and tattling for 4 days a week. I can’t even imagine how productive I will be in those 3.5 hours. Hopefully all that productivity translates into lots of fun, new recipes. I’ve got a ton of ideas just sitting there waiting to be turned into real food. Some I’ve actually attempted and just need to make a few minor tweaks. Some are still just visions dancing in my head, but at some point, they will all become reality and right here for you. I will make it happen.
So, ratatouille. Before I watched that kid movie about a rat who cooks, I didn’t realize that was food. That’s probably weird, but whatever. So I watched the movie and like most foodie types, I was pretty impressed with the final dish. A simple peasant dish turned into a gourmet meal that could impress even the harshest food critic. I thought “Hmm, maybe I should try it, looks easy”. That was before I had a mandoline, of course, so it never happened. Now I have one and I didn’t even use it to make my ratatouille.
I’m usually a last minute cook if I didn’t do my meal prep earlier in the week. In those cases, I try to whip up a fast dinner so that my family is not literally starving by 6:00pm. I know, it’s horrible. Just think of the children.
While this isn’t a “30-minute-meal” or something super speedy, it does come together pretty fast and really just needs some simmer time to get everything all nice and flavor-y together. I usually get the beef and onions started and finish chopping all the other veggies while the beef is cooking. Makes last minute stuff go faster if you work that way. Less wait time when you stack recipe steps. Also, a large skillet is key to the cook time in this recipe. If you try to cram everything in a smaller pan, it will take twice as long to cook. Don’t let that happen. Seriously. Think of the children.
Not nearly as time-intensive as the beautiful dish made in the animated film, but just as delicious, if not more so. The addition of ground beef makes this a hearty meal that will fill tummies and make everyone happy.
Ingredients
1 lb Grass-Fed Ground Beef
3 Tbsp Ghee or Grass-Fed Butter
1 Yellow Onion, halved and thinly sliced
4 Garlic Cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
1 small Eggplant, about 3 cups, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 small Zucchini, cut into small cubes
1 Red Bell Pepper, cut into slivers
4 Plum Tomatoes, about 1-1/4 cups, coarsely chopped
1 tsp Sea Salt
1 tsp Dried Basil
1 8 oz can Tomato Sauce
Fresh Ground Black Pepper, to taste
Instructions
In a large skillet of medium heat, melt the ghee/butter. Add the ground beef, onion, and garlic and cook until the beef is browned and the onions have softened, about 8-10 minutes. Break up the beef with the back of a wooden spoon while cooking.
Add the eggplant and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 8 minutes or until the eggplant has softened.
Stir in the zucchini, bell pepper, tomatoes, salt, and basil and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 10-15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Stir in the tomato sauce and add black pepper to taste.
Serve hot. If primal or you can tolerate dairy, I highly recommend adding a little grass-fed mozzarella and/or Parmesan on top as well.
Notes
This recipe is smallish for our family, and we need to double it to have enough for all 5 of us with some leftovers. However, you will need 2 skillets to do that, or make 2 batches back-to-back.
Tangy tomatoes, spongy eggplant, sweet capsicum, soft, tangy onion… all these flavours combine to create this irresistible-yet-effortless dinner. Given its rich history, there have been many recipe variations, but this one is our favourite.
Ratatouille is a French Provencal dish that consists of stewed vegetables. Though recipes and ingredients vary, there are some ingredients that are almost always used: eggplant, tomatoes, zucchini, onions, and bell peppers.
Ratatouille goes well with all kinds of grilled meats—I love it with flank steak, lamb, and veal, especially. A gourmet burger, served open face. Yes. A good steaky fish.
To make ratatouille in Disney Dreamlight Valley, you'll need to bring the following ingredients to any of the stoves/hobs in the game: eggplant (AKA aubergine), zucchini (AKA courgette), onion, tomato, and the spice of your choice. Simply chuck those food items into any active hob and your job will be done.
Most of the "spices" referred to in the film (rosemary, oregano, thyme, basil) are actually herbs. Spices come from the seeds, roots, stems or fruit of plants, whereas herbs come from the leaves or flowers. (at around 18 mins) When we first see the kitchen, the frying pan handles are sticking out.
Its stunning animation of the Parisian skyline and comedic relief from the main character, Linguine, provide the film with a sort of indescribable witty charm. The production of the film adds to why “Ratatouille” is the best Pixar movie ever.
Disney's Ratatouille isn't actually a ratatouille, it's technically called a tian. Both dishes feature a rich tomato sauce made with onion, peppers, garlic, herbs and tomatoes.
The word ratatouille derives from the Occitan ratatolha and is related to the French ratouiller and tatouiller, expressive forms of the verb touiller, meaning "to stir up". From the late 18th century, in French, it merely indicated a coarse stew.
It won't work in a wok or sauce pan – the heat is not spread out enough and the ratatouille will become too liquidy. So basically you kind of need to stick around in the kitchen and stir it often. If you see that there is too much liquid, turn the heat up.
To substitute for eggplant, I used carrots. As they cook, and the longer they cook, the more carrots become sweet. For onions, this is a sweet yellow onion. Then we come to one of the secrets of a successful ratatouille, in my opinion: adding a small amount of honey at the end, before serving.
Traditionally Ratatouille was considered peasant food owing to its preparation style of “rough cut” vegetables and the economy of a dish that could be eaten with cheap rice, pasta or dipped into with chunks of bread. In recent times it has become a dish prepared by top chefs and served in the finest restaurants.
After unlocking and entering the Ratatouille Realm, speak to Remy. He'll ask you to wash dishes, which you can do by watering them with your Watering Can.
Ratatouille is a healthy and easy-to-digest stew of summer vegetables. A classic ratatouille includes eggplant (aubergines), zucchini (courgettes), bell peppers, tomatoes, onions, garlic, olive oil and herbs.
Ratatouille is a classic French dish from the region of Provence that consists of eggplant, onions, bell peppers, zucchini, tomatoes, garlic, and herbs that are quickly seared and then gently stewed. The result is a creamy delicious mixture of fresh vegetables that serves as a wonderful main or side dish.
Ratatouille has a combination of soft and crunchy textures. The eggplant, bell peppers, onion, and garlic are soft when cooked, while the zucchini and tomatoes are crunchy.
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