I have seen quite some recipes about this French dish, and it is made differently everywhere I looked.
According to the traditional recipes, it consists of aubergines, courgettes, peppers, tomatoes and onions basically cooked together. Not only it is totally vegetarian, gluten and lactose-free, but a very healthy option.
Now, I am still in the process of transforming to a healthy eater. I got to the stage where I try to balance my fat, sugar and gluten intake, but I still like to eat what I truly love. I am almost completely off fast food (oh, some chinese take-away still somehow magically makes its way to my home) and I swapped my crisps to millet balls. I do try my best. I don’t eat out anymore (unless it is an occasion and/or some pre-booked restaurant pampering with the Man), as I figured I can only trust the food I make. So tonight’s meal will be ratatouille. Not the way the French make it, BBC Kitchen makes it, or as it is seen in the matching named cartoon. I make it as my grandmother did. Maybe a little less healthy but the taste gives back for it all.
Grandmother's Ratatouille
Ingredients:
– 1 medium onion
– 4 tomatoes
– 5 green peppers
– 1 hot pepper
– 6 German/English sausages
– 1 traditional Hungarian sausage (optional, but this gives the great taste, and can be bought in several shops around Europe, even Tescos and Sainsbury’s have it.)
– paprika spice
– salt and pepper to taste
– olive oil
Peel the onion and cut it finely. If you have the Hungarian sausage, dice it up, too. Tomatoes and Peppers don’t have to be peeled, and can be cut to any shapes you like.
Get a medium sized pan and heat some olive oil. Add the chopped onions and cook them on medium heat until they look caramelized. Add a teaspoon of paprika spice (pay attention to it, as if it burns it tastes awful) and quickly add the diced Hungarian sausage. Give it a few minutes until it cooks a bit and add the tomatoes and a tiny splash of water. Cover it up and let it cook until it looks like a fine tomato sauce. At that point, add the peppers and let it cooked (covered) until the peppers are half raw. Add the sausages (can be cut in halves, diced however you like it to be) and cook until ready.
I usually eat it with some prokorn bread.
Enjoy!
Life with the Cats 