Hello Again Everyone
Here’s another easy way to get your veggies in. Eggplant is truly underused in our diet. Remember to eat the rainbow with your food, focus on the veggies, and you can’t go wrong.
Wendy
KISS fact: Buy what’s on special and what’s in season. Local Farmer’s Markets are a great resource for local produce.
Fooducate
Easy Eggplant Ratatouille
Many people enjoyed Ratatouille, the movie, but when it comes to actually making a French vegetable stew, it’s thumbs down. People think that it is just too hard. Well, it’s not. Here’s a simple recipe that will earn you praises. Not to mention, that it is jam packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
Easy Eggplant Ratatouille (serves 8)
Ingredients:
2 eggplants, cut into half inch cubes
3 large onions, chopped
2 red bell peppers, chopped
1 pound ripe tomatoes, diced (or canned tomatoes)
6 ounces tomato paste (unsalted)
3 cloves garlic, sliced
3 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
salt and pepper to taste
cubed eggplant
Instructions:
Generously (about 1 TBSP) sprinkle salt over the eggplant cubes and place them in a strainer . The salt will cause the eggplant to release its bitter juice. It will also improve the texture of the cubes
Heat 2 TBSP of Olive oil in a saucepan on medium-high
Add onions and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally
Add red bell peppers and sauté for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally
Rinse eggplant cubes to remove as much salt as possible, then dry them on a kitchen towel.
Remove onion, garlic and peppers from saucepan. Add 2 TBSP olive oil and turn heat to high
When hot, toss eggplants into saucepan and lightly brown them – 3 to 5 minutes
Lower heat to medium and return the onion, garlic, pepper medley to saucepan
Add tomatoes and tomato paste. Mix well and bring to boil
Add vinegar and sugar
Lower heat to minimum, cover saucepan, and cook for 30 minutes
Add pepper and salt to taste
May be enjoyed warm or chilled. Bon Appetit!
Each serving has just 165 calories, 4.5 grams of protein, and 7.5 grams of fiber! The salt content varies based on how well you rinsed the eggplant cubes, but a worst case scenario is about 600mg (25% of the daily maximum recommendation).