I cook.
And I like to eat.
But I don't consider myself a "foodie."
(In fact, I'm not really sure what a foodie is, but it sounds too much like "roadie" or "groupie" for it to have a positive connotation, but that's not important right now.)
Okay, so I admit I sometimes (okay, well…. a lot of the time) sit down to read a cookbook like you would a novel. But that doesn't make me a foodie, does it?
And yes, it's true that I would totally be addicted to the Food Network if we actually had cable, which we don't because of that whole addictive-personality thing I'm constantly battling.
So I decided to stray from my usual Cuban menu. I don't know. I was craving something hot, but not soup, maybe some kind of stew…. and I have been working harder to put fresh vegetables on the table….
My kids happened to be watching a movie when I suddenly had an inspiration.
Sooo… thanks to the demi-gods at Disney/Pixar, I knew exactly what I wanted to make!
Ratatouille (Vegetable Stew)
Ingredients:
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced
4 zucchini, peeled, quartered and diced
1 large eggplant, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 large can (14 1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes in puree
1/2 cup vegetable stock
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
2 Tbsp. fresh shredded basil
2 Tbsp. fresh minced Italian parsley
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
salt & pepper to taste
(I made this in my pressure cooker and it only took 20 minutes of preparation and 6 minutes to cook.)
1) In a large frying pan, heat olive oil and sauté onions, garlic, green and red bell peppers until onion is soft.
2) Add zucchini, tomatoes, eggplant, vegetable stock, thyme, salt and pepper. Cook over high heat, stirring occasionally for about 4 minutes.
3) Reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer about 15 to 20 minutes. (Or in pressure cooker, cook at high pressure for 6 minutes) When vegetables are soft (but not mushy) it's done.
4) Add fresh basil, parsley, and balsamic vinegar.
5) Season with salt & pepper to taste.
6) Serve hot over rice.
The ratatouille was WONDERFUL!
And in my own defense, it wasn't the cute little French-rat-cook that inspired me, it was the lingering fantasy of having my own kitchen staff:
But everybody dreams about this, right? Right??
Uh-oh… I might be a foodie, after all. *sigh*
Remy: Well, not excessively.
Emile: Oh, man. Does dad know?
Remy: You could fill a book – a lot of books – with things Dad doesn't know.
And they have. Which is why I read. Which is also our secret.
Emile: I don't like secrets. All this cooking and-and reading and TV-watching,
while we read and cook. It's like you're involving me in crime and I
let you. Why do I let you?
~ from Disney/Pixar's Ratatouille
Martica,This is one of my favorite dishes. While in college, I studied a semester in Avignon, Provence. Ratatouille is from that region … my French “mother” cooked it frequently. She gave me a great Cook Book as a parting gift. It’s great accompanied with a loaf of French bread. Through the years I have made some variations to add some protein to the dish. I usually add some chicken broth and serve it with grated cheese on top. I have also made it in the slow cooker and it turns up great! Thanks for bringing up great memories!
I wish you well 🙂 Melek
“A good cook is like a sorceress who dispenses happiness.” ~ Schiapirelli
I thought I was the only one who read cookbooks for fun! I love The Joy of Cooking — I always learn something interesting.No need for the Food Network. There are all kinds of good magazines out there — Cooks Illustrated, Saveur, Bon Appetit. You can find most magazines at a discount (except Cooks Illustrated — darn!) at this site: http://www.magazinepricesearch.com/index.html
Oh boy, “Ratatouille” is on at my house every day. Penelope is OBSESSED, and she walks around the house yelling, “No biting, little chef!” So, I made a Navarin de Lamb the other day, inspired like you were, and it was good! I’ll try your ratatouille recipe next:)
Melek,You had me at “… I studied a semester in Avignon, Provence.” *sigh*
C-F,
Love, love, love Cooks Illustrated – the whole visual thing, you know. Thanks for the link!
Chantel,
Navarin de Lamb?? You are no slouch! 😉
Besos,
Marta
sounds rather like cooked gazpacho…count me in! YUM!
Heat olive oil and sauté onions, garlic, green and red bell peppers…Are you sure it’s not Cuban? 🙂
Marta,What brand is that electric pressure cooker (if you’re allowed to say, she asked sheepishly)? I seem to go through small kitchen appliances faster than a speeding ticket…arroceras, deep fryers, blenders, you name it, I have maimed it in some way shape or form. In fact I had an electric pressure cooker a few years ago, but it stopped “pressurizing” after using it almost daily for about 6 months. Maybe it was just a sub-par brand…it couln’t be me, could it?
Angie
That was a pressure cooker? Electric pressure cooker? It so looks like a crockpot!BTW I ask ’cause I live deathly afraid of pressure cookers…..
Ziva,I cannot resist a recipe that starts off with a sofrito! =D
Adriana,
An electric pressure cooker – also works as a slow-cooker. My happiest, hardest working kitchen appliance. No need to fear pressure cookers ever again.
Adriana,I too had a deathly fear of pressure cookers . . . until Mami started using it all the time. Now it’s just a general fear instead of a deathly one. 😉
Angie,Mine is a Cooks Essentials Digital Pressure Cooker. It was a gift from my dearest friend and I have been using it practically DAILY for a year and a half now. All I know is that she got it on QVC and that I’m forever grateful (and so is my family).
http://www.kaboodle.com/reviews/cooks-essentials-5qt-digital-pressure-cooker-w-accessories
(it COULDN’T be you….)
Electric pressure cooker, sounds tempting. I guess, by Kikita’s comment, this thing is less likely to explode and take the whole kitchen with it?