Chloe’s Ratatouille

I am absolutely stuck as to what to call this. There is nothing that I can think of that does it justice  My mother would have probably called it a melange, you could call it a stew – I’ve called it a ratatouille because it’s based on an Ottolenghi recipe called Tamara’s Ratatouille

I made this for Chloe (hence the use of her name in this recipe instead) and I was stuck for vegan recipes   I tailored the original to her tastes and I think this version is even better  Chloe hates courgettes – I swear she can smell one at 100m so there is no point putting any in as she wouldn’t eat them.  However,  she loves olives, a bit of spice and those tomatoey arabica sauces so that’s all been adjusted from the original too   What I haven’t changed is the final roasting of the ratatouille right at the end which elevates this into the most delicious intensely flavoured dish of vegetables you can imagine – until you try it you have no idea how good it is

Serve it as it is for a vegan meal, it’s lovely with toast and a poached or fried egg on top (try cracking the eggs directly in the tray on top of the veg for the last 5 mins of roasting = much less hassle). Ideal for meatless Monday’s.  Or for meat lovers use the Ratatouille as the side dish to roasted chicken or lamb   Yum!

PS leftovers are great for a packed lunch or salad the next day or blitz it with some water and heat it up to make a veggie soup (though perhaps eat the olives first and remove bay leaves)

Ingredients (serves 4-6)

• A large onion, roughly diced
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• A red chilli, finely chopped
• 100ml rapeseed or olive oil
• 2 red peppers, 3cm dice
• 1/2 small butternut squash, peeled and in 3cm dice
• small parsnip, peeled, 3cm dice
• 200g  trimmed green beans
• small aubergine, 3cm dice
• small potato or 4 new potatoes, 3cm dice
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 400g tinned, chopped tomatoes
• 1/2 tbsp caster sugar
• 1tbsp Tomato puree
• 2 bayleaves
• large handful black olives (optional)
• salt and pepper
• optional chopped coriander or basil for garnish

Method

1. Take a large pan with lid (or a casserole) and put on a medium heat
2. Add half the oil and the onions and cook for 5 mins stirring occasionally so they don’t catch
3. Add garlic, chilli and red pepper, stir to combine and cook for another 5 mins
4. Add butternut squash and parsnip and cook again for a further 5 mins
5. Tip the saucepan of cooked veggies onto a deep roasting tray that you will use in the final step
6. put remaining oil in same saucepan along with the aubergine and trimmed green beans and cook for yet another 5 mins
7. Add potatoes, the chopped and tinned tomatoes as well as a cancel of cold water.  Stir
8. Add all the remaining ingredients except the coriander or basil and combine well.
9. Add beggies from roasting tin. Season.
10. Bring mixture to a simmer and cover with lid.  Cook for 30 mins
11. Heat oven to 200c
12. Tip contents of saucepan onto roasting tray.  Check seasoning. Roast in oven for a further 30 mins so that sauce thickens and flavour deepens.
13. Tip into serving dish and garnish as required. This is delicious hot or at room temperature