I’m kind of always on the lookout for more vegetarian recipes. Recently I have been looking through Complete Vegetarian Cookbook, and have found a few to try. We had this Ratatouille the other day, and Paddington, Bilby and I enjoyed it, Puggle not so much:-) Today my parents were over, so I offered them lunch. Dad decided he would have this as it didn’t have meat (it being Friday)—and he ate with actual signs of enjoyment:-) (He’s not at all into vegetarian stuff really:-) ) He had to share some with Bilby, who in spite of the fact that she is really a meat girl (she will polish off as much meat as we will give her!), thinks that this is fabulous! So, I’m guessing it’s a keeper:-)

Ratatouille from Charmaine Solomon’s Complete Vegetarian Cookbook
Serves 6
750 grams eggplant (skin on, cubed)
cooking salt
3 small zucchini (skin on, cubed)
2 capsicums (red or green, seeded and sliced)
3 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
2 large onions (finely chopped)
4 large, ripe tomatoes (diced)
1/2 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon dried basil
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Sprinkle the eggplant and zucchini cubes with a little salt and set aside in a colander for about an hour. Press out and discard the liquid drawn out by the salt (I did this using paper towel, and I did wonder what the non-paper alternative would be? Tea towels?) Heat the olive oil, and gently cook the onions and garlic until they are soft but not brown. Add the eggplant, zucchini and capsicums. Cook over a low heat for half an hour (I see now I was supposed to cover it, but it worked fine). Add the tomatoes, coriander, basil and salt and pepper (I went very easy on the salt, because I wasn’t sure how much would remain on the vegetables, but I could safely have added more). Cook for another half an hour or so. Vegetables should be very tender. It suggest serving with Middle Eastern or crusty French bread. Sadly, although I pre-read the recipe, I missed this, so we had it without. It would definitely make it a more ‘complete’ meal though. She also suggests putting the cooked meal in an oven proof dish, making hollows in the top and breaking in an egg for each person before baking at 180˚C until the eggs are cooked.

I’ll definitely be remembering the bread (and I think I’ve seen a version with chickpeas included that might also be a nice alternative?), but otherwise this will become somewhat regular as it is:-)