WHITE BEAN RATATOUILLE

I know that a lot of the country has been in the midst of a heat spell, but we’ve actually been having rain and thunder storms here in the desert!  It may still be hot, but with the air conditioner up and the rain pounding on our metal roof I was able to convince myself, for just a minute, that fall was upon us.  It was AMAZING!  And in the midst of my deluded fall fantasies I made a big pot of one of my favorite fall comfort foods, ratatouille.  The brilliance of ratatouille lies not only in it’s ability to make you feel like you’ve eaten a really hearty and satisfying meal, but in the insanely easy way it’s prepared.  Essentially it’s no more than stewed vegetables.  Which means, chop, cook and serve.  So at the first hint of fall I recommend you welcome it with a pot of this!  xx-Sarah  {more after the jump}

WHITE BEAN RATATOUILLE 

Ingredients:

4 cups cubed eggplant (I peeled mine since I wasn’t able to find organic)

1 yellow squash

1 large zucchini

1 red bell pepper

1 green bell pepper

1 medium yellow onion

4 cloves of crushed garlic

6 roma tomatoes

1 can drained white navy beans (substitute chickpeas or great northern beans if you prefer!)

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon of salt (to start)

14 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon cumin

curly leaf parsley to garnish (optional)

METHOD:

– Chop all vegetables into 1 inch cubes

– In a dutch oven or heavy weighted large pan combine olive oil, onions and garlic.  Cook over medium/low heat, stirring frequently until the onions are slightly softened and garlic is fragrant.  Add diced tomatoes and sauté for 3-5 more minutes, until they start to break down.

– Add eggplant, yellow squash, zucchini, red pepper, green pepper, salt, pepper, ginger and cumin.  Cover and cook over medium/low heat.  Add more salt to taste, red pepper flakes if you’re into a little heat.

– Cook until vegetables are softened to your liking, checking in and stirring frequently.  When vegetables are almost where you want them to be, add the white beans and cook until warmed through.

– This makes a hefty pot of ratatouille, so I mix it up with the serving options to make it last without us getting burned out.  The first go-round we usually eat as is, with a parsley garnish.  After that I try these options:

1. served over long grain brown rice, couscous or millet

2. served with chunks of avocado on the top and hot sauce (this is my favorite because I LIVE for avocado)

3. re-heated with some greens added during the warming process (kale or spinach are my favorites)

4. and occasionally I’ll add some vegetable broth, some greens, a little more seasoning and turn it into a veggie soup!

It’s SO versatile right?  Hope you love!