Recipe: Middle Eastern ratatouille

This is a very simple dish from the cookbook “Veggiestan” by Sally Butcher.  I altered it a bit to suit my tastes. For example, I left out the bell peppers because I am not keen on them, but include them if you are a fan, of course. And although the garlic and onions are ‘traditional;’ in this dish, my body is intolerant of them, so have omitted them too and the dish still tasted good without them.

This dish can be served with garlic bread or rice. Or you can just eat it on its own, like I did.

What you will need:

1 or 2 eggplants, cut into 3-4cm chunks

2 zucchinis cut into 3-4cm chunks

2 potatoes, peeled and cut into 3-4cm chunks

1 red bell pepper, cut into 3-4cm chunks

1 green pepper, cut into 3-4cm chunks

1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped (optional)

4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed (optional)

4 tomatoes, quartered

3 bay leaves

Salt

Method:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

Place all the ingredients into a casserole dish and mix. Add a splash of water  - just enough to cover the bottom of the cooking dish. Cover and cook in the oven for 1 ½ hours or until the vegetables are tender.  Sprinkle on some salt to taste and serve. It is as easy as that!