I chose Ratatouille as mains for the French meal I’ve made. It’s a traditional vegan recipe and I like that. I didn’t have to modify it a bit. The dish is delicious, it’s not just a stew, the taste is so much better because the veggies are cooked separately. I could taste all the individual flavours of the vegetables and it was fab. It takes longer to cook, but I think it’s worth the effort.

Ingredients for 4 servings of Ratatouille:

– 400g courgettes
– 300g aubergines
– 800g tomatoes
– 4 medium onions
– 2 medium yellow peppers
– 100ml olive oil
– half of head of garlic, cut horizontally
– sea salt and black pepper

Start with the aubergines by washing them and cutting them into 1.5cm cubes. Sprinkle some salt on them and leave them in the bowl for 30 minutes so they can release extra moisture. Preheat the grill and put the peppers to cook. Turn them frequently until they have blisters on them. Take the peppers out and rinse them with cold water. Remove the skin with your hands or with a small knife. The skin should be easy to remove.
Cut the peppers into small pieces. Cut the courgettes into cubes and leave them for later. Peel the tomatoes and cut them into small cubes.

Heat 50ml of olive oil in a pan at low heat. Add the onions and the garlic and let them sweat for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, stir and leave it to cook at medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the peppers and the courgettes and cook for another 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, take the aubergines out of the bowl and dab them with a kitchen towel to remove the water. Heat 50ml olive oil in a pan and add the aubergines, cook them for 20 minutes. Tip the aubergines on top of the tomatoes and stir. Leave it to simmer for 25 minutes. The vegetables should keep their form and not turn into a mush. Remove the garlic and the Ratatouille is ready to be served.

I put the extra aubergine and courgettes in a bag and freeze them so I can use them for a sauce or soup the following days.