Gusteu's Ratatouille

I'm sure many of you have seen the Disney-Pixar movie Ratatouille. Well, my children have always wondered what exactly ratatouille is. When we purchased our DVD of the film, it came with a children's cookbook called What's Cooking? So I pulled it out. Remember in the film when Remy discovered Gusteu's recipe for ratatouille and nobody thought he should make it? However, he did and the food critic LOVED it. Goes to show that sometimes simple, old fashioned food is just what the cook ordered.

When I decided to make this I knew two things. The first, it was going to be a huge hit with my husband. The second, even though my kids wanted to know what it was a I was sure they'd wrinkle up their noses at a vegetable stew on their plate in front of them. So I must admit that when I was purchasing the veggies to make this I picked chicken for the kids at the same time. Normally I wouldn't admit that!

My husband rated it a 5. He actually said the words "This is the best meal of my life." I wasn't sure if he truely meant it or if he was just grateful that I cooked! Ha! Then while I was doing the dishes I heard him tell my oldest son that "it was better than grandma's". Hmmm, I'll take that!

My oldest son did try it and said it was okay. Let's face it, a plate full of veggies vs. a 9 year old isn't going to rate high. My other 2 wouldn't even try it!

I thought it was very tasty and rate it a 4.5.

vist me at Life in the BAT Cave

Ingredients:
1 large eggplant, cubed
1/4 to 1/3 cup olive oil (I used 1/4 cup)
1 red or green pepper, chopped (I used red just because I like them better)
2 to 4 crushed garlic cloves (I used 3)
4 small zucchini, chopped
4 tomatoes, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Salt the eggplant, drain in a colander for 1 hour and pat dry. (I ended up only letting it drain for approx. 25 min. and it was fine). Heat half of the oil in a large saucepan and briefly saute the eggplant until brown, then add the onion and pepper. Next, add the garlic, zucchini, and tomatoes. Cook until a soft stew has formed, about 15-30 minutes (I let it cook about 35 min.)

Add the salt, pepper, and basil. Sprinkle with the cheese and serve over rice.