Vegan, gluten free, refined sugar free

My Mum finally shared her ratatouille recipe and now I am sharing it with the world! A french classic and a dish I lived on growing up. It’s packed with so many veggies and is great as a main or a side dish.

INGREDIENTS:

8 x tomatoes

2 x eggplant

1 x medium leek

2 x red capsicum

4 x squash or 2 x zucchini

2 x cloves of garlic

2 tsp x sweet paprika

2 tsp x fresh thyme

celtic salt and pepper

coconut oil for cooking

HOW TO MAKE:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees

Slice the eggplant into large rings. Place onto clean tea towel and sprinkle with salt. Leave to ‘bleed’ (gets out the bitterness of the eggplant) for about 10 minutes.

While you are waiting, place the capsicum in the oven, whole, on a baking tray.

On a separate lined tray, add sliced tomato (chunky) and sliced squash (quartered), drizzle with melted coconut oil and season. Place into oven.

The eggplant should be done now. Wash, slice into bite size chunks, drizzle with melted coconut oil, season. Place into the oven.

Leave everything in the oven for 30-35 minutes, or until cooked.

Sauté leek and garlic in coconut oil, until soft, in a large pot. Add sweet paprika, stir for 2 minutes then add 1/4 cup of water. Stir through all the ingredients, and let simmer for 10 minutes. Season as desired.

You can also add roasted sweet potato or roasted pumpkin.

Optional: serve with quinoa, roasted broccoli and roast potato, sprinkle of sesame seeds and home made chutney.