Veggie heaven! Make ratatouille with chicken and corn for dinner
The combination of eggplant, zucchini and tomatoes, called ratatouille, is the perfect dish to make when tomatoes are in season. In Nice, France, where the recipe originated, purists cook each vegetable separately before combining them. Here, the vegetables are cooked together from the very beginning. Depending on their juiciness, the cooked tomatoes can resemble anything from a thick jam to a stew. If there’s too much liquid, simmer uncovered until some evaporates. In France, ratatouille is often eaten with roast leg of lamb. Sometimes, it’s served as an appetizer with lemon wedges. In this version, cooked chicken is added to the vegetables just before they come off the stove, making it a hearty, complete meal. For a vegetarian dish, use white beans instead of chicken.
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¾ cup diced onion
- 2 cups small cubes peeled eggplant
- 1 ½ cups small cubes zucchini
- 1 cup fresh or thawed frozen corn
- 3 cups diced, peeled tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1⁄8 tablespoon coarse ground black pepper
- 2 cups coarsely chopped boneless, skinless cooked chicken
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Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
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Add onion, eggplant and zucchini. Cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add corn, tomatoes, thyme, salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Cover, reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
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Stir in chicken. Cover and cook until chicken is hot, about 2 minutes. Serves 4.
— Recipe by Jean Kressy