Delectables with Dan: A New Take On Ratatouille

Spring is right around the corner, but I'm already in the mood for some spring-summer time style meals. There's something quick and light about them that I love, especially when I'm on the go. I was working longer shifts, plus transport over the last few weeks before I quit (see the previous blog for that tale) and I wanted to have something I could just warm up when I got home that wasn't carb laden or filled with sugar or other kinds of processed shit. 

I had some yellow squash, tomatoes and zucchini that I wanted to get rid of but wasn't really in the mood to spiral them or try and pair them with tofu or something. Then it hit me. Ratatouille. I've never made the dish before but I know what it is and how to make it. I didn't have the eggplant like most use or wanted to use potato like some of them call for, so I just went with the yellow squash and zucchini. 

To Make My Version You Will Need:
1 medium yellow or summer squash

1 medium zucchini 

1 small diced tomato or roughly 1/2 c. diced tinned tomatoes

1 1/2c-2c. fresh homemade tomato sauce (or jarred) 

3 leaves fresh basil

1-2 tablespoons dried cilantro 

1/2 c. vegan cheese of choice 

1-2 tablespoons of tyme 

To make it you will need a pie tin or pie dish that is sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. You can also drizzle olive oil over it. Slice the vegetables in thin, but not too thin, slices. Start by layering the bottom of the dish with the yellow squash. Add the diced tomato to the tomato sauce and give a good stir. Apply a thin layer of the tomato sauce to the yellow squash. The second layer will be zucchini. Once you've finished that layer, add a layer of tomato sauce. You kind of want to make a raised beehive kind of shape with the vegetables. For the last layer, I mixed the yellow squash and zucchini. Add the rest of the tomato sauce on the top layer. If you're like me and like it thicc, you might want to add some more tinned tomatoes if you run out. The recipe above is for a less thicc sauce. Yes, I realise the spelling of the word. Before I put it in to bake, I added the seasoning and topped with the fresh basil leaves.

 I put it in to bake at 375F for 20 minutes, then pulled it out to add the vegan cheese. I let it sit in the oven for another 10-15 minutes. I removed it from the oven and allowed it to cool before setting it in the ice-box for me to heat up and eat later that night. I didn't want to microwave it, so knowing that, that's why I removed it from the oven and did what I did. To reheat it, I was actually finishing cooking it, I put it in for another 10-15 minutes and it heated up nicely, the cheese was melted and the veggies were soft without being mushy. It was amazing. I'm really wanting to try it with the eggplant next, that has to be amazing. I've got a few new eggplant dishes that I'm wanting to do and put on here, so keep an eye out for those.