Ratatouille Ã la Casablancaise

From EatingWell: September/October 2008 — Subscribe Now!

Ratatouille—a cooked eggplant and tomato dish combined with other seasonal vegetables and olive oil—has many regional variations. This one is made with cinnamon, a signature spice in Moroccan cooking. Try it as an appetizer with bread or as a sandwich filling.

READER'S COMMENT:

"Fantastic! We are getting our veggies from a local CSA and we had all the ingredients in our box this week. What a yummy recipe -- best of all, the whole family rated it a 5 out of 5! Seriously, that never happens in our house. Thanks...

8 servings, about 1/2 cup each

Active Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Nutrition Profile

Ingredients

1 large eggplant, (1 1/4-1 1/2 pounds), peeled and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow summer squash, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 red bell pepper, diced
3 medium tomatoes, peeled (see Tip), seeded and diced, or 1 cup drained canned diced tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Preparation

Place eggplant on a baking sheet and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt; let stand for 30 minutes. Rinse and pat dry.
Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the eggplant, squash and bell pepper. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables are soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.
Add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil to the pan. Add tomatoes, garlic, cinnamon, sugar, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until the tomatoes begin to break down, 3 to 5 minutes. Add to the bowl with the eggplant mixture and stir to combine. Cool to room temperature before serving, for the best flavor.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Tip: To peel tomatoes: Make a small X in the bottom of each tomato and plunge into boiling water until the skins are slightly loosened, 30 seconds to 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl of ice water for 1 minute. Peel with a paring knife, starting at the X.

Nutrition

Per serving: 87 calories; 6 g fat (1 g sat, 5 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 8 g carbohydrates; 2 g protein; 3 g fiber; 443 mg sodium; 342 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (50% daily value), Vitamin A (20% dv).

1 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 1/2 vegetable, 1 fat