Ratatouille
Serves: 4
Difficulty: Easy
Prep time: 5-8 minutes
Cook time: ~20 minutes

This French classic is easier than you might think! Add your favorite veggies for a great dinner served over rice, couscous or with pasta on the side.

1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp minced garlic
1 large yellow onion, diced
1/2 tbsp tomato paste
1/3 cup veggie broth
1 eggplant, diced
1 medium zucchini, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1/2 cup quartered mushrooms
1 can chopped tomatoes (or 1 cup diced tomatoes, peeled and seeded)
2 tbs chopped parsley
2 tbs chopped basil
salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté about 1 minute. Add the onions and sauté until translucent, 4-5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook over medium heat until it darkens and give off a sweet aroma, about 1 minute. Add broth and stir, deglazing the pan (scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan). Add the eggplant, zucchini, mushrooms and green pepper and simmer until the veggies are tender but not falling apart, 10-12 mins. Stir in the tomatoes and continue to simmer until the tomatoes are heated through, about 2-3 mins. Add the parsley and basil; season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

Notes:
You can try using cooking wine or dry sherry to deglaze the pan.
Dried herbs can be substituted (~1 tsp each), but add them with the veggies instead of at the end of the recipe to allow the flavors to develop.