My Ratatouille

This is my First Ratatouille!!!!

This is the first time I made it and it looks less juicy~ But I've also given the better half to my mum~ I used 脆肉瓜 for zucchini and my mum said that's the best way to cook 脆肉瓜!!!

As it absorbs all the flavor; and also the mushroom! The mushroom are so delicious with tomato and egg plant (aubergine) flavor! =)

Since then I always make it ^_^ It's one of the best way to "clear" your fridge! Also, it's full of nutrition and from the 'Asian medicine point of view', it has plenty different color vegetables: red from tomato, purple from egg plant, green from zucchini, white from mushroom, yellow from peppers and you can even add orange from carrots!

To my surprise, it's very easy to cook! Simple steps:

1. Saute Garlic (when smells) then Onion (when transparent) with olive oil
2. Add tomato paste (to cover all onion) and some fresh tomato (cut into dices)
3. Mix them well and cook until the mixture appears a bit brown
4. Add stock - very little will do; I add about 3/4 cup
5. When mixture simmer (not boil!!!) add egg plant first
6. I cook the egg plant for a while first before adding other ingredients. I then add the zucchini, bell peppers and mushroom in order. (TIPS: Allow some time for each ingredient to cook; I usu. add in 2 min. intervals)
7. The whole pot to cook for another 10 min.; need to stir it from time to time
8. When it appears to look good (usu. after 12/15 min.) add all chopped / diced tomato into it (TIPS: If you want to eat more tomato flesh, DON'T peel off the skin!)
9. Just cook the tomato for 1 minute and turn to lowest heat
10. Stir further a bit to "evenly spread" the ingredients and add in parsley / basil / salt / pepper
11. Turn off gas, done!

Portions and ingredients are simple too. Almost all are of "1" quantity! ^^

Zucchini, Egg Plant, Bell Pepper @ x 1 normal size (about 8" to 1 ft. and normal bell pepper)
Garlic, Onion @ x 1/2 if you don' t like these two or otherwise @ x 1
Tomato x 4 (usu. two at the beginning and two after)
Mushroom [I use the Japanese/Korean Eringi Mushroom] x 3 ('coz I like mushroom! ^_^)
Tomato Paste - enough to cover all onion; usu. 2 tbsp.

VARIATIONS ONE:

V1. I added in "ready meal" Bolognese sauce - the bottle of sauce was opened for a while and I add in in Step 8 instead. (another method to "clear" your fridge!)

VARATIONS TWO:

V2. My fridge that evening has left one cucumber, one "fat" japanese aubergine, a pack of shabu shabu mushroom, half pack of cherry tomato, half pack of aspagehrus, half pack of baby carrots and half baby brown onion. So I put all these instead!! I even used the mashed garlic sauce at the beginning! It was equally nice ^_^

One more TIPS:
Mushroom has a distinctive fresh smell! If you don't like it, you have to first cook it for a while in boiling water!!! ^_^

ENJOY!!