Tasty Tuesday: Ratatouille

This past weekend, I was all talk about becoming a vegetarian. My friend and I discussed the matter and I really wondered did all vegans eat Tofu and fresh green salads. To my surprise, I was scrolling through the Internet and I found great amazing vegan meals; some that are healthy for the body too. Vegans do not eat  meat at all, but they do intake their protein from the delicious meals I found. Today's Tasty Tuesday meal comes from Rachael Ray, whom I've had the pleasure of sharing some of her brilliant meals. This all veggie meal is called Ratatouille! Sounds So Good! Can't Wait To Try It! Check After The Jump For The Recipe!
INGREDIENTS 

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), plus additional for drizzling
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
• 2 jarred whole roasted red peppers, chopped
• 1 small can tomato paste (8 ounces)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 small yellow squash, thinly sliced
• 2 small green squash, thinly sliced
• 2 small eggplants, thinly sliced
• 2-3 small Yukon Gold potatoes or a handful of baby Yukon Gold potatoes, thinly sliced
• 3-4 sprigs thyme, leaves removed

PREPARATION

Pre-heat the oven to 425ºF.

Place a large skillet over medium-high heat with two turns of the pan of EVOO, about 2 tablespoons. Add the onion, garlic and roasted peppers to the pan and cook until the onions begin to get tender, 4-5 minutes.

Set up a food processor or blender and add the contents of the pan to the machine. Add in the tomato sauce and puree everything together (it should be about the consistency of thin tomato sauce). Season with salt and pepper and pour the mixture out into the bottom of a casserole dish or an ovensafe sauté pan.

Swirl your dish around so that the bottom is evenly coated with the sauce, then arrange your veggies on top in a spiral pattern, alternating each veggie type, until you've filled the pan (like Remy did in the movie!).

Sprinkle the thyme leaves over the top along with some salt, pepper and a drizzle of EVOO. Cut a piece of parchment paper into a round the size of the pan (if you're not feeling artsy-craftsy, you can also use a square sheet of parchment paper: Cut four slits in from the corners towards the center of the sheet – this will lay over the top of the dish just fine, too). Lay the paper over the top and place the whole pan into the oven. Bake until the veggies are tender, about 45 minutes.

Serve the Ratatouille with some crusty bread alongside.

This is one of many "Yum-o!" recipes – it's good and good for you. To find out more about Yum-o!, Rachael's nonprofit organization, go towww.yum-o.org.

Check Out The Recipe Site Here: Ratatouille Recipe 

Check Out Rachael Ray's Website Here: Rachael Ray