One thing you must know about me: I love garlic. I have fond childhood memories of my dad roasting garlic and letting me eat it straight out of the oven. I’m also obsessed with Rachael Ray’s 30-minute meals and her prolific use of EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil, for you non Food Network types).
Basically, I love food that’s full of flavor yet still simple to make. I’ve found that Southern French food tends to be both of those things–very savory yet less pretentious than Paris. I can’t wait to let you in on my favorite recipes, and share with you the new dishes I find.
One of my favorite Provençal dishes is ratatouille. Not only is the name fun to say, the traditional recipe uses all the ingredients Southern France is famous for: garlic, olive oil, eggplant, tomatoes.
Who says French cooking has to be hard? This is an easy version of the traditional dish for people back in the States, courtesy of Kraft Foods. Of course, feel free to substitute generic ingredients for the Kraft brand- although I do swear by the sun-dried tomato dressing in this recipe.
While it’s in the oven, hop over to Twenty-Something Travel and check out my guest post on the ups and downs of traveling solo.
What you need:
1 eggplant, cut into bite-size pieces
1 onion, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1 red pepper, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1 zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1/4 cup Kraft Sun-Dried Tomato Dressing
1 can (16 oz.) low-sodium diced or stewed tomatoes, undrained
2 Tbsp. Kraft Reduced Fat Parmesan Style Grated Topping
1/2 cup Kraft 2% Milk Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
What to do:
Heat oven to 350°F.
Cook and stir first five ingredients in large skillet on medium-high heat six to eight minutes or until vegetables are tender and lightly browned.
Add tomatoes; cook 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Spoon into baking dish. Top with grated topping and mozzarella.
Bake 15 minutes or until mozzarella is melted and vegetable mixture is heated through.
Bon appétit!
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