GreenMondaySA: Ratatouille with quinoa

Michelle Riley for for HSI/Africa

Serves 4

Ingredients

• Five ripe plum tomatoes (peeled and cored)
• Two zucchinis (courgettes), stem and ends removed, cut on an angle into 1.25cm slices
• Two eggplants (aubergines), stem and ends removed, cut on an angle into 1.25cm slices
• One red pepper (cored), cut lengthwise into strips 5cm wide and 1.25cm thick
• One green pepper (cored), cut lengthwise into strips twp inches 5cm wide and 1.25cm thick
• 6 to 10 cloves garlic (sliced)
• At least 1/2 cup (115ml) of olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• Sprigs of fresh thyme
• A sprinkling of cayenne or chopped jalapeño (optional)
• One cup (225g) of quinoa/brown rice
• Two cups (450ml) of water
• 1/4 cup (60g) of pine nuts

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190 C.

2. In a 23x33cm oven-safe dish, layer the vegetables, beginning with eggplant. Then add the zucchini, garlic, peppers, and tomatoes, drizzling olive oil and scattering thyme leaves over the vegetables as you layer them. Salt and pepper the layers to taste, adding cayenne or jalapeño if desired.

3. Bake for about 40 minutes, pressing down the vegetables and stirring as they reach the desired softness.

4. Meanwhile, cook quinoa/brown rice in water as per the instructions.

5. Serve the quinoa/brown rice topped with ratatouille and sprinkled with pine nuts.

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