French Ratatouille

I have always wanted to try French cooking but somehow the complexity of their food preparation scares me. So I thought I'll try one simple dish, the Ratatouille also known as Provençal vegetable stew or poor man's dish. It's so simple that the vegetables needed are cheap, ample and colorful.

Ingredients:

1 kilo sliced zucchini
1 kilo sliced eggplant
1/2 kilo sliced white onion
1/2 kilo sliced tomatoes
3 red or yellow cored, seeded and diced bell pepper
3 cloves minced garlic
1 Tbsp chopped parsley
1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
3 Tbsp white wine
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil


Preparation:

Place sliced zucchini and eggplant in a bowl, cover with water and let rest for 30 minutes. Drain.

Sauté the eggplant and zucchini with olive oil in a skillet. Set aside.

Cook the diced onions with olive oil in the same skillet. Stir in the minced garlic and add salt and pepper. Add diced bell pepper.

Add sliced tomatoes over the onions in the skillet. Cover and cook.

Add the eggplant and zucchini. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of parsley and fresh basil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Put 3 Tbsp or more of white wine. Adjust seasoning.

Serve with pork chop steak or sauted chicken.

Bon appetit!