Ratatouille with Feta Gratin

This is a light version of a classic dish and the topping of bread and feta turn it into a vegetarian main meal. Eggplant is rich in anti-oxidants and may help to protect against cancer and heart disease. It also contains vitamin K, needed to regulate blood clotting, some foliate for heart health and a useful amount of fiber.

Ingredients serve 4

1 eggplant (300g)

1 onion (150g)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 clove garlic, crushed

2 zucchini

4 large tomatoes

2 tablespoons tomato paste

4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

4 fresh basil sprigs

Topping

2 slices Wholemeal bread

180 g feta, reduced fat if you prefer

1 tablespoon olive oil

Method

1. Trim and discard the stalk end of the eggplant and cut the flesh into 1 cm cubes. Chop the onion. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a high heat, add the onion and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the eggplant, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.

2. Cut the zucchini into 1 cm cubes. Add them to the pan and continue to cook for a further 2 minutes, stirring occasionally until the vegetables start to brown.

3.  Preheat the grill to the hottest setting. Dice the tomatoes then add them along with the tomato paste to the pan. Stir in 90 ml of cold water. Heat the mixture until simmering, cover and cook over a medium to medium-low heat for 8-10 minutes. Stir in the parsley and transfer to a shallow ovenproof dish.

4.  For the topping, cut the bread into 1 cm cubes. Crumble the feta into a bowl, add the bread then pour over the oil and toss to coat. Sprinkle the topping over the ratatouille and grill for 1-2 minutes or until the cheese softens and the bread browns. Strip the leaves from the basil sprigs and sprinkle them over the ratatouille before serving.

Note: Modern varieties off eggplant shouldn’t require degorging (salting) to draw out the bitterness. Add any other quick cooking vegetable you may have available such as capsicum.