A 'Little Chef' with a Big Idea

Written by Victoria Andersen
Part of National Nutrition Month 2012


For any of us that have seen the movie, “Ratatouille”, we know that it is about a small mouse that becomes a renowned chef. For his final creation, he constructs a Ratatouille dish that has everyone asking for more. But, maybe his culinary masterpiece has more to offer than just a top rating for his restaurant.

As I was browsing through this year’s National Nutrition Month materials, I came across a list of NNM recipes to get people on track to a more “fit” plate. One of these dishes was Ratatouille topped with Quinoa. I have never tasted any version of the dish, let alone cooked it, but I saw how bright and nutrient dense it could be, so I decided to give it a try.

When I was making the ratatouille, it struck me how colorful the dish was. It was popping with red, yellow, green, and even purple! The plethora of colorful vegetables made it a delicious and easy way to get multiple servings of vegetables and a variety of nutrients all at once. Additionally, the dish was topped with Quinoa, a whole grain that is high in protein. This is especially great for any vegetarians out there that need some additional protein in their diet. Finally, it is topped off with cheese, which added some dairy to the dish. All these ingredients combined make for a delicious meal and a simple way to get your plate in shape.

Baked Quinoa Ratatouille

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 red onion, thinly sliced

14 1⁄2 – ounce can diced tomatoes with liquid

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon dried basil

1⁄2 teaspoon dried oregano

1⁄2 teaspoon dried thyme

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1 large eggplant (about 1 pound) cubed

1 green pepper, thinly sliced

2 zucchini squash, sliced

1 yellow summer squash, sliced

1 cup cooked quinoa

3⁄4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and onion slices, and sauté for 5 minutes until softened.

3. Stir in the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, oregano, thyme and parsley. Continue to cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

4. Layer half of the tomato and onion mixture in the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Top with all of the uncooked sliced and cubed vegetables, then add the remaining tomato and onion mixture. Spread the cooked quinoa on top and sprinkle with the shredded cheese.

5. Cover with foil and bake for 40 to 45 minutes. Remove the foil for the last 5 minutes of cooking.

References

Lewis, B. (Producer), and Bird, B. (Director). (2007). Ratatouille (Motion Picture). United States: Disney and Pixar.

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. (2012). National Nutrition Month 2012 Recipes. Retrieved from http://www.eatright.org/nnm/. 

Like this post?  Read more Get Your Plate in Shape posts!