Ratatouille with Poached Eggs and Garlic Croutons

Name: Ratatouille with Poached Eggs and Garlic Croutons
Prep time: 1 h 45 min
Cook time: 1 h 45 min
Total time: 1 h 45 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Mediterranean, French, European
Ingredients: 1 Tbsp aged balsamic vinegar; 1 inch thick round slices baguette; 1 handful A fresh basil leaves, torn; 4 servings Freshly ground black pepper; 4 Tbsps butter; 680 grams eggplant, 1/2-inch dice; 4 extra larges or jumbo eggs; 794 grams San Marzano tomatoes for sweeter stew, or diced fire roasted tomatoes, for smokier stew; 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, finely chopped; 4 cloves garlic, 2 cloves finely chopped, 2 thinly sliced; 2 Tbsps extra-virgin olive oil; 2 mediums onion, 1/2-inch dice; 118 milliliters shredded or grated Parmigiano-Reggiano; 2 red bell peppers; 4 servings Salt; 2 teaspoons dried herbes de Provence or dried thyme leaves; 454 grams firm, small zucchini, 1/2-inch dice

You can never have too many main course recipes, so give Ratatouille with Poached Eggs and Garlic Croutons a try. One portion of this dish contains about 16g of protein, 27g of fat, and a total of 433 calories. This recipe serves 4. Head to the store and pick up rosemary, round baguette, thyme leaves, and a few other things to make it today. To use up the olive oil you could follow this main course with the Sauteed Banana, Granolan and Yogurt Parfait as a dessert. From preparation to the plate, this recipe takes roughly 1 hour and 45 minutes.

Instructions

Heat the oven to 375 degrees F.

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Oven

Melt the butter in small pot over low heat, then add the 2 cloves of chopped garlic.

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Butter

Clove

Garlic

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Pot

Let the garlic bubble for 2 minutes. In a medium bowl add the bread, 1 teaspoon dried herbes or thyme, about 1/3 palmful and the cheese.

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Cheese

Garlic

Bread

Thyme

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Bowl

Drizzle the garlic butter over the bread mixture and arrange the croutons on parchment lined baking sheet.

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Garlic Butter

Croutons

Bread

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Baking Sheet

Bake until golden and evenly brown, about 20 minutes.

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Oven

Remove from the oven and cool. Croutons may be stored in an airtight container for a couple of days in a cool place.

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Croutons

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Oven

Salt the eggplant and drain it in a colander for30 minutes to remove the bitterness from the eggplant.

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Eggplant

Salt

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Colander

Meanwhile, blacken the skins of the red peppers over open flame on the stove or under a hot boiler. If broiling, leave the oven ajar to allow the steam to escape.

Ingredients you will need

Red Pepper

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Oven

Put the blackened peppers in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let cool. Peel, seed and dice the peppers.

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Peppers

Wrap

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Plastic Wrap

Bowl

While peppers cool, heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat with extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan.

Ingredients you will need

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Peppers

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Dutch Oven

Frying Pan

Add the eggplant, zucchini, remaining sliced garlic, onions, rosemary and remaining 1 teaspoon of herbes or dried thyme. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, then cover the pot and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Crush the tomatoes by hand and add them to the pot. Stir in the red peppers and 1/2 tomato-can of water and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes to concentrate the flavors. Cool and store for a make-ahead meal.

Ingredients you will need

Salt And Pepper

Dried Thyme

Red Pepper

Eggplant

Rosemary

Tomato

Zucchini

Garlic

Onion

Water

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Pot

To serve, bring the ratatouille back to a simmer over medium heat, covered, then uncover and stir in the balsamic vinegar. Make 4 nests or wells in the ratatouille and crack an egg into each nest. Cover the pot and cook the eggs to desired doneness, about 2 to 5 minutes. Scoop the ratatouille and eggs into shallow bowls and top with croutons and torn basil.

Ingredients you will need

Balsamic Vinegar