very veggie ragout

Half way between a ratatouille and a succotash, this vegetable ragout is hearty and full of bright flavors! This dish is great on its own or spooned over top of pasta or even scrambled eggs. Don't be daunted by the long cook time or long list of ingredients, this dish is one of those "throw everything into a pot and heat 'er up" type of recipes!

Very Veggie Ragout





Total Recipe cost: $9.03
Servings Per Recipe: 8 (1.5 cups ea.)
Cost per serving: $1.13
Prep time: 10 min. Cook time: 45 min. Total: 55 min.

INGREDIENTS		COST
2 large	zucchini	$1.36
16 oz. pkg	frozen lima beans	$0.96
1 cup	frozen corn kernels	$0.47
14.5 oz. can	chicken broth	$0.77
28 oz. can	crushed tomatoes in sauce	$1.00
1 large	eggplant	$2.09
1 med	onion	$0.77
2 Tbsp	butter	$0.25
1 Tbsp	olive oil	$0.16
1 Tbsp	dried basil	$0.10
1 Tbsp	dried parsley	$0.10
1/2 tsp	dried oregano	$0.05
1/2 tsp	salt	nada
10-15 cranks	fresh ground black pepper	nada
TOTAL		$9.03

STEP 1: Heat olive oil and butter in the bottom of a large pot over medium heat. Dice the onion and add to pot. Cook the onion (stirring occasionally) until it is soft and transparent.

STEP 2: While the onion is cooking, cube the eggplant (about 1 inch cubes). Leave the skin on the eggplant for added texture and fiber (yay fiber!). Add to the pot with the onions. Continue to cook and stir occasionally to make sure all of the vegetables contact the heat on the bottom of the pot.

STEP 3: While the eggplant is cooking, chop the zucchini. I like to do half moons with the squash to add variety to the shape of the vegetables. Add the zucchini to the pot along with the salt and pepper. The salt will draw the juices out from the vegetables and help them to soften. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally until the squash has slightly softened.

STEP 4: Once the squash has softened, add the canned tomatoes, chicken broth, lima beans, corn and herbs (basil, parsley, oregano).

STEP 5: Let the pot simmer over low-medium heat until most of the juice has evaporated and you are left with a thick stew/ragout texture. THE END! Now, that wasn't so hard, was it?

Usually, instead of two zucchini I use one summer squash and one zuccini but there was no summer squash to be found at the store today :( Also, when I have a very veggie-full recipe I like to stop at the produce stand to make sure I get the best produce and the best price. Grocery store prices on produce are almost always higher than the produce stand. Unfortunately, due to the exhausting heat outside and my long list of errands I was not able to make it to the produce stand today. SO, if you make it to the produce market you will most likely be able to make this recipe for far less money than I did!

I LOVE VEGETABLES!