By: Julie Miguel, Food Blogger
Ratatouille is my go-to fall dish when vegetables are in abundance. I love to cook using fresh, seasonal ingredients and I can’t resist buying them from my local market each week!
Although quite rewarding, the process of preparing a traditional French ratatouille is very time consuming and is something that is best reserved for a weekend meal. Typically, each vegetable is cooked separately, layered and baked. I absolutely love the flavours of a ratatouille so I have put together a delicious recipe that takes have the time to prepare without sacrificing flavour. And I’ve also added chicken for some extra protein!
My chicken ratatouille is made all in one skillet. Although it’s delicious on it’s own, try it atop a freshly toasted baguette smeared with goat cheese. The combination of tender chicken, fresh local vegetables and the creamy goat cheese is not only delicious but something your kids will love as well. For this recipe, I used LiberTerre Chicken Breast because they are air-chilled and stay juicy when cooked! You can also use chicken thighs or pork loin as an alternative.
This dish is extremely versatile as it also makes a great side dish or an easy brunch meal (simply add a fried egg on top and serve on a toasted baguette!). This dish is also ideal for leftovers because there is no need to heat it up before you enjoy it again. Simply coat your bread with goats cheese, fill with the leftover ratatouille and you have the most delicious sandwich!
Harvest Chicken Ratatouille
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Serves: 6
Ingredients
1 pound chicken breast, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 pound eggplant, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 Portobello mushrooms, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 pound zucchini, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 coloured peppers (about 1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 tomatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 tsp Oregano flakes, divided
¼ tsp chili flakes
Salt and Pepper to taste
Fresh chopped basil, for garnish
1 baguette cut into thick slices
1 cup goat cheese
Directions
Heat a large skillet to medium-high. Add oil to the skillet and heat. Add the chicken pieces to the skillet and season with salt, pepper and half of the oregano. Cook the chicken until it is evenly browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate and set it aside.
Add more oil to the skillet. Add onion, mushroom and eggplant to the skillet and season with a pinch of salt. Stir frequently until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
Add the zucchini, pepper and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about 5 minutes.
Add tomatoes, hot chili flakes, salt and the rest of the oregano. Return the cooked chicken to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally until vegetables are tender and chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes.
Serve warm with fresh chopped basil and a fresh baguette. Alternatively, grill slices of the baguette and top with goat cheese and ratatouille mixture – or an egg for brunch!
Make the most of the fall harvest!
