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Southwest Style Ratatouille |
Corn, jalapeño pepper, cumin, and coriander give a twist of Southwest flavor to the classic French vegetable stew, ratatouille.
Ingredients
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 medium zucchini, lengthwise into four segments and then crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
Corn cut from one ear, uncooked or cooked (in a pinch, use frozen corn)
1/3 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 to 1 teaspoon minced fresh jalapeño pepper (wear rubber gloves when cutting)
1/2 cup diced tomatoes, fresh or canned
1/4-1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander or 2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
Most of the work in this dish is in the chopping and mincing of the ingredients. A corn stripper speeds up the job.
DIRECTIONS
Cover a 10-inch skillet with oil. Cook the onion in the oil over medium heat until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Add zucchini, bell pepper, and raw corn. If the corn is already cooked, add it at the end just to warm it.
Cook the vegetables for 2-3 minutes until softened.
NOTE: I had a baby eggplant from the garden so I added it along with zucchini. This is a very forgiving recipe. You can take liberties with the ingredients and quantities, depending on what you have available.
Add jalapeño pepper, tomato, and cooked corn.
Stir in the cumin and coriander. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste.
Maya (Mary Ann) Corrigan combines her passion for food and detection in her Five-Ingredient Mysteries featuring café manager Val and her live-wire grandfather, who solve murders in a historic town near the Chesapeake Bay. Each book has five suspects, five clues, and Granddad’s five-ingredient recipes. Visit her website for book news, five-ingredient recipes, mystery trivia, and a free culinary mystery story. Sign up for her newsletter to enter a drawing for a free book. One subscriber receives a free book each time a newsletter comes out.
Visit Maya at her website
Like her Facebook page
The winner can choose between these books. There's a clue-filled eerie house in both of them.
Crypt Suzette: When a deliberate murder masquerades as an accident after a Halloween
costume party, it takes Granddad's ghost-busting, Val's haunted house visit,
and a Halloween ruse to rip the mask off a killer.
The Tell-Tale Tarte: A dead-of-winter eerie tale. When an actor famed for his role as Edgar Allan Poe is
murdered, the search for his killer takes Val and Granddad to a Poe-inspired
author’s creepy “House of Usher” and to the cemetery where Poe is buried.
Leave a comment about corn or candy corn with your e-mail address by Sept 17 for a chance to win your choice of a haunting Five-Ingredient Mystery. The book giveaway applies to US addresses only.
Welcome, everyone! Please share a corny comment!
ReplyDeleteI always thought that ratatouille needed eggplant! I have all the ingredients to try your recipe for dinner tonight.
ReplyDeletesharonquilts@yahoodotcom
Sharon, you're right about ratatouille. The traditional version does need eggplant. But I have some eggplant avoiders in my family, so I latched onto this Southwest version which doesn't require it.
DeleteRatatouille is one of my favorite dishes. Yours is so appetizing and tasty. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting. I hope you have a chance to make the recipe and enjoy it.
DeleteCorn adds color and flavor to dishes. I enjoy this during the fall especially. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteCorn is a great addition to lots of dishes. I always buy extra so I have leftovers.
DeleteI love corn on the cob and can be corny myself.
ReplyDeleteI choose Candy Corn! Do you know where it gets it’s name? If you stack the Candy Corn, with the tips pointing inward, it makes a Corncob! Excited to show my 4 year old granddaughter this, when the Halloween Candy shows up!
ReplyDeleteI didn't know that. Thank you for commenting, Nancy.
DeleteI actually love candy corn!
ReplyDeleteI love candy corn - makes a great payday alternative - mix candy corn and salted peanuts.
ReplyDeletekkat(dot)edwards(at)gmail.(dot)com
I used to love Payday when I was growing up, but I never thought of your Payday alternative. Thanks for commenting, KKAT!
DeleteI try candy corn almost every year, but my taste buds never change. Candy corn is gross.
ReplyDeleteRebekah_trammell06(at)yahoo(dot)com
I love corn on the cob and hate candy corn. Thank you for the chance. pgenest57(at)aol(dot)com
ReplyDeleteI can eat about 10 pieces of candy corn a year but that’s it! Thank you for this chance.
ReplyDeletecupcakesannie@yahoo.com
I agree, Melissa. Halloween isn't the same without a taste of candy corn. But a taste is enough for me.
DeleteCandy corn is not a winner at my house.
ReplyDeleteLove that you've re-worked the recipe and left out eggplant. Very pretty.
libbydodd at comcast dot net
I have a candy corn eater at my house. I don't share the enthusiasm for it. Thanks for commenting.
DeleteI love candy corn. I just got a recipe for making copycat Butterfingers using candy corn that I'm excited to try.
ReplyDeletekozo8989(at)hotmail(dot)com
I used to buy the bags of Autumn Mix: candy corn, Indian candy corn, pumpkins. I don't know why. They all taste the same!
ReplyDeletepatdupuy@yahoo.com
Thanks for the recipe - I have family members who dislike eggplant. I
ReplyDeletehave all the ingredients on hand as I just shopped at the farmers market so it will be tonight's side dish.
jtcgc at yahoo dot com
I hope you enjoy the dish and thanks for commenting.
DeleteThis ratatouille looks tasty & so pretty. I love corn & can't stand candy corn.
ReplyDeleteturtle6422 at gmail dot com
I love to eat fresh, just-picked corn on-the-cob. Candy corn reminds me of my childhood. mountainsr4me@hotmail.com
ReplyDeleteThe ratatouille looks amazing, especially with all the fresh vegetables. Sweet corn is one of my summer favorites, however candy corn is a no-go for me. Thanks for the chance.
ReplyDeletediannekc8(at)gmail(dot)com
I love making and eating ratatouille. The addition of corn makes it even more attractive. In general, I like the look of candy corn more than I do the taste of it. Candy corn is a little more acceptable when it is packaged in a Harvest/Autumn Mix with pumpkins, several varieties of candy corn and sometimes other seasonal shaped candy figures.
ReplyDeleteNancy
allibrary (at) aol (dot) com
That's a great dish! I'll take corn over candy corn any day. lola777_22 at hotmail dot com
ReplyDeleteI am NOT a fan of candy corn.
ReplyDeletewskwared(at)yahoo(dot)com
My Father-in-law just introduced us to the Greek version of ratatouille called briami. The first time he messed up and threw some hot peppers in and it was excellent.
ReplyDeleteI love candy corn, especially as I can only eat a few and then I've got my sugar fill and stop eating. gigi24132 at icloud dot com
Thanks for commenting, Gigi. I'll have to look for a Greek version of ratatouille. I love Greek food.
DeleteYour ratatouille looks yummy! My son made ratatouille for us when he was testing recipes for his job while his place of employment was on shut down when this pandemic started. He made his with eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes and I don't remember what else, other than I don't think there was corn in it... but corn sounds like a good addition. Mickeymania1@aol.com
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting, Renee. What a joy to have a son who cooks! Mine also enjoys cooking, though it's not part of his job.
DeleteI like both corn and candy corn. These 2 books look great! lindaherold999(at)gmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting and good luck in the raffle.
DeleteI'm not a fan of candy corn. I might eat one or two pieces and then I'm good until next year. JL_Minter(at)hotmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteCandy Corn is one of my favorites! Thank you for the chance to win. aut1063(at)gmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteI like Candy Corn. I do also like the harvest Mix. The Candy Corn is included in the mix.
ReplyDeleteMarilynDKC[at]aol[dot]com
Candy Corn is not my favorite fall candy,but I do eat a few pieced.
ReplyDeleteJoanEC128[at]aol[dot]com
I do not eat Candy Corn. They are usually made near nuts, which I am allergic to. I eat Halloween Peeps.
ReplyDeleteMarionMPC[at]aol[dot]com
I like caramel flavored candy corn
ReplyDeletelindalou64(@)live(dot)com
I know a lot of people don't care for Candy Corn. I absolutely love candy corn. It does not last long in my house. Thank you for this chance to win. 1cow0993 [at]gmail[dot]com
ReplyDeleteRemember, never tell a secret in a corn field (or a corn Maze) - too many ears.....
ReplyDeletekpbarnett1941(at)aol(dot)com
I love corn. It is a great addition in so many dishes not to mention how great corn is all by itself.
ReplyDeletelaurie dot anismom2 at gmail dot com.