Monday, September 14, 2020

Ratatouille by Maya Corrigan #Giveaway

The colors of this Southwest Ratatouille, made with corn and other fresh vegetables, remind me of candy corn, maybe because I just saw the Halloween candy on display at the supermarket. Don't miss the GIVEAWAY. Scroll down and leave a comment about corn or candy corn for a chance to win a Five-Ingredient mystery.

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


GIVEAWAY

The winner can choose between these books. There's a clue-filled eerie house in both of them.  

Crypt SuzetteWhen 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. 



72 comments:

  1. Welcome, everyone! Please share a corny comment!

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  2. I always thought that ratatouille needed eggplant! I have all the ingredients to try your recipe for dinner tonight.
    sharonquilts@yahoodotcom

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    1. 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.

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  3. Ratatouille is one of my favorite dishes. Yours is so appetizing and tasty. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

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    1. Thanks for commenting. I hope you have a chance to make the recipe and enjoy it.

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  4. Corn adds color and flavor to dishes. I enjoy this during the fall especially. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com

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    Replies
    1. Corn is a great addition to lots of dishes. I always buy extra so I have leftovers.

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  5. I love corn on the cob and can be corny myself.

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  6. I 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!

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    1. I didn't know that. Thank you for commenting, Nancy.

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  7. I love candy corn - makes a great payday alternative - mix candy corn and salted peanuts.

    kkat(dot)edwards(at)gmail.(dot)com

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    1. I used to love Payday when I was growing up, but I never thought of your Payday alternative. Thanks for commenting, KKAT!

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  8. I try candy corn almost every year, but my taste buds never change. Candy corn is gross.
    Rebekah_trammell06(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  9. I love corn on the cob and hate candy corn. Thank you for the chance. pgenest57(at)aol(dot)com

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  10. I can eat about 10 pieces of candy corn a year but that’s it! Thank you for this chance.
    cupcakesannie@yahoo.com

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    1. I agree, Melissa. Halloween isn't the same without a taste of candy corn. But a taste is enough for me.

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  11. Candy corn is not a winner at my house.
    Love that you've re-worked the recipe and left out eggplant. Very pretty.
    libbydodd at comcast dot net

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    1. I have a candy corn eater at my house. I don't share the enthusiasm for it. Thanks for commenting.

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  12. I love candy corn. I just got a recipe for making copycat Butterfingers using candy corn that I'm excited to try.
    kozo8989(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  13. 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!
    patdupuy@yahoo.com

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  14. Thanks for the recipe - I have family members who dislike eggplant. I
    have 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

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    Replies
    1. I hope you enjoy the dish and thanks for commenting.

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  15. This ratatouille looks tasty & so pretty. I love corn & can't stand candy corn.
    turtle6422 at gmail dot com

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  16. I love to eat fresh, just-picked corn on-the-cob. Candy corn reminds me of my childhood. mountainsr4me@hotmail.com

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  17. The 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.
    diannekc8(at)gmail(dot)com

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  18. 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.

    Nancy
    allibrary (at) aol (dot) com

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  19. That's a great dish! I'll take corn over candy corn any day. lola777_22 at hotmail dot com

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  20. I am NOT a fan of candy corn.
    wskwared(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  21. 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.
    I 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

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    1. Thanks for commenting, Gigi. I'll have to look for a Greek version of ratatouille. I love Greek food.

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  22. Your 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

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    1. Thanks for commenting, Renee. What a joy to have a son who cooks! Mine also enjoys cooking, though it's not part of his job.

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  23. I like both corn and candy corn. These 2 books look great! lindaherold999(at)gmail(dot)com

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    1. Thanks for commenting and good luck in the raffle.

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  24. I'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

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  25. Candy Corn is one of my favorites! Thank you for the chance to win. aut1063(at)gmail(dot)com

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  26. I like Candy Corn. I do also like the harvest Mix. The Candy Corn is included in the mix.
    MarilynDKC[at]aol[dot]com

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  27. Candy Corn is not my favorite fall candy,but I do eat a few pieced.
    JoanEC128[at]aol[dot]com

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  28. I do not eat Candy Corn. They are usually made near nuts, which I am allergic to. I eat Halloween Peeps.
    MarionMPC[at]aol[dot]com

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  29. I like caramel flavored candy corn
    lindalou64(@)live(dot)com

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  30. 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

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  31. Remember, never tell a secret in a corn field (or a corn Maze) - too many ears.....

    kpbarnett1941(at)aol(dot)com

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  32. I love corn. It is a great addition in so many dishes not to mention how great corn is all by itself.
    laurie dot anismom2 at gmail dot com.

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  33. I love corn but candy corn is pretty awful. Labyrd@msn.com

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  34. You can feedme corn in just about any variation. I like candy corn as well and find it addictive. Corn!

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  35. I love fresh two coloured corn in season. Candy corn is good but too sweet for me. (jackietansky@gmail.comj

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    1. That's my favorite kind of corn too! Thanks for commenting.

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  36. I love Ratatouille. I make it as an 'end of the season' dish when it gets to this time of year. I throw a little bit of everything in with lots of garlic and cheese. We like it!
    I loved your comments about Agatha Christie's birthday on the 15th. That is also my grandfather's birthday, although he is 7 years younger than she.
    I get your newsletter, but have to use my husband's google account because my computer hates Chrome.
    Janet Graham
    jnegraham@yahoo.com

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  37. I enjoy eating corn with nothing on it, straight from a steamed cob. This recipe sounds good, and the books sound great!

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    1. Thank you for commenting, Lisa. I also enjoy corn on the cob with nothing on it.

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  38. I usually freeze corn for the winter but wasn't able to have a garden this year.

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  39. I love candy corn! Thanks for the chance.
    Jess
    maceoindo(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  40. i love candy corn! also love corn on the cob! thanks for the chance to win! amandasmother(at)aol(dot)com

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  41. Candy corn has it's own holiday. October 30th is National Candy Corn day! I love candy corn!

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  42. I like white corn on the cob raw. lkish77123 at gmail dot com

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  43. I have to have Candy Corn in the house at halloween, it is our family tradition.

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  44. I dont really care for candy corn at all. But I LOVE corn on the cob. Boiled, with butter and salt! Thanks for the chance to win! ladyofshalott03(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  45. I love all the post about candy corn I also love it and think you can't have Halloween with out it!(now I want so)! Thank you I also love your books, and can't wait for Gingerdead Man peace4ever1983@att.net

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    1. Thank you, Peace, for the kind words about my books. Good luck in the raffle.

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  46. I love Candy corn...trad flavor preferred!

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  47. I love corn on the cob (my grandfather grew corn on his Kansas farm), but I really can't stand candy corn.

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  48. I love candy corn, not just at Halloween, but anytime. Your recipe looks great, but I am not one for spicy. Would love to win and read these books for Halloween. Thanks for the chance. Luckdragon04rn (at) aol (dot) com.

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    1. Thanks for your comment, Lois. If you leave out the jalapeño pepper, it isn't spicy and still tastes great.

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  49. This sounds so good and so do your books. Right now one of the local corn growers here in Iowa is selling their corn so this dish would be perfect with that corn and we also are canning our tomatoes so that also works. Thank you for coming today! peggy clayton ptclayton2 at aol dot com

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    1. Thank you for taking the time to comment, Peggy. Where I live, the local corn is gone for the season and I miss it.

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  50. I remember when Candy Corn came in only one flavor! But I guess actual corn stated out one flavor (or color) also and now there is a variety. I don't think I have read The Tell-Tale Tarte yet.
    LaurasReadingBlog (at) gmail DOT com

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  51. This looks delicious, thanks for sharing this recipe.

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  52. I love the recipe! I’ve still not used fresh corn right off the cob like that in a recipe, but I keep thinking I’m going to. legallyblonde1961@yahoo.com

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  53. Yummy recipe, thanks so much. I love fresh cob corn..what a summer treat for sure, candy corn is good for a 4 maybe 6 piece Autumn treat. Sadly, I've not read either book but would truly love either one!!! nani_geplcs(at)yahoo(dot)com

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