Back-Burner Ratatouille

So good and so easy, this comforting Provencal dish is great warm as a side dish, or cold with cottage cheese for lunch. The leftovers just keep getting better. See footnote for oven and slow-cooker directions.

Step: 1

Pour diced tomatoes into a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-low heat; add zucchini, yellow squash, eggplant, and onion; stir once. Sprinkle salt over vegetables. Bring mixture to a boil and simmer until the vegetables start to cook down, 10 to 15 minutes; stir in Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and black pepper to taste.

Step: 2

Cook uncovered over medium-high heat until the sauce has reduced and vegetables are tender, about 1 hour, stirring often. (Or if preferred, cover pan and cook over low heat 2 to 3 hours.) Stir in tomato paste and adjust seasonings. Drizzle with olive oil just before serving.

Per Serving: 78 calories; protein 2g; carbohydrates 9.2g; fat 3.6g; sodium 455.5mg.

One of most clear way to pick a side dish is to look at your main dish (pasta, chicken, seared tofu) and pick more different. If you’re making pasta, go for a simple healthy dish . Making steak? Go for more light. If you’re want to cooking stir-fry with rice, it must not a best idea to also make a rice salad.

One make sure is also can make to cooking method . You don’t want to overcommit your oven by making to do list three dishes at once in there, or be juggling four pans on the cooking items . But often you can make a dish do double-duty .