I haven't been cooking much lately since I've been on this detox diet. What's the fun with vegetables, vegetables, more vegetables, tofu, tempeh, and a little grain?

Okay, if you know me, I suppose there's plenty of fun to be had with those ingredients, but I guess I've just been cranky without my beloved hot chiles.

Tonight, however, I felt like cooking something fabulous for myself. Inspired by recent trips to Chez Simone and La Note, I decided to have a ratatouille omelette.















Looks good, non? Though a little ratty around the edges, courtesy of my small spatula (and a little blurry overall, courtesy of my one handed camerawork).

It was so delicious, I decided to commit the recipe to le blog. I constructed it with what I had in my fridge and pantry, so obviously it requires no special ingredients, but it was still quite an impressive finished dish.

Ratatouille Omelette

You can be a rebel and use other vegetables (for example, I omitted the more traditional zucchini in favor of meaty mushrooms), but for me, ratatouille definitely requires five things -- garlic, onion, tomatoes, bell pepper, and eggplant.

1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium globe eggplant, sliced into rounds 1/2 inch thick
3-4 large garlic cloves, minced
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 large green bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
8 oz crimini mushrooms, quartered
1 15 oz can of diced tomatoes
5 or 6 basil leaves, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

4 eggs, beaten
1/2 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/3 cup grated parmesan, divided into 4 portions

chopped parsley for garnish

Note: I spray my eggplant slices with an oil sprayer before baking, but feel free to brush the slices with oil if you prefer. I also prep my vegetables while the eggplant is baking and cooling.

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Brush or spray eggplant slices with oil and place on a baking sheet. Bake eggplant for 15 minutes or until tender but still firm. Remove from oven and cool.

Heat olive oil in a one quart saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and onion and saute until onion begins to turn translucent. Add bell pepper and mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 or 5 minutes, or until vegetables begin to soften. Meanwhile chop eggplant into rough 1/2 inch cubes.

Add eggplant and canned tomatoes with juice, incorporating it into the other vegetables. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in chopped basil leaves, then remove from heat and set aside.

Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Mix rosemary into the beaten eggs. Pour half of the eggs into the skillet and sprinkle with 1/4 of the parmesan. Cook eggs until firm but still moist. Add 2-3 tablespoons of ratatouille to the eggs and fold the eggs over the ratatouille.

Plate the omelette and spoon 1 or 2 tablespoons of ratatouille over the top. Sprinkle with another 1/4 of the parmesan, and parsley. Repeat to make a second omelette.

Serves two, with plenty of ratatouille left over to eat on crostini, or with a little rice for lunch! :)