I’ve always wanted to give this a try. Ever since I watched the little rat who could cook this dish perfectly in Ratatouille! The vibrant colours just catches my eye instantly, and I think it’s such a celebratory dish – A celebration of colours!
Also, it was my brother’s birthday and I just wanted to cook him something special! Of course, I didn’t only cook him one dish, I made 4! haha This dish pairs perfectly with seafood, so I made some white wine and cream mussels, homemade garlic bread and mushroom risotto! Mmmm!
Don’t you love just cooking for people you love? It’s seriously something I love to do. And seeing their reaction when they take the first bite, it’s worth all the time and effort!
Making the ratatouille was so much fun! One reason was that I got to play with the mandolin. Slicing those vegetables into the same thickness couldn’t be any easier! Fastest prep ever! haha So if you would like to impress your guest the next time u cook for them, I highly recommend making them ratatouille! My family loved how it looked, and enjoyed every single bite!
Ratatouille (Adapted from The Walsh Cookbook)
Ingredients :
1 medium green zucchini
1 medium yellow zucchini
1 eggplant (preferably the thin ones)
1 red capsicum
1 yellow/green capsicum
3 tomatoes
1 red onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 can of tomato puree
1 tsp red chilli flakes
1 tsp italian herbs/ mixed herbs
1 tsp salt
2 tbs olive oil
Parmesan cheese
Steps :
1) Preheat oven to 170 degrees celcius. Try to get the vegetables around the same size, so that they would look neater in your dish! Slice all the vegetables using a mandolin and set aside.
2) Heat a cast iron pot (or any pot that can be used in an oven) over a medium-high flame. Add the olive oil, garlic and onion and sauté till fragrant, careful not to burn them, as they will have a bitter after taste. Add in the tomato puree, salt, herbs & chilli flakes, and allow it to simmer for 5 mins.
3) Carefully arrange the vegetables, alternating the slices of zucchini, eggplant, capsicum and tomato. Continue laying them till you fill your dish and cover with a baking paper to allow it to steam and cook, keeping all the juices in. Bake for 45 mins.
4) Remove the baking paper and sprinkle the parmesan cheese over the top and serve!
How easy is that? And I can promise you that everyone will definitely enjoy this! So definitely give it a try when you can!
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Okie. So now… time for the GIVEAWAY!
So everyone knows the one event I look forward to every year is no doubt the Melbourne Good Food and Wine Show. Endless food & wine, beautiful produce and you get to meet your favourite chefs!
This year, I am lucky enough to be given 2 double passes to giveaway to my readers! Whoopeedoo! What’s more exciting is that this year, Ainsley Harriott will be there for all 4 days of the show (5-8 June), along with Miguel Maestre & Alastair McLeod! So you definitely don’t want to miss the show this year! I can still remember when the Mr bought me tickets to a Private Dining session with Manu Feildel 3 years ago! Definitely a dream come true and an experience I will never forget!
How do you win those tickets? Easy!
- Leave a comment and share with me the favourite dish you love to cook for your loved ones for a special occasion!
- This giveaway is only open to Australian residents! (Sorry international readers!)
- Please join me on my journey! Follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter! Let me know once you have followed me!
- You may re-enter daily! One entry a day! (Oh yeah!)
- Winners will be announced on the 29th of April, 10pm.
- Winners will be picked via random.org and notified on this blog post and via email.
So what are you waiting for? Let’s go!
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WINNERS!
Congratulations to Good Food Good Karma and Ross! Here’s what they said :
Salmon and roast! Two delicious things I too would cook for loved ones at a special occasion! Congrats again and I will be in contact with you soon, through email! Thanks everyone for participating!
Disclaimer : The tickets were given in compliments of Red Agency and I wasn’t paid to run this giveaway.
Food Made With Love 
I love the colours in this!
My favourite dish to cook for a special occasion would be my Moroccan Lamb Tangine. The meat is super tender in it. 🙂
Ooooo! Love cooking in a tangine! Makes the meat flavoursome and tender!
So true!!
I totally want another entry in this Comp!
Another one of my favourite things to make is Banoffe Pie. It looks impressive but is so easy to make, plus it is delicious!
YUM! If you have a recipe to share, would love it!
I love making Risotto for my family.
I love making risotto for my family too! Delish!
I love to cook prosciutto-wrapped barbecued prawns, served with a spicy dipping sauce. The meal is quick to prepare, easy to cook, and looks so impressive! It’s always a winner 😉
Sound absolutely divine!! (:
Another I love to cook is Leek and Potato soup – just right for a miserable day like today.
Winter warmers! Hope you are having a better day!
I love making a roast because you just put it in the oven and then you can read a book( or entertain guests) while it cooks!
That’s the kind of meals I love now that I have a bubba!
Naw! Btw- Your bubba is so adorable.
Hi lovely! Just letting you know that you’re one of the winners of the double pass to the Melbourne GFWS!!! Congrats!! Will be contacting you through email by today! Thanks for entering! x
Yay!! Thanks so much!!
Could you let me know your email? Thanks!
Karma.oliveria@gmail.com. 🙂
Thank you! Will email u soon! x
Another dish I love to make is slow-roasted lamb in the oven. Takes a long time, but is so worth it! I marinate a 2-kilo leg of lamb for 12 hours overnight (7pm – 7am), then put it into a low oven (100 degrees C) for 12 hours (7am – 7pm). The meat is SO TENDER, the fat has drained away, and the bone simply pulls right out! And what’s more, the whole house smells divine all day while it’s cooking 🙂
That sounds amazing!! Love it when the whole house smells of the lovely aromas of whats for dinner! (:
I also love cooking BBQ Salmon – always a favourite for a special occasion.
Sounds amazing Ross!
Just want to let you know that you’re the second winner of the double passes to the GFWS! Have a great time! Will be contacting you through email soon! x
Thanks! I’ve sent my email via a Twitter DM.
Here is another entry! I also love to make a beef pie- it tastes so great when made from scratch. It may be a bit more work, but it is totally worth it. 😀
Another one I love to make for a special occasion is Rack of Lamb – always a favourite in our family.
Here is another entry! 😀 I also love making lamb curry – with garlic naan, raita and papadums. It is a massive meal!
Another I cook for a special occasion is Roast Pork with crispy crackling and home made Apple Sauce.
My grandmother passed her Swedish Apple Pie recipe on to me. I love to make it for group dinners and events. It’s always a hit and its perfect comfort food – especially this time of year!
I love cooking my Persian prune and chicken dish with rice – yum yum! There is even a movie named after this dish.
On special occasions, I love to cook french onion soup followed by cider chicken with braised apples followed by chocolate mousse – yum!
Here is another entry! I also love to make a salmon olive oil base pasta. Super yummy and super easy -perfect for guests!
That sounds amazing!