This Grilled Summer Ratatouille recipe was sponsored by Mazola. Thanks for reading and supporting the brands that make this blog possible.
Todayās recipe is a grilled summer ratatouille, made with MazolaĀ® Corn Oil instead of olive oil. If you follow this blog, you may know Iām an olive oil girl.
For the same reason, this ratatouille is the story of a swap or, more precisely, three swaps that make it better for you. Please, keep reading.
What is Ratatouille?
Ratatouille is a classic French dish that is made out of vegetables harvested during the summer season: eggplants, peppers, summer squashes, tomatoes, and zucchinis.
Because this is a ProvenƧal-Mediterranean dish, itās usually cooked with olive oil.
But, as I said before, I made it with corn oil. So, the first swap, checked! Just in case you didnāt know it, I was born and raised in Venezuela, where corn oil is king. It was a staple in both my grandmaās and my momās kitchens. One of the things that I like the most about corn oil is its neutral taste that allows the natural flavors of your food to stand out.
Cooking with Corn Oil vs. Olive Oil
Corn oil is an all-purpose, cholesterol-free cooking oil. In addition, it has more cholesterol-blocking plant sterols than other cooking oils: four times more than extra virgin olive oil and one and a half times more than canola oil. Clinical studies show that when consumed as part of a diet low in cholesterol and saturated fat, plant sterols can help reduce the absorption of cholesterol (to learn more about this claim, see mazola.com).
There is more. All cooking oils have a smoke point that, once itās surpassed, negatively affects not only the foodās flavor but also its nutritional value. The smoke point of corn oil is at 450ĖF, which means higher than most cooking oils.
If all this seems too scientific for a cooking blog, please bear with me: as a said before, learning about this is a game-changer that makes corn oil a smart heart-healthy choice for me and my family. SeeĀ mazola.comĀ for more information on the relationship between corn oil and heart health.
What to Cook with Corn Oil
Corn oil can be used to make dressings or marinades, for baking, sautĆ©ing, stir-frying, and grilling. And yes, thatās my second swap: I grilled my ratatouille instead of cooking it on the stove. Isnāt that cool? After all, everything tastes better when you grill it, especially during the hot summer days.
I love to have my grilled summer ratatouille as an appetizer or side dish, and I love leftovers either with rustic bread of with pasta. But today Iām proposing you a third swap. What if instead of pasta or bread we have zoodles or zucchini noodles? Another win for sure!
Grilled Ratatouille Recipe
Without further ado, following is my delicious grilled summer ratatouille. I hope you like it as much as I do. I would like to thank Mazola not only for sponsoring this recipe but for providing such valuable information.
Thank you for subscribing to my Youtube channel and visiting my Amazon store.
Grilled Ratatouille
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup MazolaĀ® Corn Oil
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 sprig of fresh rosemary
- 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
- Ā½ red onion quartered
- 1 eggplant cut in Ā½ inch cubes
- 1 zucchini cut in Ā½ inch cubes
- 1 yellow squash cut in Ā½ inch cubes
- 2 to tomatoes cut in Ā½ inch cubes
- 1 red bell pepper julienned
- 1 yellow bell pepper julienned
- 1 green bell pepper julienned
- Coarse sea salt
- Black pepper freshly ground
- Fresh parley to garnish
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add all the veggies.
- Add the oil, herbs, salt and pepper.
- With your hands mix to make sure all the veggies are well coated with the oil.
- Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Preheat the grill to medium high.
- Brush a grill pan or basket with oil.
- Grill the veggies, stirring occasionally until they are tender, 10-15 minutes.
- Veggies taste better when they are somewhat charred.
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
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