Brown Rice Ratatouille

Brown Rice Ratatouille

Yield: 10-12 servings

Prep: 10 min

Cook: 3 hr 20 min

Ready: 3 hr 30 min

Ingredients

• 2 cups of cooked organic brown rice

• 2 fresh Roma tomatoes (if available- if not then use canned San Marzano), sliced into very fine slices

• 1 green zucchini, sliced

• 1 yellow squash, sliced

• 2 small yellow onions, chopped

• 1 small eggplant, sliced into very fine slices (if you are on the Paleo diet you can substitute Turnips)

• 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil

• thyme leaves

• sea salt and pepper

• chicken or veggie stock to keep moist

Tomato Sauce

• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

• 2 cloves of garlic, processed

• 1 medium white onion, processed

• 16 ounce can (big one) of diced organic tomatoes, drained

• 2 round tbsp or a handful of thyme

• 1 bay leaf

• scant pinch powdered stevia

• sea salt to taste

Instructions

1. Start by making the sauce: combine the oil, garlic and onion into a large cast dutch oven over low heat until very soft, about ten minutes. Add the tomatoes, thyme and bay leaf and bring to a boil over medium heat. Mix in the Xylitol/Stevia, and reduce the heat and simmer until very soft and very little liquid remains, about 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt, and discard bay leaf. Smash with a masher to help break down tomatoes. Spread the sauce in the bottom of a 9 inch/2 quart baking dish.

2. Pre-heat the oven to 340°F. Arrange the vegetable slices (standing up) over the sauce until the pan is filled. Add the brown rice. Drizzle with the oil, sprinkle with the thyme, and season with salt and pepper.

3. Cut a round of parchment paper to fit the baking dish and then cover with lid or foil and crimp the edges to seal well. Bake for 2 hours. Uncover and bake for a further 30 minutes. Add chicken stock if it looks too dry. Stuff the mixture into the cavity of the Crown Roast Lamb. Serve warm.