Traditional ratatouille with crispy fried tofu

Ratatouille is great tossed through freshly cooked vegan pasta.

TIP: Well-drained firm tofu can simply be pan-fried in a little oil, but adding seasonings below takes it up a notch or two. Pan-fry tofu in 2 batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding the pan.

Organic savoury yeast flakes are used to season food. A sprinkle adds flavour to sauces, dressings and soups. Use in the place of cheese.

¼ teaspoon organic garlic powder = 1 clove fresh garlic.

Ratatouille

4 Tbsp	Olive oil
2	Onions, thinly sliced
2 cloves	Garlic, crushed
1	Eggplant, cut into 2.5cm pieces
2	Red capsicums, cut in half, deseeded, cut into 2.5cm pieces
4 small	Zucchini, trimmed and cut into 2.5cm pieces
3 large	Ripe tomatoes, skinned, deseeded and roughly chopped (Main)
1 serving	Sea salt and cracked black pepper
1 large handful	Basil leaves

Crispy fried tofu

300 g	Firm tofu, well drained and cut into 2.5cm cubes (Main)
3 Tbsp	Savoury yeast flakes, (nutritional yeast)
2 Tbsp	Flour
2 tsp	Garlic powder
2 Tbsp	Olive oil
1 serving	Sea salt and cracked black pepper

Directions

Ratatouille

1. Heat the oil in a large heavy-based saucepan. Add the onions and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes or until soft and just beginning to colour.
2. Add the garlic, eggplant and capsicums. Stir well to combine then cover and cook gently over low heat for 20-25 minutes.
3. Add the zucchini and tomatoes and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cover again and cook for a further 20-25 minutes until the vegetables are very tender. Stir through half of the basil leaves.
4. Serve ratatouille topped with the remaining basil leaves, crispy fried tofu (recipe below) and if wished, crusty bread.

Crispy fried tofu

1. Place the yeast flakes, flour and garlic powder in a shallow bowl and mix well. Add the tofu and toss gently to coat the tofu.
2. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the tofu and pan-fry until golden and lightly crispy on all sides - it doesn't take long. Season tofu with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

See another one of Kathy's simple vegan dinner recipes

• Warm vegetable and Kiwi quinoa salad with preserved lemon dressing