Recent studies have shown that people who ate diets rich in plant-based foods and fish – akin to the famous Mediterranean diet – had higher collections of inflammation fighting bacteria in their guts.
But perhaps you need some new inspiration to bring those bacteria busting plant-based foods to life? Well, we at Morocco Gold are very happy to oblige with a selection of our favourite Microbiome friendly recipes.
And, don’t forget, our new harvest of extra virgin olive oil is now available to purchase – meaning you can treat your meals to the freshest flavour direct from our olive groves in the foothills of Morocco’s Atlas Mountains.
This Chickpea Ratatouille recipe has some great ingredients and includes all the health benefits of extra virgin olive oil.
Chickpea Ratatouille With Extra Virgin Olive Oil Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp Morocco Gold Extra Virgin Olive Oil plus extra for drizzling
- 1 eggplant (large), cut into pieces (3-4 cm)
- 2 capsicums, cut into strips (1-2 cm)
- 2 zucchini (medium), cut into slices (1 cm)
- 1 lemon, zest only, no white pith
- 5 garlic cloves
- 3 - 4 sprigs fresh basil, stalks and leaves separated
- 1 red onion (large), cut into quarters
- 2 fresh tomatoes, cut into pieces
- 400g canned chopped tomatoes
- 1 ½ tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 300g fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into halves, if preferred
- 80g pitted Kalamata olives, drained
- Salt, to taste
- Ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat a large frying pan over high heat and add 3 tablespoons of Morocco Gold Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Add eggplant, capsicum and zucchini and cook for approx.15 minutes, stirring frequently, until golden and softened. Cover frying pan with a lid, reduce heat to low and cook for a further 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Turn off the heat but leave the vegetables covered, in frying pan.
- Place grated lemon zest into a small bowl and set aside. Place chopped garlic and basil stalks into mixing bowl. Add chopped onion. Add remaining 1 tablespoon Morocco Gold Extra Virgin Olive Oil and cook for 5 min. Add fresh and canned tomatoes and balsamic vinegar and cook for 14 min. Add green beans and cook until beans are cooked.
- Transfer cooked vegetables from the frying pan into the serving dish. Place the serving dish onto mixing bowl lid, then weigh olives and chickpeas into it. Add reserved lemon zest and ½ of the reserved basil leaves. Pour tomato mixture over the top and gently combine with the spatula. Season with salt and pepper, then top the chickpea ratatouille with remaining basil leaves and an extra drizzle of olive oil to serve.
