For some of my friends and family, the first question is going to be “What is Ratatouille?” Well, it is basically a French term for “tossed food” or “tossed vegetables”. The primary ingredients are tomatoes, zucchini, onions, peppers, and garlic. They are pretty much cooked together and produce wonderful flavors.

I decided to step mine up a bit and add some mushrooms, chicken, and grill it instead of cooking it traditionally. The flavors from the grilled vegetables will make you look at them in a different light. It is hard to believe what grilling can do to plants!

The chicken part of this dish is really not a part of Ratatouille per say, but my recipe combines the similar flavors so that the chicken goes hand in hand with the veggies.

As for presentation, the colors are so vibrant in this dish, short of serving it on a manhole cover, there really is no way to make this look unappealing.

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
• 4 cloves of garlic.
• 3 bell peppers (different color for each. I use red, yellow, green), halved, seeds and stems removed.
• 2 medium zucchini, cut in half.
• 1 large red onion cut into thick rings (don’t break them up).
• 1 container of cherry tomatoes (about 30).
• 1 container small whole fresh mushrooms (about 30, I used baby bellas).
• About 1 cup of white wine.
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley.
• 2 tablespoons Herbs De Provence, divided.
• Extra virgin olive oil.
• Salt and pepper.

Preparation:

First, you want to prepare a quick marinade for the chicken. I say quick because this marinade only needs to work the chicken for about 45 minutes to an hour.

In a small food processor add the garlic, parsley, 1 1/2 tablespoons Herbs De Provence, about 1/2 tablespoon of salt, and about a teaspoon of pepper. Process for about 2 seconds, then begin adding olive oil about a tablespoon at a time until you get a consistency of a thick Italian salad dressing. I usually eye this out so it is hard to give a measurement, but I would guess about 1/4 cup.

If the chicken breasts are really thick, place them between two sheets of plastic wrap and beat them on a cutting board to flatten them out. Add to a shallow container and pour the marinade all over them. Add the white wine. Flip the breasts over a few times until completely covered and put in the refrigerator for about 1/2 hour. In the meantime, you can prepare the veggies. When the 1/2 hour is up, take out so it can come to room temperature.

Meanwhile, preheat your grill. You want it quite hot.

On a large platter, lay out all of the remaining vegetables except for the tomatoes and mushrooms. Salt and pepper one side, and drizzle with olive oil lightly. Repeat on the other side. Cook on the grill for about a total of 4-5 minutes, turning half way through. The idea here is to soften the veggies a bit, but don’t over do it. They will continue to cook a bit after you take them off the grill. The onions may take longer than the rest of the veggies depending on how thick you cut them.

You will want to cut up the larger veggies such as the peppers, zucchini, and onions lightly on a cutting board after they are cooked. Keeping them large while your grilling keeps them from falling between the grates. 🙂 You will have a little time during the next step to do this.

Put the cooked veggies a bowl, and repeat the same preparation to the mushrooms and tomatoes. You want to cook these separate because the tomatoes and mushrooms cook much quicker. The last thing you want is squashed over cooked tomatoes! You may need to cook the mushrooms a little longer if they are much larger than the cherry tomatoes. Try one, make sure it is just soft to be sure.

Return these veggies into the same bowl with the others you cooked.

Place the chicken on the grill and cook until done, about 5-7 minutes depending on thickness.

Sprinkle the remaining Herbs De Provence on top of the veggies in the bowl and drizzle some olive oil LIGHTLY over the veggies. Gently toss the veggies two or three times to mix them up. Serve with the chicken.