LIFESTYLE NEWS - A simple recipe for the family to enjoy together.
Cheese Waffles with Mushroom Ratatouille
Serves 4-6 (Makes 6 large waffles)
Ingredients:
Ratatouille:
- 1 aubergine, diced
- 1 white onion, diced
- 1 red pepper, diced
- 1 yellow pepper, diced
- 1 large courgette, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 400g mixed mushrooms, sliced if large, whole if baby buttons
- 1 x 400g tin diced tomatoes
- 3-5 sprigs fresh thyme
- Handful fresh basil leaves, roughly torn
Waffles:
- 170g plain flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 225ml milk, room temperature
- 2 large free-range eggs, room temperature
- 75g butter, melted and cooled
- 75g Parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 Tbsp fresh chives, finely sliced, plus extra for garnish
- 250ml plain yoghurt, for serving
- Olive oil, for cooking
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Method:
For the ratatouille:
- Heat a generous drizzle of olive oil in a large Dutch oven / deep saucepan over a medium heat.
- Add the aubergine and cook until golden and softened, but not cooked through.
- Add the onion, peppers, courgette, garlic and mushrooms.
- Sauté until fragrant and the veg begins to soften.
- Pour in the tin of tomatoes, and rinse the tin out with a little water and pour it in too.
- Add the thyme sprigs.
- Season generously with salt and pepper.
Top tip: if your tinned tomatoes are too acidic add a little pinch of sugar to mimic a deliciously sweet sun ripened tomato.
- Mix well and cover.
- Simmer over a low heat for 15 - 20 minutes until thickened and all the veg are juicy and tender.
- Taste to adjust seasoning and then scatter over the fresh basil leaves.
For the waffles:
- Combine flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl and whisk.
- In a separate bowl, whisk milk, eggs and butter together.
- Pour the wet into the dry and whisk until smooth.
- Fold the cheese and chives into the batter with a spatula.
- Preheat waffle maker.
Top tip: If you do not have a waffle maker you can use this batter in a non-stick frying pan with a little olive oil and just make savoury pancakes!
- Depending on the size of your waffle maker, use a ladle or half cup measure to just cover the waffle iron with batter.
- Don’t be tempted to overfill.
- Cook until golden and crisp. Depending on your brand of waffle maker - around 4 minutes.
- Transfer cooked waffles onto a cooling rack and repeat with the rest of the batter.
To serve:
- Plate waffles and spoon over a generous amount of warm mushroom ratatouille.
- Finish with a dollop of yoghurt and scatter with fresh chives. Enjoy!
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