Vegetarian Cluster Stew

This stew here is the epitome of the number one rule of vegetarianism. "The more colors, the more nutrients". Also keep in mind, try to stay away from frozen veggies, and cook with fresh vegetables. They're cheap at the produce section, and will make you feel a hundred times better-I cant stress it enough! This recipe is similar to the french vegetarian recipe, ratatouille, but my version is much spicier and well stranger. Its a cluster of everything.

Now pictured here, I'd prefer this with some Shock top Beer. And why? Well with such iron rich foods, you'll need Vitamin C to help soak up all the iron your body needs. And lets face it, at times beer is so much better than juice at the end of a badass/terrible/any day.

Prep Time: 10-15 minutes (depends how fast you can chop)

Cook Time:20-30 minutes

What you'll need:

2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon of Garlic

1 Small yellow onion/or red whichever you like more

1 medium green zucchini

1 small Eggplant

1 can of diced and unsalted tomatoes

1 cup of fresh broccoli, cauliflower, and carrot sticks(I just buy a fresh veggie pack at HEB-cost like $2.49)

1 package of Tasty Bite Barley Medley
1 cup of fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup of chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon of dried basil
1 tablespoon of cumin
1/8 tablespoon of cayenne
The juice of one lemon
salt and pepper to taste

**Easy to find. Look in the rice aisle where microwaved rice is.

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Chop the eggplant into bite sizes and drizzle with salt, pepper, dried basil, and olive oil. Place in oven for 20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile heat up skillet to medium heat and cook onions, garlic, and zucchini. Wait until zucchini has softened and onions have browned, stir occasionally.

3. Cook the Tasty Bite Barley Medley in microwave for 90 seconds. Set aside

4. Cook in a small pot, the broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots until the water is boiled and the veggies are softened and cooked enough to be put into the skillet-should take maybe 5-8 minutes to do so.Once done, add into the skillet and saute for a couple of minutes.

5.Add entire can of tomatoes to skillet and add some water to it. Pour in Barley Medley and stir.
(If eggplant is ready by time, go ahead and add in as well, if not you can still at it in at the end)

6. Stir in chopped flat leaf parsley and cilantro, cumin, cayenne, more salt and pepper to taste, and lemon juice. (The cilantro isn't necessary but so damn tasty!)

7. If need be add eggplant in now, if not stir all gradually and let cook for five more minutes.
And ready! Eat it up! Get yo veggin color on! Oooh!