Mediterranean Eggplant & Chicken

Do you ever get sick of the same flavors over and over again in your meal rotation? I do. We eat a lot of italian, mexican, and american inspired foods. Out of the ordinary is asian or greek. But even those get old!

I bought an eggplant recently with no real plan for it. When it came to find a recipe for it that wasn't the boring ol' standards, I came across an interesting recipe at AllRecipes.com. It was mediterranean and had lots of great ingredients- so I gave it a whirl with some modifications.

Oh my, yes! This was the change I was looking for! The sauteed eggplant flavor was subtle and really really good. Then with the feta, olives, and chicken- very tasty! I highly recommend this one if you're looking for something to break the cycle.


Mediterranean Eggplant & Chicken
Inspired by AllRecipes.com

• 1 Eggplant, sliced lengthwise
  
• 1 Tomato & 2 Tbsp. Water, or 2 Tbsp. Tomato Paste
  
• 1 Small Onion, chipped
  
• 1 Clove of Garlic, minced
  
• 2 Chicken Breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
  
• 1/4 C. Feta Cheese
  
• 1 Small Can of Whole Black Olives (or Kalmata olives would be great!)
  
• 1 tsp. Dried Oregano
  
• 1/2 C. Water
  
• 1 Tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar

1. Lightly salt both sides of the eggplant slices and place them in a colander in the sink. Let them stand for 25-30 minutes so the eggplant will "sweat" out the bitterness.
   
2. In the meantime, chop the tomato and saute in a large pan over medium heat with the 2 Tbsp. water until it is reduced. When reduced down, remove from the pan and set aside.
   
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
   
4. Rinse the eggplant slices when they are done sweating. Drizzle some oil in the saute pan and heat on medium. Cook the eggplant slices in a single layer until browned- flipping once to cook the other side. Cook in batches if necessary.
   
5. As eggplant finishes cooking, place the slices in a large casserole dish, layering on the bottom.
   
6. In the saute pan, cook the onion and garlic for 1-2 minutes. Add in the chicken pieces and continue to cook until the chicken is about half cooked.
   
7. Stir in the 1/2 cup of water, oregano, balsamic vinegar, and reduced tomato. If using tomato paste, add it in now. Let simmer for 5-10 minutes until chicken is cooked and sauce is thickened. Stir in drained black olives.
   
8. Sprinkly a generous amount of feta on top of the eggplant layer. Then pour on the chicken and sauce on the top.
   
9. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Serve hot straight from the casserole dish. I served it with green beans and spiced cous cous, seasoned with middle eastern spices and OJ.