Surprisingly easy, and jam packed with flavor.
This is a dinner that you will find yourself preparing time and again. It’s easy to pull together, light and delicious. Don’t you love when the side dish is right there with your main, cooking in the same pan? Here you have it, and this time, it’s not a potato. Rather, a very tasty eggplant.
This dish starts with some Japanese eggplants. They’re beauties, right?
They’re not always available, but if you see them at your local grocery, grab them. Yes, you can use regular eggplants if they’re not available. It used to be that Japanese eggplants were only available around August time, but lately we’ve been seeing them pop up out of season too.
Cut them in half both horizontally and vertically,
arrange in your pan, and drizzle with olive oil
and salt. It’s really handy to keep your oil in squeeze bottles like these particularly for recipes like this.
While the eggplant is baking in the oven, we’re going to get started on the chicken. Add all the seasoning.
Then, once the eggplant is ready, top it with
the thinly sliced onion
Then the crushed tomatoes.
Then add the chicken on top. Now we’re ready to bake!
About a half an hour later, it’s ready!
So much flavor with so little work!
9×13 Chicken and Eggplant
Ingredients
- 3-4 Japanese eggplants, washed and sliced lengthwise and then in half (see images)
- 2-3 tsp olive oil
- salt
- 1 Spanish onion, thinly sliced (we used a mandolin but you don't have to)
- 1 jar crushed tomatoes (we used Tuscanini)
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- ½ tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp cumin
- 5 chicken capons
- 1-2 tsp oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Cut eggplants lengthwise and then in half (as shown in images). Arrange in a single layer in a 9 x 13-inch pan, skin side down. Drizzle with olive oil and salt.
- Bake uncovered for about 20 minutes or until starting to brown. Remove from oven.
- Meanwhile, season chicken with salt, pepper, turmeric, and cumin.
- Top cooked eggplant with onions and crushed tomatoes. Layer the seasoned chicken capons over it all in one layer.
- Bake, uncovered, for another 30-40 minutes, until browned and cooked through. Serve over mashed potatoes or basmati rice.
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