This weeks recipe comes from the lovely Lisa, who is a keen blogger herself (see http://blithemoments.blogspot.com.au) was very excited to hear of my little soiree into the land of blogging. Not only did she provide me a super delicious recipe, but also some tips on making this look more aesthetically pleasing to the eye. Eggplant, tomato and Chicken Stacks, goodo. See below if you want to try it. This weeks Tuesday looks more like Thursday, on account of darling little Alice keeping mum up from midnight to approx 4 am - Tuesday was then slated to be an early night for everyone! It happens. We were all better for the reschedule.
Eggplant. Right. I've only ever bought one once (well, I was buying it for the reference to Aubergine, so it was more of a joke really.) I had no idea what to look for in regards to the properties for an eggplant purchase. Firm yet soft skinned? Supple with dark colour? I knew not what I needed to look for when I hit the shops, enroute to the next installment of Tuesdays with Monnie.
I need not have worried. They were out. That is right, the namesake of my dish was not available. I thought to myself as I stood dumbfounded in the fruit and veg section of Woolworths....ARGH. I checked again. Still, not there. With recipe in hand, I tried to work out what I could substitute as the key ingredient for a recipe I've never cooked. When I bought the joke eggplant, (I mean Aubergine) there were heaps there, I was spoilt for choice... Was this a joke on me?! First item on my list not available, this has certainly thrown me. I did for the last time look again and spied Lebanese eggplants (huh?) mocking me from the shelf.... Skinny little cucumber sized eggplants?! Would they fill the shoes of the regular eggplant? Time was running short, no more faffing about at the supermarket - they would have to do. I picked the nicest looking eggplants and placed them in the basket and headed to the checkout in the busiest supermarket in the Southern Hemisphere. Yes, I was at Dickson Woolworths. Not my smartest move.
Alas, with the rest of the ingredients now I wanted to get cracking. The recipe seemed simple enough. I lay out the indigence to make sure I had everything I needed. This could almost be a paleo meal, minus the two types of cheeses! The cheeses were staying. Sooooo glad I made that decision.
I couldn't believe how easy it was... I followed the recipe, make the little (well, not so little actually) stacks and put it in the oven. That is it. Then, waited for it to bake. And it did. And the cheese melted just like it said it would. And, there were juices, and it was delicious - so good. I decorated (I think the fancy word is garnished) with some fresh basil and voilà - dinner was done.
What I did learn from this experience is that the accompanying roast potatoes needed to gone in the oven a little sooner. Par boiling in the micky wave worked, but they were more 'dessert' than the initally planned 'served with'. Oh, and I learnt that I can bake chicken, on a stack on vegetables (not everyone likes eggplant I learnt that too) and it tastes delicious. And it is that easy.
Dinner took 53 minutes. From 6:44 pm start and a 7:37 pm plate up. Not bad, but I need to start earlier. Mum and Dad were pretty tired this week and while 7:37pm dinner is ok, it's a bit late for tired parents. Oh, and not spend so long at the shops buying the groceries.
Who has my next recipe?!
Eggplant, tomato and chicken stack
Ingredients
Eggplant - a nice large one is best
Tomatoes
Basil (or basil in a tube is fine)
chicken breast - one per person
grated mozzerella
grated parmesan (optional)
Method
Slice the eggplant lengthwise into slices about 1cm thick. You need one decent slice per person.
Put eggplant slices on an oven tray lined with baking paper. Sprinkle with torn basil (or spread with basil in a tube). Top eggplant with slices of tomato. Thicker slices work better as thin ones tend to disintegrate.
Top each stack with a chicken breast. Try to get smaller ones if you can, the giant ones can be a bit much with everything else. Top the chicken with a thickish layer of grated mozzeralla and parmesan if you are using it. Bake at 180 degrees for 20-30 minutes till the cheese is all golden brown.
You should end up with a fairly neat stack, although the juices will run about a bit, but you get a nice stack to serve. I usually serve it with some baked potatoes, and the left over eggplant which I cut into chunks and also bake. Just spray it with a little olive oil and salt.
