Our hot summers have the up-side of providing the ideal conditions for growing heat-loving veggies like tomatoes and eggplant. How fortuitous that they taste so good together!
(All links open a new page, so you won’t lose your spot when you look around! Get information on gardening and cultural traditions, recipes, stories, and more!)
Many of these garden staples are major components of the Mediterranean diet, one that has been shown to have all sorts of health benefits. If you ask me, though (and really, why wouldn’t you?), the best feature of the Mediterranean diet is all the flavor combinations that seasonal eating makes possible.
Even if you are no fan of eggplant, the way this dish is prepared allows its flavor to blend and harmonize with the tomatoes to create a different taste, altogether. Add to it the juices from the chicken roasting with it, and your end result is a stew that tastes entirely of the best that summer has to offer. (What this REALLY means is that it is also a one-and-done dish, no sides to prepare! Yay!)
Chicken Roasted with Eggplant and Tomato Recipe
This was a large batch of food that I made that allowed for quite a few leftovers. This is perfect for freezing in smaller portions for later eating, or a few nights in a row of tasty food! You can also cut the ingredients down in quantity for a smaller portion.
Ingredients
- 5 to 6 pounds chicken, cut into pieces (I always prefer skin on and bone-in for better texture of the meat and bones that can be made into broth)
- 2 15-ounce cans diced tomatoes, or 3 1/2 cups fresh diced tomatoes (it is okay to leave the skins on), or a mix of both fresh and canned
- 1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
- 3 lbs. eggplant, cut into bite-sized chunks
- 1/3 cup dried parsley, or 1 cup finely chopped fresh parley
- 7 to 8 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 cup red wine (I prefer a cheap burgundy)
- 1/3 cup olive oil, extra virgin preferred
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 F.
In a roasting pan deep enough to hold all your ingredients, mix everything together other than the chicken. Depending on the type of tomatoes and sauce used, you may not need to add any salt.
Place the chicken in the sauce skin side down and rub it in to get the surface coated with some of the mixture. Turn the chicken pieces over and set them on top of the mixture. You do not want to push them in or they will get more boiled than roasted. If there are any bare spots that don’t have sauce on them, brush a little on to evenly coat each piece.
Place in the oven and roast for 50-55 minuets, or until the juices from the chicken run clear and the vegetable mixture is bubbling. The vegetables will take on a more sauce like consistency that is just perfect for dunking bread into! A sprinkle of Parmesan cheese or other similar cheese is also a nice addition. The veggies can also be served over pasta, if desired. Enjoy!
Mostly Greek 