My Kitchen Stories

Rosemary Parmesan Chicken & Eggplant

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You will love this Rosemary Parmesan Chicken & Eggplant. It makes a great family dinner and bakes in just one pot.

Rosemary Parmesan Chicken

I can’t possibly tell you all of the fantastic things I have in my kitchen. Like you, I’d imagine , I have been showered with love and the generosity of others and I am very grateful. My little family of Skater and I suddenly swells into our big and quirky clan at this time of year, and I am filled with a love of life that only my family can bring.  We swelled to a wonderful 25 for Christmas lunch and I took not a single photo of anything I cooked and it was great to take abreak

We shared some of the food making this year with my sisters contributing salads and an incredible leg of Bangalow Sweet Pork Ham that I glazed and carved. That was one incredible ham was made by one of my favourite butchers. ” Eastern Road Quality Meats“, Turramurra.  Alan is one of the old time caring butchers who also has a property and breeds much of the meat he sells at his busy shop. I made an enormous platter of Porcini Risotto with Garlic Roasted Field Mushrooms and Spinach Rotolo bubbling in a San Marzano tomato sauce with parmesan cream. Sugar snap pea, mint, spinach and feta salad jostled for room with the duck fat roasted crispy potatoes, and we were happy. Next, I made Raspberry and Vanilla Mini Cheesecakes, gluten free Christmas cake and served it with nougat, pistachio and raspberry parfait made by my talented niece.

Rosemary Parmesan Chicken

So what do I have in my kitchen besides Rosemary Parmesan Chicken and Eggplant?

I have this lovely spice rack it has been filled with spices and labelled as this year, Skater is going to cook 1 night a week. It is time he learnt to be responsible for something in the kitchen. Should be very interesting. His night will be Thursday. He has already told me he will probably have the same dishes on rotation constantly. He told me this after I started flicking through a book getting excited about what he might cook. The book has been put away.

Spice rack

Love this gorgeous dish. I have already used it in a photo and it looks lovely. My younger sister gave me this and the spice rack for my birthday.

wooden plate

And this?.

This below is a surprise gift from Rebecca, the thoughtful, generous and delightful friend I have been lucky enough to acquire in Canberra. Thank you Rebecca, for always surprising me, always caring and always being available. I always learn something on her blog, which she labours over , due to pain in her hands and arms. She really is an inspiration www.intolerantchef.blogspot.com.au  The gift  is a wonderfully pungent smoked rice.  I used to buy smoked rice years ago and it disappeared. I m very happy to have some again

smoked rice

And last for now, these little salt and pepper shaker elephants, that my sister brought back for me from Thailand ( Chang Mai) . They are so cute. I love them.

Elephants shakers

We had this Rosemary Parmesan Chicken & Eggplant bake last night for dinner. You can’t do much wrong to it. Add or subtract what you want.

Rosemary Parmesan Chicken & Eggplant

Print Recipe
Easy baked chicken with tomato, eggplant and rosemary is a quick to cook dinner that everyone will love. Skin on chicken crisps up and looks golden. I have stuffed mine with a little piece of Parmesan as a tasty surprise. Serve it with a side of pasta, rice, quinoa or tiny roast potatoes
Rosemary Parmesan Chicken
Votes: 5
Rating: 5
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Rate this recipe!
Cuisine Italian Style
Servings 4

Ingredients
Unit:
  • 4 Chicken breasts Skin on (this adds more flavour and colour)
  • 25 gm parmesan cut into 4 slices (to be stuffed inside the breast- optional)
  • 2 -3 sprigs of Rosemary
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 onion finely sliced
  • 1 small red capsicum
  • 4 Japanese Eggplants (the long skinny ones or 1 small eggplant)
  • 40 ml olive oil (2 Tablespoon)
  • 500 ml Tomato passata 2 cups puree
  • salt and pepper
  • 100 gm Parmesan cheese -or more if you like
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. Set the oven to 180 C / 350 F
  2. Cut the Japanese eggplants in half and toss them in some olive oil and salt and pepper and roast for 10 minutes or till golden. Alternatively you can pan fry them till softened. Set aside on some kitchen paper.
  3. I cut a slit with a paring knife into the thickest part of the chicken breast and slide in a slice of parmesan.
  4. Dry the breasts with a paper towel and put into a bowl with a Table spoon or two of oil and the leaves from 1 of the sprigs of rosemary. Sprinkle with a 1/2 teaspoon salt and a grind of black pepper.
  5. Heat the skillet or baking dish to very hot and add the Chicken skin side down. Leave the Chicken like that till it is very dark golden just lifting the corners each couple of minutes to check. While the chicken is browning add the finely sliced onion in the spare spaces of the pan and move them around till they start to soften. Add the garlic and the extra sprig of rosemary and keep moving it.
( Prepare the pasta, rice or Quinoa)
  1. The chicken will keep cooking and you can move the onion around in the spaces till it is softened.** and onion should take about the same time to
  2. Now turn off the heat, turn the chicken over and add the tomato sauce.
  3. Add the eggplant around the sides and middle between the chicken
  4. Then sprinkle with the grated parmesan
  5. Put the skillet into the hot oven and bake for 10 minutes . The chicken will be done in this time but check the interior temperature by skewering with a knife and feeling that the tip of the knife feels hot. Still unsure,? Put a cut into one piece of chicken through the thickest part. Chicken breast cooks very quickly and drys out just as quickly.
  6. Serve with Quinoa or pasta.

Recipe Notes

The baking time for the chicken is not long enough to roast the eggplant till soft.
** If you do not have a pan big enough you should put the chicken on a plate one browned and soften the onion then add the garlic before adding the chicken bake into the skillet.

Rosemary Parmesan Chicken

Happy New Year

Rosemary Parmesan Chicken

Thank you for being here xxx

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Comments

  4. Happy Birthday, Tania! I thought of you today as we were celebrating Rob’s 94th birthday. Think we’ll ever get that old?

    Your Christmas sounds so special. I really miss seeing my family at this time of year but it’s a new year so I’m done with the holidays. 🙂

    This chicken looks very good but I’m waiting on Skater’s first Thursday post.

    Reply

  13. Oh Happy Belated Birthday and New Year, darling woman! Sounds like you’ve been having the best time ever – so glad to hear that! The parmesan chicken sounds fantastic and I can’t wait to see what Skater comes up with! My Big Boy is going to cook on Wednesdays this year – I think we’ll be eating a lot of tuna pasta.. 🙂 xxx
    celia recently posted..In My Kitchen, January 2015My Profile

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  14. Your Christmas sounds amazing! Like you our family has begun sharing the cooking – it certainly makes the day much less stressful for the host! I do love your wooden platter and spice rack – Happy Birthday! And, I can’t wait to make your featured Chicken recipe – it looks amazing!

    Reply

  17. Lovely kitchen this month… And like you, I do enjoy the wonderful time with extended family, cooking, chatting, drinking and too much eating 🙂 I’m intrigued by the smoked rice as I have seen it on 3 blogs now 🙂 and those little elephants are so cute! Thanks for sharing! Liz xx
    Elizabeth recently posted..In My Kitchen January 2015My Profile

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  18. Happy Birthday Darling Girl! How lovely that you’ve spent the holidays surrounded by people you love and love you back 🙂 I’m so glad you liked the rice, it’s certainly fun to play around with and I can hardly wait to see what you come up with. My BigJ cooks for the family on Thursday night too, but I do find it interesting how often pizza delivery finds it’s way to our home on Thursday nights 🙂 I hope Skater is a bit more inventive- perhaps he could use some of your blog recipes like this delicious morsel? Once again, Happy, Happy Birthday sweetie, and of course a Happy New Year too xox

    Reply

  21. oooh…smoked rice… I like the sound of that! I like anything smoked. My husband declared similar intentions a few years ago when he bought Jamie’s 15 minute meals. He got off to a good start (though let me tell you, no meal took leass than 45) but life got in the way and it just tailed off. He declared he would begin again this year and made dinner on NYE. That may be it for the year now… great round up Tania. cheers Fiona
    Fiona @TIFFIN bite sized food adventures recently posted..In My Kitchen… January 2015My Profile

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  22. Tania, your Parmesan Chicken bowls look fab. Something very homey and comforting about them. Seems the kind you would use to ‘sup’ from, well I think so anyway. I could see tapas in them too. I love your wooden dish too, looks like Tassie Sassafras? Smoked rice sounds incredible. Have a great January, Kirsty xx
    Kirsty recently posted..In My Kitchen – January 2015My Profile

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  23. I’m loving your wooden serving dish, such a lovely item to have in your kitchen! Can’t wait to see more photos using it (I’d be using it all the time;) ) Happy Belated birthday & Happy New Year to you, hope 2015 is full of inspiration. See you next month at IMK
    Miss Food Fairy recently posted..In My Kitchen January 2015My Profile

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    • Hi Liz Happy New Year to you too. Smoked rice adds a lovely smoky flavour that you can make a fried rice, soup, gumbo, dirty rice or just about anything out of.

      Reply

  28. I made your chicken recipe last night, it was a big hit with the family and very easy. I used 2 cups of puttanesca sauce from my freezer (instead of tomato sauce) and served it with pasta. I’m giving it 5 stars.

    Reply

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