You will love this Rosemary Parmesan Chicken & Eggplant. It makes a great family dinner and bakes in just one pot.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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
Ingredients
- 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
- Set the oven to 180 C / 350 F
- 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.
- I cut a slit with a paring knife into the thickest part of the chicken breast and slide in a slice of parmesan.
- 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.
- 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)
- 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
- Now turn off the heat, turn the chicken over and add the tomato sauce.
- Add the eggplant around the sides and middle between the chicken
- Then sprinkle with the grated parmesan
- 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.
- Serve with Quinoa or pasta.
Notes
** 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.
Happy New Year
Thank you for being here xxx
all looks fab and I’ll absolutely be making that chicken! I’m trying to persuade my hubby to cook one night a week but it’s just not happening. Maybe this year…
happy birthday and happy new year. love the spice rack and the bowl. and the chicken looks yum. it is making me hungry already. happy 2015.
Those little elephants are just the cutest thing I’ve ever seen!
Lovely recipe, too, although I find it hard to find chicken breasts with the skin on these days.
Aldi Amanda, ALDI.
They are at Aldi Amanda
Great chicken parm recipe. And Happy Birthday! I too love the wooden plate and spice rack gifts from your sister. I’m off to browse your blog some more!!!
Happy Birthday Tania and best wishes for the New Year. Love the beautiful wooden plate/dish your sister gave you, that’s special. Your chicken dish looks very delicious looking indeed. 🙂
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.
Hello Liz. I am so g;ad you enjoyed it. Thanks for your comment and thinks for trying the recipe!
Happy New Year and belated Birthday. Your chicken looks delicious, comfort food. Great idea to add the eggplant. I’ve been seeing the rice in other posts, I’m very curious at to how you will all use it. I’ve seen smoked salt but not rice yet here in the US. Will have to start a search.
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.
OMG your Christmas dinner sounds a-mazing. Much better than mine which was hotpot!!! You know sometimes it’s OK not to take photos of food and just enjoy the moment hahaha:) Happy birthday Tania – I can’t wait to see what Skater comes up with x
Oh, I adore this post!! A little peek into your life! My favourite is the Turrumurra butcher. Old school style. I agree. There is something sentimental about it, a personal touch. I’m the same, I use my local butcher because of the personal service I get 🙂
I certainly going to try that recipe!
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
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
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