Chicken With Eggplant And Swiss Chard Recipes

MEDITERRANEAN CHICKEN WITH EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Place eggplant strips in a big pot of lightly salted water and soak for 30 minutes (this will improve the taste; they will leave a brown color in the pot).
• Remove eggplant from pot and brush lightly with olive oil. Saute or grill until lightly browned and place in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Set aside.
• Saute diced chicken and onion in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in tomato paste and water, cover skillet, reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Pour chicken/tomato mixture over eggplant. Season with oregano, salt and pepper and cover with aluminum foil. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.

BALSAMIC CHICKEN WITH CORN AND SWISS CHARD

Steps:

• Preheat a grill to medium and lightly brush the grill grates with olive oil. Whisk the vinegar, olive oil, ketchup and mustard in a small bowl. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and brush all over with the vinegar mixture. Grill until marked and cooked through, 8 to 9 minutes per side; transfer to a plate.
• Meanwhile, heat a cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat on the stove or place directly on the grill grates. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and crisp, about 5 minutes.
• Add the corn kernels and Swiss chard stems to the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the corn is tender and lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add the butter, scallions and chard leaves. Cook until the chard is just wilted, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Slice the chicken and serve with the corn mixture.

CHICKEN WITH EGGPLANT AND SWISS CHARD

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees and brush a baking sheet (or two, if needed) liberally with 3 tablespoons oil. Slice tops and bottoms off the eggplants, then slice into 1/2-inch-thick rounds and arrange on a single layer on baking sheet. Brush rounds generously with some of the oil, sprinkle with a little salt, then bake for 20 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Let cool.
• Meanwhile, in a large, heavy-bottomed pot with a tightfitting lid, warm 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Sauté onions and garlic until onions are soft and beginning to brown, reducing the heat as needed to avoid burning, about 15 minutes. Remove to a plate.
• Sprinkle chicken with salt, half the allspice and half the turmeric. Add chicken to pot in a single layer, working in batches if necessary, and brown on all sides, adding oil if needed and removing chicken when it's browned.
• Arrange eggplant slices on the bottom of the pot and cover with the onions and garlic. Add more salt, the remaining allspice and the remaining turmeric, then top with chicken, chicken stock or water and dried lime, if using. Bring to a simmer, then lower heat to medium-low and cover the pot. Cook for about 30 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through, then remove from heat and let cool before refrigerating overnight (see note).
• The next day, skim off and discard the layer of fat on the top of the stew. Add Swiss chard or spinach to the pot and bring to a boil. Cover tightly, reduce heat, and simmer slowly for about 15 minutes, or until chicken is heated through.
• Fish out the lime, if using, and discard. Arrange chicken on a platter surrounded by vegetables, serving sauce in a separate bowl. (Or serve the chicken, vegetables and sauce all together in a large bowl.) Squeeze lemon juice over everything and serve.

HEARTY EGGPLANT AND CHARD STIR FRY

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, combine rice with 2 ¼ cups water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to a simmer (low to medium-low heat) for ten minutes. Shake the pan slightly to hear if any unabsorbed water sloshes. When water is absorbed, turn off heat, fluff rice with a fork, and cover to keep warm. (Note: jasmine rice cooks quickly and it's difficult to predict the exact cooking time. A saucepan with a clear lid would really come in handy, if you have one!)
• In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together a tablespoon of sesame oil, cornstarch, juice of one lime, and soy sauce. Set aside.
• Wash the chard and cut the leaves from the stems. Cut the stems into two inch pieces and keep separate. Roughly chop the leaves.
• In a wok or large skillet (I don't use nonstick), heat remaining tablespoon sesame oil and the vegetable oil over high heat. Once hot, add the garlic, ginger, and jalapeno pepper and cook for about 30 seconds to infuse the oil. Add the chard stems and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until just beginning to soften. Add the eggplant cubes and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until they soften but are not completely cooked. Add the chard (the pan may be a little full, which is okay) and a couple tablespoons of water. Cook, stirring, until the chard starts to wilt. If your skillet has a cover, put it on for a minute or two to speed the process by steaming the vegetables. Stir the sauce mixture to incorporate any settled cornstarch, then add to the pan and bring to a simmer. Decrease the heat to low to continue to heat and thicken the sauce, stirring to coat the vegetables.
• Serve stir fried vegetables over jasmine rice with extra soy sauce and garnishes, if using.

ONE-POT CHICKEN AND RICE WITH SWISS CHARD

Steps:

• Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid over medium-high. Add chicken, skin side down, and cook until browned on both sides, 12 minutes, turning once. With tongs, transfer chicken to a plate.
• Reduce heat to medium and add garlic, chard stems, onion, and carrots. Cook, stirring occasionally, until chard stems and onion are translucent, 4 minutes. Add chard leaves, lemon zest, and rice; cook 1 minute. Add broth and bring to a rapid simmer. Reduce to a simmer and season with salt and pepper. Arrange chicken, skin side up, on top of rice mixture and cook, covered, until chicken is cooked through and liquid is absorbed, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit, 5 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges.