Vegetarian (or easy fix), Italian, Other Main Dishes
Recipe:
We've gotten to the point where we don't even make the chicken. It's fine... but so much less flavorful than everything else that it feels like it's not worth the effort.
Eggplant:
1 eggplant (about 1 lb), cut into 1/2" slices
salt & pepper
flour for dredging
1 egg, beaten
3/4 c. panko
olive oil for frying
Chicken:
8-12 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
flour for dredging
salt & pepper
olive oil for frying
Sauce:
1/4 c. white wine
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can anchovies in oil
1 dried chili, seeds removed and crumbled
one sausage, chopped into small pieces (Old World Polish, smoked chorizo, Italian...), optional
2-3 T. kalamata olives, chopped
1/4 c. chicken stock
1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 T. lemon juice
12 oz. cottage cheese
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Preheat oven to 425 F. Lined a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.
Heat a bit of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Salt and pepper the eggplant slices. Lightly dredge eggplant in flour, then egg, then panko and add to hot skillet. Fry the eggplant about 2 minutes on each side. Remove to baking sheet as they become lightly browned. Bake eggplant 15 minutes, then flip and bake another 10 minutes.
Pound chicken until it is about 1/4" thick. Cut into 5-6 eggplant-sized pieces. Clean crumbs out of skillet and heat over medium-high. Salt and pepper and dredge lightly with flour. Add a little olive oil and saute the chicken pieces until lightly browned. Remove from skillet and tent to keep warm. Deglaze the pan with the wine. Add the garlic, anchovies, and chili and saute for 30 seconds. Add sausage, if using, and cook/brown. Stir in chicken stock, olives, tomatoes, lemon juice. Reduce heat and simmer while eggplant finishes baking.
Construct: On each plate, place 2 larger eggplant slices, top with a spoonful of cottage cheese, a piece of chicken, and a big spoonful of sauce. Add a smaller eggplant slice and more sauce if desired.
