A friend prepared this for us this weekend. Very, very nice. We substituted steak for the chicken. It would probably be nice with ground beef in it instead as well. - rob

SPICED CHICKEN WITH EGGPLANT GRATIN

The eggplant in this dish is rich-tasting and complements the chicken beautifully. You could grill the chicken or sauté it. Serve with an arugula salad for a bit of green on the plate.

1 large eggplant

2 teaspoons paprika

2 teaspoons ground ginger

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons ground coriander

½ teaspoon cayenne

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Salt and freshly ground pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 teaspoons chopped garlic

3 tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons chopped coriander

Preheat oven to 350 F. Place eggplant on cookie sheet and prick the skin all over with a fork. Bake 45 minutes or until very soft. Cool. Cut in half and scrape out the eggplant. Discard skin.

Combine paprika, ginger, cumin, coriander and cayenne. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of spice mixture over chicken breasts. Season with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in skillet over medium-low heat, reserving 1 tablespoon of oil to cook chicken. Add onions and sauté for 10 minutes or until translucent and tinged with gold. Stir in garlic and remaining seasoning mix.

Sauté for 1 minute, then add eggplant and tomatoes.

Cook for 20 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally or until mixture is a thick mass. Stir in lemon juice.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in separate skillet and sauté chicken breasts 5 to 6 minutes a side or until juices are clear. Divide eggplant mixture in four, spoon onto plates and top each portion with a chicken breast. Sprinkle with coriander. Serves 4.

I am always looking for new ways to use eggplant, my family loves it. This one sounds great. Thanks for sharing.