Skillet Chicken Thighs with Eggplant and Fire Roasted Tomatoes

The way I prepare meals has evolved over years. As a younger mother, I was all about learning the family recipes from my mother and mother in law. There was a good deal of comfort food especially in the colder months. Often time those recipes were detailed and very heavy.

Over the years, I devised some of my own cooking skills to be lighter, and simplified. The reasons for this was that I did not have time between driving kids to sports, and helping with homework to prepare the comfort meals of my youth. Along the way, I also realized that it became easier to log my food with simplified recipes. I have been logging my food  almost continually since 1999. (Food journaling is a topic for another day)

Below is a simple recipe I came up with, on a cold and dark day, when I was wishing for the smell of my mothers Italian cooking.

This dinner is very light but feels hearty. It delivers on flavor, and comes together quickly.

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Chicken Thighs with Eggplant and Fire Roasted Tomatoes
Ingredients
1 medium to large eggplant
Olive oil nonstick spray
4-5 cloves of garlic sliced thin
8 chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
Smoked Sea Salt and fresh ground pepper
1 (15-16oz.) can fire roasted diced tomatoes

2 Tbsp tomato paste (I like to buy this in a tube so I don’t open a whole can for 2 Tbsp)
1 tsp. each dry Basil and oregano
Directions:
1. Cut eggplant into 3/4 inch cubes, lightly salt and set aside.
2. Spray a cast iron or nonstick skillet with olive oil nonstick spray, and Place over a medium flame.
3. Add garlic and sauté just until soft, and remove from heat. Season chicken with salt and fresh ground pepper, and place in skillet. Return skillet to medium-high heat and sear chicken on both sides just until lightly golden. Remove chicken.
4. Add rest of ingredients and bring up to a boil.
5. Carefully nestle chicken in skillet, lower heat, cover and simmer 15 minutes.
6. Serves 4, One serving is two thighs and 1/4 of the tomato eggplant mixture.
7. Optional: serve with rice, pasta, or crusty French bread. Add a leafy green salad to complete the meal.

*picture above is before the simmer time.
Macros: For 5oz. chicken and 1/4 of the tomato eggplant sauce: protein 42g, carbs 30g, fat 10g, fiber 11g.

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