Italian Chicken & Eggplant à la Kathi

by Kathi Carter Rodriguez

I’m a newbie and this is my first time joining a summer CSA. So far, it’s been an exciting
culinary adventure and I’ve discovered new veggies like amaranth and Romano beans. But, it
has also been daunting because each week I’m met with a challenge to whipped a box full of
veggies into delicious meals that hubby and I will enjoy. Creativity, flexibility and a willingness
to have fun are the three main “ingredients” needed to pull this off successfully each week.

Since we’re just getting over our fourth heatwave for the summer, turning on the oven to cook is
a serious faux pas in the Carter/Rodriguez household. So, thus far, my dishes have been
stovetop creations. My latest creation was a quick chicken dish combining 4 veggies (eggplant,
onions, peppers & parsley) from this week’s food share. I call it Italian Chicken & Eggplant à la Kathi and it was a super hit with hubby. ;-)

Ingredients:
2 Tbs of avocado oil
1-2 diced onion
2-3 sliced peppers
8 pieces of chicken (we prefer thighs and drumsticks)
2 chopped eggplants
1 cup of tomato sauce (we love Rao’s)
1 Tbs of apple cider vinegar (we love Braggs!)
A handful of Kalamata pitted olives (chopped)
A handful of chopped parsley (not shown)

In a medium heated frying pan, add avocado oil (FYI: avocado has a high cooking point); Sauté
onions for 1-2 minutes. Add peppers and sauté for 1 -2 minutes. Add chicken parts and cover
pan. Cook for 15 – 20 minutes or until almost fully cooked. Add eggplants and cook for
additional 5- 7 mins. Add tomato sauce and stir in a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar. Simmer
for another few minutes. You’re done! Stir in Kalamata olives and garnish with parsley.

Optional: add rice cauliflower to bulk up the dish.

Bon appétit!