Chicken with chorizo, peppers and sage with spiced aubergine/eggplant

Yes, another chicken recipe! You really can't have too many can you!? For me chicken has so many plus points. Its versatility, as well as the ease and speed with which it can be cooked, make it one of the most popular meats around. It's certainly popular in our house! Plus of course it has a high level of good quality protein, as well as B vitamins, iron, copper and selenium - and it's usually reasonably priced.

This recipe can be adapted if you prefer to use chicken thighs/breast.

Ingredients

Serves Four
For the chicken
1 large corn-fed chicken, jointed into 8 pieces
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsp olive oil
110g/4oz chorizo, peeled and sliced
3 red peppers, cut into 2.5cm/1in squares
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1-2 tbsp chopped fresh sage
2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1 lemon, juiced, zested
For the spiced aubergine/eggplant
2 large aubergines/eggplants, cut into 2.5cm/1in chunks
125ml/4fl oz olive oil
2 red onions, finely chopped
4 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
good pinch cumin
handful basil leaves, torn
handful coriander leaves, picked from stems
1 tbsp pine nuts, lightly toasted in a pan
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas4.
2. Season the chicken pieces with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat two tablespoons of the olive oil in a large frying pan and brown the chicken on both sides for 4-5 minutes. When all the chicken pieces are nice and golden-brown, remove them from the pan and set aside.
3. Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in the same frying pan and cook the chorizo for 2-3 minutes. Add the peppers, garlic, sage and thyme to the pan and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Tip the chorizo and peppers into a roasting tin and place the chicken pieces on top.
4. Spread the lemon zest and juice from half a lemon over the chicken. Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes, turning the chicken pieces halfway through the cooking time, or until the chicken is cooked through.
5. Meanwhile, for the spiced aubergine/eggplant, put the aubergines in a colander, add about ½ teaspoon of salt and leave to drain for half an hour.
6. Heat 35ml/1fl oz of the olive oil in a pan and fry the red onions for five minutes, or until softened. Add the tomatoes and cook for a further five minutes, or until the tomatoes have broken down into a thick sauce. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then remove from the pan and set aside.
7. Add three tablespoons of the olive oil to the pan and fry half the aubergines for 4-5 minutes, or until tender. Remove the aubergine pieces and set aside to drain on kitchen paper. Add the remaining three tablespoons of oil to the pan and fry the remaining aubergine pieces for 4-5 minutes, or until tender.
8. Return the aubergine and tomato and onion mixture to the pan and stir in the red wine vinegar, cumin, basil and coriander. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper and sprinkle over the pine nuts.
9. To serve, spoon the aubergine/eggplant onto a plate and place the chicken alongside.

10. Sit and enjoy.

From original idea here

If you may be looking for another recipe that uses aubergines, you may wish to try this one, it's Grilled aubergine / eggplant and tomato salad, see it here

aubergines/eggplants are full of vitamins, minerals and dietary fibre

read more about their health benefits here

You will find a variety of articles and recipe suggestions within this blog. Please note, not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter.

All the best Jan