Balsamic Chicken and Eggplant

Balsamic Chicken & Eggplant

I'm a huge fan of one-pot meals. Who doesn't like simple? Just prep, dump and cook. And while prep might be simple, the flavors are not. The bite of balsamic with the sweetness of apples, peppers and hearty eggplant work so well together in this chicken dish.

* This involves marinating chicken, so keep that in mind the night before/morning of, depending on how long you prefer to marinate.

YIELD 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

        4 boneless chicken breasts

        1 eggplant, cubed (approx 4 cups)

        1 firm apple, diced (I use my favorite, pink lady, which has a nice balance of tart and sweet)

        1 bell pepper, chopped

        1 cup sliced carrots (approx 2 medium carrots, peeled)

        1/2 cup currants

        Salt to coat eggplant

        Coconut oil to coat casserole dish

        For marinade

        3/4 cup balsamic vinegar

        1/3 c water

        3 tablespoons honey

        1 teaspoon minced garlic

        1/2 teaspoon salt 

        1/4 teaspoon black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

    1.    Preheat the oven to 350F

    2.    Combine the ingredients for marinade, place chicken in it and refrigerate ideally overnight, but at least an hour

    3.    Prepare eggplant: cube into bite-sized pieces and coat with salt, place in colander in sink for excess liquid to be pulled from the eggplant (about 30 minutes)

    4.    While the eggplant is sitting, prepare the rest of the vegetables and apple and lightly oil large casserole dish (3 qt)

    5.    Rinse eggplant and pat dry, pressing to soak up as much water as you can

    6.    Place chicken into oiled casserole dish and surround with chopped veggies and currants

    7.    Pour marinade over meat and vegetables and bake uncovered for 35-45 minutes (or until internal temp of meat reaches 165F)