Chicken Eggplant Cacciatore

On Wednesday I had knee surgery, so I haven't been able to get into the kitchen--and will be unable to return for a couple of weeks. But, I haven't had any troubles eating beautiful food! Tonight Morgan made a variant on this recipe for my dinner. Adding eggplant and green beans, it was really delicious, hearty and nourishing.

3 tbs olive oil
1 breast of chicken (350g)
1/2 red onion
2 shallots (small brown onions)
2 celery sticks, chopped
2 carrots, peeled, chopped
2 Mushrooms
1 Eggplant sliced
Handful of green beans
3 garlic cloves, crushed
100ml dry white wine
800g cans diced tomatoes
1/2 tsp brown sugar
1 tbs balsamic vinegar
1 tbs chopped fresh rosemary
1 bay leaf
150ml chicken stock
1 cup pitted Kalamata olives
Chopped flat-leaf parsley and basil and feta to garnish

Heat the oil in a large casserole dish over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces and cook until browned all over. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Add the onion, celery, carrot and cook over low heat for 5 minutes until the onion softens. Add the garlic and mushrooms, eggplant and beans and simmer 10mins.


Return chicken pieces to the pan, add the wine and allow to simmer 1-2 minutes.


Add the tomatoes, sugar, vinegar, herbs and stock.


Bring to the boil, then reduce heat to low and cook, covered, for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the olives and cook for a further 10 minutes.


Serve garnished with basil, parsley and feta

Roasted Sweet Potato, Leek and Tarragon Risotto

Tonight we had guests who either weren't keen on mushrooms or chilli. I wanted to use up my sweet potatoes, so risotto was the answer.



Ingredients

3-4 baby sweet potoatos
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 leek (white bit finely chopped)
2 spring onions roughly chopped
4 cloves minced garlic
1 tbsp tarragon (dried or fresh)
2 cups arborio rice
500g chicken breasts
1 litre chicken stock
1/2 cup white wine, sherry or vermouth
1 bunch spinach
1/2 lime
Cream to taste
Parmesan to taste
Pepper to taste
Chilli to taste

Roughly-peel the sweet potato, cut in halves, drizzle in avocado oil and a little salt and roast in a medium oven for 30mins. Avocado oil is really lovely to make roast vegetables and we support Queensland farmers by using it. I bought this little bottle from the Kelvin Grove markets on a Saturday. Roasting makes root vegetables sweeter.



Sorry not to get more photos tonight. Having guests makes things a little hectic! :)

Sweat the leeks and the whites of the spring onions in some butter and olive oil for 5mins. Add garlic and tarragon (if dried, leave to later if fresh) and cook on low for another few minutes. Add arborio rice and cook for 1 minute. Add wine and raise the heat a little. Add chicken stock 1-2 cups at a time. Stir the mixture, but not constantly like a stir fry. Keep the heat low enough to enjoy talking to your friends. Add cream if desired.

In a separate pan cook chicken breasts on fairly high heat to sear both sides to a golden brown (about 3mins each side). Take off the heat, let rest for a few minutes. Carve up into chunks. Chicken should be undercooked because it will then be tossed into the risotto with sweet potato and cooked for another 10-15mins.



Add parmesan and the greens of the spring onions towards the end of the process. Put lid on the risotto and let sit for the final 3mins before serving.

Wilt spinach in a pot, drain excess liquid, squeeze lime juice over it. Mix through risotto as you serve.



Add pepper and Frank's Hot sauce to give it a final zing! [Not shown in picture]