Chicken and Eggplant Parmesan with Roasted Tomato Marinara

Roasted Tomato Marinara: 3 large summer tomatoes- quartered 7-8 Roma tomatoes- halved 1/4 cup olive oil 1 cup of sweet or yellow onion, chopped 4-5 garlic cloves- grated or minced 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar 1- 15 oz can crushed tomatoes 3/4 cup of chicken stock (or water if vegetarian) 10 large basil leaves- sliced into a chiffonade Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss the fresh tomatoes with a drizzle of olive oil and some salt and pepper. Spread the tomatoes cut side up on a large cookie sheet (sprayed with Pam) and roast for 35 minutes. When they start to smell sweet, you know you're there... When I have the time, I like to roast the tomatoes for sauce because some of the juices evaporate, concentrating the flavor. If you don't want to fuss with fresh tomatoes- you can use two large cans of crushed tomatoes or substitute one large of crushed and one large can of petite diced tomatoes if you like a chunkier sauce. While the tomatoes cool slightly- saute the onion in the olive oil over medium heat (in a heavy bottomed pot) for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and dried herbs, some kosher salt and pepper, and cook for two minutes more-stirring constantly to avoid burning the garlic. Deglaze the pan with the balsamic vinegar - the liquid will evaporate quickly. Next add the crushed tomatoes and chicken stock and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 40-60 minutes. (Stir often.) While simmering, I use an immersion blender to crush the remaining chunks of roasted tomato, fishing out any large pieces of tomato skin with a spoon. I like my sauce to have an even consistency but with some texture to it. (I don't go as far as to make soup out of it.) I wait until just before serving (or assembling the parmesan dishes) before adding the basil. The sauce is great just as is tossed with some fresh pasta but in this instance, I made it to accompany some eggplant and chicken parmesan. I was having friends for dinner so I decided to make both. I prefer the eggplant variety but I knew the boys would probably appreciate the chicken too. (This recipe would serve up to 8 people if you make both.) Eggplant and Chicken Parmesan: 2 medium-sized eggplants, sliced to approx 1/3 of an inch 4 chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2 of an inch thick* 4 eggs- beaten in a large shallow bowl 1 1/2 cups seasoned bread crumbs, in a large shallow bowl 1 1/2 cups flour seasoned with 1 tsp kosher salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper- in a large shallow bowl 1 cup of marinara sauce (per recipe above) *I like to serve the rest on the side 8 oz of fresh mozzarella cheese- sliced to 1/4 of an inch thick *You can use a meat mallet or a rolling pin if you don't have one- I don't. I put the breasts into a heavy ziplock bag or between two sheets of plastic wrap one at a time, pounding each separately.

I shallow fried the eggplant and chicken in a large skillet over medium high heat. (Nonstick or cast iron would be ideal.) I learned from my good friend Guy (who makes the best eggplant parm I've ever had) that working with thin slices of eggplant (and using very little sauce until its time to serve) prevents the dish from getting soggy. It works like a charm! I used just enough oil to completely cover the bottom of the pan. I used roughly half and half, olive and vegetable oil. Olive oil for flavor, vegetable oil to keep the olive oil from burning.

I coated each slice of eggplant first with flour, second with egg, lastly with breadcrumbs. I then pan fried them for about 2 minutes per side until they were golden brown. Between batches I would set them on a stack of paper towels to drain off any excess oil. (I had to add some additional oil between batches. ) I fried the eggplant in three batches and my oil was looking a little funky by the end so I tossed it and wiped the pan clean, and started fresh with new oil for the chicken. I prepared the chicken in the same way (flour, egg, breadcrumbs) and cooked it for 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown.

I used two medium sized baking dishes (9x9ish). In the first, I layered eggplant in the bottom, spooned just a few tablespoons of sauce over the top and scattered a few slices of mozzarella. I then layered more eggplant, repeating with more sauce and cheese. I cut the chicken breasts in half and arranged them in the other baking dish, topping with a few (scant) spoonfuls of sauce and then slices of mozzarella. (I made everything through this step a few hours in advance of my company arriving -it makes a mess and frying can be a smokey ordeal. I then baked everything off just before serving.)

I finished the dishes in the oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or so until the cheese was melted and everything was heated through. Meanwhile, I prepared a package of whole wheat bow tie pasta and reheated the marinara sauce. I tossed approximately half a cup of sauce with the cooked pasta and served everything family style with lots of extra sauce and freshly grated parmesan cheese on the side. Add to the equation a simple green salad and lots of red wine, and you have yourself a pretty fantastic Soprano's style feast.