Chicken breast baked with eggplant and mozzarella

An incredible combination of flavors

Ingredients

• chicken breasts 2 pcs
• eggplant 1 pc
• mozzarella cheese 100-150 g
• olive oil + a little butter for frying
• basil greens
• salt
• freshly ground pepper
• For tomato sauce
• tomatoes 400-600 g (or a 400-gram can of tomatoes in their own juice)
• onion 1 pc
• garlic 3-4 cloves
• sugar (to taste) 1 tsp
• fresh or dried thyme (optional)
• salt
• freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Wash the eggplants and cut them lengthwise.
2. Season with a little salt, put in a bowl or colander and leave for 30 minutes.
3. Then rinse from salt and dry.
4. Eggplant can be cooked in three ways:
5. 1. Fry in a skillet in vegetable oil, then pat dry on paper towels to remove excess oil.
6. 2. Grease the slices with vegetable oil, put on a baking sheet and bake in an oven preheated to ~ 180 ° C for ~ 15 minutes, until soft (baking time depends on the thickness of the slices).
7. 3. Brush the eggplant slices with vegetable oil and grill in a skillet.
8. Prepare tomato sauce.
9. Peel the onion and chop finely.
10. Peel the garlic and finely chop or pass through a garlic extractor.
11. Heat oil in a thick-bottomed saucepan or skillet, put onion, lightly salt and fry until soft.
12. Add garlic and fry for ~ 1 minute.
13. Put skinned, coarsely chopped tomatoes (or tomatoes in their own juice together with juice) and simmer, stirring and kneading with a wooden spoon, ~ 1 minute.
14. Add a little salt, sugar, freshly ground pepper, thyme, stir and simmer at low boil ~ 15 minutes.
15. Bring the finished sauce to taste, adding, if necessary, a little salt, sugar or pepper.
16. Remove the thyme and, if desired, blend until smooth.
17. Wash the chicken breasts and pat dry with paper towels.
18. Rub the breasts with salt and freshly ground pepper.
19. In a frying pan, heat the mixture of butter and vegetable oil, put the breasts and fry for ~ 5-7 minutes over medium heat, until golden brown.
20. Turn over and fry on the other side until golden brown.
21. Place the eggplant slices in a greased baking dish.
22. Add half of the tomato sauce.
23. Then the chicken breasts.
24. Add the remaining sauce.
25. Lay on top, cut into circles or grated mozzarella on a coarse grater.
26. Bake for ~ 15 minutes at ~ 180 ° C or until golden brown.
27. You can serve rice or pasta as a side dish.
28. When serving, sprinkle with basil herbs.