Eggplant, Zucchini, and Tomato Tian with Roasted Chicken and Potatoes
Last year for Auntie Kelly's birthday, I gave her a subscription to Cooking Light magazine. The June 2010 issue featured an interesting recipe that we wanted to try: Eggplant, Zucchini, and Tomato Tian. FYI: a tian is a baked, layered vegetable dish. It could be eaten as a vegetarian entree, but we cut the ingredients in half and made it as a side. Roasted chicken and potatoes completed the meal.
Neither of us really knew what to expect from the eggplant as we've both only ever had it fried. Bad bad. While Kelly tended to her beloved chicken and potatoes, I assembled the Tian. After slicing the eggplant and zucchini, I had to roast them in the oven for about 15 minutes -- I think because these take longer to cook than tomatoes. After those softened, it was time to layer:
Between layering half of the vegetables, you sprinkle the top with a little salt, pepper, and olive oil. To complete the tian, you must have breadcrumbs (or, in our case, a roll that has been destroyed in a food processor), herbs, and cheese. I mixed those ingredients in a bowl and sprinkled them on top of the vegetables.
The final step before baking is to sprinkle the bowl with just a little bit of chicken broth to soften the bread crumbs during the baking process. This also adds flavor to the dish.
Here it is after baking:
And Kelly's roasted chicken:
And potatoes:
Everything on the plate!
The chicken was really moist and the tian was a success. A tian is a really cool concept because you get the chewy veggies with the crispy crust, and the ooey gooey cheese throughout! Such a good combination!
And now, for the super high quality video that I promised: How to Carve a Chicken
Yes, we are a very strange family, but we always have an awesome time together. Especially when food is involved!
Questions for you lovely readers: 1) Do you prefer a balanced meal that has a meat, veggie, and carb? Or do you just like throwing stuff together on a plate and calling it a meal?
2) What are your food/kitchen/restaurant pet peeves?
I'll be gone for a few days because this weekend my best friend, Nicole, is getting married!!
