Chicken & Aubergine Parmigiana

The other day, a friend of mine was telling us that she had made Aubergine Parmigiana for dinner & that it was very lovely indeed.  This immediately sparked the usual email debate on the pros & cons of aubergines (I love them, some of the others hate them).  Courgettes were suggested as an acceptable substitute but shot down immediately by somebody else - how can you hate both of these veggies???

Anyway, I thought I'd make it for tea yesterday but make it Hubs friendly by adding chicken to the dish (if there's no meat in it, he ain't eatin' it).  I also added some Panko breadcrumbs which I bought in the Asia Market, on top for texture & crunch.

This recipe is even better reheated the next day as everything seems to firm up and mellow a bit more.  This quantity serves 4 (half for dinner, the rest for tomorrow for us)

Chicken & Aubergine Parmigiana

3 medium Aubergines, sliced lengthways into 3/4cm slices
2 Courgettes, sliced lengthways into 3/4cm slices
Oil of your choice*
1 x 390g carton of Crushed Tomatoes
2 Chicken Breasts, sliced thinly
A handful of Basil Leaves, shredded
1 ball Mozzarella, thinly sliced
40g Parmesan, grated
40g Panko Breadcrumbs (use fresh if you can't get these)

*In an effort to be slightly healthier than normal, I used Flora Cuisine which I picked up in the supermarket the other day.  It worked really well for this dish (and anything else I've tried it on)

Heat your oil of choice in a large frying pan & cook the aubergines and courgettes on each side in batches.until golden brown - don't overcrowd the pan or the veggies will steam & not fry.

Transfer them to a plate when cooked.  Now cook the chicken.

Season the base of a casserole dish & start layering the vegetables & chicken, topping with the crushed tomatoes.

Sprinkle the basil over the top & then add the mozzarella slices, parmesan & breadcrumbs.

Bake for 40 minutes at 200c/Gas Mark 6.

Eat!