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| Perfect dish for the 17 Day Diet |
Today is day 2 and I have another delicious 17 Day Diet recipe for you…Sicilian Caponata with Chicken! I am an eggplant lover along with my son Zachary, so the fact that eggplant is on the 17 Day Diet "acceptable" food list is a total bonus! Plus, this is a recipe that's near and dear to my heart because it originated where my family is from, Sicily.
Caponata is an earthy rustic eggplant stew. It is known for being a versatile dish. It can be eaten warm or at room temperature. It can be served as a main dish or as a side, or even as a relish spread. It can be roasted or sautéed. Even the ingredients can vary depending on your preference or taste. I love caponata served over pasta or on bread but since I'm on day 2 of this diet there will be none of that deliciousness for me right now! So for the sake of the diet I decided to serve it over chicken breasts. It would also go well with fish, like a tilapia or cod. The aroma of the eggplant and tomatoes roasting in the oven were heavenly. The boys came home from basketball practice, walked into the kitchen and just about melted they thought it smelled so darn good. As I was preparing and cooking this meal it brought me back in time to a warm place in Sicily. I was imagining my ancestors sitting around a big wooden table feasting on a giant bowl caponata, served with warm crusty bread and glasses of bold red wine. Okay, I better stop before I ruin this diet! I'm so craving bread and wine now!
Now let's talk about it's taste... Oh my, this dish was so incredibly flavorful and chock full of Sicilian goodness! Roasted eggplant, tomatoes, capers, green olives, celery, onion and herbs made this caponata burst with flavor. The tomatoes added a bit of sweetness and the olives and capers gave it bit of sourness. The caponata was a perfect pair for the chicken. Everyone loved this dish. It's too bad Dave is in Boston on business...he totally missed out on this fabulous meal. Although I'm sure managing just fine as he is dining at some 5 Star Restaurant
Salute to successfully completing day 2 and enjoying an earthy rustic Sicilian meal, and surviving without bread and wine!
So here is the menu of what I ate today: (Day 1)
Morning Beverages: Hot water with lemon. Green tea with lemon. Probiotic supplement.
Breakfast: An orange, two hard boiled eggs and green tea.
Lunch: A spinach salad with spiralized cucumber, onion, tomatoes and red pepper. For the dressing I added 1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil and a squeeze of lemon.
Dinner: Drum roll please...Roasted Caponata over Chicken. Green Tea.
Exercise: 17 minutes of squats and stepper.
My 17 Day Diet Impressions: 1) After being on the diet for 24 hours I tried on my red shorts this morning... they still fit the same, bummer! I was hoping for an overnight miracle! 2) Because I've been drinking so much water and green tea I've been pee'ing like all day long... super annoying especially while at work, ugh! 3) I'm surprising not missing coffee. Although a friend suggested I add coconut oil to give it a nice flavor, I just may try that! Thanks Therese! 4) I have to wake up a little earlier to prepare breakfast and lunches to take to work, so that hasn't been so great, especially not being a morning person. I'll persevere…36 more days!!!
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| Sicilian Caponata with Chicken |
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| The perfect dish for the 17 Day Diet |
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| Roast the Eggplant with salt and a touch of olive oil |
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| Saute the tomatoes, onions, celery, garlic, capers and olives |
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| Add the roasted eggplant and you have yourself caponata. Add it to chicken, seafood, pasta, bread or eat it by itself |
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| Saute chicken breasts |
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| Now you have yourself Sicilian Caponata over Chicken |
Sicilian Caponata with Chicken: (Click to print recipe)
Preparation and cook time: 45 minutes
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 2 medium sized eggplant, largely diced
- 2 cups of tomatoes, largely diced
- 1 onion sliced
- 2-3 celery stalks chopped
- 1/4 cup sliced green olives
- 2 tb capers
- 1 t basil
- 1 t oregano
- 1 t parsley
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- 1/4 cup red or white wine vinegar
- salt n pepper
- olive oil
- non-stick cooking spray
- 4 boneless chicken breasts
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with non stick cooking spray and add the diced eggplant. Generously season with salt and let rest for 10 minutes before roasting in oven. Drizzle 2 tb olives oil over the eggplant and toss until coated. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes until eggplant is tender but not mushy. Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan add 1 tb of olive oil to medium heat. Add onions, garlic, and celery and cook for 10 minutes until slightly tender. Then add tomatoes, olives capers basil, oregano, parsley, and vinegar and salt n pepper, cover and let simmer on low for 15 minutes. When eggplant is cooked through add it to the sauté pan with the tomato mixture. Cook chicken breast in a sauté pan or bake in the oven until cooked through. Plate chicken and pour a heaping spoonful of caponata over the top. Enjoy!
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