Middle Eastern Chicken and Chickpeas with Eggplant

 
Sometimes the best ideas come from a whim.  Such is the case for this recipe.  My wife and I had taken out some chicken for dinner and had no idea what to do with it.  We also had some eggplant and kale in the fridge as well as a can of chickpeas in the cupboard.  So we just decided to through it all together with some Middle Eastern spices and see what came of it.  Here is how we made it:

1 lb chicken thighs
1 white onion
1 -2 medium eggplant
1/2 bunch kale or about 2 cups chopped
2-3 tbsp za'atar seasoning
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp cumin
2 tsp marjoram
2 tsp coriander
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 can of chickpeas drained
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp olive oil

The first thing you need to do is dice your chicken.  This recipe is a very good way to stretch out your protein.  A pound of chicken really only has about 4-5 thighs.

Next cut your vegetables.  Dice the onion.  The eggplant can be cut into quarters then cut into smaller pieces.

The kale is simply chopped.

Gather up your spices.

Add the oil to your cooking vessel and allow it to heat up. Once the oil is hot, add your onion and eggplant.  It is ok if some of you kale goes in as well.  Allow the vegetables to start cooking.

After the onion starts becoming translucent and the eggplant starts to soften, add your chicken and allow it to brown.

When the chicken begins to gain some color, add in your seasonings and stir. Let the chicken cook in the spices for a couple of minutes to allow the flavors to mingle.

Finally throw in your kale and chickpeas.

Give the kale time to cook down.  This will also give time for the chicken to thoroughly cook.

As soon as the kale has cooked down, season the dish with salt and pepper.  All that is left is to serve and enjoy!