Roasted Ratatouille Chicken

After exactly four months of eating low GI, my current weight loss stands at 50 pounds. I still have a long way to go, but, obviously I'm delighted. It hasn't felt like being on a diet as I've been able to eat amazing food, and although I have the odd craving - spaghetti carbonara and scones with cream and jam - I'm looking at you!, I haven't found it at all difficult. Dishes like this help. They are great hot, straight out of the oven, but also work well cold, so make loads extra and fill tupperware for later.

Ingredients

Stock

One onion, 

A teaspoon of peppercorns

2 or 3 bay leaves 

A handful of dried mushrooms.

Water

For the rest:

4 chicken breasts

2 courgettes (zucchini)

5 small or 2 large aubergine (eggplant)

A generous handful of cherry tomatoes

One onion

Four cloves garlic, finely chopped

A bunch of rosemary (this freezers well so you can buy it, wash it, dry it and freeze it)

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper

To make this, first make stock. 

Next we cooked the aubergine (eggplant) and peppers on a barbecue, but you can put in the oven if you prefer.

While those are cooking, chop up the courgettes into largish chunks and put them in a baking tray.

  

 Remove the leaves from the rosemary, leaving a couple of intact stalks, and chop the leaves finely.

 

 When the peppers and aubergine are blackened on the outside, remove the skins and cut them into bitesize chunks.

 

Add the tomatoes to the cougettes.

Mix the rosemary, garlic and olive oil.

Spoon half this mix over the cougettes and tomatoes.

Turning to make sure that they are coated evenly.

Add salt and pepper.

Cut the chicken breast into individual breasts.

 Make small cuts in the top and bottom of the breasts

Rub the rest of the rosemary mix in, making sure you also go under the skin.

Arrange the chicken, skin down in amongst the vegetables.

Add the onion and put the sprigs of rosemary on the chicken breasts.

 Cook at around 200 C for about 20 minutes.

Turn the chicken over and put back for 20 minutes more.

Add the peppers and aubergine and mix well.

Cook for 20 more minutes

Serve hot or cold.