So, which came first? The chicken or the egg(plant)? Well, to answer that age old riddle, one must first consider the concept of cross-contamination. If you wish to avoid it (and you should with to avoid it), the egg(plant) comes first! Cutting and breading your eggplant before you ever touch your chicken keeps the cutting board and your hands un-chickened until the right moment.
Our reward for finally answering this (poorly paraphrased) time old question…FUNKY TACOS! We put a piece of breaded chicken and breaded eggplant on each taco before topping them with marinara sauce, Parmesan cheese, shredded mozzarella, and oregano, once again proving that pretty much anything can go on a taco! I’m proud to report that as we ate, the pre-meal doubt expressed by everyone else at the table disappeared!
**Sidenote: I can’t take credit for the recipe name pun. That acclaim belongs to a friend who spit out the dubbing the moment I told him what I was planning to make. And, the moment he said the name, I was really glad I gave him a sneak preview of the meal!
Time: 45 Minutes
Ingredients:
- Flour Tortillas
- Chicken Breast (about 1 for every 4 tacos)
- Eggplant
- Egg(s)
- Bread Crumbs
- Marinara Sauce
- Parmesan Cheese
- Shredded Mozzarella
- Oregano
Method:
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F, and line two large baking sheets with foil. Give the foil a quick oil spray for each.
- Slice the very top off your eggplant, and then cut it longways into thin slices (so it fits better on your tacos than discs). Then, remove the skin with a paring knife, and cut your slices on an angle.
- Crack and beat an egg in one bowl, and pour some bread crumbs into another.
- Working one piece of eggplant at a time, dip in your egg bowl to coat. Then, place it in your bread crumb bowl, and toss or flip to get the bread crumbs to adhere all the way around. Place your breaded eggplant atop one of your two baking sheets.
- Slice your chicken breast longways into strips. Then, bread them in the same manner your breaded your eggplant, and place on your other baking sheet.
- Spray some oil atop your eggplant and chicken strips.
- Place both baking sheets into your oven, and bake for about 25 minutes (flipping everything after the first 15 minutes).
- About 5 minutes before your chicken and eggplant are done cooking, heat some marinara sauce in a saucepan.
- When your chicken reaches an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees F (per a digital meat thermometer), you’re good to go. Remove everything from the oven. If you prefer to crisp your chicken a bit more, leave it in your oven under the broiler for another minute after you remove your eggplant.
- Lay your flour tortillas on your plate, and place a slice of eggplant and a slice of chicken on top.
- Use a spoon to scoop some marinara sauce over your chicken and eggplant.
- Sprinkle on some Parmesan cheese and/or shredded mozzarella…then top everything with a pinch of oregano.
- Devour, and enjoy!
