Happy Birthday Eggplants

After a short absence from your screens, I’m back again with a new recipe that my mother had expressly made for me. For my birthday, my dear Mom outdid herself by challenging the suffocating heat and the sluggish summer. Very brave.

Here's how she surprised all the family with this alternative dish made of eggplants stuffed with couscous, orange flavoured chicken and chickpeas. The recipe is hers, so I'll be opening and closing quotes!

Ingredients:
4 round eggplants
vegetable broth
1 whole chicken breast
1 can of chickpeas
1 orange
tomatoes, shredded carrots (optional, to flavour the couscous)
thyme
oregano

"Wash and dry 4 eggplants. Cut them in half and remove all the flesh so as to form empty baskets.
Boil water in a large pot and dip the eggplants until cooked, drain and dry them. Preheat the oven to 

180 degrees and place the eggplants for 20 minutes for further drying. Cool completely.
Meanwhile, cut the remained eggplants into small round pieces (we would say “a funghetto” in Italian). Fry crushed garlic in a pan with 1 tablespoon of corn oil. Remove the garlic and cook the eggplants. Add salt, pepper and a pinch of oregano halfway through cooking. Once cooked (the eggplants must be soft) let cool.
Meanwhile, dice the chicken breast and leave to marinade with the juice of one orange, salt, pepper, a pinch of thyme and oregano, for at least 45 minutes. Drain and fry into a pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil until slightly browned.
Using a bowl mix the eggplants, the chicken, 1 can of chickpeas, 1 tablespoon of chopped parsley, salt, pepper and let rest in a refrigerator for about 1 hour. Add just enough couscous to make a soft dough, season with olive oil.
Using your hands and fingers, fill each eggplant basket with the mixture, and add pressure.

They are really tasty!
You can make the vegetable broth (celery, onion, tomatoes, carrots) yourself (it’s better than

stock cubes). Follow the package instructions to cook the couscous."
Thanks Mom!

:-D