Tortellini With Roasted Eggplant & Peppers-south Beach Diet

Total Time: 30 mins Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 1 1/2 lbs eggplants, diced into 1 inch chunks
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
• 1 teaspoon italian herb seasoning, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, divided
• 1 teaspoon salt (low sodium blend)
• 1/4 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 inch chunks (may substitute with prepackaged italian chicken breasts chunks such as purdue short cuts)
• 1 small onion, sliced (red onion is best)
• 1 red pepper, cut into 2 inch chunks
• 1 (14 1/2 ounce) chopped tomatoes, undrained (hunts fire roasted)
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 (8 ounce) package cheese tortellini, whole wheat, cooked according to package directions
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese (can substitute with asiago or low fat mozzarella)

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 450°f.
• 2 cover a shallow cooking pan with foil. place eggplant chunks in the pan and drizzle with 1 1/2 teaspoonfuls oil, season with half of the salt, crushed red pepper and italian herb blend. toss well to coat. bake, stirring once until eggplant is lightly browned about 20 minutes.
• 3 season the chicken breast with the remaining salt, crushed red pepper and italian herbs.
• 4 heat the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a non stick frying pan until hot. add the chicken breasts and fry until lightly brown, about 2 minutes per side. add onion slices and stir gently. cook until onion is soft about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. add garlic and cook an additional 3 minutes.
• 5 add the red pepper and stir to coat well. lower the heat and add the undrained tomatoes and stir well. simmer for 3 minutes and add the basalmic vinegar and stir.
• 6 add the roasted eggplant and chicken and stir well. add the drained, cooked tortellini and stir gently.
• 7 check for seasonings, adjusting to taste.
• 8 transfer contents to a oven proof casserole dish with a tight fitting lid, sprinkle with the cheese and cover. place in the warm oven to allow cheese to melt about 5 minutes.
• 9 serve with a salad and multigrain rolls.
• 10 manja!