Something smells good!

Labor day weekend was marked with music, little sleep, and sunshine. Can't complain. Except about that cold that ensued over my past three days following. Again! Please no! Advil and Tylenol PM, cough drops and kleenex hit and linger on my pallet unwanted. So in between hot baths and naps I take to the kitchen to cook something filling. I find that I crave clean food more when I'm sick than not, beats me!  

Instead of the original chicken soup I cooked up a nice batch of Chicken eggplant stew, topped with a pesto drizzle. 
I found a similar meat-free veggie packed recipe in my favorite cookbook Plenty by London Ottolenghi and cut and clipped in my own preferences, rich in flavor and hearty in stock.

Quick and dirty recipe:
Simmer together water, chicken breast, wine, spices and herbs for about 30 minutes. Take out chicken breast. Add chopped eggplant, carrots, onions, really any other vegetable you want. Simmer again 25 minutes. Add chopped baby tomatoes, garbanzo beans, shredded chicken and simmer 10 minutes more. Top with a dollop of pesto (trader joes has a  delicious jar with strong salty notes) and drizzle of olive oil. Serve with crusty bread. Eat and be satisfied.

Must wear the proper cooking dress! Courtesy of Peanut and Anthropologie.