Grilled Chicken Thighs with Spicy Eggplant Relish and Fresh Squash Salad
Another hit from my dad's recipe book
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After reviewing my finances, I have challenged myself to cook more meals at home this month. I spent way too much money on Uber Eats and dining out and I need to halt ordering out for a while and put these recipes to some good use. So when I was gifted some deliciously plump eggplant from my community garden I knew exactly what to do with them.
I remember reading this recipe when I first skimmed through my dad's recipe cards. I had never heard of an eggplant relish before and some of the ingredients were questionable. Truthfully, it was the raisins that threw me off a bit. However, my dad was always trying new things and constantly thinking outside the box. Plus I trusted that if the recipe called for raisins then the dish was good with them and I was right.
I originally planned to make the eggplant relish as a side dish for a different recipe I had in mind but decided to pair it with the dish it was intended for instead. However, the original dish required quail and I wasn't about to go on a quail hunt, so I got the closest thing to it...chicken thighs and it turned out delicious!
The dish was well-balanced, flavorful, and refreshing. The acidity from the vinaigrette on the squash slaw paired incredibly well with the spiciness and sweet flavors of the relish. The slight char on the grilled chicken added an extra depth of flavor that brought the dish together and had me humming with every bite. I'm always impressed when I try a new recipe from my dad's recipe book and I’m looking forward to cooking this one for a group of friends and seeing their reaction!
