Baked chicken with eggplant and cheese

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken fillets (350-400g total)
• 1 eggplant (about 450g), trimmed and cut into 8 slices
• 1/2 tsp dry Italian seasoning
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
• 3 cups puffed rice cereal (breakfast cereal)
• 2 tbsp. l. grated parmesan
• 4 tsp olive oil
• 1 1/3 cups tomato puree without added salt
• 1/2 tbsp. coarsely grated mozzarella cheese
• Chopped parsley, for garnish

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to high. Spray both sides of the eggplant slices with cooking spray, then sprinkle with Italian seasoning, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Place on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until browned and tender, turning once, about 6 minutes.
   
   Reduce oven temperature to 220°C.
2. Meanwhile, combine the flour and cayenne pepper in a shallow dish. In another shallow dish, combine the egg whites with 1 teaspoon of water. In a third dish, combine the crushed rice cereal and Parmesan cheese.
   
   Working with 1 chicken piece at a time, first coat it in flour and shake off any excess. Dip it in the egg whites. Then place it in the rice cereal mixture and press down to coat the chicken well on both sides. Repeat with the remaining chicken pieces.
3. Spray a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Drizzle in 2 teaspoons of olive oil, then add 2 pieces of breaded chicken. Cook, turning once, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish coated with oil. Repeat with the remaining olive oil and chicken.
4. Place 2 eggplant slices on each chicken piece and top evenly with tomato puree and cheese. Return to the oven and bake until the cheese is melted and golden brown (15-20 minutes). Sprinkle with parsley, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste.