Finally an Uninterrupted Sunday Dinner
February 28, 2010 by Sarah
Filed under chicken, Cooking Light
Happy Sunday! I cannot believe that February is almost over and Spring will be here before we know it. Spring means flowers, melting snow, and fresher fruits and vegetables.
Today we were able to actually have a Sunday Dinner. The last few weeks have been crazy for all of us and we have not been able to coordinate a Sunday Dinner. It felt great getting back into the kitchen a preparing a new dish. I spent the morning scouring my new foodie magazine that included on of my favorite, Cooking Light. In every issue I can find at least 3-4 recipes that I end up using and whipping up for the family. Today was no exception. I share with you an excellent chicken dish that has a plethora of flavor combinations that will wow any hungry crowd. I did modify the recipe a bit as I was making it to suit my taste and ingredient preferences.
Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Goat Cheese and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Ingredients:
1 cup boiling water
1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed without oil
2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1/2 cup chopped shallots, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled goat cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Combine boiling water and tomatoes in a bowl; cover and let stand 30 minutes or until soft. Drain and finely chop. I used a food processor to help finely chop the tomatoes.
Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 1/3 cup shallots, sugar, and garlic; cook 4 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring frequently.
Combine chopped tomatoes, shallot mixture, cheese, basil, and 1/4 teaspoon salt, stirring well.
Cut a horizontal slit through thickest portion of each chicken breast half to form a pocket. Stuff about 2 tablespoons cheese mixture into each pocket. Sprinkle chicken evenly with 1/2 teaspoon salt and black pepper.
Heat 1 teaspoon oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 6 minutes on each side or until done. (My camera must have been shy for this cooking shot.) A great red sauce simmered out while the chicken was cooking. I added some fresh rosemary and shallots to thicken and add flavor to the sauce.
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 chicken breast half and 2 tablespoons sauce)
CALORIES 296 (23% from fat); FAT 7.6g (sat 3g,mono 2.9g,poly 0.8g); IRON 2.4mg; CHOLESTEROL 105mg; CALCIUM 62mg; CARBOHYDRATE 11.3g; SODIUM 787mg; PROTEIN 43.8g; FIBER 0.9g
Cooking Light, MARCH 2004
Everyone who attended dinner tonight raved how good this chicken tasted. The sauce had a very unique flavor and I should have made some brown rice to help soak up its loveliness. Us shameless folk just licked the plate clean 
It feels great getting back to a routine! This week is looking pretty “normal”. My plan is to get back to the gym and stick to my menu plan.
What are your plans for the week? Do you have any great recipes or workouts planned?
Cooking Light Critic: Wednesday: Almond-Stuffed Chicken
March 6, 2009 by Sarah
Filed under almond stuffed chicken breast, Cooking Light
Tonight’s dinner was again inspired by Cooking Light March 2009 issue. This usually happens when I get a new magazine, I stuff all the good recipes in a week long menu. I plan all my menus on Saturday morning when my girls are at ballet. For me weekly menu planning is the best strategy to cook healthy meals for the family. I use a spread sheet to keep myself organized and also to create a shopping list. In this economy, I need to stick to buying only what I need and list helps me do that.
With all that said I found another recipe for the magazine (I know I sound like a poster child for Cooking Light) that was wallet friendly and tasty. With 5 ingredients you can make an elegant chicken breast that the whole family can enjoy in under 30 minutes.
The five ingredients (butter was shy in this pic).
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup light garlic-and-herbs spreadable cheese (such as Boursin light)
- 1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted, coarsely chopped, and divided
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, divided
- 4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoons butter
The how-to:
I toasted the almonds in a pan first. It smelled so good.
I chopped the parsley with one of my favorite Rachael Ray kitchen tools: The Furi Froggy. It does such a nice job with chopping fresh herbs. I wish I had better knife skills.
I love fresh chopped herbs.
Next, Combine spreadable cheese, 3 tablespoons almonds, and 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley in a small bowl. Set aside.
Cut a horizontal slit through thickest portion of each breast half to form a pocket.
Stuff 1 1/2 tablespoons almond mixture into each pocket; secure each pocket with a wooden pick. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.
Heat butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.
Add chicken to pan; cook 6 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from pan; cover and let stand 2 minutes. Top chicken with remaining 1 tablespoon almonds and remaining 1 tablespoon parsley.
This is one piece that I had left. I forgot to take a picture of the final product.
Mom- What a great way to have stuffed chicken breast in less than 30 minutes. The almonds added a great crunch to the dish.
Dad- It was good. (He had 4 chicken breast himself)
Daijia- I like the cheese and chicken but not the nuts. I could do without them next time.
Tajiah- It was okay!
What is everybody doing this weekend? My plans include getting back to yoga class and announcing the winner to my first ever contest! Be sure to enter by March 6 at midnight.
Have a great night!
