Stuffed chicken breast

It's Sunday, and that only means one thing: I'm getting my cookin' on in the kitchen!  My friends Rachel and Steph came over for a lovely dinner.  Steph brought squash soup which I didn't get the recipe to but was mucho delicioso!  And I made chicken breast stuffed with goat cheese, artichokes, sundried tomatoes, and spinach.  I had thought of it a couple weeks ago and it's been on my mind ever since, and tonight I finally made it! 

Stuffed Chicken Breasts (serves 4)
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
2 oz goat cheese
1 clove garlic, minced
a handful of sundried tomatoes, dried or in water (5-8 depending on size)
1 cup baby spinach
1/2 cup artichoke hearts (approx 5)
2 tsp olive oil
a pinch of dried rosemary
salt, to taste
roasted red pepper slices, to garnish

Start by preheating the oven to 375 degrees.  Next start prepping the vegetables.  Chop the sun dried tomatoes into small pieces. 

They'll look like this...

Make 'em look like this...

Next prep the artichoke hearts. I bought medium sized hearts and cut them into 4-6 pieces.

They'll look like this...

Make 'em look like this...

Then mince the garlic, either in a garlic press or mince it finely with a knife.  Next chop the spinach into thin(ish) slices.

 Then butterfly the chicken breasts.  That basically means cut them in half, but not all the way through... like butterfly wings. 

 Evenly spread the goat cheese on each split breast. then sprinkle the garlic on top of the goat cheese.  If goat cheese isn't your thing, feta would be a good substitute.

 Do the same with the artichokes, sun dried tomatoes, and spinach.

Then fold over the chicken to seal it, if you have tooth picks you can stick them to make sure they don't flop open. I didn't have any and I managed just fine.  Next spray a baking dish with a little cooking spray and put the chicken in the pan.

Now drizzle each one with a little olive oil, about 1/2 tsp per chicken should suffice.  Then sprinkle with a little salt to taste, some dried rosemary and garnished with a little roasted red pepper.

Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes.  Uncover, drain excess liquid and continue to bake for another 10-15 minutes, until chicken is no longer pink. 


I served it with whole wheat cous cous (cooked in chicken stock instead of water) and roasted asparagus. 

Rachel was very excited about it!

 

garlicy grilled artichokes

It's easy to get stuck in a rut with the same old veggie routine.  Summer is a great time to mix it up and shop for produce that is a little out of your comfort zone because the grocery stores stalk a greater variety and are usually of better quality.  Enter the artichoke-- admittedly quite intimidating with its sharp, tough leaves and unusual shape.   
I did a little research in preparation to this post and it turns out artichokes are allegedly one of the oldest foods known to man.  They're actually the flower bud of a plant, if allowed to grow they turn into a big violet colored flower.  A lesser known aphrodisiac, this green leafed veg is packed with fiber, vitamin C, and folate.  And side note:  although they may be an aphrodisiac, I would exactly recommend them as a "date food"-- I feel a little koala-esque when I'm scraping at the leaves.  Check out this video if you're unfamiliar with this leafy veg. Seriously, if you have never eaten or seen anybody eat a real artichoke, watch the video!

Garlicy Grilled Artichokes (serves 4)
Ingredients:
2 artichokes
3 tbsp olive oil
3-4 garlic cloves
crushed red pepper, to taste
salt and pepper


Start by trimming the sharp tips of the artichoke leaves, you can do this with either a paring knife or a good set of kitchen scissors.  Peel back some of the leaves by the stem and  cut off the end of the stem.  Don't cut off the whole stem though, that along with the heart is the best part.  Next add the artichokes to a pot with an inch or two of water and cover.   Cook them on high for about 10-15 minutes or until the stem softens. 

While the artichokes are steaming, add the oil to a small dish.  If you don't already have a garlic press, I think they're well worth the investment.  If you are sans garlic press, just chop it finely and add it to the oil, then add the crushed red pepper, I used a generous pinch.  

When the artichokes are ready, take them out of the pan and slice them in half lengthwise. 

That stringy stuff is known as the choke, don't eat it!  Using a paring knife, cut out the choke and the purple leaves like so...

Using a marinating brush, brush the garlicy oil onto the artichokes, making sure you get in between the leaves.

Then cook them on the grill, just a few minutes on each side.  They've already cooked in the steam bath so now you're just adding a nice char and smokey flavor.  

 Season with a little salt and pepper after you take them off the grill.   Just pluck the leaves off one by one and get your koala on :)

This recipe contains approximately 130 calories per serving and is rich in fiber, vitamins and minerals with healthy fats from the olive oil.