Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Stuffed Chicken


Oh my! I combined this recipe for Stuffed Chicken with the Mashed Cauliflower. It was amazing, fantastic and delicious, all rolled into one!

So sorry but I have no idea where I got this recipe, so I can't give credit to the source. Also, be aware that I made a couple of changes/additions. The first time I made this recipe, I followed it exactly. However, after working my butt off to make a fabulous meal, my husband informs me (after he licked his plate clean) that he doesn't really like goat cheese. So this time around, I made the recipe with feta cheese instead. Also, I added a couple of handfuls of frozen peas at the very end. There was leftover cheese (I only had 2 chicken large chicken breasts instead of 6 regular sized pieces), so I sprinkled that on top before serving.

This is how it looked before serving. Doesn't it look awesome??!!


Here is the recipe:


STUFFED CHICKEN

1 cup goat cheese,
1 tsp dried Italian herbs
1 tsp chopped fresh Italian parsley
Salt and pepper
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup of olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1 cup heavy cream


Mix goat cheese, dried Italian herbs and parsley; season with salt and pepper. Make a slit down the side of 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, creating pockets. Spoon a layer of cheese mixture inside each breast. Season with salt and pepper.

In a sauté pan over medium-high heat, heat olive oil; cook chicken, turning once, 6 minutes each side. Remove chicken. Add garlic, sun-dried tomatoes and heavy cream. Scrape all bits off bottom of pan. Bring to a boil; simmer 5 minutes. Spoon sauce over chicken.


Creamy Mashed Cauliflower

These are so yummy! 

A few years back, I went on the South Beach Diet. I lost 25 pounds by following the diet pretty closely. There are quite a few recipes that I still use from that time.

In one of the recipe books that go along with the South Beach Diet, there is a recipe for South Beach Mashed "Potatoes." The following recipe is NOT that recipe. It is BETTER! One of the reasons it is better is the addition of garlic. Garlic makes everything better. Well, garlic and wine make everything better but that's another story!

Anyway, I came across the following recipe on Pinterest. I love the flavor of the mashed cauliflower and you can use it as a substitute for any mashed potatoes. It has a great consistency, stiffer than its South Beach cousin.

Here is the link to the original website.


CREAMY MASHED CAULIFLOWER

Servings: 4 servings, 3/4 cup each
Prep: 15 mins
Total: 30 mins

INGREDIENTS
8 cups  bite-size cauliflower florets, (about 1 head)
4 cloves  garlic, crushed and peeled
1/3 cup  nonfat buttermilk, (see Tip)
4 teaspoons  extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon  butter
1/2 teaspoon  salt
  Freshly ground pepper, to taste
  Snipped fresh chives, for garnish

DIRECTIONS
1. Place cauliflower florets and garlic in a steamer basket over boiling water, cover and steam until very tender, 12 to 15 minutes. (Alternatively, place florets and garlic in a microwave-safe bowl with 1/4 cup water, cover and microwave on High for 3 to 5 minutes.)
2. Place the cooked cauliflower and garlic in a food processor. Add buttermilk, 2 teaspoons oil, butter, salt and pepper; pulse several times, then process until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a serving bowl. Drizzle with the remaining 2 teaspoons oil and garnish with chives, if desired. Serve hot.

Tip:
Tip: No buttermilk? You can use buttermilk powder prepared according to package directions. Or make "sour milk": mix 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup milk.