Almond-Stuffed Chicken

Almond-Stuffed Chicken with Salted Green Beans & Couscous

I must admit two things: One, I stole this from Cooking Light and its awesome because you can make it in under 30 mins, and two, I did not know how to solve the problem of not knowing weather the chicken was done on the inside. The cheesy goodness makes it hard for the chicken to warm on the inside and due to the fact that my lovely boyfriend doesn't quite get the fact that ecen though I said, "cut the chicken in half," does not actually mean cut the entire chicken in half but merely enough to stuff it (honest mistake), I ended up just baking both sides and stuffing the cheesy goodness in after cooking it in the pan. If you find a better way, please feel free to comment. All in all, I thought it was awesome, creamy, but still tasty, which says a lot from an anti-creamy person.

Ingredients:
1/3C light garlic-and-herbs spreadable cheese (I swear, it exists. You can also use Boursin)
1/4C slivered almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped
1 handful of fresh basil, chopped
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 1/2 tsp. butter
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 Tblsp. parmesan (optional)

Ingredients for sides:
box of Mediterranean couscous
1/2 lb. green beans, cut ends
salt to taste

Directions:
Toast Almonds in skillet without oil. Combine spreadable cheese,
3/4 of the almonds, basil in a small bowl. Set aside.

Cut horizontal slit in chicken to form a pocket. DO NOT cut all the way through. He who shall not be named in this blog ("HWSNBNITB," I will only use this when he does something less than stellar), took my directions a bit too literally and thus we ended up having to sew chicken breast halves back together with toothpicks, not the prettiest end to the chicken. I'm not sure how to cook the chicken all the way through with the cheese in the middle so you might want to broil the chicken on low for a few mins before placing it in the skillet, but that's really for the next set. Stuff chicken pocket with the cheese mixture. Salt, Pepper, and paprika both sides of the chicken.

Heat butter (or oil for a healthier option) in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add chicken to pan. Again, not sure how to solve the issue of cooking the chicken thoroughly on both sides enough to cook the middle because of the cheese mixture inside. If you solve this issue, leave a comment on the post. I ended up separating the halved until cooked then stuffing the mixture back in before taking it off the heat, but not the prettiest outcome.

Cook couscous according to the package and set aside.

Boil salted water, then cook green beans for 2-3 mins. Once chicken is done, throw the green beans in the hot skillet with some salt and toss in the pan. This keeps them crispy.

Place chicken on plate covering with parmasean if you wish. Then place couscous and green beans on the plate, covering everything with remaining almond slices and basil to decorate.

One Pot, One Pan, Balsamic Chicken

One Pot, One Pan Balsamic Chicken with Baby Spinach and Couscous


This is probably one of the fastest "real" meals you could possibly make. Seriously, it can be done in about 15-20 mins and is super easy. Also, it only takes up one pot and one pan. You cook the couscous in a separate pot, and everything else gets cooked in a large skillet, so very little cleanup. I took/stole this from a recipe book called, "The Food You Crave" and it contains less than 500 calories, leaving you plenty of calories left over for wine :) I would serve with Merlot or Cab Sav.

Ingredients:
olive oil (enough to heat up in the pan, about 3 Tablespoons)
2-4 chicken breasts, pounded and thin enough to brown on both sides
1/4 teaspoon of salt, and more for taste
1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper and more for taste
Tablespoon of minced garlic (or for the true foodie, 3 cloves minced)
8 cups of baby spinach (or roughly one package)
2 Tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon of sugar
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup canned chopped tomatoes (I like the ones with garlic, oregano already added)
1 package of whole wheat couscous (I like the Mediterranean olive oil option), about 2 cups cooked
*leftover red wine or whatever you plan on drinking that night (optional)
*a few teaspoons of flour (optional for thickness)

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in large skillet at med. heat. Season the chicken with pepper and salt (and some cayenne or paprika if its around). Add to the pan and brown on both sides or else have a pretty boy do it for you :P (about 6 mins). When finished put on plate and cover with tin foil to keep warm
2. Put 1 Tablespoon of olive oil back in pan and throw in the garlic to brown (about 1 min). After garlic is browned, throw in the baby spinach and cook until slightly wilted (about 1-2 mins), but be careful because if it wilts too much it will be soggy. Season with salt and pepper, put in bowl and set aside.
3. Make the couscous from the package in a separate pot.
4. Add the vinegar, broth, and tomatoes to the pan and stir making sure to get the bits of flavor off the bottom. Add in the sugar (it cuts the acidity of the tomatoes and vinegar, but if you liek it acidy, then no sugar for you!). Let bubble a min or two, then bring down to a simmer while occasionally stirring. Let the sauce thicken for a bit, about 5 mins. If it is too runny for you, throw in some flour until desired thickness is reached.
5. Put 1/2-1 cup of couscous on bottom of plate, cover with some spinach, then top with the chicken. Spoon the sauce over the whole thing and ta da, dinner!

No soundtrack for tonight, but if I could have chosen it would have been Better than Ezra for sure!

9.5 Chicken Parm

This is not necessarily my most coveted (its no Summer Chili), but it has been ranked 9.5 on a 10-point scale by 2nd Lt. Heilmann himself. I like it because it is easy and if you happen to have the Italian staples most kitchens have like tomatoes, chicken, bread crumbs, etc. its easy. It's also really easy to mix with your personality. I'm personally not a creamy sauce person, I'm a tomato person (at some point I will post the are you a cream or tomato person quiz on here, but for now I bet you can guess what you are), but this can be altered no matter what you like. I must give a warning, I couldn't remember exactly how I made it the first time because I tend to use whatever ingredient is in the cupboard, regardless of the directions, so feel free to tweak and tell me what worked!

Takes about an hr to make (If choosing baking option, do the chicken first and make the sauce while the chicken is baking to save time).

Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts (hopefully from more than one chicken)
2 eggs (or egg whites if you want to be healthy)
2 cups (really an estimate, whatever you need to cover the chicken) of Italian bread crumbs
1 jar of Diablo pasta sauce (or whatever you happen to have leftover in the fridge)
small package of high end mozzarella cheese, the soft, solid kind (optional for the cheesy types)
package of shredded Parmesan cheese
container of fresh powdery, grated Parmesan cheese
1 can of diced tomatoes (I like the one with oregano, onion, and garlic)
1 red onion
small container of heavy cream (REAL cream, people! also optional for creamy people)
1 Tablespoon butter
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon of sugar
1 Tablespoon of oregano
*any other generic Italian seasonings you can find in your spice rack

Directions: This recipes comes with two options. One for baking and one for frying. Option A I like infinitely better, but like I said its all about personal taste, so if you like baking (and or didn't go to the gym today), go for baking.

1. Melt butter in sauce pan on medium heat. Stir in garlic and onion until garlic is browned and onion in translucent (about 3 mins). Pour in diced tomatoes and sugar and let simmer. Add in some tomato sauce (amount varies on how thick or thin you want the sauce, I would say a few oz. should be good). Continue to simmer for 10 minutes. Creamy people should add in a few tablespoons of the cream until desired creaminess has occurred. DON'T use the whole container, only a few oz at the most or you won't taste the tomato anymore. Put top on and keep warm while prepping the chicken.
2. Stir together bread crumbs, oregano, Italian spices, grated Parmesan in dipping bowl
3. Different dipping bowl fork the eggs and a bit of milk if you have it.
4. Pound the chicken and cut off excess fat. Dip the chicken breasts in the egg mixture to coat, then in the bread crumb mixture until fully coated.

Option A (frying):
5a. Heat oil in pan on medium-high heat. Add coated chicken and cook on both sides until brown (about 10 mins per side). Turn oven on to preheat at 350

Option B (baking):
5b. Place coated chicken in a baking dish and cook for 40 mins at 350 degrees

6. Put chicken in baking dish, if you haven't already, and cover liberally with warm sauce from stove. Top with shredded Parmesan, and mozzarella if you chose to use it. Let cook for 20 mins or until the cheese is melted.
7. (optional) serve with penne pasta on the side

Serve and enjoy!

Super Easy Chicken and Roasted Garlic Risotto

I've been meaning to post this recipe for a while, but life got in the way. Now, it's a great follow up to Mel's last recipe. You can slave away making fabulous asparagus risotto, complete with music and wine, and then make this super easy, but equally delicious fake risotto meal. Jamie (my adopted sister and roommate, for those who do not know) nearly died when she had this meal, she loved it so much. And unlike real risotto, which you literally have to stand over and stir the entire time, this meal is great for one of those nights when things are crazy and you are running all over the place because you pretty much throw everything together and let it all simmer. And the added bonus is that its a one pan meal!

Chicken & Roasted Garlic Risotto

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (I just used 2 chicken breasts, but if you are making this for more than 2 people, go ahead and use the 4 halves)
1 tbsp butter or olive oil
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom with roasted garlic soup
2 cups water
2 cups uncooked instant white rice
1 cup frozen peas

1. Season the chicken as desired. Heat the buttter or oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add the chicken and cook for 10 minutes or until it's well browned on both sides. Remove chicken from the skillet.

2. Stir the soups and water in the skillet and heat to a boil. Stir in the rice and peas, and return chicken to the skillet. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook 5-10 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and the rice feels tender. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes.

And in 30 minutes, you have delicious, full flavored chicken and risotto! This recipe is perfect for those nights when you really want risotto but don't want to slave over the stove all night. Enjoy!!