Wednesday, January 10, 2007
chicken, stuffed
there's not pix for this because (a) i made it up and (b) we ate it before i even thought about getting out the camera.
you know how in the butcher cases they have the cuts of meat and then they have the doctored up older bits of meat? you know why they do that? no, it's not because there's a vast army of people out there who do not or cannot figure out how to prep meats on their own, it's a last-ditch effort to salvage older cuts before throwing them out for a loss.
or as one old security guard named john once told me "the more they put in it, the more they don't want you to know about it." hence the origin of hot links and other spicy sausages. but i digress.
so i'm looking in the case and there's a stuffed chicken breast. it's got mushroom stuffing, all ready to pop in the oven. interesting, but my boat's not a-float. then over there they have some flank steak wrapped up in a chopped vegetable and blue cheese concoction. interesting, but not quite right...
a-ha!
chicken stuffed with feta and asparagus!
toss in the asparagus, remove from heat and let sit for 4 minutes.
drain the asparagus and rinse with cold water, you only want them slightly blanched.
lay the fillets open smooth side down. you'll need to fold them in half so if they're a little too thick or uneven in width cover them with plastic wrap and smash them flat with the bottom of a cast iron skillet. (our neighbors must love it when i cook).
mash the cheeses together in a small bowl.
use two-thirds of the cheese and divide among the inside of the fillets, nestled down the center.
nestle three to five stalks of asparagus in the cheese mix.
fold the fillet in half and place in a baking dish.
brush the olive oil on the fillets, sprinkle with salt, pepper and tarragon.
bake at 375 degrees for about 30 to 40 minutes.
before they're done cooking, sprinkle the rest of the cheese mix atop the fillets and broil for about five minutes.
hot cheese burns! let it sit about five minutes out of the oven before serving.
serves four, so double up if you want seconds or leftovers for lunch the next day.
kid tested and approved!
goes great with potatoes. doesn't everything?
you know how in the butcher cases they have the cuts of meat and then they have the doctored up older bits of meat? you know why they do that? no, it's not because there's a vast army of people out there who do not or cannot figure out how to prep meats on their own, it's a last-ditch effort to salvage older cuts before throwing them out for a loss.
or as one old security guard named john once told me "the more they put in it, the more they don't want you to know about it." hence the origin of hot links and other spicy sausages. but i digress.
so i'm looking in the case and there's a stuffed chicken breast. it's got mushroom stuffing, all ready to pop in the oven. interesting, but my boat's not a-float. then over there they have some flank steak wrapped up in a chopped vegetable and blue cheese concoction. interesting, but not quite right...
a-ha!
chicken stuffed with feta and asparagus!
- 4 skinless chicken fillets, rinsed and patted dry
- 1 pound of asparagus
- 3 oz. cream cheese
- 8 oz. crumbled feta cheese (with or without herbs mixed in, your choice)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- coarse salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon dried tarragon
toss in the asparagus, remove from heat and let sit for 4 minutes.
drain the asparagus and rinse with cold water, you only want them slightly blanched.
lay the fillets open smooth side down. you'll need to fold them in half so if they're a little too thick or uneven in width cover them with plastic wrap and smash them flat with the bottom of a cast iron skillet. (our neighbors must love it when i cook).
mash the cheeses together in a small bowl.
use two-thirds of the cheese and divide among the inside of the fillets, nestled down the center.
nestle three to five stalks of asparagus in the cheese mix.
fold the fillet in half and place in a baking dish.
brush the olive oil on the fillets, sprinkle with salt, pepper and tarragon.
bake at 375 degrees for about 30 to 40 minutes.
before they're done cooking, sprinkle the rest of the cheese mix atop the fillets and broil for about five minutes.
hot cheese burns! let it sit about five minutes out of the oven before serving.
serves four, so double up if you want seconds or leftovers for lunch the next day.
kid tested and approved!
goes great with potatoes. doesn't everything?
Labels: asparagus, chicken, feta, main course, stuffed
¶ Wednesday, January 10, 2007
