Chicken Breasts Stuffed With Cream Cheese, Spinach, Artichokes, and Roasted Red Peppers - Yum!

By Harriet Hodgson

My sister-in-law and brother-in-law were coming for dinner and I wanted to serve a dish that was special and healthy. What would it be? Months ago, I cut out a magazine article about using frozen spinach. The recipe for stuffed chicken breasts sounded good, but I altered it to suit my tastes. I used a different kind of cheese, added roasted red peppers, and made a sauce.

Stuffing chicken breasts is a labor-intensive process. However, you can do most of the work ahead of time. Since I was volunteering at the library in the afternoon, I pounded the chicken, stuffed it, precooked it, and refrigerated it until later. When my sister and brother-in-law arrived I baked the chicken in a very hot oven.

You can run into trouble if you have never pounded poultry before. It is easy to pound too much in one place and punch a hole in the chicken. Flattening thick pieces takes longer than flattening thin ones. Your pounding technique is also important. I put the breasts in a heavy, zipper-type plastic bag. To keep the chicken from sticking to the sides of the bag, I moisten the inside with a little water.

Place the bagged chicken on a surface that can withstand pounding. (I don’t put it on my granite counter top.) Pound the breasts with a tenderizer that has a flat bottom or use a heavy pan. Push your hand towards the edge of the chicken as you pound to achieve an even thickness.

When you spread the stuffing on the chicken, leave a half-inch border so the stuffing has somewhere to go as you roll it up. This dish is fancy enough for company and a special treat for family. I served it with wild rice, a salad of leaf lettuce, sliced pears, toasted walnuts, Roquefort cheese crumbles, and homemade dressing.

My sister-in-law and brother-in-law loved the chicken. I felt the result was worth the work. Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Cream Cheese, Spinach, Artichokes and Roasted Red Peppers is a unique way to serve poultry and a tasty combination of flavors.

Ingredients

8-ounce carton cream cheese with spinach and artichokes

10-ounce package chopped spinach, defrosted

7-ounce jar roasted red peppers (use half and save the rest)

4 chicken breast halves

1 1/2 cups lower salt chicken stock

2 tablespoons Wondra flour

Method

Place room temperature cream cheese in a bowl. Drain spinach in a strainer and add to cream cheese. Take half of the peppers from the jar and drain on paper towels. Chop the peppers and add to spinach-cream cheese mixture. Pound chicken breasts until they are about 1/4-inch thick. Spread each breast with filling, roll up, and secure with tooth picks. Place breasts in an oiled skillet and cook over medium heat until the chicken starts to turn white. Transfer skillet to a 400-degree oven and bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove chicken and tent with foil to keep warm. Add chicken stock to skillet, whisk in flour, and cook over medium heat until sauce thickens. Place chicken breasts on plates and spoon some sauce over each one. Makes four servings.

Copyright 2010 by Harriet Hodgson

http://www.harriethodgson.com

Harriet Hodgson has been an independent journalist for 30+ years. She is a member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors, Association of Health Care Journalists, and Association for Death Education and Counseling. Her 24th book, “Smiling Through Your Tears: Anticipating Grief,” written with Lois Krahn, MD is available from Amazon.

Centering Corporation has published her 26th book, “Writing to Recover: The Journey from Loss and Grief to a New Life” and a companion journal with 100 writing jump-starts. Hodgson is a monthly columnist for the new “Caregiving in America” magazine and a contributing writer for the Open to Hope Foundation website. Please visit her website and learn more about this busy author and grandmother.

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Easy French Recipes - How to Make Roast Chicken Provencal

By Christine Szalay Kudra

Some French recipes are complicated but quite a lot of them are actually quite simple, including the following roast chicken Provencal recipe. Chicken is combined with tomatoes, basil, onion, garlic, wine, stock, and olives in this recipe and that is all you need to make a very flavorful dish. You can serve it with mashed or boiled potatoes, rice, or French fries.

This recipe serves four people and it is ideal if you are having a dinner party and you want to serve something classy but not too fiddly. So, what does Provencal mean exactly? Provence is a region in the south of France and a recipe, which is tagged with the word “Provencal” or “Provencale” means that it is prepared in the style of that region.

Herbes de Provence

You might have heard of Herbes de Provence, which is a combination of fennel, savory, thyme flowers, basil and more. Thyme is usually the strongest flavor but it depends on the manufacturer. Lavender is added to the American mixes but not the traditional French ones. This herb mix has been around since the 1970s and you can use it to flavor grilled meat, fish, or vegetables.

The cuisine from this region of France has always used a lot of herbs but the people living in the area have always added the herbs separately, rather than using Herbes de Provence from a mix.

The Recipe - Step by Step

What you will need:

• 3 lbs chicken
• 2 plum tomatoes
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
• 1 onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 3/4 cup veal stock
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 cup Kalamata olives
• Salt and black pepper

How to make it:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Season the chicken with some salt and pepper and put it in a ten inch ovenproof skillet. Roast it in the center of the oven for twenty minutes.

While the bird roasts, chop the garlic and onion. Pit the olives and slice them finely. Chop enough basil to get two tablespoons and cut the remaining basil into thin strips. De-seed the tomatoes and cut them into quarter inch pieces.

Turn the oven temperature down to 350 degrees F and cook the chicken for a further forty minutes or until a thermometer inserted into the center of a thigh reads 170 degrees F and the chicken juices run clear. Put the chicken on a cutting board and make a loose aluminum foil tent over it to keep it warm.

Pour all the fat except two teaspoons of it out of the skillet and saute the onion for half a minute, stirring it all the time. Add the garlic and saute for another half a minute. Add the white wine to de-glaze the pan, scraping the burnt bits off the bottom.

Simmer the mixture until it reduces by half, and then add the stock. Bring it to a simmer and add the olives and tomatoes. Simmer the sauce for three minutes or until it thickens. Stir in the basil strips and take the mixture off the heat. Cut the chicken into four pieces and pour the sauce over it. Sprinkle the chopped basil over the top and serve.

Chicken is versatile and you can cook it in many different ways, such as finger-licking fried chicken or juicy grilled chicken. A classy chicken Provencal is great for a dinner party but a succulent and easy fried chicken recipe is sure to impress your family tonight.

SouthernFriedChickenRecipe.com When it has to be Real Fried Chicken

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Chicken Cordon Bleu - The Easy, Healthy Way

By Kim Steele

Despite its nice French name, no one is entirely sure that chicken cordon bleu originated in France. It is however a very popular dish in France and one you can make yourself with little fuss, following the easy method given here. And since it has a French name, of course it has a French story to enjoy along with it.

A Little History

Before we start cooking, I thought you might like to know what the cordon bleu was all about. You’ve probably heard of the cooking school by that name, but the actual cordon bleu had been around for centuries before the cooking school was started in the late 1800’s.

During the religious wars that shook Europe for much of the 16th century, King Henry III initiated a special order of knights, known as L’Ordre du Saint-Esprit, to fight for Catholicism. To distinguish themselves the knights wore a Maltese cross hanging from a blue cord around their neck.

In later years, this same order of knights would gather for huge feasts, some of them cooked by accomplished chefs. Hence the blue cord become associated with excellence in cooking (as well as excellence in general) and this was reinforced when the Cordon Bleu cooking school opened it’s doors in Paris.

An Easy Recipe

So now that you know a little story to entertain your diners with, let’s get cooking.

Lots of Chicken Cordon Bleu recipes ask that you deep fat fry the rolled meat and cheese bundles, but that can be messy and add a lot of unnecessary calories. The dish is actually quite satisfying and delicious when baked. For those of you who miss the extra calories, you can make the shallot cream sauce to serve alongside it.

Baked Chicken Cordon Bleu

• 4 chicken breast filets, skinned
• salt and pepper
• 4 slices ham
• 4 slices of cheese, such as Swiss
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 4 tablespoons butter

Using a wooden meat hammer, pound the chicken breasts to about 1/4 inch thick. Or place the breasts between pieces of wax paper or in a heavy plastic bag and use your rolling pin to flatten them.

Lay out the chicken breasts and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Top each with a slice of cheese and a slice of ham. Roll the chicken up tightly.

Dredge the rolls in the beaten egg and then in the bread crumbs, coating them well. Use toothpicks to hold them together if you wish. Place the rolls in a greased baking pan, seam side down. Place 1 tablespoon of butter on top of each roll.

Bake at 350°F for about 30 to 35 minutes.

Serves 4.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Sauce

• 2 shallots, chopped finely
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup whipping cream

Melt the butter in a small saucepan on low heat and add the shallots. Cook the shallots for 7 or 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the cream and warm through. That’s it, ready to serve.

Makes about 1/2 cup.

If you like these recipes, you’ll find many more French chicken recipes on Easy French Food. Chicken Fricassee is another popular method for cooking poultry and this Moroccan Chicken Recipe, although not exactly French, is served so often in France, you might think it was. Enjoy.

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The Many Ways to Cook Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast

Boneless skinless chicken breast is the most popular cut of poultry in the United States and with good reason: they are low in fat, quick and easy to prepare and extremely versatile. This wonderful cut of poultry can be grilled, sauteed, broiled, poached, fried and baked. There is a downside however to this cut of meat: they are rather low in fat. You may be asking: “What is wrong with that? That makes them healthy right?” Yes, they are a healthier way to eat, but because they are low in fat, they are also low in moisture and that makes them very susceptible to over cooking. Nothing is less appetizing than a dry and overcooked piece of meat.

There are two ways to make certain your chicken is not overcooked. The first way, and the most accurate in my opinion, is to use an instant read thermometer. I own a handy little electronic thermometer with a voice alert feature. It is extremely accurate and has never let me down. The other method for checking doneness is by pricking the meat with a fork. If the juices run clear, then it is done. I think the first option is much safer, but you can be the judge.

There are literally hundreds of combined recipes and methods for cooking chicken breast, far too many to cover in this article, so I will talk about two very popular methods.

One of the easiest and tastiest ways is to marinate and grill them.

Below is a great marinade recipe.:

GRILLED CHICKEN BREAST WITH CITRUS HERB MARINADE

INGREDIENTS:

4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 Tablespoons of Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice

2 Tablespoons of Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice

1/3 Cup of Freshly Chopped Parsley

1/3 Cup of Freshly Chopped Basil

1 Clove of Garlic Minced

1 Teaspoon of Salt

1/4 Teaspoon of Freshly Cracked Black Pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Step 1: Mix together everything, accept the chicken breasts, in a large bowl.

Step 2: Add boneless skinless chicken breasts to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for several hours.

Step 3: Get you grill nice and hot and oil the grates to prevent the chicken from sticking.

Step 4: Grill chicken breasts about 4 minutes per side or until done.

Another fantastic way to cook chicken breasts is by baking them in foil in the oven. The foil helps keep the meat nice and moist while cooking. What you put inside the foil is only limited by your imagination, but to make things easier, I have included a great recipe below.

CHICKEN WITH SUN DRIED TOMATOES AND KALAMATA OLIVES

INGREDIENTS:

4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

10 - 15 Kalamata Olives Pitted and Chopped

8 - 10 Sun Dried Tomatoes Cut Into Thin Strips

4 Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 Tablespoons of Freshly Chopped Basil

2 Tablespoons of Freshly Chopped Parsley

Salt and Pepper to Taste

DIRECTIONS:

Step 1: Preheat Oven to 450 Degrees F

Step 2: In a bowl, combine the olives, tomatoes, basil, parsley, olive oil, salt and pepper.

Step 3: Cut 8 Squares of Aluminum Foil (Cut them large, about 18 inches square)

Step 4: Grab 2 squares of foil and place one on top of the other.

Step 5: Grease the foil with some olive oil

Step 6: Place a chicken breast in the center of the foil and spoon some of the tomato and olive mixture on top

Step 7: Loosely fold the foil over the chicken forming a tent and seal tightly

Step 8: Repeat this process for the remaining chicken breasts

Step 9 : Place the wrapped chicken breasts on a baking sheet and place in the pre-heated oven

Step 10: Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until done. To check for doneness, cut a small slit in the foil to allow the steam to escape and then carefully unfold the foil. Check for doneness with an instant read thermometer. The internal temperature should read 160 degrees F.

Step 11: Let the chicken breasts stand for about five minutes before serving.

More Ways to Cook Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast

Below are a handful of videos I found on YouTube that include fantastic recipes and instructions for cooking boneless skinless chicken breasts:

Chicken Breasts on the Grill

Chicken Cordon Bleu - The Easy, Healthy Way

By Kim Steele

Despite its nice French name, no one is entirely sure that chicken cordon bleu originated in France. It is however a very popular dish in France and one you can make yourself with little fuss, following the easy method given here. And since it has a French name, of course it has a French story to enjoy along with it.

A Little History

Before we start cooking, I thought you might like to know what the cordon bleu was all about. You’ve probably heard of the cooking school by that name, but the actual cordon bleu had been around for centuries before the cooking school was started in the late 1800’s.

During the religious wars that shook Europe for much of the 16th century, King Henry III initiated a special order of knights, known as L’Ordre du Saint-Esprit, to fight for Catholicism. To distinguish themselves the knights wore a Maltese cross hanging from a blue cord around their neck.

In later years, this same order of knights would gather for huge feasts, some of them cooked by accomplished chefs. Hence the blue cord become associated with excellence in cooking (as well as excellence in general) and this was reinforced when the Cordon Bleu cooking school opened it’s doors in Paris.

An Easy Recipe

So now that you know a little story to entertain your diners with, let’s get cooking.

Lots of Chicken Cordon Bleu recipes ask that you deep fat fry the rolled meat and cheese bundles, but that can be messy and add a lot of unnecessary calories. The dish is actually quite satisfying and delicious when baked. For those of you who miss the extra calories, you can make the shallot cream sauce to serve alongside it.

Baked Chicken Cordon Bleu

• 4 chicken breast filets, skinned
• salt and pepper
• 4 slices ham
• 4 slices of cheese, such as Swiss
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 4 tablespoons butter

Using a wooden meat hammer, pound the chicken breasts to about 1/4 inch thick. Or place the breasts between pieces of wax paper or in a heavy plastic bag and use your rolling pin to flatten them.

Lay out the chicken breasts and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Top each with a slice of cheese and a slice of ham. Roll the chicken up tightly.

Dredge the rolls in the beaten egg and then in the bread crumbs, coating them well. Use toothpicks to hold them together if you wish. Place the rolls in a greased baking pan, seam side down. Place 1 tablespoon of butter on top of each roll.

Bake at 350°F for about 30 to 35 minutes.

Serves 4.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Sauce

• 2 shallots, chopped finely
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup whipping cream

Melt the butter in a small saucepan on low heat and add the shallots. Cook the shallots for 7 or 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the cream and warm through. That’s it, ready to serve.

Makes about 1/2 cup.

If you like these recipes, you’ll find many more French chicken recipes on Easy French Food. Chicken Fricassee is another popular method for cooking poultry and this Moroccan Chicken Recipe, although not exactly French, is served so often in France, you might think it was. Enjoy.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kim_Steele
http://EzineArticles.com/?Chicken-Cordon-Bleu—The-Easy,-Healthy-Way&id=1842301