Recipe: Balsamic and Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken

Yes, indeed. It has been a long time since I've put up a recipe on the blog. The reason? Honestly I just haven't created anything worth sharing over the last 6 months... until now. Inspired by an abundance of goat cheese following a party, I decided to experiment with stuffing the goat cheese inside a chicken breast and the results were totally awesome. This is an entree with loads of flavor, and is pretty rich, so it is best paired with a simply prepared side dish (we had green beans). If you like goat cheese, give this one a try.

Balsamic and Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tsp olive oil
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 cup balsamic vinegar
2 oz goat cheese
1 TB chives, finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste




1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare an 8x8 (or similar) baking dish with cooking spray.

2. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook garlic in olive oil until fragrant, being careful not to brown it. Add balsamic vinegar to the skillet and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until balsamic mixture is reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Stir often.

3. In a small bowl, combine the goat cheese, chopped chives and a pinch of black pepper. Set aside.

4. Cut chicken breasts from one side through the middle horizontally to within one-half inch of the other side. Open the two sides and spread them out like an open book. Spread half the goat cheese mixture over one side of each chicken breast and then drizzle both with 1/3 of the balsamic reduction. Close the chicken breasts over the filling and secure with toothpicks.

5. Arrange chicken breasts in prepared baking dish, season lightly with salt and pepper, and drizzle the remaining balsamic reduction on top. Bake in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes until chicken is no longer pink inside, the filling is hot, and the juices run clear. Baste the chicken a couple of times during baking with the balsamic. The breast should reach 160 degrees at its center.

6. Remove toothpicks, plate, drizzle with some sauce from the baking dish and enjoy!

Recipes: "Thyme Lord" Chicken and Mushrooms

Was dying to use the fresh thyme growing in my garden - am also in the hazy greatness of discovering Doctor Who. Hence the recipe and name. Although it did not quite conquer the depth and breadth of Time per se, it was an excellent main course that ended a long day deliciously - hope you think so, too.

"Thyme Lord" Chicken and Mushrooms

Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper to taste 
1/4 tsp + 1/8 tsp garlic powder
1 cup whole button crimini mushrooms
1/8 cup fresh thyme leaves
1 TB balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup dry white wine
2 TB butter, cut into 12 chunks
2 sheets aluminum foil, 12" x 16" each

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place your two sheets of aluminum foil directly on top of each other. Fold in three sides to form a pocket, leaving one of the longer sides open. Fold it in enough that you will keep liquid in but not lose too much ground inch-wise. Place your pouch on a baking sheet with sides.

2. Season chicken breasts liberally on both sides with salt, pepper and garlic powder (splitting this quantity evenly between all four sides). Add seasoned chicken breasts to a bowl with all remaining ingredients and toss together. Pour this mixture and all liquid into your aluminum pouch and close the open side. Gently shake the bag from side to side to even out ingredients and place baking sheet + pouch on the stove top. Light your burners on high under the baking sheet for one minute to activate the heat in the tray. Turn off burners, and place tray on the middle rack of the preheated oven.

3. Bake for about 25 minutes (if your chicken breasts are very thick, you may want to butterfly them for this recipe). Remove from oven and allow to cool a couple of minutes before cutting open the foil.

Serve immediately after opening. Spoon mushrooms and some additional sauce over the chicken for plating. This is a relatively healthy and light recipe. I'm going to use it regularly this Summer (particularly on rainy evenings when we can't grill out). I recommend serving it with the roasted green vegetable of your choice. Next time, I'm trying brussel sprouts for sure. Happy eating, friends.

Recipes: Best Turkey Meatloaf Ever

Yes, an epic name for an epic meatloaf. This recipe is adapted from one created by the grand mistress, herself: Ina Garten. I have changed a couple of things here:

1. We have... sensitivities to onions in our house. So, I have reduced the amount here by quite a bit. Feel free to boost it if you are an onion lover...or a glutton for punishment. It's your meatloaf, man.

2. I added carrots, because every meatloaf is an opportunity to hide healthy stuff that your kids/you might not normally eat. So, do that - seriously, with whatever you want. I'm sure there are plenty of other veggies that you could add (grated zucchini, and peas both sound good off the top of my head). Just make sure that your veg (onion + whatever) doesn't exceed 2 cups - we want our moisture balance to remain as it is in the recipe, and extra veg = extra moisture.


...lastly...

3. Ina's recipe calls for 5 pounds of ground turkey (WTF, that's insane!), so I have halved that amount. If you happen to be feeding an actual army, double this bitch and add a half hour to the cooktime - they will salute your awesomeness because this meatloaf is amazing.

***

A fangirl shout-out, just quickly, to Ina - I have mostly taught myself to cook, but if there was a second place for most concepts taught, it would go to her. She is a wonderful cook (albeit a bit too salty (literally) for my taste)), and watching her show, Barefoot Contessa, was basically a cheap substitute for taking cooking lessons. Plus, you get to learn all about how everyone in the Hamptons goes to a different specialty shop to buy each ingredient in their dinner recipe and then prepares said recipe for a casual-chic dinner party at which the guests are both impeccably groomed and 95% likely to be gay. She speaks logically about food and explains the science of each process you employ. She really helped open my eyes to the art of cooking, and how to learn its ways. Thanks, Ina.

Best Turkey Meatloaf Ever
adapted from Ina Garten's Turkey Meatloaf

 Ingredients:

3/4 cup onions, chopped
1 cup carrots, peeled and grated
1 TB olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp ground thyme (or 1/2 tsp fresh thyme leaves)
4 TB Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tsp tomato paste
2 1/2 lb ground turkey
1 cup bread crumbs
2 eggs
6 TB ketchup

 1. Heat a skillet over medium-low heat. Add 1 TB olive oil and bring to heat. Saute onion, carrot, salt, pepper, and thyme until onions are translucent and all veg is softened, about 10 minutes. Add chicken broth, Worcestershire sauce, and tomato paste - stir until well combined and remove from heat. Allow to cool to room temperature.

Looks disgusting. Will be delicious.

2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine ground turkey, eggs, bread crumbs, and onion mixture together in a bowl. You can use a spoon, but as Ina always says: Clean hands are a cook's best tool. Shape the mixture into a rectangular loaf on an ungreased sheet pan and spread ketchup over the top. Bake for 60-75 minutes in preheated oven, or until it registers an internal temperature of 160 degrees.

 

Will not win beauty prizes. Will win your heart anyway.

Haters will hate, but this turkey meatloaf is the most delicious meatloaf of any sort that I've ever tasted. Ditch the ground beef - it's full of fat. This recipe proves that flavor can be developed in a great number of ways, no extra cholesterol necessary.

Recipes: Slow-Cooker Apple Cinnamon Steel Cut Oats

If you want to feel good about what you're eating from the very beginning of your day, this recipe is one to memorize. It has all my favorite things: powerful nutrition, low fat/calorie counts, satisfying flavor and can be prepared ahead of time to provide quick meals throughout the week. I never would have called myself an oatmeal fan - and who can really blame me: all I had ever really had were microwave pouches of instant oats (which is one step away from eating paste with a sugar kicker, if you ask me) - but this recipe has made me a believer. 

So, if you eat the instant oats, give these a try - you'll find you stay fuller longer, and since you are consuming less sugar you will notice less energy dips throughout your morning - good fuel burns slowly. And this is good fuel for the body.

A side note: This recipe uses a slow-cooker. Mine is very large (6 quarts) and can make this entire recipe. If you have a smaller slow-cooker, you can easily half the recipe to fit. Also, my appliance happens to be the world's fastest and most aggressive crock pot ever! So, when it comes to cooking times, they will vary and the time it takes me will invariably be the shortest among the bunch. Because seriously, the darn thing works at hyper-speed.

Slow-Cooker Apple Cinnamon Steel Cut Oats

Ingredients:
4-5 apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2 inch pieces (about 5-6 cups)
3 cups skim milk
3 cups water
2 cups steel cut oats
4 TB brown sugar
2 TB butter, cut into 8-10 small pieces
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 TB chia seeds (or ground flaxseed can be used)
1/4 tsp salt

1. Assemble your ingredients, and coat your crock pot with cooking spray (if you don't, you will be serving your oatmeal with a hammer and chisel, so try not to forget this part). Add all ingredients to slow-cooker and stir. Cover and cook on LOW setting for 6-8 hours (mine is always done in 6 hours flat). Try not to lift the lid during cooking, or you will need to factor in more time. It is done when the apples are beginning to brown, and you can see brown crunchy bits forming at the edges of the oatmeal.

2. Stir finished oatmeal, making sure to free up any crunchiness at the sides and incorporate well. Spoon oatmeal into bowls to serve immediately, or store in the fridge in individual serving containers to eat later. When re-heating the oatmeal in the microwave, add 1/2 cup milk and nuke for about 2 minutes, stirring half-way through. Top your oatmeal with walnuts, maple syrup, raisins, or eat it as is - all are delicious and only add to the yum factor.
 

 Oatmeal is not so photogenic, eh?

The first time you try this recipe will be a bit of an experiment. You need to figure out how long it will take your slow-cooker to complete the cooking process, so definitely try it during the day. If you are one of the lucky few whose crock pots take 8 hours to complete the recipe, you can try making this overnight while you are asleep. If you are halving the recipe to fit in a 3.5 quart cooker, your window of time for completion will be 5-7 hours. If you do not have steel cut oats - you'll need to go buy some for this recipe. Regular oats will not work. They will turn to glue, and your recipe will be a wasted effort.

All together, this yields about 8-10 servings. It is perfect for a couple to share throughout the week.

Happy breakfasting!

Recipes: Simple Blueberry Muffins

My basic goal as a cook is to find or create simple recipes for family favorites with relatively few ingredients. Add to this my hope to eat only organic, whole foods and my philosophy on food is defined: Let's try to make it ourselves, and let's try to make it healthy. So, I was enormously pleased to find this recipe, have a great first experience with it, and to tweak it into a regular player for team Chamberlain. Kudos to Gale Gand who originated this recipe for her cookbook Butter, Sugar, Flour, Eggs - I have changed only a few minor things here to make these perfect for our family. I hope you like them, too.

Simple Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients:
1 stick butter, softened
1 cup plus 2 TB sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 tsp baking powder
2 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp cinnamon, divided



1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and prepare a muffin tin by greasing the cups or lining them with paper liners. In mixer, cream butter until smooth. Add 1 cup sugar and mix well. Add eggs, vanilla, 1/2 tsp cinnamon and baking powder. In a small bowl, smash 3/4 cup of the blueberries and add them to the batter. 

3. With mixer running at low speed, add 1 cup of all purpose flour then 1/4 cup milk. When these are well incorporated add the whole wheat flour and the remaining 1/4 cup milk. Fold in remaining blueberries by hand. 

 

5. Combine 2 TB sugar and 1/2 tsp cinnamon in a small bowl. Fill muffin cups 3/4 full of batter and sprinkle the tops of each with the cinnamon/sugar mixture. 

6. Bake for 25-30 minutes until tops are golden brown. Mine are always done in 25 minutes flat. Allow the muffins to cool for 15-20 in the pan before turning them out.

This recipe yields 12 big muffins - so, I will regularly make these muffins as a BFD (Breakfast for Dinner) treat and then we have the remainder on hand for a quick breakfast option over the next couple of days. Enjoy!

Recipes: Allison's Baked Chicken Tenders

Let's face it friends: those bargain chicken tenders in your freezer? Really not the best option when it comes to dinnertime fare. Yes, they are fast and easy, but they are so processed that you have no clue what it is exactly that you are eating. This should scare you. So! Try making some chicken tenders from scratch - I swear this recipe is relatively simple, well-liked by all and quite tasty.

Allison's Baked Chicken Tenders

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts cut into about 4 tenders a piece
2 eggs
1 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
3/4 cup regular bread crumbs
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
3/4 tsp salt plus extra for seasoning
1/4 tsp pepper plus extra for seasoning
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 paprika
2 TB butter cut in small pieces

 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly coat a baking dish (mine is 9x13) with cooking spray. Combine all breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, 3/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, garlic powder and paprika in a low bowl. Lightly beat eggs in a separate bowl. Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper.

2. Coat each chicken tender in the egg and then in the breadcrumb mixture. Place the finished tenders in the baking dish. Side note: I will usually sprinkle a bit of extra breadcrumbs on top of each tender to ensure they are their most delicious.
 
3. When all of your tenders are in the baking dish top each one with a few chunks of your prepared butter. I usually aim to have about 3 chunks per tender. Bake in your preheated oven for 25-30 minutes until tenders are golden brown.

You can serve these tenders with anything - I served them with roasted broccoli (natch). They taste excellent alone, but pair well with the usual condiments (honey being my favorite). Enjoy!

Recipes: Company Couscous

I named this recipe Company Couscous just now (like, right this second) because it occurred to me that my usual naming convention of just listing the main ingredients was a tad, well, boring (i.e. I used to call this recipe Mushroom and Zucchini Couscous - snore, right?) Also, this is totally a dish I would (and have) served to company, so the name fits. It has a lot of veggie power, snappy flavors, and involves couscous which is one of my very favorite things. If you're not already cooking the hell out of couscous on a regular basis, get with it! Couscous is ready in like 5 minutes, guys. It's AMAZING. Anyway, this is a dinner staple at our house which we eat as our main dish, but it would also make a great side dish so, be creative!

Company Couscous
   

Ingredients:

1 cup chicken broth (vegetable broth may be substituted)
1 cup uncooked couscous
2 1/2 TB olive oil, divided
3/4 tsp salt, divided
3/8 tsp pepper, divided
3/4 TB lemon juice
3 medium zucchini, chopped into bite-size pieces (about 2 1/2 cups)
4-5 portobello mushroom caps, chopped into bite-size pieces (about 2 1/2 cups)
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese plus 2 TB for garnish
1 TB chopped fresh chives (optional)

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 TB of olive oil. Next, add the mushrooms and season them with 1/4 tsp* of salt and 1/8 tsp* pepper and combine thoroughly (*these amounts are approximate, use your judgment and season them as you would any regular sauteed veg). Saute, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are softened and have released liquid (about 5 minutes). Pour cooked mushrooms and all liquid into a bowl and set aside.

2. Put the skillet immediately back over the heat (no need to rinse) and add 1 TB of olive oil. Bring to heat and then add the chopped zucchini, 1/4 tsp* salt and 1/8 tsp* pepper (*approximates) and stir to combine well. Saute, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.

3. After you get the zucchini going, bring 1 cup of chicken broth (or vegetable broth) to a boil in a small saucepan. When the broth begins boiling add 1 cup of couscous and stir. Then cover the pot and remove it from heat. Wait at least 5 minutes. Uncover the pot and add 1/2 TB olive oil, 3/4 TB fresh lemon juice 1/4 tsp of salt and 1/8 TSP pepper. Fluff/stir with a fork to combine well.

4. Once your zucchini has softened, add the mushrooms plus liquid back into the pan and cook together for a couple of minutes, then turn off heat.


5. Pour the couscous mixture directly into the pan along with 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese and the chopped chives (if you have them available - which I did not). Stir to combine thoroughly. Serve warm with a smidge more Parmesan cheese on top. This recipe makes 4 servings at 320 calories and 13 grams of fat a piece.



Everyone should eat more veggies - so give this a try instead of a typical meal with meat. I hope you like it!

Recipes: Chicken and Broccoli Penne

Ok friends, this recipe has been met with resounding success in our household due totally to the following two things - 1. It is healthy and filling. 2. There is roasted broccoli involved. And roasted broccoli is basically mankind's greatest achievement.

This dish is really three separate pieces that get thrown together at the end into a delicious pile. I think you'll like it.

Chicken and Broccoli Penne

Ingredients:

2 Boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1 1/2" - 2" pieces
3-4 stalks of fresh broccoli cut into florets (approximately 4 cups)
2 cups penne pasta
1 cup chicken broth, divided
3 TB olive oil, divided
2 TB balsamic vinegar
2 TB fresh lemon juice, divided (approximately 1 lemon's yield)
1/4 cup plus 2 TB Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste (I use about 1/4 tsp of each altogether)


1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Toss broccoli with 2 TB olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Spread in an even layer on the cookie sheet.

Roast for about 25 minutes stirring 3-4 times during cooking to ensure they are evenly browned. Once broccoli is done, remove from oven and allow to cool for 1-2 minutes. Toss roasted broccoli with 1 TB lemon juice and 2 TB Parmesan cheese.  Set aside. *Side note: This broccoli also makes an excellent side dish all on its own.

2. Once the broccoli is in the oven, fill a small saucepan (or similar pot) with 2/3 cup chicken broth and 2 1/2 cups of water. Bring the pot to a boil. Add 2 cups penne and cook until al dente. About 8-10 minutes. Drain pasta and set aside. 

3. As your pasta begins boiling, heat up a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 TB olive oil. Season your chicken breast pieces with salt and pepper to taste and add to the heated skillet. Saute, flipping chicken occasionally for about 5 minutes until the pieces are almost cooked through.

Next add 1/3 cup chicken broth, 2 TB balsamic vinegar and 1 TB lemon juice to the pan. Bring to a simmer and then reduce heat to medium-low. Continue to simmer for 5 more minutes then remove from heat.

4. Add cooked pasta, roasted broccoli and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese to chicken in skillet. Stir well to thoroughly combine.

This recipe makes 4 generous servings that top out at 500 calories and 16 grams of fat a piece. You can top each serving with a little extra Parmesan if you so desire.

Bon appetit!

 

Recipes: Allison's Black Bean Enchiladas

Over the years I have managed to become a pretty decent cook - this recipe is one of my best. It's filling, vegetarian, and makes for great leftovers. It is also full of options and can definitely be tweaked to serve to the health-conscious or vegan by removing the cheese and spot-checking a few ingredients...

So, here it goes - let's make some Mexican (ish) food everybody!

Black Bean Enchiladas

Ingredients:

1 bunch of green onions (chopped, green parts only)
2 15 oz cans black beans (drained and rinsed)
1 28 oz can of diced tomatoes
1 slice of fresh lemon (remove any seeds)
1 TB cumin
3/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
8-10 tortillas (around 8" diameter)
1 1/2 - 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
3 10 oz cans enchilada sauce

Directions:

1. Heat a large skillet over med-high heat. Coat hot skillet with cooking spray and add green onions. Saute for 1-2 minutes. Add black beans, diced tomatoes (liquid included) and stir until evenly mixed. Then add cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper and lemon. Stir well and bring to a low simmer.

2. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently (ish - just don't let the beans stick to the bottom too much) and remember to scrape down the sides as well. After 5 minutes, remove the lemon slice. The filling will start to thicken a bit over time but in the last 1-2 minutes of cooking I also smash a few of the beans with the spoon to add more thickening. Remove from heat and set aside.

3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 8.5 x 11.5 x 2in baking dish (or whatever you have that's similar in dimension) by coating it with cooking spray. Put about 1/2 - 3/4 cup of bean filling into a tortilla and sprinkle with 1-2 TB of cheese. Fold in the ends and sides of the tortilla to make a sealed pocket. Place each enchilada (seam down) in the baking dish. I can usually fit 8 or 9 enchiladas in my dish (so I pack 'em in pretty tight) - don't be scared - they smoosh together nicely. I'll pack 6 or 7 along the length of the pan and then 2 or 3 horizontally in the empty space below them. Next you cover the enchiladas with enchilada sauce. Just make sure all the tortilla parts are covered - you may not need to use all 3 cans of the sauce. Use your judgment - cover it all up, but don't fill it to the brim (or you'll be dealing with drips). Sprinkle the top with the remaining cheese.

4. Bake for 45 minutes or until sauce is bubbling and the cheese is browning. Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

You can totally tell from this picture that I was guilty of overfilling my pan with sauce. What can I say, we like things saucy around here. 

Serving suggestions? Well, I usually serve it simply with sour cream and salsa, but we have also enjoyed having chopped avocado as a topper. Really, you can serve it with whatever you want, you guys. I hope you enjoy it if you try it!