FETA STUFFED CHICKEN WITH VEGETABLES
In my quest to be able to cook chicken properly, I decided to go with another chicken dish. In all honesty, I was really excited about the “arts and crafts” aspect of stuffing something into something else. And I was not disappointed…
I loved making the chicken pocket. It made me feel so artistic. The end result looked like a smiling chicken breast with a mouthful of teeth:
I’m not sure what happened, but my chicken cooked perfectly this time. It was nice and golden brown on the outside and not raw on the inside.
For a side I decided to do the sweet potatoes and cauliflower from this recipe and adding zucchini. This is partially due to the fact that I had an extra potato and zucchini, plus the other half of the cauliflower and if I didn’t use them soon they would have rotted in my refrigerator, but I was so excited that I actually had ingredients that I could use for multiple dinners. (Go me!) Throw in some brown rice and the meal was complete (as well as all of the space on the plate filled up, which always makes me happy. I hate white space.)
OVERALL RESULT:
It was awesome. Jon and Kyle loved it. They were thrilled to find that the chicken was stuffed with something, which made me feel all fancy and shit. And Jon hates feta cheese. I’m finding that if I take foods that Jon hates and mix it up with stuff, he sometimes doesn’t hate it anymore. ”It’s so flavorful!” he exclaimed enthusiastically, because, with Jon, is there any other way? Up to this point the main complaint I’ve been encountering about my dinners is that they’re bland. So it was nice to actually have it taste like something. The vegetables were decent, the problem being that I overcooked them a bit while I was tending to my high-maintenance chicken. But that’s a fluke. At this point in the game I know I can roast me some good vegetables. I would definitely make this again, and hopefully not be too cocky about how well my chicken came out this time.
RECIPE:
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese, (about 3 ounces)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, (6 to 8 ounces each)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup homemade or low-sodium store-bought chicken stock
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
In a small bowl, combine feta and oregano. Make a pocket in chicken breasts: Holding chicken flat with palm of one hand, make an incision in thicker side of each breast with a paring knife. Carefully pivot the knife to create a deep pocket, keeping the other side of the chicken breast intact. Stuff pockets with feta mixture, dividing evenly; generously season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, and cook until browned on both sides, 6 to 7 minutes per side.
Cover skillet, and continue cooking until chicken is opaque throughout and an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part registers 160 degrees. about 5 minutes more. Remove chicken to a platter, and keep warm.
To the skillet, add chicken stock, and cook, stirring up brown bits with a wooden spoon until reduced slightly. Add lemon juice and butter. Reduce the heat to low, and swirl pan until butter is melted, and sauce is slightly thickened. Serve chicken drizzled with sauce.
ACCOUTREMENTS:
SIDES:
Roasted Sweet Potato and Cauliflower, Brown Rice
