CHICKEN BREAST STUFFED WITH GOAT CHEESE and covered in WHITE WINE CREAM SAUCE

6 Chicken Breasts

1 package of frozen spinach

Fresh mushrooms

2 – 6 oz. logs of goat cheese

Garlic powder

1 small can chicken broth

 

Pre-heat over to 350

Thaw and drain frozen spinach

Place spinach in paper towns and ring as much liquid from spinach as possible.

 

Horizontally cut breasts almost in half – creating a Butterfly cut.

Sprinkle inside of breast with garlic powder

Lay slices of goat cheese on breast

Add spinach and a couple of mushroom slices

Close breast a secure closed with two toothpicks

Carefully lay stuffed breasts on baking dish in a ½ “of broth

Bake uncovered, 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes.

While baking chicken start the white sauce.

 

WHITE WINE CREAM SAUCE 

 

1 c. chopped mushrooms
1 c. chopped onions
1 pt. heavy cream
1 1/2 c. white wine ( I prefer Chardonnay)
1/2 c. plus 2 tbsp. flour
2 tsp. tarragon
1/2 tsp. salt and dash pepper
6 tbsp. butter

 

In a large Skillet, melt 1 cube of butter

 Then add the chopped mushrooms, onions and ½ the wine. Simmer and slowly add the flour, for thickening, tarragon, salt, and pepper. Reduce the sauce. Add remaining wine and reduce again.

In a small pot or pan, add the heavy cream and increase heat to medium. Stir the ingredients from the sauté in the pan. Flavor with tarragon according to your taste. Cook until sauce thickens. If too thick, add wine to desired thickness. Continue stirring.

Pour over baked chicken and serve.

Gary Perman – GourmetHeadhunter.com

A Weekend in Heaven. . .

 

In these troubled economically challenged times, it was a pleasure to get away from the stresses of life and, put down the headhunting phones and retreat to my favorite pastime – food.  Usually that involves some gourmet cooking over the weekend to see what new I can create. But actually, I was blessed this past weekend and was not only able to lay down my apron, but also to surrender my pallet to the trusting hands of a great gourmet chef http://myownsweetthyme.blogspot.com Becky and Debbie assisted Lisa as she created some dynamic, mouth watering foods for Gary, Jeff and myself. We men were completely spoiled Saturday (Valentines) evening.

We started off our evening with an appetizer of Gruyere Puffs with Hazelnuts. Then we moved on to our first course; Cherry tomatoes on the vine stuffed with goat cheese in a Herb Bouquet….absolutely delicious

Then appeared a tantalizing Coconut Creamed Mushroom soup. If I wasn’t in heaven before, this dish sealed my fate. I love a good mushroom soup and now Lisa’s ranks first over mine own recipe.

A cleansing dollop of Passion Fruit sorbet and a sprig of mint to cleanse the pallet in anticipation of the entrée

After what I thought was a dish that couldn’t be outmatched, along can a poached half pear.

Then along came a surprise treat of Kumquats – that small fruit closely resembles that of the orange (Citrus sinensis) but is smaller and is often oval. Pop it in your mouth and bite – the first squirt has a slight bitterness but then the pallet is rushed with the sweet juices as one continues to chew on these tasty little morsels.

 

 

If all this wasn’t enough to make any man weak at the knees, then, the main entrée of baked wild Coho salmon topped with a roasted red pepper sauce, a side of sautéed rosemary potatoes and steamed asparagus with balsamic vinegar.

To top off the evening meal, Lisa served a Dark Chocolate Islands in Crème Anglaise

Add a little variety of music, champagne and great conversations about life, kids, politics, and music made this an evening to remember and cherish.

 

Sunday:

My weekend in heaven didn’t end there; Sunday evening we were treated to our other gourmet Chef friend Joe and his home for a wonderful dinner with his lovely Souse chef wife Jeanine.

We brought a bottle of fine Sake with us which blended well with their salmon flavored hummus dip and crackers.

Joe was preparing a rolled stuffed Pork roast for us, which he had been working on that afternoon. Drizzle a secret reduction sauce over the pork and it was a heavenly experience.

He prepared to boil sweet potatoes and when mashed, added cinnamon, grated nutmeg, brown sugar and butter. The taste was to die for.

Add a little oil to a sauté pan and sautéed sliced fresh mushrooms (Portobello and button)

 

 

 

Crab Stuffed Chicken Breast

 

4 large boneless skinless chicken breasts

Chopped spinach (fresh or thawed)

2 – 4 ox. Log goat cheese, cut into 8 rounds

2 king Crab legs

Sun dried tomatoes

Garlic powder

Salt and pepper

Heat oven to 375

Coat baking pan with light olive oil 

Carefully cut chicken Breast almost in half (horizontally) leaving about ½ inch of meat uncut. Peel back the top half clam shell style

Remove crab meat from crab legs. 

Place thawed spinach in paper towel and squeeze out excess water 

Spread spinach, 1 cheese round, crab, tomato, and a second cheese round in the breast.

Flip the top half of the breast over the fillings.

Secure with toothpicks if needed.

Back 30 minutes. 

While baking, prepare the White Sauce;

 White Sauce

 2 cubes butter

Fat Free Sour Cream

Grated parmesan Cheese

1 log (4 oz) Goat cheese

White flour

White or blush wine

 In a sauce pan, melt the butter and cheese on low heat

Increase heat to medium

Add 1 -2 cups of wine

Add sour cream

1 cup parmesan cheese

Stir constantly to thicken

 Add additional parmesan cheese and small amounts of flour  to thicken to desired consistency.

 Serve on the side or over chicken breast

Cooking at the Homeless Family Shelter on Dec. 21st

Once a month, a group of Rotarian friends and epicurians take half a day out of our busy lives to share some of our passions and talents to those in need at Share Family shelters. A little gourmet cooking, lots of fun, and this month some special treats of baking cooking with the kids. 

Indian-Style Okra Chicken Dish

This makes a wonderful accompaniment to a spicy Main dish, or leave in the Chicken for a great main dish.

 

Ingredients:

1 large onion, quartered

4 garlic cloves

2 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled

1 fresh green Chile, seeded and finely chopped

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp. Ground cumin

1 tsp. ground curry

2 cups vegetable broth

1 can (140z) chopped tomatoes

½ – 1 pd. Fresh Okra, trimmed and sliced.

1 pd. Potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

1 red or green pepper, seeded and cut into chunks

¼ cup of raisins

3 tbs. fresh parsley

4 chicken breasts (no skin)

Salt and pepper to taste

Chopped Cilantro (garnish)

 

Step 1: Place the onion, peeled garlic, and ginger in a food processor or blender and puree.

Heat a small amount of oil in a large sauce pan. Ad the onion puree and sate over low heat about 6-7 minutes.

Step 2: Add the mustard seeds, cumin, curry to form a paste. Gradually pour in the broth and chopped tomatoes with their juice, stirring well. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover. Simmer 10 minutes.

Step 3: in a large baking dish, spray bottom with non-stick spray. Add the Okra, Potatoes, pepper, raisins, chicken breasts, and cover with the ingredients from step 2.

Bake at 400 for 50 minutes.

(If not adding chicken bake at 400 for 30 minutes)

Step 4: remove from oven and sprinkle with the cilantro and serve hot.

 

Options:

Add Chicken thighs to replace Chicken Breasts.

Add 1 can red pasta sauce to the mix before baking to give an eve more tomato zest and moisture.

Pour of cooked rice

Double the curry and ginger for a spicier dish.

Serves 4