Spinach and mushroom stuffed chicken breasts

I made these delicious stuffed chicken breasts for dinner the other night and they were a big hit!  I made the stuffing earlier in the day and kept it in the refrigerator until I was ready to stuff the chicken.  You can also use boneless, skinless chicken thighs.

For the stuffing:

1/4 C. diced onion

1 tbs. olive oil

1/2 C. thinly sliced mushrooms

3 C. fresh baby spinach
3 cloves chopped garlic or frozen garlic
1/4 C. white wine

zest from 1 lemon

3 thinly sliced sun-dried tomatoes

1/4 C. toasted pine nuts
3 Tbs. Boursin cheese
kosher salt and pepper

4 chicken breasts ( I used bone-in and skin on, but you can also use boneless, skinless)

Saute onion and olive oil in a large nonstick pan on medium high heat for 1 minute.  Add mushrooms and continue cooking for another minute.  Add spinach, garlic, white wine and lemon zest, and cook until spinach wilts down.  Remove from heat and add pine nuts and Boursin and stir to combine.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 375.  Slice chicken breast 2/3'rds of the way lengthwise, but be sure not to cut all the way through the breast. Stuff each breast with 1/4 of the mixture and secure the end with a toothpick.  Season chicken with kosher salt and pepper.   Sear chicken in a hot cast iron (or Le Creuset) pan with a little olive oil, cover loosely with aluminum foil, place pan in oven and continue cooking another 20 minutes.

Thai sweet chili pork salad in lettuce cups

As most of you know I am a hugh fan of Thai food- I love the combinations of sweet and salty.  Last nights dinner was inspired by the traditional fresh Thai spring rolls.  Instead of using rice paper for the rolls, I used crisp Romaine leaves.  I had some leftover pork that I had roasted, but this dish would work beautifully with cooked chicken, shrimp, tempeh or extra firm tofu, just slice it thinly.

Here are the ingredients for the salad:

1 C. purple cabbage

1/4 C. scallions, thinly sliced

1/2 C. red pepper, thinly sliced

1/4 C. cilantro leaves, chopped

juice from 1 lime

1 tsp. fish sauce

2 Tbs. Thai sweet chili sauce

Shiracha (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and toss to coat.  Add pork and add to lettuce leaves before serving.

Chef Nicole at the Darien Library- January 17th- 7:00 p.m.

Meet the Author: Nicole Straight (Author of "More Time to Eat!")

Written by Erin S on 12/25/2011

Nicole Straight

On Tuesday, January 17 at 7 p.m., as part of our Health & Wellness Series, Nicole Straight, author of More Time to Eat!, will be our featured speaker.

Award-winning local chef Nicole Straight has just published her second cookbook, More Time to Eat!, which aims to teach families how to streamline time spent in the kitchen, as well as make delicious meals in 15 minutes. The new cookbook is an evolution of Straight’s lengthy experience as a cooking instructor who has taught thousands of people how to bring their families back to the table and simplify the nightly 6 o’clock dinner-time dilemma. The book contains a collection of easy recipes, such as BLT Tortellini, Provencal Braised Chicken Thighs, Asian Quinoa Salad, and Dark Chocolate Cherry Cookies. She teaches you how to simplify meal preparation while minimizing time spent in the kitchen for both family meals and entertaining friends.

Nicole Straight, founder of the Time to Eat! cooking school, teaches 90-minute cooking classes at the Christopher Peacock Cabinetry Showroom in Greenwich, as well as in-home cooking classes. Her visit will include a cooking demonstration.

A book signing and reception will follow the presentation. Books will be available for purchase at the event.

This program is part of the Library’s Health & Wellness Series, “Winter Wellness,” an extensive series of lectures, expert panels, workshops, film screenings, and fitness activities designed to help you achieve an even better version of you. For more information, please click here.

Additional parking for evening and weekend Library programs available on Thorndal Circle (behind Nielsen's).

• Meet the Author
 
• Events

• Login or register to post comments

http://www.darienlibrary.org/2011/11/21/meet-author-nicole-straight-author-more-time-eat

Lentil, split pea and barley soup with smoked turkey

Winter is at our doorstep, and with it comes days like today when the only reasonable thing to make is a huge pot of soup.  Here's my recipe for a delicious hearty soup.  You can easily make this vegetarian by omitting the smoked turkey wings.

1 Tbs. olive oil

1 C. diced onion

1 C. diced carrots

1 C. diced celery

1 tbs. kosher salt or smoked fleur de sel

1 tsp. black pepper

1 tbs. Italian seasoning

72 oz. chicken stock

1/3 C. each- barley, lentils and split peas, rinsed

16 oz. can diced tomatoes with herbs

2 bay leaves

2 smoked turkey wings

Optional- rind of Parmesan cheese

Heat olive oil on medium high heat in a large soup pot.  Add onion, carrots and celery.  Saute for 2 minutes, add remaining ingredients (including rind) and stir to combine.  Cover and simmer on medium low heat for at least an hour before serving.  

Thanksgiving 101 class, book talk at the Westport Library, and caramelized onion, bacon corn muffins

There are a few spaces left in Monday's Thanksgiving 101 class.  Learn how to prepare for, organize and cook a delicious Thanksgiving dinner.

Register at www.timetoeat.tv

I will be giving a book talk and book signing on Thursday, December 1 at the Westport Public Library at 10:00 a.m.  Pick up great tips and ideas to streamline your nightly dinnertime dilemma.  

For more information, visit http://www.westportlibrary.org/events/chef-nicole-gives-you-more-time-eat?date=2011-12-01.

Here's my recipe for sweet corn muffins with caramelized onions and bacon.  

2 box corn muffin mix

1 egg

2 tbs. butter

1/2 C. creamed corn

1 C. cooked crumbled bacon

1 caramelized onion:

        1 onion

        1 tbs. olive oil

        1 tbs. brown sugar

        1 tsp. balsamic vinegar

        pinch of kosher salt

Saute onion and olive oil in a large nonstick pan on medium high heat.  Add brown sugar, balsamic vinegar and kosher salt and cook 6-8 minutes until onions are soft.  Remove and chop before adding to corn mix.

Preheat oven to 400.  Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.  Spray mini muffin tins with nonstick cooking spray and spoon corn mixture into tins.  Bake 10-12 minutes until muffins are firm.  

    

Lemon chicken francaise with artichoke hearts and mushrooms

We had friends over the other night and I wanted to try something new.  The beauty of this dish is a) most of it can be prepared in advance and b) the actual cooking time is very short.

6 thinly sliced pieces of chicken breast
1/2 C. flour
1 tbs. garlic powder
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. 4S seasoning or Adobo salt
zest from 1 lemon
1 can artichoke hearts, sliced
1 C. sliced mushrooms
juice from 1 lemon
1/2 C. white wine
1/2 C. water or chicken stock
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 Tbs. unsalted butter
1/2 C. flat leaf parsley, chopped for garnish

Preheat oven to 375.  Add oil and 1 Tbs. butter to a large nonstick saute pan on medium heat.  On a plate, combine flour, garlic powder, black pepper, seasoning salt and lemon zest.  Dredge chicken pieces in flour and set aside.  When butter has melted, add 2-3 pieces of chicken to the pan and saute for 2 minutes per side.  Remove chicken and place in a casserole pan.  Continue sauteing chicken.  Once all chicken pieces have been sauteed, place casserole pan in the oven, covered with foil.

In the same pan, add 2 tbs. of the flour mixture with remaining butter.  Stir for 1 minute.  Add white wine and water and stir until sauce thickens.  If sauce is too thick add a little more water.   Add mushrooms and artichoke hearts and cook for 2 minutes or until mushrooms have just softened.  Remove chicken from the oven and pour sauce over pan.  Garnish with parsley before serving.

Seriously healthy cookies!!

A friend brought some delicious coconut chocolate cookies she made last night, I was inspired to play off her recipe and create these delicious, airy cookies that are so healthy, you can even eat them for breakfast!

2 eggs
1 C. almond flour
1 C. shredded coconut
1/2 C. wheat germ
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tbs. cinnamon
3 Tbs. agave or honey
1/4 C. apple sauce
1 mashed banana
3 tbs. oil
1/4 C. dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375. Combine all ingredients in a bowl, mixture will be moist, but if mixture seems too wet, add another 1/2 C. almond flour. Bake on a Silpat mat for 10-12 minutes or until cookies are firm to the touch.