Feta Stuffed Crispy Pesto Chicken

I don't know about you, but I love pesto! It has a great color and flavor and it smells great when you cook with it. If you love pesto too, then you will love this easy and delicious recipe that is perfect for weeknight dinners!

The chicken will come out juicy and flavorful with just the right amount of crunch. And it looks pretty too!

Ingredients
4 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
4 tablespoons feta, crumbled
8 tablespoons store bought pesto
1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1 cup panko bread crumbs (Japanese style bread crumbs)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Trim excess fat from chicken, if needed. In order to stuff the chicken, you will need to create a pocket. To do so, hold your knife parallel to the counter and carefully slice through the middle of the chicken pulling the top back as you slice until it lays almost flat but is still in tact. Repeat with all chicken breasts. Using two tablespoons of pesto per chicken breast, spread one tablespoon on the inside of the pocket and one tablespoon on the entire outside of the chicken. Repeat with remaining chicken. Stuff each chicken breast with one tablespoon of feta crumbles. Secure each chicken breast with a toothpick or small skewer.

In a shallow dish, mix together the panko and parmesan. Throughly coat each chicken breast on both sides with the panko/parmesan mixture, pressing the mixture into the chicken. Place chicken breasts in a greased baking dish or sheet tray. Bake for 30 minutes and then broil on high for one to two minutes until golden brown.

Enjoy!

Mediterranean Flatbread Pizza

For those you know might be thinking, Pizza?? Caroline doesn't even like cheese, why is she making pizza?!?

And all of you are correct, I don't like cheese in the general sense, but there are a few exceptions. While I won't get into the idiosyncrasies of my pickiness, (because let's face it, it might take awhile!) there are a few cheeses that I like, goat cheese being one of them and that's what my flatbread recipe calls for!

This recipe is super duper fast and easy and is pretty healthly and the great thing about it is you can add your favorite ingredients for a new flatbread pizza everytime! This is a great recipe to make with your husband/boyfriend, kids or friends and can be served for dinner or would be great to serve at a party!

Ingredients:
1 store-bought pizza dough
Olive oil
Garlic power, for sprinkling
About 1/2 cup store bought spagetti sauce of your choice
1 small onion
1 small can of black olives, drained
1/4 cup marinated artichoke hearts, roughly chopped
About 1/2 cup of goat cheese crumbles
Turkey pepperoni (it's 1/3 less fat than regular and tastes the same!)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Heat about 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Slice the onion very thinly and add to the pan to caramelize. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Caramelizing takes awhile (about 20-25 minutes), so be patient and allow the onions to cook down to a deep golden-brown color, stirring occasionally.

Lightly spray a flat baking sheet and roll out the crust onto the sheet. Roll out with a rolling pin as thin as you can get it. Lightly drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic powder. Using a fork, pierce the dough all over to prevent the dough from bubbling up and rising too much when you bake it. Bake the crust for about 8-10 or until it is just starting to turn golden. It will not necessarily be cooked all the way or totally golden brown but pre-cooking the crust will ensure that the end result is extra crispy! Allow the crust to cool for a few minutes before putting the toppings on.

Begin with the sauce, spreading thin and leaving a very small border around the edges. Add onions, artichoke hearts, olives, goat cheese distributing evenly over the crust. Place pepperoni over the toppings. Bake for an additional 8-10 minutes or until crust turns golden brown.

Enjoy!

As always, leave a comment if you have a question or just to let me know what you think!

Creamy Mushroom and Leek Pasta

This is a simple and delicious dinner that is one of my husband's favorites and I hope it becomes one of yours!

If you are not familiar with leeks, they basically look like a green onion on steroids and have a mild onion flavor. You can find them in the produce section of the grocery store.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves of garlic

8 oz. carton of baby bella mushrooms

4 oz. of shitake mushrooms or other favorite variety of mushroom (can add more or less, if you want)

1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary

1 to 2 leeks, depending on size (only one if they are especially large)

1/2 can vegetable stock or broth

1 cup milk

2 tablespoons flour

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Salt, to season

Pepper, to season

1 box penne pasta

To prepare, lightly wipe mushrooms with a damp towel to remove dirt, if needed and then roughly chop. If using shitake mushrooms, remove the stem before chopping as you will not want to use that part. To prep the leeks, cut the root end off then slice the leek lengthwise down the middle. Using one half at a time, flat side down and starting with the white end, thinly slice the leek up to the light green part. Discard the dark green part. Continue until all leeks are sliced. Fill a large bowl with water and put the leeks in the water to wash, swirling the leeks with your hand, a spoon or tongs to free the leeks of dirt (there will be dirt and grit in the bottom of the bowl, so do not skip this step!!) Spread the clean leeks on a clean dish towel or paper towl and allow to dry, patting if needed.

Meanwhile, bring water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions.

In large high-sided saute pan (like this P.S. this pan is super versatile, I use mine all the time), heat olive oil over medium heat. Saute garlic for one minute. Add the mushrooms and allow to cook down until browned, about 5-7 minutes. While the mushrooms are cooking, add the rosemary and season with pepper only. (Do not salt at this point at it will cause the mushrooms to release moisture.) Remove the mushrooms from the pan. Add leeks, season with salt and pepper, and allow to cook for about 3 minutes, or until almost translucent in color. Add the mushrooms back to the pan. Add the stock and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Add salt and pepper, if needed.

Whisk flour into milk and add to the pan, stirring to incorporate. Bring back to simmer and allow the sauce to reduce and thicken. The sauce should be thick and creamy! Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper, if needed.

Drain the penne and add to the saute pan, folding it in to incorporate it with the sauce. Turn off the stove and top with the parmesan cheese, stirring once more and Voila!

Enjoy!

As always, leave a comment if you have a question or to let me know what you think!