This is my version of stuffed chicken breasts using a Greek inspired palate. Sort of. If I liked olives I probably would have thrown some of those in there too. And maybe some oregano instead of the basil. Ooohh... I bet thyme would be fantastic in this too. Oh well, my philosophy on cooking is to do what you like and cook to please yourself with the creation. So give this a try or not... but it's pretty damn tasty if I do say so myself! Just keep in mind that I don't actually measure things when I cook so these are really just guestimations on my part.
Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (make sure to trim all the icky bits of yellow fat off)
2 Tbs. olive oil (extra virgin is good but not crucial)
1 medium shallot, diced finely (you could probably throw in a clove of garlic if you wanted to but I prefer to avoid the potential for a migraine)
¼ cup golden raisins
5 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained of excess moisture (this happens to be half a 10 oz box, you could use fresh spinach here, just remember it cooks way down so you'll need alot more than you think)
1 Tbs. apple cider vinegar (I'm sure red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar would be tasty too, I was just trying to play up the raisins)
¼ - ½ cup feta cheese, crumbled (I like it a little heavier on the feta so I used 1/2 cup)
6 - 8 fresh basil leaves, torn (or ½ tsp. dried basil) (my Aerogarden is exploding with basil right now so I put it in practically everything!)
¼ tsp. nutmeg (it really is the perfect compliment to dark leafy greens like spinach)
pinch of red pepper flakes (I like a little heat in most of my dishes, but you can leave this out if you want)
salt and pepper to taste (more so the pepper... feta is salty enough for me)
pan gravy recipe to follow (if desired)*
As all good recipes start, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Yes, I'm sure you could make this on the stove top and and brown the chicken until it's golden and delicious on both sides, but I felt like being lazy and just turning on the oven instead. I was in the middle of reading a pretty good book and didn't want to have to babysit the chicken on the stove so by putting it in the oven, I was able to get back to my book faster. :)
Now, as I was saying, in a small pan over medium-low heat, sauté the shallot, raisins, and spinach in the olive oil until softened, about 4-5 minutes (I gave the shallots a head start of about 2 minutes before throwing the rest in). Stir in the apple cider vinegar but don't stand right over the pan or else you'll get a steaming vinegar facial as soon as it hits the heat and that shit can sting your eyes if you're not careful! Continue cooking until the liquid has been absorbed, another 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the feta, basil, nutmeg, and red pepper flakes. Seriously, you want to wait until you pull this off the heat before adding fresh basil otherwise the leaves will turn black and just look gross. Set aside to cool slightly while you prepare the chicken breasts.
Here's the fun part: You can either cheat and buy the chicken with a pocket already cut into it (and you'll spend an arm and a leg for the privilege) or you can do it yourself. Me, I always cut the pocket myself so I can change it up depending on what I'm going to stuff the bird with. For this particular recipe, because it's a pretty hardy stuffing and not very oozy, I make a fairly wide slit instead of a narrow one and then having to dig out the pocket with my finger. In this instance, I lay the breast on a cutting board and lay my left hand flat on top of the meat. Using my 4 inch utility knife, I keep the blade parallel to my left hand and slice through the mid line of the breast, leaving a 1/4 inch border to create the pocket. Even as clumsy as I can be, I've yet to cut myself using this technique so clearly if I can do it, any idiot can.
Moving on, stuff the chicken breasts with the yummy spinach mixture (you know you've already tasted it... just don't forget about cross contamination and use a clean spoon when you get to this step) and place in a prepared baking dish. Hopefully you thought ahead and got a baking dish out and sprayed it with some non-stick cooking spray. If you didn't, well then, you were probably stupid enough to slice a finger off at some earlier point in this recipe so it's really a moot point, isn't it? Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper to taste (keep in mind that the feta is pretty salty on its own), and maybe a little dried basil. (Here's my super secret element to this recipe: I pour a little less than 1 cup of chicken or vegetable stock into the baking dish as well as another splash of apple cider vinegar. It helps keep the chicken nice and moist as it bakes and if you leave it in the oven a little longer than expected, perhaps because you think timers are for sissies, it helps to prevent it from drying out.) Bake at 400 degrees for 25-45 minutes or until done, depending on the thickness of the chicken breasts. I cooked mine for almost 45 minutes because I kind of lost track of time while reading. Shocking, I know. Fortunately, the chicken was a thicker cut and, in any case, I happen to like my meat well done. (I think my dad just rolled over in his grave at the mention of cooking meat well done... Happy Father's Day Daddy!)
*So here's that quick pan gravy I mentioned earlier: In the same pan used to sauté the spinach mixture, combine 2 tsp. of butter and 2 tsp. of flour to create a roux. Cook over low heat for 2-3 minutes (nobody likes the taste of raw flour!) then gradually whisk in 1 cup of chicken or vegetable stock and 1-2 Tbs. of apple cider vinegar. Raise heat to medium-high and cook, stirring frequently, until thickened to desired consistency. Finish with cracked black pepper to taste. So ok, I didn't actually make this tonight, but as I was eating my dinner, I was thinking about it and it sure sounds good, doesn't it? Maybe next time I make this dish, I'll whip up the sauce to pour over the chicken.
Enjoy!
.JPG)
.jpg)
