Stuffed Chicken Breasts Using Left Overs!

Here is what I had to work with:  two chicken breasts that were marinated in a garlic and lemon mixture, some left over rice pilaf, feta cheese I needed to use up, and almonds I had toasted with some parmesan cheese.  Somehow I felt the need to create something.  I could have just coated the chicken in some breadcrumbs and baked it, but that just seemed so boring!  Follow me through my thought process....

In a bowl, I mixed the following:

2 cups of cooked rice pilaf

1/4 cup of the almonds

1 cup of chopped artichoke hearts

a handful of fresh basil and parsley, chopped

about a tsp of dried chopped onion and garlic

1/2 cup of feta cheese

salt and pepper

2 tbs mayonnaise

This was my stuffing mixture.  I used the mayo just to hold everything together.

Slice each chicken breast in half, lengthwise, so that they weren't too thick. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and place some of the rice stuffing and rolled them up. I like to use a large cupcake pan to cook them in because it holds them together nicely. If you don't have a cupcake pan, tie the chicken up with twine and place in a greased pan.

Spray the chicken with a little vegetable oil spray, and sprinkle with seasoned breadcrumbs.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. If they are not golden brown, stick them under the broiler for a quick browning.  Then, remove and let them sit for about 5 minutes.

There you have it...yummy chicken "bundles" AND you have just cleaned your refrigerator!  Enjoy...

Chicken Thighs with Lemon Honey Sauce

• 6 chicken thighs
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• 2 times around with olive oil
• 6 tablespoons of butter, divided
• 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
• ¼ cup honey
• about a tablespoon full of fresh thyme
• ½ cup of chicken broth
• salt and pepper

Clean and dry your chicken. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  In a small container, combine the lemon juice and honey and set aside.

Brown both sides of the chicken in 1 tablespoon of butter and the olive oil,  about 5-7 minutes, depending on how hot your pan is.  If the chicken is sticking to the pan, let it cook a bit longer.  When it is brown, it should turn easily. Remove the chicken and place on a plate.

Melt the remaining butter in the same skillet the chicken was seared in over medium heat, using a spatula to scrape any bits left over in the pan. Stir the butter occasionally until the foam settles. The butter will begin to change color to a golden brown and will have a nutty fragrance.

Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add the honey and lemon juice mixture, the chicken thighs and lower the heat. Simmer until the sauce gets nice and thick....15 minutes or so, turning the thighs from time to time so both sides can get coated with the sauce.  If need be, add just a little chicken broth if the sauce seems to get a little too thick.  After about 20 minutes, place the pan under the broiler to brown the tops just a little. Sprinkle with the thyme and serve.

Notes: Feel free to substitute with either wings or breast. You may need to double the sauce depending on the quantity of chicken.

Banana Coconut Bread

This has got to be the best banana bread recipe I have found. Usually banana bread comes out dark and dense, almost a bit dry.  Not this recipe! The bread is light and moist, and adding coconut is ingenious! I hope you will give it a try...

1 tsp baking powder

1 ¼ cups flour

¼ tsp salt

1 stick butter

2/3 cup sugar

1 large egg

½ tsp vanilla

½ cup walnuts, chopped

3 very ripe bananas, mashed

¾ cup coconut

 

·      Preheat oven to 375 degrees
·      Grease and flour a 4x8 loaf pan
·      Mix flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl
·      Mix butter, sugar, egg, vanilla, mashed bananas and walnuts in another bowl
·      Add ½ cup of coconut to the mixture
·      Combine the contents of the 2 bowls together
·      Transfer the mix to the loaf pan and sprinkle with ¼ cup coconut
·      Bake for approximately 1 hour 

      Notes: If you notice the bread getting too dark, place a piece of foil over the top. Start checking for doneness after about 50 minutes by inserting a tooth pick. Once it comes out clean, then the bread is done!