We are lucky to have some very special family members visiting for an entire month (including our adorable 3 month old nephew, Max, who we've only just gotten to meet.) A few nights ago, we decided to have dinner with the family at our house just a few hours prior, so I wanted to come up with something nice, but without having to run to the store.
Recently I'd seen a recipe for Cooking Light's Chicken Stuffed with Leeks and Goat Cheese on Pleasure Cooker. Originally the recipe called for spring onions, with leeks as an acceptable substitution. I decided to alter it a little bit more and use fat free feta, since that's what I had on hand, as Sage prefers it over goat cheese. I also omitted the sauce that went with it. It was a reduction of broth and white wine, which I'm sure would've been lovely, but my hubby had a softball game and I was running out of time (not mention everyone was really hungry!) Good news is this was just delicious, even without it.
I found the cooking times to be a little off (if I'd followed them as posted, I would've had completely unedible, burnt leeks and mostly raw chicken) but other than than this was an easy yet impressive recipe that is just as suitable for a weeknight dinner as it is for serving to company. I served it with simple roasted red potatoes, roasted broccoli, and a big salad, and everyone really enjoyed this tasty meal.
I would like to point out that in real life, the chicken was actually browned although you can't tell in the picture.
adapted from Cooking Light via My Recipes, as found on Pleasure Cooker
4 servings
1 tbsp olive oil
1 leek, well washed and thinly sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
3 oz. fat free feta (or goat cheese,) crumbled
1/2 tsp thyme
1 tbsp reduced fat milk
1 1/2 tbsp chopped parsley
additional oil or cooking spray
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add leeks, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 8 minutes, stirring frequently. Cover, reduce heat, and cook for another 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and cook for a few additional minutes, or until golden. Cool slightly.
In a small bowl, combine feta, thyme, milk and parsley. Add cooled leeks. Set aside.
Cut a horizontal slit through the thickest part of each chicken breast to form a pocket. Stuff each one with a 1/4 of the cheese mixture. (I used toothpicks to help secure.)
Return pan to medium heat. Spray with cooking spray or add a little extra oil. Add chicken, brown for 5 minutes. Flip (removing toothpicks, if using) and brown for 5 more minutes. Cover, reduce heat and cook for 10 minutes, or until cooked through. (We checked for an internal temp of just about 170, but you could also cut a slit to check.) Remove from pan and let stand for 10 minutes.
I didn't do this, but if you wish to make the sauce, while chicken is resting, use 1/2 cup dry white wine to deglaze pan, scraping up any browned bits. Bring to a boil, and cook until reduced by half (about 2 minutes.) Add 1 cup reduced sodium chicken broth, and continue cooking until reduce to 1/4 cup (about 9 minutes.) Serve over chicken.
Recently I'd seen a recipe for Cooking Light's Chicken Stuffed with Leeks and Goat Cheese on Pleasure Cooker. Originally the recipe called for spring onions, with leeks as an acceptable substitution. I decided to alter it a little bit more and use fat free feta, since that's what I had on hand, as Sage prefers it over goat cheese. I also omitted the sauce that went with it. It was a reduction of broth and white wine, which I'm sure would've been lovely, but my hubby had a softball game and I was running out of time (not mention everyone was really hungry!) Good news is this was just delicious, even without it.
I found the cooking times to be a little off (if I'd followed them as posted, I would've had completely unedible, burnt leeks and mostly raw chicken) but other than than this was an easy yet impressive recipe that is just as suitable for a weeknight dinner as it is for serving to company. I served it with simple roasted red potatoes, roasted broccoli, and a big salad, and everyone really enjoyed this tasty meal.
I would like to point out that in real life, the chicken was actually browned although you can't tell in the picture.
adapted from Cooking Light via My Recipes, as found on Pleasure Cooker
4 servings
1 tbsp olive oil
1 leek, well washed and thinly sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
3 oz. fat free feta (or goat cheese,) crumbled
1/2 tsp thyme
1 tbsp reduced fat milk
1 1/2 tbsp chopped parsley
additional oil or cooking spray
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add leeks, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 8 minutes, stirring frequently. Cover, reduce heat, and cook for another 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and cook for a few additional minutes, or until golden. Cool slightly.
In a small bowl, combine feta, thyme, milk and parsley. Add cooled leeks. Set aside.
Cut a horizontal slit through the thickest part of each chicken breast to form a pocket. Stuff each one with a 1/4 of the cheese mixture. (I used toothpicks to help secure.)
Return pan to medium heat. Spray with cooking spray or add a little extra oil. Add chicken, brown for 5 minutes. Flip (removing toothpicks, if using) and brown for 5 more minutes. Cover, reduce heat and cook for 10 minutes, or until cooked through. (We checked for an internal temp of just about 170, but you could also cut a slit to check.) Remove from pan and let stand for 10 minutes.
I didn't do this, but if you wish to make the sauce, while chicken is resting, use 1/2 cup dry white wine to deglaze pan, scraping up any browned bits. Bring to a boil, and cook until reduced by half (about 2 minutes.) Add 1 cup reduced sodium chicken broth, and continue cooking until reduce to 1/4 cup (about 9 minutes.) Serve over chicken.
