Carmelized Leek & Feta Stuffed Chicken Breasts

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.

Slow Cooker Chicken & Mushrooms with White Wine Gravy

This certainally isn't my typical type of thing to make, but sometimes you just want some kind of comfort food. A meal worthy of being a "Sunday Dinner," even if you actually have it on a Monday because of a football playoff game get together.

I found this recipe, originally as a stew, from Williams Sonoma. I used less liquid to cook it in, which I then thickened into a gravy before serving. Instead of cooking it along with red skinned potatoes, I served it over top mashed Yukon Golds. (Which we made with 2% milk and Smart Blance in attempt to make ourselves feel slightly better about eating mashed potatoes when it wasn't a holiday.)

While the original recipe called for a cooktime 5 hours on high, Sage was starving (and the wonderful aroma was killing him) so we only cooked ours for three, and the chicken was fork tender and beginning to fall apart. With the potatoes and steamed veggies, this was more than enough for two adults, and I think by just adding an extra breast you could easily get four servings.

2 tbsp all purpose flour
sea salt and fresh ground pepper
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small yellow onion, sliced
16 oz. button mushrooms, quartered
1 bay leaf
3 fresh thyme sprigs
4 fresh flat leaf parsley sprigs
1 cup dry white wine
3/4 cup chicken or vegetable stock
2 tbsps cornstarch
mashed potatoes, for serving

In a shallow bowl, stir together flour and salt and pepper. Lightly dredge chicken pieces and set aside.

Heat oil in a medium sized saute pan over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Brown chicken about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to slow cooker. Add onion, mushrooms, bay leaf, thyme, parsley, stock and half of the wine.

Pour remaining half cup of wine to pan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, scraping up any browned bits. Pour into slow cooker over chicken and vegetables and cover. Cook for 3-4 hours on high, until chicken is tender.

Remove bay leaf, thyme and parsley sprigs. Carefully strain liquids from slowcooker into a small saucepan, reserving about a 1/4 cup. In a small container, blend reserved liquid and the cornstarch together until smooth. Heat saucepan over medium heat and pour cornstarch mixture in, stirring until thickened, about a minute or two.

Serve chicken, mushrooms and onion over mashed potatoes and top with gravy.

Barley Risotto with Swiss Chard and Cannellini Beans

I'll be honest. We were a divided household on this one. Sage wasn't so crazy about it. I thought it was great (and totally unprompted by me, Beckett proclaimed it "delicious, Mommy" in his adorable not-quite-two-year-old voice.) I'm not sure if it was that this particular combination of ingredients just didn't do it for Sage, or if it had something to do the fact any meal that takes quite a while to make, he has overly high expectations for. (He said something like "I expected after all that, something more than a bowl of beans and barley.") He might've thought it was just "okay," but I really liked it. Because it wasn't a hit all around, I wasn't sure if I should even put it on here. But after Beckett and I happily enjoyed the leftovers the next day, I decided I should.


This comes from the ever-amazing blog, Smitten Kitchen. Deb encourages readers to play around and adapt this recipe, as she did from the very basic version found at Food & Wine. And play around, I did. Escarole wasn't available to me, so I used swiss chard, which I sauteed seperately and added in at the end, since I didn't think it would wilt down quite as quickly. I swapped out the beans (and even used a little more) as well as the cheese. There are so many other suggestions she makes, so if you intend to try this recipe, you should read hers first. Not only does she give various ways to make this dish your own, she also gives lots of great tips and has far prettier pictures.


5 cups reduced sodium vegetable stock (I used a 32 oz. carton, with 1 cup of water, because I didn't want to open up another for just a cup)
2 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 medium onion, diced
1/4 tsp thyme (I used more, because I love thyme)
1/2 cup white wine (I used a Sauvignon Blanc)
1 cup pearled barley
1 (15 oz can) Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 head of swiss chard, chopped (I didn't use the stems and got about 4 cups)
1/2 cup grated Romano (or Parmesan) cheese, plus more for serving
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper


In a medium saucepan, bring the stock (and water if using) to a simmer over moderately high heat. Reduce the heat to low and keep warm.

In a large, deep skillet, heat 2 tbsp olive oil. Add the onion and thyme and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened, about 6 minutes. Add the barley and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the wine if using and cook, stirring until absorbed, about one minute.

Add 1 cup of the warm stock and cook, stirring, until nearly absorbed. Continue adding the stock 1/2 cup at a time in six additions — you’ll have a cup of stock left in the pot — stirring until it is nearly absorbed between additions. (This was supposed to take around 35 minutes, but mine took much, much, much longer.) Barley should be al dente, and in a thick, creamy sauce.

While the barley is absorbing the stock, heat the remaining oil in a small saute pan. Saute the swiss chard, until wilted, around 5 minutes. Set aside.

Add beans and swiss chard, along with about a half cup of the remaining stock. Heat the beans through, a few minutes, adding extra stock, to reach desired consistancy. (I used all but a tbsp or so of the last cup of stock.) Stir in the 1/2 cup of grated cheese and the butter and season with salt and pepper. Serve at once, passing more cheese at the table.

Penne with Artichokes, Mushrooms and Olives

This recipe was created in an attempt to clean out the fridge and pantry. However, it was so good we decided it was worth sharing. I hadn't planned to put this one the blog, so my ingredients may be a little approximate and the directions might not be the most logical. I was just throwing something together. But it worked and was a really fast, delicious meal. In fact, the sauce and vegetables came together in less time than it took the pasta to cook.

I did make this vegetarian, but Sage had grilled chicken with his. I tried it with a few bites of the chicken, and it was just as good both ways. (Sage's words: Now this is what I'm talking about!) Normally I shy away from recipes that call for cream because I don't ever use or have it, but my mom brought over some perishables before going on vacation. She'd intended on making a pie for my grandma (who at 94 can eat whatever she wants in my opinion) but didn't get a chance, and I wound up with a pint of heavy cream. Not wanting to be wasteful won over my desire to keep things as healthy as I can. Sage and Beckett are both skinny so its not going to hurt them, and I'll just make sure to really suck my stomach in at the Labor Day pool party this weekend. But if you're opposed to the cream, I'm sure you could easily sub something less fattening or leave it out all together.

This made just the perfect amount for Sage and I for dinner (with a toddler sized portion as well.) So definitely double if you have a larger family or like leftovers.

1/3 of a 14.5 oz box of multi grain penne
1 tbsp olive oil
4 oz. fresh sliced button mushrooms
1 can (14 oz.) quartered artichoke hearts in water, drained
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 sun-dried tomato halves, chopped
sea salt and fresh ground pepper
1/2 cup vegetable (or chicken) broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 (2.25 oz.) can sliced black olives, drained
3 tbsp heavy cream
1 tbsp chopped fresh basil
shredded parmesan for serving

1. Cook pasta according to package dirrections. Drain and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms, artichokes and garlic. Stirring frequently, cook for about two minutes. Add broth, wine, tomatoes, lemon juice, olives, salt and a generous amount of pepper. Continue cooking on medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally as liquid reduces. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
3.Wisk in cream. Stir in cooked pasta and basil, mixing well. (I chose to cover and let set for about 10 minutes so pasta could absorb sauce. During this time Sage grilled up his chicken.)
4. Top with parmesan before serving.

Spanish-style Chicken with Saffron Rice (Arroz con Pollo)

Last night I made another special dinner for Sage. When we began dating, he was working nights as a bartender, so cooking himself dinner wasn't something he did often, but when he did, his favorite meal was saffron rice, chicken and peas. Guess what my very least favorite meal growing up was? (Well, other than other than ham.) So that means he's been able to eat it maybe three times in the past eight years!

But I thought perhaps a more authentic version I might like better, and even if I didn't, it was about him, not me. There are so many versions, because different countries prepare it differently. I choose a Spanish version. Why, I don't know. I just picked one. Maybe because the Spanish ones had tomatoes?? I will admit, I did like it. I found it a little bland, but I thought the olives really enhanced the overall flavor, but Sage pushed his aside, saying they were too salty. Of course, he really enjoyed this meal, but he also would've been just as happy with a package of Vigo yellow rice with peas only and chicken tossed on the George Foreman grill.

This recipe makes a lot. It calls for two cups of rice (which produces something like 6 cups of cooked rice!) I would've cut that back if I wasn't too lazy to try to figure out how to reduce the amount of liquids. Luckily I have a I hubby that likes leftovers. I cut back on the chicken, due to my personal preference, since I only ever take a small serving it for myself, but if you use the entire amount this would easily feed 4-6 people.

Spanish Style-Chicken with Saffron Rice, from Epicurious.com

1 (3 1/2- to 4-lb) chicken, cut into 8 serving pieces (I used 3 breasts, halved)
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil (I used 2 tbsps)
1 large onion, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (I used 1/2 of a red and a whole green)
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons paprika (I used sweet paprika)
2 cups long-grain white rice (I used Jasmine long grain)
1 1/4 cups dry white wine
1 (14-oz) can diced tomatoes including juice
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
3/4 teaspoon crumbled saffron threads
1 bay leaf (not California)
1 cup frozen peas (not thawed)
1/2 cup pimiento-stuffed green olives, coarsely chopped (mine were just sliced)

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet (at least 2 inches deep) over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown chicken on all sides, about 12 minutes total. Transfer chicken to a plate.
2. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat from skillet (that's all that was in my pan) and add onion, bell pepper, and salt to taste. Cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 7 minutes. Add garlic, paprika, and rice, then cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add wine and boil, uncovered, 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes with juice, chicken broth, saffron, and bay leaf. Nestle chicken in rice, adding any juices from plate.
3. Cook, covered, over low heat until chicken is cooked through, rice is tender, and most of liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. (It took much longer for my rice to become tender- more like 25 minutes, but it may have just been my rice.) Remove from heat and stir in peas, olives, and salt and pepper to taste. Cover skillet and let stand 10 minutes. Discard bay leaf.

This recipe claimed to take about half hour of hands-on time and an hour total. I tend to take my time in the kitchen (I have no problem spending an hour making dinner) but this dinner definitely took well over an hour and half. We went ahead and fed Beckett something else, and as I was cooking, Sage tells me to look and this is what I saw:

Spaghetti Squash Casserole

I was given a spaghetti squash and wanted to do something different than topping it wth a tomato based sauce. I chose to make it with some of the elements from one of Sage's favorite-ever casseroles (that we rarely have anymore since its not so healthy.)

Despite the fact this side dish is mostly made up of vegetables, I wouldn't consider it that healthy either, due to all of the cheeses. To make matters worse, I had to use Beckett's whole milk, since we were out of ours, and my cheese was not 2% like I would've perferred. I would suggest using reduced fat products to lighten this up.

I decided since the oven would be on for 45 minutes to cook the squash, that I would roast the broccoli at the same time, although you could steam it instead. This just seemed easier and more energy efficent. I thought about including chicken in this, but instead we had it on the side, in the form of oven baked panko ranch tenders, which were pretty unremarkable and not blog-worthy. The casserole was filling and tasty, but I do think it needs some more seasonings. I probably wouldn't go out and buy the ingredients just to make this one, but if I had all the stuff already, I'd make it again.

1 small to medium spaghetti squash

1 head of broccoli, cut into florets

olive oil

sea salt and fresh ground pepper

1 8 oz. pkg of sliced button mushrooms

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 onion, finely chopped

1/4 cup dry white wine

1/3 cup reduced fat cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup milk

1 tsp dried basil

1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar

1/4 cup shredded parmesan

2 tbsp seasoned breadcrumbs

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Cut the squash in half, and place the halves cut side down in a glass baking dish with about an inch of water. Cook for about 45 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, spread broccoli in a roasting pan and toss with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in oven along with squash for 20 minutes.

4. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Saute mushrooms, onion and garlic in wine, until vegetables are soft. Remove from heat and add creamcheese. Stir until cream cheese is melted into vegetables. Add milk and basil and stir to blend. Add salt and pepper.

5. Using a fork remove the squash from hull and add to skillet. Mix well.

6. Place broccoli in a glass baking dish and top with squash mixture. Stir to combine. Top evenly with cheddar and parmesan. Sprinkle with crumbs.

7. Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and breadcrumbs are lightly toasted.

Split Pea Soup

Recently I went to a little nearby bulk and natural store, searching for something. They didn't have what I was looking for, but I felt I had to buy something...so I left with fennel seeds and a bag of dried split peas. I've used the fennel seeds but was waiting to use the split peas. Yesterday was the day, as I was in the mood for a "simple" dinner.

My split pea soup is made without meat, because frankly, I loathe ham. So no hambone for me. However it isn't missing it one bit. Blending the soup at the end results in a wonderful, velvety texture, but isn't neccesary. This was so delicious, and I'm kicking myself for not making a larger batch. I'm trying to make smaller portions of things lately, so we don't have a fridge full of leftovers, but sometimes I enjoy something so much, I'll wish I had made tons of it. We had this with a big garden salad, for a filling, complete meal.

makes 4 bowls

1 cup dried split peas, picked over

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 medium onion, choppped (about 3/4 cup)

2 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 cup carrot, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup celery, chopped

2 red potatoes, peeled and diced (about 1 cup)

1/4 cup white wine

3/4 cup low sodium chicken or vegetable broth

3 cups hot water

1 bay leaf

1 tsp dried marjoram

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp cumin

fresh ground pepper

kosher salt, to taste

1. Rinse peas well. Allow to soak while chopping and sauteeing vegeatbles.

2. Heat oil over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic, for 3 minutes.

3. Add carrots, potato, celery, wine, broth, hot water, bay leaf, marjoram, thyme, cumin, and a generous amount a pepper. Do not add salt. (Salt can interfere with the softening of the dried peas.) Turn heat to high, and bring to a boil.

4. Cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

5. Add salt to taste. Remove bay leaf. Soup can be transfered to a food processor, and pureed in batches until smooth or by using an immersion hand blender.

Basalmic Chicken with Wilted Spinach and White Beans

I was all set to make household standby, when I realized I really wasn't looking forward to it. I googled a few ingredients I wanted to use, and stumbled across a recipe that sounded worth trying. Its was submitted to SparkPeople.com, originally a Rachel Ray Express Lane Meal.

I cut the recipe mostly in half, while still using all of the beans and extra spinach. Since I wanted a slightly thicker sauce, I mixed a little of the liquid with cornstarch, but that could easily be left out, or the broth and wine amounts could be reduced. The only thing I wish I'd done differently was pound out the chicken. I had really thick pieces, and they cooked unevenly and took so much longer than the recipe advised, that the basalmic marinade really blackened the bottom of the pan. However, the chicken was the best part! The spinach and beans were very good, but the tender basalmic chicken was sensational!

adapted from Spark Recipes (originally a Rachel Ray Express Lane Meal)

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tbsp McCormick's Montreal Steak Seasoning

2 chicken breasts (I recommend pounding thin)

1 medium onions, sliced thinly

2 large garlic cloves, chopped

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

sea salt & fresh ground pepper

1 bay leaf

1/2 cup white wine

1 cup reduced sodium chicken broth

1 can organic cannellini white beans, drained

1 tsp cornstarch (optional)

1 9 oz. bag baby spinach leaves

1/2 tbsp dried parsley

Juice of 1/2 lemon (about 1 tbsp)

1. In a shallow dish, combine the balsamic vinegar, 1 T of the oil and the grill seasoning. Coat the chicken breasts in the mixture and set aside to marinate while you start the white beans and wilted spinach.

2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with the remaining oil. Add the onions, garlic, thyme, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Cook, stirring frequently, for 4 minutes. Add the white wine and chicken broth, bring up to a bubble, and cook for 5 minutes.

3. Heat another large skillet over medium-high heat. (I did this while waiting for the broth and wine to come to a boil.) When it is hot, add the chicken breasts and cook for 5 to 6 minutes on each side, or untill no longer pink inside. Remove the chicken ot a plate, cover loosely with foil, and let rest a few minutes.

4. Add the cannellini beans to the skillet with the onions and stir to combine. Cook for about 2 minutes or until the beans are heated through. (This is where I added the cornstach to about a 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid and added to the pan, allowing to return to a boil to thicken slightly.) Turn off the heat and discard the bay leaf. Stir in the spinach, parsley, and lemon juice. Toss and stir until the spinach wilts.

5. To serve, place a portion of the white beans and wilted spinach on each serving plate. Thickly slice each chicken breast on an angle and arrange over the beans and spinach.

Sweet Potato Risotto

My hubby loves rice, so I wanted to make him risotto. I imagined it would be delicous with sweet potato- another of his fave's- so I did a quick search and found a recipe. I've never attempted risotto before, but I wasn't intimidated by the thought of all the stirring. Sage was impressed when he discovered that's what I was making though.

I'm not sure why, but my potatoes were a little firmer than I would've liked. I even added a little extra water and cooked it longer. Even though it didn't come out perfect, I still wanted to include it on the blog because the flavor was excellent and the consistancy was just right. I think the potatoes should've cooked a little longer before the rice was added, perhaps going in at the beginning with the onions. I will give this another shot in the future, maybe after I've mastered a basic risotto.

I know this is a lousy picture. I couldn't get the risotto to not come out blurry no matter what I did, and I had a hungry family waiting on me. Oh well, I never claimed to be an amazing photographer!

Sweet Potato Risotto, Real Simple

2 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
kosher salt and black pepper
2 small sweet potatoes (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup Arborio rice
1 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano (I used a reduced amount of dried)

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes.

2.Add the rice and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the wine and cook, stirring frequently, until absorbed.

3. Measure 3 1/2 cups of water. Add 3/4 cup at a time and cook, stirring occasionally and waiting until each addition is absorbed before adding the next. It should take 25 to 30 minutes for all the water to be absorbed.

4. Stir in the Parmesan and oregano.