Baked Chicken Stuffed with Pesto and Cheese (Kayln's Kitchen)

(Makes two servings)

Ingredients:
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 T Basil Pesto with Lemon or your favorite commercial pesto
2 T low-fat sour cream
2 T grated mozzarella cheese
(I used heaping tablespoons of pesto, sour cream and cheese)
2 eggs, beaten (or if they're large eggs one will probably be enough)
3 T finely grated Parmesan cheese
3 T almond flour (or almond meal, but almond flour is better for this because it's more finely ground)
black pepper to taste

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375F/190C. Spray a small casserole dish with non-stick spray. Trim any visible fat from chicken breasts, then put them one at a time inside a heavy plastic bag and pound with meat mallet until the chicken is as thin as you can get it. Don't worry too much about the shape or whether there are some loose pieces, you can tuck them in when you roll up the chicken.

In a small bowl mix together the basil pesto, sour cream, and grated mozzarella. Use a rubber scraper to spread a thin layer of this mixture over each chicken breast, stopping about 1/2 inch from the edge of the chicken (so it doesn't run out so much as it cooks.) Roll up the chicken breasts and secure them with a couple of toothpicks.

Prepare two bowls, one with the beaten egg and the other with the grated Parmesan-almond flour mixture, seasoned with black pepper to taste. Dip each chicken breast roll first into the egg mixture and then into the Parmesan-almond flour mixture, patting it on so the chicken breast roll is well-coated with the mixture.

Put chicken breasts into the casserole dish and bake until the chicken is firm and lightly browned. (Start checking after about 25-30 minutes; total baking time will be 30-35 minutes.) Serve hot.

Green Bean Bundles (Our Best Bites)

http://www.ourbestbites.com/2009/08/bacon-wrapped-green-bean-bundles/


Ingredients:

1 lb. green beans with the ends snapped off (buy or pick about 1 1/2 pounds so you'll have 1 lb. after the beans' ends have been snapped)

8 slices lean, regularly sliced bacon

3 Tbsp. real butter (no substitutions!)

1 Tbsp. rice vinegar

1 Tbsp. white sugar

1 Tbsp. minced red onion

1 clove minced garlic

1/4 tsp. Kosher salt

Directions:

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.

If you're using fresh green beans, wash and snap the ends off. Discard any sickly looking, overly skinny, limp, or yucky-looking beans.    When the water is boiling, briefly boil (blanch) the beans for 2-3 minutes or until you start hearing a popping noise and the beans have turned bright green. Quickly drain and rinse in cold water until the beans have cooled.

If you're planning on completing the beans immediately, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

On a cookie sheet, divide the green beans evenly into 8 piles. Carefully bundle each pile of beans with one slice of bacon and return to the baking sheet. This step can be done up to a day ahead of time.

When the oven is ready, place the pan in the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes or until the bacon is crisp and sizzling. While the bundles are in the oven, melt the butter over medium-high heat in a small saucepan. When the butter is bubbly, add in the onions and garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes or until the onions are softened and fragrant. Reduce heat to low and add in vinegar, sugar, and salt. Remove from heat and set aside.

When ready to serve, place bean bundles on a serving platter and drizzle with sauce. Serve immediately.

Caramelized Green Beans (Our Best Bites)

http://www.ourbestbites.com/2008/03/caramelized-green-beans/


Ingredients:

1 lb. (actually, just a little bit more…maybe 1 1/8 lb.) fresh green beans
1/2 lb. bacon
1/2 red onion, sliced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
olive oil
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
Lots of freshly-ground pepper

Directions:

Begin frying the bacon in a large skillet. Start boiling a large pot of water. Place beans in a colander and rinse them well. Then snap the ends off and snap them in half.

Prepare the sauce by mixing sugar, soy sauce, and salt in a small bowl.

Make sure your onions are sliced, garlic is pressed (or minced…but I think if you don’t have a garlic press, the Easter Bunny needs to bring you one this year), and everything is ready to go.

Remove bacon from pan and drain on a paper towel. If you feel like it, you can crumble it now or wait until it’s cooled off a little. Pour bacon drippings out of pan.

Now return a couple tablespoons of bacon drippings to the pan. Otherwise, just use some olive oil and heat pan to medium-high heat. When the pan is hot…add onions and garlic. Give them a quick stir and then…add beans to boiling water. Place colander in a clean sink. Boil for one minute; you’re not cooking them until they’re done, just blanching them to take the edge off.

Meanwhile, stir the onions and garlic so they don’t scorch. After one minute, drain beans in the colander in the sink. Once beans have been drained, add them to the onions and garlic. Stir fry 2-3 more minutes.

Give your sauce a quick stir and then pour on top of the beans. Keep stir-frying until the beans get kind of glazy.

Add crumbled bacon and lots of freshly-ground pepper to the beans. Keep stir frying until the sauce sticks to the beans and the bacon. Transfer to a serving dish and allow to stand a few minutes so the beans cool down a bit and the glaze thickens up a little.

Sorry

Sorry no new posts. My computer crashed. :(

Broccoli Salad (Paula Deen)

   

Ingredients

• 1 head broccoli
• 6 to 8 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 1/2 cup raisins, optional
• 8 ounces sharp Cheddar, cut into very small chunks
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Trim off the large leaves from the broccoli stem. Remove the tough stalk at the end and wash broccoli head thoroughly. Cut the head into flowerets and the stem into bite-size pieces. Place in a large bowl. Add the crumbled bacon, onion, raisins if using, and cheese. In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients, stirring well. Add to broccoli mixture and toss gently.

Chicken Club Ring (Pampered Chef)

Ingredients:

3 cups coarsely chopped cooked chicken
4 slices bacon, crisply cooked, drained and chopped
3/4 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley
1 garlic clove, pressed
2 plum tomatoes, sliced
2 cans of Crescent rolls (8 count)
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1/4 cup shredded Swiss cheese

Directions:
 
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In Classic Batter Bowl, combine chicken, bacon, 3/4 cup of the Swiss cheese, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, parsley and garlic. Mix Well.

2. Arrange the crescent rolls around the stoneware in alternating directions. If your first crescent roll points to the outside of the stone, then have the next one point to the inside of the stone. 
 






3. Using the large scoop, scoop filling evenly over desired shape. Top with tomato slices and finish by folding shape together (I took the corners of each piece of dough and folded them into the middle). Brush with egg white and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese.

4. Bake at 375 degrees for 11- 13 minutes or until the crescent rolls are cooked through.

Yield: 8 servings

Chicken and Broccoli Ring (Pampered Chef)

 

Ingredients:

 

1 package (8 ounces) refrigerated crescent rolls
1 cup cooked chicken
3/4 cup coarsely chopped broccoli
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
2 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tsp Pampered Chef Pantry All-Purpose Dill Mix (or dried dill)
1 small garlic clove, pressed (minced)
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 egg white, lightly beaten
2 tbsp slivered almonds

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Unroll crescent rolls; separate into 8 triangles.  Arrange triangles, slightly overlapping, in a circle on a PC Small Round Baking Stone with wide ends 3 inches from edge of baking stone (points will extend off the edge of the baking stone).  Roll (or use fingers to press) wide ends of dough toward center to create a 3-inch opening.  This part sounds kinda tricky the first time you do it, but it's not so bad.  Take a look at the photos above for some help, if you need it.
2. In a medium bowl, combine chicken, broccoli, cheese, bell pepper, mayo, seasoning mix, garlic, salt, and pepper and mix well.
3. Using a ice cream scoop, scoop filling evenly over dough in a continuous circle.  Make sure filling is evenly spaced/spread.  Bring points of triangles up over filling and tuck under dough at center to form a ring.  (filling will show)  Lightly brush dough with egg white; sprinkle with almonds.  Bake 25-30 minutes or until deep golden brown.