Friday, August 12, 2011

Chicken Stuffed with Golden Onions & Fontina


I've been struggling with dinner ideas lately. I just feel like I've made everything in my mental recipe book one too many times. I spent part of my afternoon on Google trying to find random recipes. I originally started out looking for something to make using ground turkey. That eventually led me to this recipe. It looks complicated, but it was really easy and everyone loved it, although I would have liked a little bit more cheese because some of it ended up oozing out the sides. I was also iffy about not seasoning the chicken before cooking it, but you really don't need to. The sweetness from the onions really help, along with the flavor that comes with the wine/chicken broth "gravy". The recipe calls for rosemary, which I had every intention to use since we have a ton of it in our garden, but I totally forgot about it until it was too late. I will definitely make this again, adding a bit more cheese and the forgotten rosemary.


Thinly slice your onion and grate your cheese. Heat olive oil in a nonstick pan at medium-high heat and cook your union until golden brown, about 6 to 7 minutes. This is where you'd add the rosemary that I forgot. Set the onions aside to cool. While the onions are cooling, cut a slit in your chicken breasts making sure not to cut them completely in half. When the onions have cooled, mix in the cheese. Stuff the chicken breasts with the onion and cheese mixture.


Heat more olive oil in the pan at medium-high heat and brown the chicken breasts on both sides, about 5 minutes per side (I should have definitely let my chicken brown a little longer). Once your chicken is browned, remove from the pan and tent with foil to keep warm. To the pan add the white wine (this is where you'd also add the rest of your rosemary) and let it reduce for about 2 minutes. In the meantime stir the chicken stock and flour until smooth. Reduce heat to low and add the broth/flour mixture, whisking until the sauce thickens, about 1 minute. Put the chicken back in the pan and coat with the sauce. Cover and let the chicken cook until it is no longer pink, about 2 to 4 minutes.


Serve the chicken topped with the sauce. I decided to pair it with some red potatoes that I roasted in the oven and some snow peas that I cooked in garlic infused olive oil with garlic salt and lots of freshly cracked black pepper.

Chicken Stuffed with Golden Onions & Fontina
From Family.com

Prep Time: 35 minutes
Ready in: 35 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Ease of Prep: Moderate


Ingredients:
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil , divided
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced red onion
2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary , divided
1/8 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
2/3 cup shredded fontina cheese , preferably aged
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound), trimmed of fat
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
4 teaspoons all-purpose flour

Directions

1. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and 1 teaspoon rosemary; cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is golden brown, 6 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Let cool; stir in fontina.
2. Meanwhile, cut a horizontal slit along the thin, long edge of each chicken breast half, nearly through to the opposite side. Stuff each breast with 1/4 cup of the onion-cheese mixture.
3. Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until golden, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
4. Add wine and the remaining 1 teaspoon rosemary to the pan. Cook over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Whisk broth and flour in a bowl until smooth; add to the pan, reduce heat to low and whisk until the sauce thickens, about 1 minute. Return the chicken to the pan and coat with the sauce. Cook, covered, until the chicken is just cooked through, 2 to 4 minutes. Serve the chicken topped with the sauce.

Monday, August 1, 2011

Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies



No real story behind these cookies. I was browsing one of my favorite food blogs, Lovin' From the Oven, and she made a Dark Chocolate Chip Cranberry Oatmeal Cookie. I've recently discovered a love for cranberries (cranberry juice has always been a favorite of mine, I just never really enjoyed actually eating cranberries until recently) and decided I was going to make these. Except - are you ready for this? - I don't like chocolate chips. At all. I don't like them in my muffins, in my cupcakes, in my brownies, in my cookies, in anything. Am I the only one? I feel like I am. Anyway, I decided not to let the chocolate chips stop me and made the cookies with just cranberries instead. I love the sweetness and chewiness the cranberries bring to the cookies. This recipe made about 28 cookies and within 24 hours there are only 3 left.


Cream together one stick of room temperature butter, 1/2 cup sugar, and 1/2 cup brown sugar. Add 1 egg and 2 teaspoons of vanilla and mix until well combined. Stir in 1 cup flour, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon. Add in 1 cup of oatmeal and about 3/4 cup of cranberries. (I started out with 1 cup of cranberries but then I had a little bit left in the bag and decided to just dump them all in.) Refrigerate dough for at least 2 hours.


Scoop balls of dough (I used a tablespoon) onto a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 10 - 12 minutes.


Let cookies cool on a wire rack.



Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
Adapted from Lovin' From the Oven

Ingredients:
1 stick butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup oatmeal
3/4 cup cranberries

1. Cream together the butter and the sugars. Add in the egg and vanilla, mix until well combined. Stir in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Add in the oatmeal and cranberries.
2. Refrigerate dough for at least 2 hours.
3. Scoop spoonfuls of the dough onto a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 10 - 12 minutes.