Wednesday, January 6, 2010

New Year, New Food.

Recipe.

So against my better judgment and countless articles in my fitness magazines, I ate a lot of junk over the holidays. It's like an addiction...an addiction to cookies, cheese, dips, and anything non-nutritional. It was great while it lasted, but I must now come to my senses and embrace healthy food and lots of gym hours.

Since chicken breasts are pretty inexpensive and healthy, I like to cook with them a lot in January during my weight-whittling period. The only downside of this poultry, is that it can get old real quick.

To spice things up, I've been looking for new recipes. Here's one of Real Simple's best from 2009...I can't wait to add it to the rotation!






Stuffed Chicken Breast with Tomato Salad

Ingredients
1 6.5-ounce jar artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
4 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
kosher salt and pepper
2 beefsteak tomatoes, cut into bite-size pieces
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
8 baguette slices, toasted (optional)

Directions
1.Mix the artichokes, Parmesan, and 1 tablespoon of the thyme in a small bowl.

2.Cut a 2-inch pocket in the thickest part of each chicken breast. Stuff a quarter of the artichoke mixture into each pocket. Rub the chicken breasts with 1 teaspoon of the oil and season with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

3.Heat a grill or grill pan to medium. Grill the chicken, turning once, until cooked through, 6 to 7 minutes per side.

4.Mix the tomatoes, shallot, vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and the remaining oil and thyme in a large bowl.

5.Slice the chicken, if desired, and serve with the tomato salad and baguette slices, if using.

1 comment:

Trisha said...

I totally hear you on the eating all kinds of (bad....but so good!) things over the holidays. I did, too! This recipe looks delicious. I can't wait to try it!