Blue Cheese & Mushroom Stuffed Chicken Breast

<<Since this has been my #1 trending recipe for the past two years, I have decided

 to finally update the pictures!now back to the original post which was published on 2/25/12>>

My life has gone through a wonderful transformation! Our baby girl is 6 weeks old, and its time to dust off those cookbooks and start trying out some new recipes!! Very blessed to have a happy, calm baby who sleeps at predictable intervals! :)

On to the cooking....
I marinate my chicken breast overnight or at least a few hours before in a tablespoon mayo, Italian dressing, sea salt & pepper, and whatever spice I feel like or have on hand. Make sure you season the chicken well, bc this is what's going to give it FLAVOR! I used Weber's Kickin' Chicken, gives it a nice punch but not too hot so that my toddler would eat it too!

 I have been on a Weber Spice binge....they are ALL delicious
and add great flavor to everything I have tried them with!

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
The stuffing ingredients:
1/4c. crumbled blue cheese
1/2c. sliced portabella mushrooms

1/ Preheat oven 350F.
2/ Saute mushrooms in frying pan: add olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sea salt & pepper about 5-10min.
3/ Cut 1 inch wide slit into the the thick end of the chicken breast, and carefully cut down to the center of the chicken to form a pocket. This is one method, what I did for this post is I pounded the chicken breast since my chicken breasts where not thick to begin with. Then I added blue cheese, rolled it & secured it with a toothpick. (see pictures below).
4/ Divide mushroom and blue cheese evenly between the chicken breasts pockets (save some mushroom for garnish) .
5/ Sprinkle chicken with 1/4tsp. each of salt and pepper. I also added panko breadcrumbs for an added crunch.
6/ Bake chicken for 15-17min. Depending on the strength of your oven and when no longer pink in the middle. I broiled it for 3min so that the panko gets a nice golden color.

variation: you can also add 3 cups baby spinach with 1 minced garlic clove to the saute & even add in an oz. of chopped prosciutto after if you really want to be fancy ;)

The star (but simple) ingredients

Gettin' our choppin' on

Sauteing the mushrooms: EVOO, Balsamic vinegar, and some salt/pepper.
I decided to add Weber's Steak n' Chop spice, just bc it has a steak pictured on it,
 you can use it on basically anything (and in my case: everything!! ;)

pounding away, hope I don't wake the baby!

Forgot that I needed to add the mushrooms before taking the pic!

This is from the original post when I cut the chicken breast and stuffed it.

This is the rolled up method with the pounded chicken breast.

My little helper, she dragged the chair over, got a spoon and started mixing the quionoa!
(that 6 week old is 2.5 years old NOW!!)

Baked to perfection

I paired the chicken with parsley quinoa and a good ol' cucumer & tomato salad



Have a HEALTHY & HAPPY Holidays everyone!!

Remember everything in moderation!!

Great articles from Health.com

50 foods You Shouldn't Eat This Holiday Season (or at least in moderation):
http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20440821,00.html

25 days of Healthy Holiday Treats:
http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20324208,00.html

Barley Chili in 30min flat

Need to make a quick & hearty stew, but don't have the time?
Bought a box of barley for my beef & barley stew and they had this recipe on it so decided to try it out yesterday and it was fabulous!

4cups chicken, beef or veggie broth
2cups of pureed/crushed tomatoes or salsa
1 can of petite diced tomatoes
a few bay leaves
1cup quick cooking barley
spice it up with: chili powder, cajun, cayenne pepper, cumin
   (everyone has their own heat levels, so that's why I don't put measurements!)
1 green zucchini, diced
1cup carrots, diced
(you can also add diced celery or any other veggies on hand: peppers, mushrooms, onions, etc)
1 can corn
1 can black or pinto beans.
1-2 cloves of garlic, crushed
salt and pepper to taste

In a dutch oven or pot, combine the first 6 ingredients until they just come to a boil. While they are heating up, saute the veggies in some olive oil with a little salt & pepper until they are tender, about 5min. Add to pot, hopefully things are simmering in there, reduce heat and allow to simmer for 20min. You will also need to stir from time to time so that your barley does not settle to the bottom of the pot & burn. (This allows it to thoroughly cook). Then add in your corn, beans, garlic, salt & pepper simmer for another 5-10min until barley is tender. That is it! All done, serve with tortilla chips or corn bread. Top with reduced-fat sour cream and cheddar cheese for an added delight!

You can also add rotisserie chicken or turkey (if you have some left-over from the holidays) or cubed chicken breast to add a protein punch!

2 ingredient Beet Salad...got your attention??

The 2 main ingredients for this salad...you guessed it: boiled beets and pickles!

• I don't consider olive oil, sea salt and crackled black pepper ingredients because we add a sprinkle there, a splash here (plus they are used so frequently in most recipes)! 

• This is a knock off on the traditional Ukrainian "Vinaigrette Beet Salad" where some also add boiled potatoes, kidney beans, or even mushrooms.

I am keeping it simple and QUICK

• I boil the beets in water for about an hour until I can easily pierce them with a knife. (I scrub the beets prior to boiling, and peel them after).
• After they cool, I grate both the beets and pickles. Season them with sea salt & pepper then drizzle some olive oil. Mix until well combined. Chill and Enjoy :)