Mediterranean Stuffed Chicken Breasts

It's been awhile since I've posted a non-group blog, so I thought I'd share the first "real meal" that I made in our new home. Sorry Derek, while it is quite delicious, Subway doesn't count as making dinner :-)

The recipe comes from the June 2010 issue of Cooking Light. Having this magazine with us was actually a little serendipitous. I have a file folder of recipes that we usually browse through to pick our weekly meals.  Unfortunately, this magazine was back in Nebraska along with my previously mentioned SMS book, so I was without my recipes. Thankfully, mom had given me this magazine just before leaving on our drive down to Arizona.  

We actually made 2 recipes out of this issue while I was down there, and I now have several more on my "to make" list. If you like cooking magazines, this is a great issue! My husband actually picked this one out, and the fact that it only has 5 ingredients was definitely a bonus!

The verdict: other than the fact that I need to work on my chicken-stuffing abilities, the dish was great. I've only done stuffed chicken breasts a couple of times, and I need to work on getting a pocket that goes most of the way through the breast without poking through the other side (oops). The recipe does call for kalamata olives. Kalamata olives are a type of olive that is commonly seen in Greek-flavored dishes. They can be a little pricey, but the flavor really shines through in these chicken breasts making it worth the money in my opinion. Now, someone just needs to teach me how to grow fresh basil without killing the plant :-) 

Enjoy!

(Printable Recipe)

Mediterranean Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Cooking Light June 2010

Ingredients:
1 large red bell pepper
1/4 c. (1 ounce) crumbled feta cheese
2 Tbsp. finely chopped, pitted kalamata olives
1 Tbsp. minced fresh basil (1 tsp. dried basil)
8 (6 oz) skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper

Preheat the broiler. Cut bell pepper in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place pepper halves, skin side up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; flatten with hand. Broil 15 minutes or until skin is blackened. Place in a sealed food storage container. Let stand 15 minutes. Peel and finely chop.

Prepare grill to medium-high heat. Combine bell pepper, cheese, olives, and basil. Cut a horizontal slit through the thickest portion of each chicken breast half to form a pocket. Stuff 2 tablespoons of filling into each pocket; close the opening with a wooden toothpick. Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper. 

Place chicken on a grill rack coated with cooking spray. Grill 6 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from grill; cover loosely with foil, and let stand 10 minutes. 

Yield: 8 servings