- Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken with Shallot Butter -

I'm really excited to share this recipe with you. Everything work so perfectly together and the fam said it was delicious, so it's two thumbs up and I hope you enjoy!

Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken with Shallot Butter

Ingredients for the Shallot Butter:

4 T. Butter, at room tempurature
1/2 a Shallot, minced
pinch of Salt
crack of Pepper

Ingredients for the Chicken:

4 chicken breasts
pinch of Salt
pinch of pepper
3 T. Olive Oil
6 T. Goat Cheese (try to get one with mixed flavors like herbs or something like that. The one I used was a locally made cheese with peppers and chives)

Directions:
Mix together the butter, shallots, salt and pepper. Then place the soft mixture in the center of a rectangle of wax paper, at the very edge. Roll up the butter in the wax paper, than twist the side to create a log of butter. The log should be about quarter sized around. Put into the freezer while you make the chicken.

In a large nonstick skillet pan heat the olive oil over a medium heat. Salt and pepper all the chicken breasts with a pinch of salt and pepper one each side. Once the oil is hot, turn down to medium/low heat and add the chicken breasts. Cook them for 8 minutes on each side (if you have large chicken breasts they may need to cook for longer). When the juices run clear and there is no pink inside the chicken when cut in to, it is done. Remove from heat and dab the chicken with a paper towel to help dry them off. On a cutting board, place the chicken breasts, and, using a sharp knife, come in from the side, cutting the chicken almost in half from one side to the other (sort of creating a pocket in the chicken). Do this to all the chicken breasts. Then put 1 1/2 T. of goat cheese in each of the chicken breasts. Arrange on a plate.

Now remove the shallot butter from the freezer and remove from the parchment paper. Cut off the rounded ends. Then cut four, half inch slices. Place each slice on top of a breast of chicken and serve immediately. 

Enjoy!

- Skillet Steak with Caramelized Onions and Blue Cheese -

I was a picky eater when I was a kid...you know, the type that didn't eat salad, or broccoli, or mustard...the type that didn't want anything other than a peanut-butter and jelly sandwich for lunch...every day. Yeah, that was me. So naturally, even into my teen years, I had never touched a caramelized onion. It was one of those things everyone raved about, but I was too afraid to try. I knew they were good, they even sounded amazing, but still, I do believe tonight eating this dish, that this was the first time I ever really ate caramelized onions, that I can recall. Okay, shoot me now! They were amazing! "How could anyone have ever gone so long without them?" That's what your thinking right? Well I'm thinking that too. And I urge anyone who hasn't ever tried them to just do it, man. AND they go awesome with steak and blue cheese. Try it!

Skillet Steak with Caramelized Onions and Blue Cheese

Ingredients:

For the Caramelized Onions:

3 onions
drizzle of olive oil
Pinch of granulated Sugar
Pinch of Salt
1 T. Butter

For the Steak:

1.5 lb. Sirloin Steak (Give or take, mine was about 1 lb. 7 oz.)
Salt and Pepper
Good drizzle of Olive Oil
1 stick of Butter
2 cloves of Garlic,
sprinkle of dried Thyme
sprinkle of dried Rosemary
3 T. Crumbled Blue Cheese

Directions:

For the Caramelized Onions:
Peel and chop onions. Chop the onions in half and then in 1/8 - 1/4 inch slices. In a small non-stick skillet pan drizzle some olive oil and turn on heat to very low. Add the onion slices and stir frequently with a spoon. Stir more in the beginning so you don't brown the onions, and then stir every five minutes or so afterward. Cook these onions on a very low heat for 1 hour 20 minutes or until well caramelized. Yes, it takes a while. Then add the sugar and salt and stir. Turn off the heat and add the tablespoon of butter, stirring till all melted.

For the Steak:
About 20 minutes before the onions are done, on another burner, place a skillet pan and drizzle in some olive oil and heat over a medium heat. Sprinkle each side of the steak with kosher salt and cracked pepper. When the oil is hot (when the steak sizzle when it touches it), put in the steak. Turn heat to medium/low and cook for 10-12 minutes on each side (this will get it well-done, so adjust time if you like a different degree of done-ness). While the steak is cooking, melt the stick of butter in a bowl in the microwave. Take out and add the garlic (2 cloves chopped in half), thyme, and rosemary to the butter and stir together. Pour into the bottom of an 8-8 sided pan. When the steak is done, place in the garlic butter. Spoon some of the butter mixture over the steak and then cover the pan with foil and let sit for 5 minutes. Then cut the steak into 3 sections and top each with caramelized onions and a tablespoon of blue cheese. Enjoy!

Serves 3

- Chicken with Maple Cream Sauce -

When I made this recipe for my family, my sister said "This is like eating pancakes with chicken!" It does sort of have the feeling of breakfast with all the qualities of dinner. So for all of you people out there who don't like breakfast for dinner, try this, because this is about as close as you can get without being "breakfast for dinner"! 

 

Chicken with Maple Cream Sauce

Ingredients:

1 c. Heavy Cream

1 1/2 T. Maple Syrup 

6 Chicken Breasts

3 eggs

1 c. Flour

1 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Pepper

1 1/2 c. Panko Breadcrumbs

Olive Oil

2 strips cooked bacon, crumbled 

Directions:

Over medium/low heat, whisk together heavy cream and maple syrup. Let sit at a simmer and reduce to about half of what it was, whisking occasionally.

Meanwhile, while that is reducing, pound out your chicken breast till about 1/4 to a 1/2 inch thick. Whisk egg together in a bowl. Mix flour, salt, and pepper together on a plate. Put breadcrumbs on a separate plate. Coat the bottom of a large pan with olive oil and heat on medium heath. Coat each chicken breast in the egg, then in the flour, then in the egg again, and lastly in the the breadcrumbs. Once the oil is hot, put in the chicken, letting cook for about 3-5 minutes on one side, and then 3-5 minutes on the other. When the chicken is cooked all the way through, remove from pan and arrange on a plate. Pour the maple cream sauce over it and sprinkle with the crumbled bacon. 

Enjoy!

- Pork Tenderloin -

Today I created my own pork tenderloin recipe with a yummy, garlicy glaze. Nope! Sorry! Not giving you the recipe because it's going in my cookbook. All I'm saying is that is was a success! Yay! 

-J.