Chicken Breast Spanaki Recipes

CHICKEN BREAST SPANAKI

Steps:

• Pour olive oil in pot over medium heat and add both types of onion. Sauté for 1 minute, and them add spinach. Sauté for approximately 10 minutes.
• Preheat the broiler.
• Pour spinach mixture in a bowl and cool. Add dill, eggs, feta and pepper to spinach mixture and mix very well.
• Butterfly chicken breasts and fill with spinach/feta mixture. Close the breast and broil for 10 minutes on each side. After 15 minutes, douse chicken breasts with olive oil, lemon, and oregano and serve.

PECAN-STUFFED CHICKEN BREAST

Steps:

• Lay out a 15-inch-long piece of plastic wrap on a cutting board and drizzle it with a little olive oil. Lay a butterflied chicken breast, cut side up, on the plastic wrap. Fold the plastic wrap over to cover. Using a meat pounder, pound out the thicker parts of the breast so that it's uniformly thick. Fold the plastic wrap open and brush the chicken breast with the molasses; season with generous pinches of fennel, salt and pepper. (This will be the inside part of the breast that gets stuffed.) Fold the plastic wrap back over and flip the breast over. Fold plastic wrap open and season the other side of the breast with salt and pepper. (This is the outside that will later get seared in the pan.) Re-cover with the plastic wrap and place on a plate. Repeat this process with the remaining chicken breasts. Refrigerate for 1 hour or up to overnight.
• Heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, season with salt and pepper, and saute until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and pecans, and cook another 2 minutes. Add the tarragon and cook another minute. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
• Remove a butterflied breast from the plastic wrap. Place it on a cutting board, molasses-side up. Place 1/4 cup of the filling on half of the chicken breast. Fold over the other half to enclose the filling. Using a bamboo skewer, close up the opening by threading the skewer through one end of the opening to the other to secure. Repeat with the remaining chicken breasts and filling.
• Heat the canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the stuffed chicken breasts and cook for about 3 minutes per side, until nicely browned. Add the wine, chicken broth and crushed tomatoes. Turn down the heat to low, cover, and poach until the chicken is cooked through, another 8 minutes.
• Transfer the chicken to a plate, remove the skewers, cover the chicken with foil and let rest for 5 minutes. While chicken is resting, turn up the heat on the poaching liquid to medium, add the crushed red pepper, and let simmer until thickened and reduced by a third, about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Strain the sauce into a small pot and keep warm over low heat until ready to serve.
• To serve: Slice the chicken, if desired, and arrange on a serving platter. Pour some sauce over the top. Serve immediately, with extra sauce on the side.

CHICKEN BREAST WITH GARLIC AND PARSLEY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
• Core tomatoes, cut in half horizontally, and remove seeds. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place tomato halves cut side up on a rack in the oven and cook for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until shriveled and partially dried. Puree half the tomatoes in a blender until liquefied, then add remaining tomatoes, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Puree until smooth. (Thin with a few tablespoons water if sauce seems thick.) Strain to remove any seeds and skins, and set aside until serving time.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Blanch garlic in a small pot of rapidly boiling, salted water for 1 minute. Drain and set aside to cool.
• Create a pocket for stuffing by running your fingers between the skin and meat of each breast, leaving one side attached. Season all over with salt and pepper.
• In a small bowl, combine chopped parsley and garlic. Divide into 6 equal parts and stuff each breast between skin and meat, spreading evenly. If necessary, tie skin to breasts to keep in place.
• Heat chicken fat or oil in a large, ovenproof skillet over medium high heat. Saute chicken, skin side down first, until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to oven and bake about 10 to 15 minutes. Set aside for 5 minutes, to redistribute juices before serving.
• Whisk tomato puree and coat 6 serving plates with it. Cut each breast into 1/2inch slices, across width. Arrange slices over puree and serve.