Mediterranean Stuffed Chicken

by Executive Chef Hicham Elmadi

Chicken is the go to protein for most families but at some point, you and your family can get a little bored. Instead of that same old chicken recipe, mix things up with our new Mediterranean Stuffed Chicken recipe. Bring home the rich, robust flavors of our True* Restaurant with this delicious, 210-calorie recipe! This is one of our favorites from our new True* dinner menu.



Ingredients:

4 oz. Chicken breast, sliced with pocket for vegetables and ingredients
1 oz. Spinach, steamed
2 T. Mushrooms, sautéed
1 T. Sundried tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp. Goat cheese, crumbled
5 each Pine nuts
1/4 oz. White truffle shavings (from can, use minimal per serving)
1/2 tsp. Olive oil
1/8 tsp. Salt
1/8 tsp. Pepper

Method:

1. Prepare ingredients that go into the chicken breast and set aside.
2. Layer the ingredients in the chicken breast as follows:

• 1 oz. cooked spinach


• 1 tsp. goat cheese


• 1 T. sundried tomatoes


• 2 T. mushrooms


• 5 pine nuts


• ¼ oz. White truffle shavings

3. Season stuffed chicken breast with a small pinch of salt and pepper.
4. Pan-sear each side of the chicken breast until golden brown.
5. Finish chicken breast in oven until finished.

Nutrition:

Serves: 1
Serving Size: 1 stuffed chicken breast
Calories: 210
Fat: 8 grams
Protein: 27 grams

Healthy Recipes: Chicken Salad Sandwich

INGREDIENTS:
3 (4 ounce) Chicken breasts, grilled, chopped
¼ cup Hellman’s reduced fat mayo
¼ cup Celery, diced very FINE
1 Tablespoon Green onion, (bottom bulb part only) chopped fine
4 pieces Turkey bacon, cooked crisp, then chopped
4 ounces Red table grapes, washed and sliced
¼ teaspoon Sea salt
¼ teaspoon White pepper
2 ounces Swiss cheese, sliced super thin ½ / person
4 each Whole wheat bread or sandwich thins
4 each Lettuce, tomato, thinly slices red onion ‘set-ups’ (sandwich toppings)

PREPARATION:
• Preheat oven to 350 F.
• Mix chicken breast, mayo, celery, green onion, turkey bacon, grapes, and salt & pepper.
• Lay whole wheat bread out on lightly greased sheet pans
• Place ¼ cup mixture of chicken salad on each piece of bread and spread out.
• The sandwich can be served warm or cold. If serving cold, top cheese and your topping ‘set-ups’.
• To warm, lay the slices of Swiss cheese on top of spread chicken salad.
• Bake in oven for about 10-12 minutes.

Serving Size: 1 open face sandwich
Servings: 6
Calories: 283
Fat: 8.5

H3 Recipe: Chicken and Vegetable Kebabs

 

INGREDIENTS:

Marinade:

1 cup Lemon juice

½ cup Olive oil

1 cup Soy sauce, low sodium

3 Tablespoon Oregano, dried

6 Garlic cloves, minced




Skewer:

1 Yellow onion, cut into large squares for skewers

1 Green pepper, cut into large squares for skewers

18 Crimini mushrooms, stem removed

6 Chicken breasts, cleaned, trimmed, cut into four strips

6- 8 inch wooden skewers, soaked in water overnight

 

PREPARATION:

• In medium sized bowl, mix lemon juice, olive oil, soy sauce, oregano and garlic.


• Skewer four pieces of chicken breast, keeping two pieces each, of onion, mushroom and green peppers between each strip of chicken on the skewers.


• Place skewers in a single layer in 2 inch pans and drizzle marinade over skewers. Do not stack meat deep or marinade will not reach the top layer.


• Marinate overnight.


• Grill mark skewers before service, finish in 350 degree oven, uncovered for 10 minutes. Be very careful not to overcook chicken, should be juicy and tender.


• Pour remaining marinade from the meat into a medium pot, add 4 cups fresh chicken stock and boil to reduce.


• Strain chicken broth mixture through cheese cloth and thicken with corn starch slurry.  Adjust taste with more lemon etc.


• Serve 2 ounces of sauce over each skewer after plating

 

 Serves: 6

Calories: 180

Serving Size: 1 skewer/ person

12 Days of Christmas Recipe Countdown: Chicken Saltimboca

INGREDIENTS:

4- 4 ounce Boneless, skinless chicken breast

4 slices Proscuitto, sliced very thin ½ ounce

1 Tablespoon Sage, fresh, chopped or 4 sage leaves

1 cup Flour, unbleached

1 Tablespoon Onion powder

1 cups Egg beaters, or egg whites

4 slices Provolone cheese, sliced very thin ½ oz.

10 cups Spinach, rough chopped, cooked, cooled

1 Tablespoon Olive oil

Pinch Salt

Pinch White pepper

½ cup White wine

1 cup Chicken stock, low sodium

½ cup Fat free half and half

1 teaspoon Sage, fresh, chopped

 

PREPARATION:

• Pound out chicken breasts to about a ¼ ” thickness. (Chicken breasts should be pounded thin enough so that it all sides are uniform for cooking purposes.)


• Heat large saute pan to medium high heat/flame.


• In medium size bowl, mix flour, salt, pepper and onion powder.


• Place a thin slice of proscuitto on cutting board, then lay a sage leaf on top of the proscuitto with face side down.  Then place pounded chicken breast on top of that.


• Next, place a slice of provolone cheese on the top of the chicken breast and then fill the center with the cooked and cooled spinach.


• From the top of one chicken beast roll the breast around the spinach to the other end of the breast.  Secure with toothpick if needed.


• Dip rolled chicken breasts into egg beaters, then dip them into the flour mixture and set aside until all breasts have a nice flour coating.


• Add olive oil to pan and spread around. Once olive oil is hot, place breasts in saute pan.


• Leave chicken breasts on each side until nice golden brown


• Once you have flipped the breast over onto the last side and after it has seared for about 2 minutes, then add the white wine.


• Let the white wine slightly evaporate or absorb into the chicken then add your chicken stock and sage.


• The stock should slightly thicken, Then simply add the fat free half and half to make it a creamy looking sauce; remove breasts from pan and pour sauce over the chicken.

Serves: 4

Serving Size: 1 Breast with 2 ounces of sauce

Calories: 255

Fat: 8 grams

12 Days of Christmas Recipe Countdown: Pecan Crusted Chicken Breast with Apricot-Ginger Sauce

Apricot-Ginger Sauce

INGREDIENTS:

2 ½ Tablespoons Shallots, minced

1 Tablespoon Ginger, grated

1 cup Apricot nectar

1 cup Chicken stock

2 Tablespoons Dried apricots, diced

2 Tablespoons Currants

1 ½ Tablespoons Brown Sugar

1 ½ Tablespoon Dark balsamic vinegar

PREPARATION:

•  Heat pot then coat pot with cooking spray.


• Sauté ginger and shallots.


• Add remaining ingredients.


• Simmer for 20 minutes

 Chef’s Note:  This is a great sauce over Mahi Mahi, pork tenderloin, grilled salmon, and even duck breast.  Another variation is to only add; ginger, garlic, shallots, soy sauce, chicken stock and brown sugar.  If serving with Mahi Mahi, I would also add some canned or fresh pineapple if you have it.

Number of servings: 8

Serving Size: ¼ cup

Calories: 23

Fat Grams: .2

 

Pecan Crusted Chicken Breast

INGREDIENTS:

2 – 4 ounce Chicken breasts, or cutlets

¼ cup Panko bread crumbs

2 Tablespoon Pecan nuts, finely chopped (same size as Panko)

1 Tablespoon Italian parsley, fresh, chopped

¼ teaspoon Onion powder

¼ teaspoon Garlic powder

Pinch Salt

Pinch Ground black pepper

Cooking spray

PREPARATION:

• Preheat oven to 375˚F.


• Combine panko crumbs, chopped macadamia nuts, parsley, onion powder, garlic powder salt and pepper.


• Coat each fillet with 2 tablespoons of panko macadamia nut crust


• Spray small baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.


• Lay both fillets in pan.


• Then place the pan in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes.


• Serve with your favorite sauce.

Number of servings: 2

Serving size: 1- 4 ounce fillet

Calories: 160

Fat grams: 6 grams

H3 Recipe: Sweet and Spicy Chicken "Wings"

INGREDIENTS:

4- 4 ounce Chicken Breast

1/4 cup Cornstarch

1/4 cup Egg substitute                   

1/4 cup Water

1/2 cup Honey

1/2 tablespoon Hot sauce, Tabasco  

1/4 cup Low sodium soy sauce

1 teaspoon Crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 Tablespoon Orange juice concentrate

2 teaspoons Cornstarch

2 teaspoons Water, cold

PREPARATION:

• Preheat oven to 350° F. 


• Cut each chicken breast into 4 pieces to create "wings".


• Coat the chicken by dipping the chicken into the egg substitute and then tossing it in the cornstarch. Shake excess cornstarch from the chicken "wing" and place on a greased sheet tray. 


• Bake coated chicken in oven for 5-7 minutes or until internal temperature has reached 160 degrees. (Once removed from oven, the chicken will carryover cook to 165 degrees.)


• For the sauce, in a small sauce pan mix the honey, hot sauce, soy sauce, crushed red pepper flakes and orange juice concentrate on medium heat. 


• In a small bowl mix the cornstarch and cold water, making cornstarch slurry.


• Once the sweet and spicy sauce has come to a simmer, add the cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce. Add more or less to adjust thickness.


• Toss the baked chicken with the sauce and enjoy!

*Chef's Note:  This dish is great for football season! You can share with your friends as an appetizer, 1 chicken breast will serve 2 people. Or serve it up with your favorite vegetables or salad for dinner.    

Yield: 4 servings

Calories: 280

Fat: 3 grams

Carbohydrates: 39

Fiber: 0 grams

Protein: 28 grams

H3 Recipe: CHIPOTLE CHICKEN WRAP

INGREDIENTS:

            1 Whole wheat tortilla (about 150 calories/tortilla) 14”

            1/2 Avocado, mashed with lime juice and pinch of salt

            1 Roma tomato

            2 leaves Romaine lettuce

            ½ Red onion, julienned

            ¼ cup Black beans, cooked, drained seasoned with ¼ tsp. of cumin

            ½ cup Corn kernels, frozen, then thawed

            4 Tablespoon 2% Sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded

            1 Tablespoon Cilantro, fine chopped

            8 ounce (raw) Chicken breast, boneless, skinless,

            ¼ teaspoon Salt

           Pinch Pepper

           1 ounce H3 Ranch dressing, with Chipotle sauce (Adobo) (1/2 oz./per person)  Adobo chilies come in a small can with Adobo sauce.

H3 Recipe: CHICKEN SOUVLAKI

 

This Greek dish pairs great with our H3 Cucumber-Yogurt "Tzatzki" dip!

INGREDIENTS: for the marinade

            1 cup Lemon juice

            ½ cup Olive oil

            1 cup Soy sauce, low sodium

            3 Tablespoon Oregano, dried

            6 Garlic cloves, minced

INGREDIENTS: for the skewer

            1 Yellow onion, cut into large squares for skewers

            1 Green pepper, cut into large squares for skewers

            6 Chicken breasts, cleaned, trimmed, cut into four strips

            6- 8 inch wooden skewers, soaked in water overnight

H3 Recipe: Chicken Picatta

 

INGREDIENTS:

Four 4 ounce Boneless, skinless chicken breast

½ cup Whole Wheat flour

1 Tablespoon Rosemary, fresh, chopped

¼ teaspoon Salt

¼ teaspoon Pepper

1 ½ teaspoon Olive oil

1 tablespoons Lemon juice

1 cup of Low sodium chicken stock

2 tablespoons of Capers

2 tablespoons Half and half

Lemon zest or roasted tomato can be used as a garnish.

2 tablespoons Corn starch

¼ cup cold water

 

H3 Recipe: Sesame Chicken

 



Ingredients:

4 (4oz.) Boneless, skinless, trimmed chicken breast, cut into large pieces

½ cup Cornstarch

¼ cup Flour

Pinch Sea salt

½ cup Egg beaters

Sauce:

½ cup Honey

½ cup Soy sauce, low sodium

1 cup Water

2 teaspoons Ground ginger

1 teaspoon Red pepper flakes

2 Tablespoons White sesame seeds

Preparation:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees


• Spray baking sheet with non-stick pan spray.


• In medium size bowl, place cornstarch, flour, and salt together.


• In another bowl, add egg beaters.


• Dip chicken breast pieces in egg beaters then in breading mixture.


• Place on baking sheet pan, and bake for about 10 minutes or until they have reached an internal temperature of at least 160 degrees and then let sit until carry over cooking brings them to 165 degrees.


• For the sauce, place all the ingredients in medium sized sauce pan.


• Simmer and reduce sauce by ½ . 


• If sauce is still thin, make a cornstarch slurry (cornstarch and cold water)
  
  
  
  • ¼ cup cornstarch and ¼ cup cold water or until slurry is formed.
  
  
  • Make sure to slowly whisk in slurry and only add as much as you need.  Add small amounts at a time and make sure sauce is lightly boiling.  This activates the cornstarch to thicken.
  
  
  
  


• Drizzle sauce over roasted, grilled, or baked chicken breast.

Number of servings:  4
Serving size: 1 breast or 4 strips with 1 oz. sauce
Calories: 216
Fat: 2