More cooking….not hooking

What can I say….I’ve been more inspired to cook recently.

Last night we had “Cream Cheese and Prosciutto Stuffed Chicken”.  A little labor intensive with the whole pounding out of the chicken breasts, but really not all that hard to put together….I think I can say that since I got off work, stopped by the store and then cooked it up.  Of course it would have been a lot easier to assemble the stuffed chicken the night before, but that was not the way it worked out for this meal.

Then I had an e-mail for “Chili-Spiced Asparagus” that I had been wanting to try as well….mmmm….flavorful!  Of course Kenny made his famous cheesy bread with herbs to top it all off.  Needless to say after that huge meal plus a piece of the “Old Fashioned Fudge Pie” that I made yesterday, I slept like an angel last night.

Here are the recipes if you are interested.

Cream Cheese and Prosciutto Stuffed Chicken

Ingredients

• 1 (8 ounce) package reduced-fat cream cheese
• 1/2 cup minced red onion
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 8 slices prosciutto
• 8 leaves fresh basil
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup white wine (optional)
• 2 cups chicken broth

Directions

1. Mix the cream cheese, red onion, garlic, and black pepper together in a small bowl; set aside. Place the chicken breasts between two sheets of waxed paper on a solid, level surface. Firmly pound the chicken with the smooth side of a meat mallet to a thickness of 1/4 inch.
2. Spread the cream cheese mixture over the flattened chicken breasts, then place two slices of prosciutto and two leaves of basil over the cream cheese on each breast. Roll the chicken breasts over the filling, and secure with toothpicks. Cover, and refrigerate 1 hour to overnight.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken breasts; cook until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan, and set aside. Whisk the butter and flour into the skillet until the butter melts and the flour turns golden, about 1 minute. Stir in the white wine, and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the chicken broth, and return to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer for a few more minutes. Return the chicken breasts to the skillet, and cover; cook until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, about 25 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

 

Chili-Spiced Asparagus

 

Earthy chili combines with the sour-power of sherry vinegar to create a fine dressing for the grassy-green asparagus. For a smoky twist, try substituting smoked paprika for the chili powder.

Makes 4 servings, about 3/4 cup each

Ingredients
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 bunches asparagus, tough ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon water
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder or 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar or red-wine vinegar

Instructions

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add asparagus and water; cook, stirring often, 4 to 5 minutes. Add chili powder (or paprika), garlic powder and salt; cook until the asparagus is tender-crisp, about 1 minute. Remove from heat, add vinegar and stir to coat.

 

The bread recipe….you’ll have to drag that one out of Kenny :)