Be Confident!
Mmmmm….
Confidence is celebrating knowledge one has gained through life experience and education; utilizing it to empower themselves only in a way that gives the individual the strength, leadership, and ability to pass on such education to others so they build a belief system within themselves to drive their own individual passions. Confidence allows for an empowered world to be run by those who celebrate individuality while collectively working toward a greater future. Anything else is simply a weak, wavering stack of transparent self inflation with little support waiting to crumble at any point. There are those who see themselves as bigger than those who surround them; a group of folks who have to wear a mask of power to hide the lack of confidence to be their true selves. This group gives confidence its bad name, leading those to see confidence as a cocky, pretentious, inflated sense of self worth. I have stood on a platform of insecurity, I have broken and fallen through that platform when the weight of my insecurities became too heavy. I could not climb out until I knew I had the strength to climb out. I knew that even if I fall, fail or get hurt it does not mean “I can’t…”. So what does this have to do with chicken? Let me explain…
Cooking helped me gain confidence in my abilities to be creative, follow through with a task and be proud of the product I completed. I wasn’t a good cook when I started. I would go to the library and check out cookbooks that I knew (Childs, Pepin, Puck, Joy of Cooking), chef names I recognized (mainly form TV), books on my Grandmother’s counter and pretty book covers (ya…I said it). Along with the books, I would call my Grandmother and she would walk me through cooking a dish. She walked me through Apple Pie, Salmon Patties, and cooking a Fried Egg. She would say “so how’s it goin?'”, and as I wave the smoke out of my face I would kindly reply, “great!”. My mother did the same, walking me through mac and cheese (box stuff), pan fried hamburgers, fried chicken and cooking spaghetti noodles. I ate so much burned, dry, salty, no salt, raw food…but I was so proud. I got better each time. I learned you can’t always cook on HI heat, salt is always necessary, just because fried chicken is golden brown doesn’t mean it’s cooked through, brownies shouldn’t cook for 4 hours while you nap (ooops…buy a timer), all steak is not equal, gnocchi is thy enemy, pickles are the devil, grills burn stuff, my butternut squash soup recipe should never go in a sourdough bread bowl, and when cooking for your girlfriend don’t throw scalding hot grease on her while showing off, flipping sauteed green beans and trying to channel your inner iron chef (luckily she later agreed to marry me). Did I say something about chicken? oh ya…
So I got to a point in my cooking where I gained the confidence to try stuffing a chicken breast. I remember only having two chicken breasts. If something went arry during the splitting process then it was going to turn into chicken nugget night. I slipped the tip of the knife into one end of the chicken breast, gently began gliding around the breast and slowly halted on the other side. I lifted the pocket and behold! I made a big enough area to insert….stuff! I felt like Mori-frickin-moto slicing through the next breast. I had failed at so many dishes before this recipe. I only had a few books and an early Google to walk me through the slicing process. I could have completely screwed up another meal and my wife and I would have settled for (not less) but not what I had planned….and that’s okay. I believed, I tried, I succeeded. The entire meal came together and my wife was impressed. I think I cooked a stuffed chicken breast every week for months until my wife told me to calm down. Once you practice and get the hang of making a little pocket on the side of a chicken breast your options are wide open on what you can stuff inside. Here is a favorite, easy and impressive recipe for any time of year.
OH! and at only 350(ish) calories per chicken breast and having your favorite light salad on the side makes this a surprising healthy meal!
Basil Roasted Chicken Breast
Stuffed with Spinach, Sundried Tomatoes, Garlic and Asiago Cheese
4- 4oz Chicken Breasts, split down the side to make room for good stuffing! (splitting chicken video instructions)
1tsp dry Italian Seasoning
2tsp dry basil
4T Fresh Basil, chopped fine
2 Good handfuls of fresh spinach, well chopped
2 tsp minced garlic + 2tsp minced garlic
4 Pieces of Sun-dried Tomato, NOT in oil, well chopped
2oz (about two thumb size pieces) asiago cheese, grated on large grate side
(okay…here we go) Preheat Oven to 350 degrees with rack in middle of oven.
I usually start at the fatter end of the chicken breast of the of breast and carefully make a cut from one end of the breast to the other forming a pocket. Take your time and make sure not to pierce the other side of the breast. When finished with chicken breasts, place on a lightly oiled cookie sheet, open a bottle of wine, beer or beverage of choice and celebrate…but not too long, more cookin’ to do!
In a mixing bowl combine fresh basil, spinach, 2tsp garlic, sundried tomato and asiago cheese. fold together with a spatula. sprinkle with a pinch of salt. lightly toss again.
Gently open one of the pockets on a chicken breast and start by stuffing 2 tablespoons of mixture into each breast. If you have some left over and chicken has more room feel free to stuff a little more. You may have more stuffing leftover at the end. *Note: DO not over stuff or stuffing won’t cook through and you will have cold(ish) chicken juice stuffing in the middle…ew
Combine dry seasonings into a small bowl. Lightly spray the tops of each chicken breast with oil (or brush on EV olive oil). sprinkle salt, dry herbs and pepper on top of each breast. Distribute about 1/2 teaspoon of remaining minced garlic on top of each breast. feel free to finley shred a little more asiago cheese on top or leave it be…whatever. Place in a 350 degree oven. Cooking time depends on thickness of chicken breast….check them at 15 minutes then every 5 minutes after until chicken juices are clear and internal temp is 155/160 degrees.
Serve with what ever you and your family like. Tomato-Mozza Salad, pasta (tossed with a seperate batch of the filling), or wine (a side in my house). Enjoy your success and learn from your failures…laugh at both when you can!