Spring Break
Tasty Tempations: Dinner for two
Nikki debuts her first 'tasty' entree
Nikki Cristello
Issue date: 1/31/08 Section: Verve
Cooking is my favorite thing to do. Especially something that looks difficult and fancy looking, but really isn't.
"Tasty Temptations" will be my weekly column aiming to bring food to the college crowd that will both look and taste good.
This week is a meal for two. Ideally, this would be a great romantic dinner. However, I am newly single so I fixed it for me and my best friend, Laurel. Drawing from my own likes and ingredients in the fridge, I created this fancy feast for two, or even a few. Enjoy!
Bare-breasted chicken
Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 ½ teaspoons mozzarella cheese
2 teaspoons parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons parsley
¼ white potato, finely diced
1 rib celery
2 mushrooms (1 for each chicken breast, or to taste)
2 teaspoons green onions
2 pieces of bacon, diced and browned
Toothpicks
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 400 F.
Dice all ingredients at roughly the same time, into smaller than bite-sized pieces. Brown bacon in the same pan you will cook chicken in
Tasty Tip: Bacon grease can help to glue your mixture together and help cook the chicken. Mix all ingredients (except chicken and toothpicks) together in a large bowl with hands, adding EVOO if it isn't moist enough. Mixture should clump together loosely. Butterfly chicken breasts with a sharp paring knife, being careful not to cut through chicken. This should look like a small pocket when finished.
Stuff chicken breasts until plump. Try not to overstuff them. Pin with toothpicks Brush chicken lightly with EVOO and season to taste. Sear chicken in a pre-heated (over medium heat) skillet. Tasty Tip: Remove toothpicks very carefully when flipping sides. They will be hot, so be careful. Put chicken on a baking sheet and put into oven to bake for about 25 minutes, or until filling oozes slightly and chicken sizzles. Tasty tip: Chicken should be at about 160 F on the inside when it is done. Anything under and it isn't fully cooked. Tasty Tip: Prepare the potatoes and chicken first and put in the oven together. The asparagus only takes about ten minutes, so plan accordingly.
For a recipe for Bacon-wrapped Asparagus and Buttery potato rounds, look for Nikki's full column on www.collegian.com
Verve writer Nikki Cristello can be reached at verve@collegian.com.
"Tasty Temptations" will be my weekly column aiming to bring food to the college crowd that will both look and taste good.
This week is a meal for two. Ideally, this would be a great romantic dinner. However, I am newly single so I fixed it for me and my best friend, Laurel. Drawing from my own likes and ingredients in the fridge, I created this fancy feast for two, or even a few. Enjoy!
Bare-breasted chicken
Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 ½ teaspoons mozzarella cheese
2 teaspoons parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons parsley
¼ white potato, finely diced
1 rib celery
2 mushrooms (1 for each chicken breast, or to taste)
2 teaspoons green onions
2 pieces of bacon, diced and browned
Toothpicks
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 400 F.
Dice all ingredients at roughly the same time, into smaller than bite-sized pieces. Brown bacon in the same pan you will cook chicken in
Tasty Tip: Bacon grease can help to glue your mixture together and help cook the chicken. Mix all ingredients (except chicken and toothpicks) together in a large bowl with hands, adding EVOO if it isn't moist enough. Mixture should clump together loosely. Butterfly chicken breasts with a sharp paring knife, being careful not to cut through chicken. This should look like a small pocket when finished.
Stuff chicken breasts until plump. Try not to overstuff them. Pin with toothpicks Brush chicken lightly with EVOO and season to taste. Sear chicken in a pre-heated (over medium heat) skillet. Tasty Tip: Remove toothpicks very carefully when flipping sides. They will be hot, so be careful. Put chicken on a baking sheet and put into oven to bake for about 25 minutes, or until filling oozes slightly and chicken sizzles. Tasty tip: Chicken should be at about 160 F on the inside when it is done. Anything under and it isn't fully cooked. Tasty Tip: Prepare the potatoes and chicken first and put in the oven together. The asparagus only takes about ten minutes, so plan accordingly.
For a recipe for Bacon-wrapped Asparagus and Buttery potato rounds, look for Nikki's full column on www.collegian.com
Verve writer Nikki Cristello can be reached at verve@collegian.com.
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