Feta Stuffed Chicken

I was in search of some new flavours for our chicken dinner...chicken...can get boring, don't you think?  I need to shake things up from time to time!  A little searching and I found a recipe from Martha Stewart (May 2004) for Chicken with Feta.  Sounded like a good new one to try!  Here is the recipe:

4 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
3/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1 teaspoon oregano
Salt & Pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 lemon, juiced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

In a small bowl, combine the feta cheese with the oregano.

Lie your chicken breasts flat on a cutting board, slice into the thicker side of the breast to create a pocket.  Be sure to keep the other side of the breast intact (think - hot dog bun).

Stuff the breasts with the feta mixture.  Don't be afraid to overstuff!

Season the entire chicken breast with salt and pepper (to your taste).

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Cook the chicken until browned on both sides, this will take approximately 6-7 minutes each side.

Cover the skillet and cook for another 5 minutes or so, until the chicken is cooked to 160 degrees (use your meat thermometer).  When you are sure that the chicken is cooked, remove the breasts to a platter and keep them warm (tent them with tin foil).

Using the same skillet, add in your chicken stock, reduce it slightly.  Add in the fresh lemon juice and the butter.  Mix until the butter is fully melted and the sauce starts to thicken.  Once thickened, drizzle the sauce over the chicken and serve immediately.  Enjoy!

VERDICT:
I an a big feta fan, so this was a nice treat for me.  I loved thechange of flavour for the chicken, as did my boys - there were no leftovers!

Taco Tuesday - Taco Seasoning

This week we had "Taco Tuesday"....not sure why it is, but when we have tacos, it always seems to be a Tuesday :-)

In the back of my mind, I've always wondered/worried about the taco seasoning that we use for our tacos, up until now we have usually gone the store bought, pre-packaged route.  And always the seasoning has been salty and the ingredients a little unclear.  When it says "spices" that's not really telling me much!

I found a recipe for homemade taco seasoning...why I didn't try this before I don't know!  It's so easy and I have everything in my spice cupboard.  Here is my slightly revised version of the allrecipes.com recipe:

3 tablespoons chili powder
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon onion powder
3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
4 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/4 teaspoons sea salt (we use Epicure's Chili Garlic Sea Salt)
3 teaspoons black pepper

In a small bowl, mix together all ingredients.  Store in an airtight container. 

Use 2 tablespoons of seasoning with 1 lb of ground beef (or to taste).

VERDICT:
My husband and I both enjoyed this new version of taco seasoning and I will be making a big batch to store for future use.  It wasn't too spicy and not too salty, and best of all, we know exactly what is in the mix!

Be sure to follow me on Facebook! http://www.facebook.com/AddictedToRecipes