CENTRAL COAST - A Central Coast resident was 'dished' some very good news recently and is now getting national attention.
George Levinthal entered in a recipe to the Rachel Ray show that was chosen as one of the top 10 recipes.
He showed us his dish LIVE on our show in the morning, to watch click on the video player to the right.
MEDITERRANEAN STUFFED CHICKEN BREAST WITH COUSCOUS by George Levinthal
CHICKEN SEASONING
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tbsp paprika
1/2 tbsp garlic powder
1 cup garlic and rosemary infused olive oil (You probably won't use all of it). You can make this ahead of time and store the remainder in the refrigerator.
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, split and pounded. (You should have 4 pieces)
STUFFING
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/4 cup chopped shallots
3/4 cup (after sautéing) chopped spinach
1/2 cup low sodium chicken stock.
1/2 cup of toasted panko
1/4 cup of oil packed sun dried tomatoes, drained and washed.
1/4 cup of white wine
1/3 cup of pecorino Romano cheese
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup of pitted kalmata olives, chopped
1/2 tbsp lime juice
1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 to 2 tbsp low sodium chicken stock
Combine first four seasoning ingredients in a small bowl. Brush infused oil on both sides of the chicken breasts and pat on the dry ingredients. Cover and set in the refrigerator for 20 to 30 minutes.
Sauté the spinach in 1 tbsp of the infused oil and 1/2 cup of chicken stock until just wilted. Drain and squeeze most of the moisture out. Sauté the garlic and shallots with 1 tbsp of infused olive oil in a small sauté pan until soft. In a medium bowl combine the remaining ingredients and add the spinach.
Pre-heat the oven to 350 deg. F
Remove from the chicken from the refrigerator and place on a flat surface. Depending upon the size of the breast put 1/3 to 1/2 cup of the stuffing on one side of each of the four pieces of chicken, lengthwise leaving a small amount to sprinkle on the chicken. Roll the chicken in the long direction and hold together with long tooth picks. Place in a 9" x 13" baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads about 160 deg. F. Check after about 15 minutes to make sure it's not getting dry. Remove toothpicks, slice in three to four pieces on the bias and serve over the couscous (recipe below).
COUSCOUS
1 cup of plain couscous
3 green onions (mostly the white portions), chopped
3 tbsp cup capers, drained and washed.
1/4 cup of toasted pine nuts
1/2 cup dried, unsweetened cranberries.
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp oregano
2-1/4 cups low sodium chicken stock
GREEK YOGURT DRESSING
1 cup of non-fat, plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon of honey,
1 teaspoon of lemon juice
1/4 tablespoon lemon zest
Heat 1 tbsp infused oil in a 2 qt. pot and sauté the onions over medium heat until slightly soft. Add the pine nuts and continue to cook a couple more minutes until the pine nuts are slightly browned. Turn the heat to high and pour in the chicken stock and bring to a full boil. Add the couscous and the remaining ingredients, stir, cover and remove from the heat. Let sit for five minutes, fluff with a fork. Fill a 1 cup sized ramekin with the couscous for each of the servings and turn over onto the four plates. Arrange the chicken on top. Before serving, whisk together, yogurt, honey, lemon juice and zest and drizzle about 1 to 2 tbsp over the chicken and couscous. Sprinkle with some fresh chopped parsley and serve.
