Chicken with Cranberry Almond, Havarti Stuffing

Once again we have another delicious chicken recipe.  The original (Rose Reisman) recipe called for Chicken Supreme with skin but I altered it to a light breading instead.  Some of the measurements are altered as the original recipe served 4 and I need it for 6.

My youngest lad has lately become somewhat fascinated with all things cranberry.  He wanted me to make this one last night but I opted for the Tomato/Olive Chicken combo in yesterday's post instead.

Tonight I gave in and made this one and it was absolutely delicious.  The sauce is delightful and the chicken combined with the stuffing is perfect.  If only they made a "light" white wine with few calories....oh to dream.

Again, easy to prepare, and fast.   All in about 45 minutes (with kids running up to the market to pick up ingredients I had run out of).   These measurements were to serve 6.

Ingredients
1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts (six breasts)
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1 egg
1/4 cup skim milk

Stuffing
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup toasted almonds
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp olive oil
3/4 cup shredded light havarti cheese

Sauce
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup thawed concentrated orange juice
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
1 1/2 tsp Dijon Mustard
1 tsp finely chopped garlic
1 1/2 tsp cornstarch

Garnish
fresh chopped parsley

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F
Make a horizontal slit in each piece of chicken to form a pocket for the stuffing, making sure not to slice all the way through.

To make the stuffing, in a food processor, chop the cranberries and almonds.  Add the cinnamon and olive oil and finally havarti and process for a minute or so.

Stuff into the chicken breasts and secure with toothpicks.

In a small bowl combine the egg and milk and scramble well. Dip each chicken piece in to coat and then coat with breadcrumbs

Lights coat a large non stick skillet with cooking spray and set over medium high heat.  Lightly coat all of the breaded chicken with cooking spray.   Cook for approx 3 minutes on each side of chicken until golden brown and transfer to a foil lined cookie sheet.  (spray sheet with cooking spray).

Place in oven between 20-30 minutes until an interior temp of 165 F is reached.

Meanwhile prepare the sauce by whisking the maple syrup, orange juice,  honey, soy sauce, garlic, sesame oil, and Dijon together in a small saucepan.  Add the cornstarch and whisk well.  Bring to a boil reduce the heat and simmer for about a minute until just slightly thickened.  Spoon over the cooked chicken.  (It is delicious over rice as well)

Orange Glazed Pork Tenderloin, Cranberry stuffing

As we venture into the lighter fare these days in my home here is another fantastic dish.

My 9 year old LOVED it!!   I  found this on The Art of Living well website.  I have been working through some of her recipes as I try to shed some of the weight gained since quitting smoking.  If you get a chance you really should  check out her website.  It is quite amazing.  Full of healthy, delicious recipes, smart alternatives to restaurant foods while eating out, and a positive outlook for healthy living. 

I recognize I need to diet, but I hate that word and I love food.  By that I mean flavourful food, not necessarily food in large quantities.  From my experiments with some of Rose's recipes thus far, healthy doesn't have to mean bland.

This recipe was delicious.  Under 300 calories per serving. (This recipe serves 6). 

Simple to make and quick.   It took me about 10 minutes to prep it and approx 1/2 hour to make.  It was served with sushi rice (1/2 cup)  and steamed asperagus.  

My one note about this recipe.  The glaze is amazing but strong!  A teeny tiny bit will do quite nicely.  The little of bit of orange with the cranberry is fantastic but too much can be overpowering.

Meat
1 1/2 lb pork tenderloin, butterflied

STUFFING
2/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup toasted walnuts
1/2 tsp cinnamon
pinch of ground cloves
2 tsp walnut (or olive) oil
1 oz diced brie

GLAZE
2 Tbsp orange juice concentrate
2 Tbsp red currant or black currant jelly
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp orange zest
1/2 tsp finely chopped garlic

GARNISH (OPTIONAL)
3 Tbsp chopped parsley


1.Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with foil lightly coated with cooking spray.

2.To make the stuffing, combine the cranberries, walnuts, cinnamon, cloves and walnut oil in the bowl of a small food processor. Pulse on and off until the mixture is crumbly. Add the diced brie and pulse once or twice, just to combine.   I didn't use my processor for this step.  I chopped the cranberries and used some coursely ground walnuts, chopped the brie and mixed it all well.

3.Open the pork loin like a book and stuff with the fruit and nut stuffing. (If you would like to make this easier to roll, first pound the pork to a 1/4-inch thickness before stuffing.)I just cut mine. Secure with either kitchen string or toothpicks. Set a large, nonstick grill pan or skillet lightly coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat and sear until browned on all sides, about 2 or 3 minutes on each side. Place on the baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes or until cooked to medium (until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 145°F). Let rest for about 10 minutes before slicing.  I am not sure why so many recipes call for non stick pans but I don't own any anymore so I simply use a light coat of Pam in my steel skillets.

4.Meanwhile, prepare the glaze by combining the orange juice concentrate, jelly, vinegar, olive oil, orange zest and garlic in a small saucepan. Set over medium heat for 1 minute and drizzle over the sliced pork. Garnish with parsley.

For nutritional information and more information visit http://www.theartoflivingwell.ca/  you can also follow Rose on Facebook at  https://www.facebook.com/rosereisman