A Better Stuffing

I went through a phase in grad school where I made a bunch of recipes for stuffed chicken.  Unfortunately more often than not they were bland and tasteless, so I thought it was hopeless

These days, I splurge for better chicken (organic, vegetarian-fed, hormone free...) every once in awhile and decided I'd put it to good use and really punch up the flavor.  I wanted something in tune with the warmer weather, so basil pesto was getting used.  I decided that sundried tomatoes and feta would be perfect partners.

I made this twice, since the first time I didn't have my camera.  The first time I served up the stuffed chicken with some fresh pasta tossed with basil pesto.  The second time, shown here, the side was kale massaged with avocado, lemon juice and coarse sea salt, tossed with some cooked quinoa, apples and roasted beets.  Both ways were delicious :)

Chicken Stuffed w/Pesto, Sundried Tomatoes & Feta
Serves 2-3

Some chopped olives would also be a good addition here, if you like them :)

~1lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2-3 breasts)
2T chopped sundried tomatoes
2T crumbled feta cheese (it's better in a block, and with sheep/goat's milk)
1-2T basil pesto, prepared or homemade
salt and pepper

For the filling, combine sundried tomatoes and feta in a small bowl.  Add pesto, 1T at a time, and mix until the mixture begins to stick together.  Be careful to make sure it's not too wet, otherwise it will ooze out of the chicken.

The thickness of your chicken breasts may determine how you roll them up-- for thicker ones, cut a slice down the middle, fan open and stuff as shown in the above photos.  The chicken should be able to seal over the filling, but you can always secure with a toothpick if necessary. 

If the chicken is on the thinner side, pound them out (between layers of saran, if you'd like), add some of the filling and then roll up.  Secure with a toothpick or twine, so it doesn't unroll when cooking.

Heat a medium (nonstick) pan over medium heat.  Cook, 5-10min on each side (2-4 sides depending on how you rolled it), based on the thickness of your chicken.  You don't want to see any pink, and the juices should run clear.  Remove from heat and set aside a few minutes to rest.  Slice on a bias if you want it to look pretty, then serve!