December 27, 2005

rosemary & garlic stuffed chicken

Trying my best to cook and eat healthier lately but I must admit it can be a challenge. At times though, the simpler the dish or the less number of ingredients used in it, the better the flavor. Take this baked chicken fillet dish for instance, finely minced fresh rosemary leaves and fresh garlic were mixed with a small amount of olive oil, salt and pepper and used as stuffing for the chicken fillets, which were split and pounded a bit. Rosemary is an indispensable herb in our small collection. I decided to plant it in the ground this past summer and, unlike our other herbs which are all in pots, it’s still doing well even in colder winter temperature. I've read that rosemary is best used for chicken and pork. After stuffing the chicken, they were then transferred to a hot grill pan, brushed with a little olive oil, for a few minutes to achieve those nice grill marks before the final baking or broiling process in a preheated oven. This is only a suggestion though but I find it important for even just the top side of the chicken to have those grill marks for presentation purposes. Served with couscous and a side dish of blanched veggies, I used carrots here but asparagus or brocolli are perfect additions too, for color and flavor as well. A very simple and healthy dish like this can be quite satisfying. The rosemary and garlic stuffing also prevented the chicken from drying out. Another idea for this exact recipe and technique is stuffing pork tenderloin instead of chicken. Serving healthier alternatives like this at dinnertime on weekdays is my current objective. Not really planning to totally eliminate rich foods in our diet but a good reduction of it gives us a little room for some guilt-free indulgence later. So I guess I may say it’s justified? ( :

2 comments:

  1. Hi! Tried your rosemary & garlic stuffed chicken but I think I overdid the stuffing with the rosemary 'coz it turned out bitter although the smell in the kitchen was so good. After grilling, i put it in the oven but became dry. Well, I guess practice makes perfect so I have to do it again. Thanks anyway for this recipe.

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  2. Thanks for your adventurous spirit! You're a food enthusiast no doubt. You may have heard about this, if the garlic you used has that green sprout in the middle, make sure you take it out before mincing it, i learned that it can be bitter...another alternative is to use basil & garlic for a basil pesto instead. Roasting whole garlic bulbs until soft also mellows the flavor. You're right, the baking time for the chicken is crucial & I also believe that practice leads to perfection! Thanks again!

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