Chicken Stuffed With Cranberries And Pecans Recipes

CHICKEN STUFFED WITH CRANBERRIES AND PECANS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Toast pecans and set aside.
• Reserve 2 teaspoons each of cranberries and pecans for the sauce.
• For the stuffing, combine remaining cranberries, pecans and shredded cheese in a small bowl and mix well.
• Carefully make a slit lengthwise down the side of each chicken breast to butterfly, careful not to cup all the way through. Open chicken up and lay fat.
• Divide filling among the chicken breasts and spread over each one, then fold the top of the chicken over the filling and secure with a toothpick.
• Spread flour onto a plate.
• Lightly dredge chicken with flour.
• Season chicken with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
• Place oil and butter in the skillet and heat over medium to medium high.
• Add chicken breasts to skillet and allow to brown on each side for about 3 to 4 minutes.
• Remove chicken from skillet and place in a baking dish. Place baking dish in the oven for approximately 10 minutes until cooked through.
• While chicken is baking, use the same skillet and add remaining cranberries and pine nuts.
• Add broth and bring to a light boil.
• Reduce heat and allow sauce to slightly thicken and cranberries to soften.
• Remove chicken from the oven and slice.
• Serve on a plate with sauce over top.

PECAN-CRUSTED STUFFED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Place the chicken breasts between two pieces of wax paper or plastic wrap and pound to 1/4-inch thick (a meat mallet or wooden spoon works well). Pat the chicken dry and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper on both sides. Sprinkle the goat cheese lengthwise on one half of each breast; then sprinkle with dill, orange zest and more salt and pepper. Fold in the short ends--like folding a burrito--then, starting on the half with cheese, roll up into a tight cylinder. Close the seams with toothpicks.
• Whisk the eggs in a wide, shallow dish. In a separate dish, combine the breadcrumbs and ground pecans. Sprinkle the stuffed chicken with salt and pepper. Dip in the egg mixture and then in the breadcrumb mixture; shake off excess breading.
• Place the breaded chicken on a wire rack set over a baking sheet and spray with coconut oil. Bake to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes.
• Remove the toothpicks. Serve garnished with dill sprigs.

PECAN-STUFFED CHICKEN BREAST

Steps:

• Lay out a 15-inch-long piece of plastic wrap on a cutting board and drizzle it with a little olive oil. Lay a butterflied chicken breast, cut side up, on the plastic wrap. Fold the plastic wrap over to cover. Using a meat pounder, pound out the thicker parts of the breast so that it's uniformly thick. Fold the plastic wrap open and brush the chicken breast with the molasses; season with generous pinches of fennel, salt and pepper. (This will be the inside part of the breast that gets stuffed.) Fold the plastic wrap back over and flip the breast over. Fold plastic wrap open and season the other side of the breast with salt and pepper. (This is the outside that will later get seared in the pan.) Re-cover with the plastic wrap and place on a plate. Repeat this process with the remaining chicken breasts. Refrigerate for 1 hour or up to overnight.
• Heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, season with salt and pepper, and saute until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and pecans, and cook another 2 minutes. Add the tarragon and cook another minute. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
• Remove a butterflied breast from the plastic wrap. Place it on a cutting board, molasses-side up. Place 1/4 cup of the filling on half of the chicken breast. Fold over the other half to enclose the filling. Using a bamboo skewer, close up the opening by threading the skewer through one end of the opening to the other to secure. Repeat with the remaining chicken breasts and filling.
• Heat the canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the stuffed chicken breasts and cook for about 3 minutes per side, until nicely browned. Add the wine, chicken broth and crushed tomatoes. Turn down the heat to low, cover, and poach until the chicken is cooked through, another 8 minutes.
• Transfer the chicken to a plate, remove the skewers, cover the chicken with foil and let rest for 5 minutes. While chicken is resting, turn up the heat on the poaching liquid to medium, add the crushed red pepper, and let simmer until thickened and reduced by a third, about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Strain the sauce into a small pot and keep warm over low heat until ready to serve.
• To serve: Slice the chicken, if desired, and arrange on a serving platter. Pour some sauce over the top. Serve immediately, with extra sauce on the side.