Chicken Breast Stuffed w/ Goat Cheese & Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Pictures can only say so much. This photograph may not be the most appetizing but in reality this is probably one of the best chicken dishes I've cooked.

1 cup boiling water
1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes (with or without oil)
2 tsp olive oil, divided
1/2 cup chopped shallots
1 1/2 tsp sugar
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar, divided
2 oz crumbled goat cheese
2 tbsp chopped basil
3/4 tsp salt, divided
2 skinless, boneless chicken breast
1/8 black pepper
3/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 tsp corn starch
2 tsp water

1. Combine 1 cup boiling water and tomatoes in a bowl. Cover and let stand for 30 minutes o until soft. Drain and finely chop.
2. Heat 1 tsp oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add shallots, sugar, and garlic; cook 4 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring frequently. Spoon into a bowl; stir in 1 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar.
3. Combine chopped tomatoes, shallot mixture, cheese, basil, and 1/4 tsp salt, stirring well.
4. Cut a horizontal slit through thickest portion of chicken breast to form a pocket. Stuff 2 tbsp cheese mixture into each pocket. Sprinkle chicken evenly with salt and black pepper.
5. Heat oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan; cook 6 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from pan; cover and keep warm. Add broth and 2 tbsp vinegar; bring to boil. Combine cornstarch and water, stirring with a whisk. Cook 1 minute or until sauce is slightly thick, stirring constantly. Serve sauce over chicken.

Skirt Steak Salad

One of the many places I call home is in New Jersey. When I first moved there I thought it was really "the armpit of the US". For 14 months, the people who knew exactly what kind of stress I was going through from shared experience showed me the real beauty of Jersey. I miss my girls...

Of the many wonderful things about living in Jersey and near NYC, the highlight for me was of course... FOOD. :P The one particular food that sticks out in my mind was actually cooked by my friend, Jamie. I asked her for the recipe and now I feel like it's my duty to share it.

Marinating Skirt Steak
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup soy sauce
4 scallions, washed and cut in 1/2
2 large cloves garlic
1/4 cup lime juice
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp ground cumin
3 tbsp dark brown sugar or Mexican brown sugar
2 lb inside skirt steak, cut into 3 equal pieces

1.In a blender, put oil, soy sauce, scallions, garlic, lime juice, red pepper, cumin, and sugar. Puree. In a large heavy duty, zip lock bag, put pieces of skirt steak and pour in marinade. Seal bag, removing as much air as possible. Allow steak to marinate for 1 hour in the refrigerator.
2. Remove Steak from bag and pat dry with paper towels. Cook on grill to desired done-ness. Once finished cooking, place meat in aluminum foil, wrap, and allow to sit for 15 minutes.
3. Cut along the grain of meat. Place it on a salad of your choice.

Vinaigrette
1 tablespoon shallot, minced
1/4 cup balsamic wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the shallot, vinegar, oil and salt and pepper
2. Serve with a salad. Add minced fresh herbs as desired.

*Note: Jamie added grilled corn to the salad. Really, it tastes so good on any type of salad. I still think it tastes better when Jamie cooked it rather than when I did.

Spicy Coconut Shrimp Soup

I've been cooking but haven't been posting the recipes because my camera died. "Yay" for my camera coming back to life so that I can share more of my cooking with you. Anyways, I've found this recipe on my favorite cooking magazine: CookingLight. I add some udon noodles to this soup and still find that it require no extra seasoning. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. :D

3 1/2 cups fat-free, less sodium chicken broth
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1 tbsp light brown sugar
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 cup light coconut milk
1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
2 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh basil
2 tbsp fresh lime juice

1. Combine first 6 ingredients in a large saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes.
2. Stir in coconut milk; cook 2 minutes or until hot.
3. Add shrimp to pan; cook 3 minutes or until shrimp are done.
4. Remove from heat; stir in green onions, basil, and juice.

Yield: 4 servings