The recent stretch of gloomy , stormy weather we've been experiencing has left me, to say the least, feeling a bit uninspired. That lack of inspiration and enthusiasm has been felt deeply in the kitchen and lately, when it comes to cooking meals in this house, I'd say I've been in a bit of a rut. I needed a bright spot--something to shake me out of the late winter blues. I'm always more excited about cooking & inspired to experiment with new recipes when I have fresh, delicious ingredients. So, a text received from a good friend (and fellow foodie) informing me that our local, natural food store had Meyer lemons and blood oranges in stock, had me out the door and dreaming about dinner.
I wanted to make something that was light and fresh but also packed full of flavor. Using chicken breast (basically a blank slate) as my canvas, I added herbs, citrus and tangy goat cheese to create the beginning of a healthy, flavorful and delicious meal.
Knowing that I would need to have a little starch on the plate to satisfy the preference my husband has for "meat & potatoes" eating, I decided to pair our chicken with a bright, filling salad made of spicy arugula leaves, roasted sweet potato and segments of blood oranges. So, there you go...you've got meat & you've got potatoes on the plate. Man food never tasted so good.
Gremolata Stuffed Chicken Breasts w/ Meyer Lemons & Goat Cheese
Handful of fresh flat leaf parsley leaves
About a tablespoon of fresh rosemary leaves
zest of 1 Meyer lemon
1 tsp olive oil
fresh cracked pepper (to taste)
small pinch of kosher salt
Run your knife through the herbs until they are finely chopped. In a bowl, combine the chopped herbs, lemon zest, oil, S&P. Set aside.
salt & pepper
kitchen twine
2-3 tbsp olive oil
1 Meyer lemon, sliced very thin
2-3oz fresh goat cheese
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Butterfly open the chicken breasts, cover with plastic wrap or parchment paper and using a meat mallet, gently pound until each breast is about 1/4 inch thick. Be careful not to get too carried away and pound a hole through the chicken--this will make it very difficult to keep the stuffing inside when you roll it up later. Evenly distribute your gremolata between the two breasts and spread out in an even layer.
Roll each breast into a log shape and tie closed with your kitchen twine. If you don't have twine, you can also use toothpicks to pin the roll closed. In a large, open proof skillet, heat a few tablespoons of olive oil on medium high heat. When oil is hot (shimmering but not yet smoking) carefully place the chicken breasts in the pan, seam side down, and sear. Continue to sear the chicken on all sides. 
Arrange your lemon slices and bits of goat cheese on top of the chicken, then transfer your pan to the oven and let the chicken finish cooking in there--about 8-10 minutes or until an instant read thermometer reads 165 when inserted into the middle of the breast. When the chicken is finished cooking, transfer the breasts to a cutting board and let rest for a few minutes. Carefully slice the chicken into little "wheels" removing the kitchen twine as you go. Arrange a few wheels on each plate, top with a few of the roasted lemon slices and warm goat cheese. Delicious!
Arugula, Roasted Sweet Potato & Blood Orange Salad
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed into bite sized pieces
1 tbsp olive oil
salt & pepper
2 blood oranges
2 big handfuls of fresh, washed baby arugula leaves
Preheat oven to 350. Toss your sweet potato chunks with olive oil, a pinch of kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper. Roast until fork tender (about 20-25 minutes). Set aside.
Segment the blood oranges and then squeeze any juice you can get from the remaining membranes of the oranges into a bowl. I ended up with about a tablespoon of juice. You'll use this juice for the dressing. Set aside.
1 tbsp blood orange juice
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp good honey
salt & pepper
Whisk all ingredients together until they are nicely combined and the oil is emulsified. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as you see fit.
To assemble the salad. Arrange a pile of arugula leaves on the plate, top with the roasted potatoes and orange segments. Drizzle lightly with the dressing. Enjoy!
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