Goat-cheese Stuffed Balsamic Chicken Breast

Choose carefully how you spend your life.

This is one of my granddad’s sayings, and it follows hand in hand with what I like to say so often about doing what you love in your life. I used to think he was talking about careers, but it wasn’t until recently that I realized how much life it applied to. Money, time, food choices, everything! If we waste any of the choices we have to make, it’s a terrible thing. Every moment and every taste should be an experience!

That’s why I cook somewhat obsessively and completely passionately. Cooking and tasting should be an artistic process, a dance of the senses, because if you’re not getting that, you’re missing out.

That’s the inspiration behind this dish. The use of goat cheese and balsamic vinegar leads me to Athens, spending time with my mom and sister, seeing the sights and the history and the art, and sharing in the dances – as you can see my sister doing very gleefully in the picture above. When you cook, it should be an artistic experience, and when you taste, it should take you away. Enjoy!

Goat cheese stuffed balsamic chicken breast

For the chicken:

• 2 chicken breasts
• 4 tbsp goat cheese
• 2 tsp oregano
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• salt and pepper
• 1 tsp rosemary
• 1 tsp parsley

For the bruschetta:

• 1/2 tomato, chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp basil
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta

1. Preheat oven to 350F and pour a little olive oil into a baking pan. Tilt until oil has coated the sides, and set aside.
2. Put the chicken breasts in a Ziploc bag and pound flat.
3. Take the chicken breasts out and slice horizontally almost all the way through, so that the chicken breast forms a pocket.
4. Slice the goat cheese and layer it thinly inside the pocket. Sprinkle with oregano, rosemary and a little salt.
5. Mix the rest of the olive oil, the balsamic vinegar, the rest of the rosemary, and the parsley together. Dredge the chicken through the mixture and set the chicken in the pan. Pour a little bit of the mixture over the chicken.
6. Bake for 25 minutes.
7. While the chicken is baking, chop the tomatoes and mix with the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, feta, and basil.
8. Spread bruschetta over the chicken and bake for 3-5 more minutes.
9. Serve and enjoy!

Wishing you a wonderful week!

KCS