This is another super easy and flavorful dish from my friends at Cooking Light Magazine. Published in their January issue, this recipe originally calls for making a quick batch of polenta to go with the chicken, but I had some left-over simply mashed spuds in my fridge so I used them instead.
The recipe calls for using prosciutto and low fat provolone for the skinless chicken, hence the "Light" in Cooking Light, and the herb infused pan sauce brings tons of flavor with a just a touch of extra fat delivered when you finish it with a pat of butter. I had some black-pepper bacon that I used along with the green beans and all I can say is YUM! In fact, I liked this dish so much that I made it a second time just three nights later when my folks joined us from out of town for the weekend. I'll have you know that making a dish twice in one week equates to the ultimate seal of approval in the Oui, Chef kitchen.
I always have tarragon on-hand because I love to add it to green side-salads at dinner, but if you don't have any don't feel you need to rush to the store; fresh sage, rosemary, or some extra thyme would work well too.
You are gonna LOVE this!
Cheers – Steve
Ingredients
for the chicken and sauce:
- 4 (6 ounce) skinless-boneless chicken breast halves
- 4 very thin prosciutto slices
- 4 slices reduced fat provolone
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons minced shallots
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon
for the green beans:
- 2 slices of bacon
- 12 ounces trimmed haricot verts
Instructions
For the chicken:
- Cut each breast horizontally to, but not through, the other side to create a pocket. Lift top flap of chicken pocket and arrange 1 slice of prosciutto in each pocket. Top each prosciutto slice with a slice of cheese; press top flap of pocket down over the filling. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil; swirl to coat. Sprinkle chicken lightly with salt and pepper. Add chicken to the pan, top side down; saute 5 minutes or until deeply browned. Turn and cook 4 minutes or until done. Remove from the pan and keep warm.
- Add shallots and thyme to pan and saute 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Combine 2 tablespoons stock and flour in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add flour mixture and remaining stock to the pan. Bring to a boil; cook 3 minutes or until reduced to 3/4 cup, scraping the pan to loosen any browned bits. Remove from the heat; stir in butter, parsley and tarragon. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
For the green beans:
- Cook the 2 slices of bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until done. Remove bacon from the pan and place on paper towels to drain. Add the haricot verts to the bacon drippings in the pan; toss to combine. saute 2 minutes. Add 3 tablespoons water, cover and cook 2 minutes or until crisp-tender. Chop cooked bacon and sprinkle on the green beans, season with black pepper and serve with the chicken and sauce.