Bacon Florentine Pasta

Traveling through Italy taught me how quick and easy it is to cook pasta with fresh ingredients. Of course sitting at a side walk trattoria off of the Piazza Narvona gives GREAT inspiration! If you've never cooked with fresh spinach you will be surprised at how much it wilts and cooks down - so don't be intimidated by the 3 cups used in this recipe. Top this pasta dish with a couple of grilled chicken breasts, or the oh so very Italian bistecca, and you've got one fantastic speedy meal! ENJOY!

Provolone, Spinach and Shitake Mushroom Stuffed Chicken Breast with Shaved Fennel and Arugula Greens

Plating and food presentation play a huge role in how we experience food. When a plate of food is put in front of you the first thing you do is look at it. That's just natural. At this point, the calculating has already begun, you are deciding if  it's going to be a scrumptious eating adventure or a blah eating experience. Most often, your predictions are correct. This recipe has the potential to be arguably one of the best meals you will ever put betwixt your pearly whites. It's got it all..... color, different textures, shape and proportion. I already know it's divine, now it's your turn to decide. If you can't tell from this dazzling photo, then spend an afternoon cooking this most fabulous of meals. You won't be surprised at the results, your mouth will back up what your eyes have already told you!

Provolone, Spinach and Shitake Mushroom Stuffed Chicken Breast with Shaved Fennel and Arugula Greens

SERVES 4

Stuffed Chicken

INGREDIENTS

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 3 tablespoon olive oil, plus a drizzle for the grill pan, divided use
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ¼ teaspoon salt, plus a pinch, divided use
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper, plus a pinch, divided use
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon paprika
• 3 ½ ounce package shitake mushrooms, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press
• 4 slices of Provolone cheese
• 1 cup fresh baby spinach leaves
• ¼ cup sundried tomatoes packed in olive oil
• 4 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, chopped, divided use
• 8 toothpicks
• 1 lemon, sliced into 4 circles for garnish
• 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts

WHAT TO DO

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, and line a baking sheet with foil.
• On a large plate or platter, marinate the chicken breast by adding 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, the lemon zest and juice, the Italian seasoning, the ¼ teaspoon of the salt, the ¼ teaspoon of the black pepper, the garlic powder and the paprika; allow to marinate for about 20 minutes while the mushrooms are sautéed, and the salad ingredients are prepped.
• In a medium sized pan set over medium-high heat, add the 2 remaining tablespoons of the olive oil, and once hot, add the sliced shitake mushrooms; once the mushrooms begin to soften, add the pinch of salt and the pinch of black pepper, plus the 2 cloves of pressed garlic to the pan, and sauté quickly for about 1-2 minutes, until slightly golden; remove the mushrooms from the pan and set aside until ready to use for the filling. (*At this time, you can now prepare the Salad ingredients and the Dressing found below, and hold those in the fridge until ready to serve.)
• After marinating the chicken breasts, heat a grill pan on medium-high heat; once very hot, add the drizzle of olive oil, and add the marinated chicken breasts to the grill pan; cook the chicken breasts for only 3 minutes per side, or until golden brown on the outside; you DO NOT want to cook the chicken all the way through, only to grill the outside, as it will finish cooking in the oven.
• Remove the chicken from the grill pan, and once cool enough to handle, make a large slit into the thickest part of the breast to create a deep pocket; be careful not to slice all the way through the breast cutting it in half, but just enough to make a large pocket to stuff; next, begin to stuff each breast with a slice of the Provolone cheese, a few leaves of the baby spinach, a spoon of the sundried tomatoes, a spoon of the sautéed shitake mushrooms and a pinch of the chopped parsley; secure each breast by using 2 toothpicks to hold the breast closed, and place each stuffed breast onto the foil lined baking sheet and into the oven to bake for about 8-10 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the cheese is melted; remove from oven, and remove the toothpicks; keep warm until ready to serve.

Shaved Fennel and Arugula Greens with Lemon-Parmesan Dressing

INGREDIENTS

• 1 (7 ounce) bag wild Arugula greens
• 1 small bulb fennel, quartered, cored and sliced very thinly
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• ¼ teaspoon lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• ¼ teaspoon sugar
• 1 garlic clove, pressed through garlic press
• ¼ cup olive oil

WHAT TO DO

• In a medium bowl, add the Arugula and the sliced Fennel, and toss together; hold in the fridge while you make the dressing.
• In a small bow, add the lemon juice through the garlic, and lightly whisk to combine; next, slowly begin drizzling in the olive oil, whisking all the while until the dressing is well emulsified; set aside until ready to dress the greens.
• Once ready to serve the salad with the Stuffed Chicken, drizzle the dressing over the Arugula greens and Fennel, and toss well to coat; serve with the Stuffed Chicken.

TO SERVE

Place one Stuffed Chicken Breast onto each plate, along with a generous portion of the Fennel and Arugula Greens on the side; add a lemon slice, a sprinkle of the pine nuts and a sprinkle of the chopped parsley on top of each chicken breast, for garnish.

ENJOY!

~THE DOMESTIC CURATOR~

RONDA

TABLE FOR TWO: Spinach-Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Planning a cozy weekend in? Why not make reservations at your own place tonight? This delectable rolled chicken dish serves up just enough for two; you and your dinner date!  ENJOY!

SPINACH-STUFFED CHICKEN BREASTS

This chicken recipe not only taste fantastic, but it is incredibly easy to prepare. Do your prep-work before leaving for work and pop it into the oven when you walk in the door. By the time you change your clothes your dinner will be waiting for you. Serve these chicken breast with a simple rice pilaf and green salad. Your 'date' will be most impressed!

SERVES 2

INGREDIENTS

• 1/3 cups  water

• 2 tablespoons Italian Roasted Red Pepper Dressing, divided

• 2 cups spinach leaves, stems removed and chopped

• 2/3 cup stuffing mix for chicken

• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped roasted red peppers 

• 2 small  boneless skinless chicken breast halves, pounded to 1/4-inch thickness

• 1/4 cup Mozzarella Cheese, shredded

WHAT TO DO

• Heat oven to 350ºF.

• Bring water and 2 Tbsp. dressing to boil in large skillet on medium-high heat. Stir in spinach, stuffing mix and peppers; cover. Remove from heat. Let stand 5 min.

• Spread onto chicken breasts. Roll up each breast, starting at one short end; place, seam-side down, in 13x9-inch baking dish. Brush with remaining dressing.

• Bake 30 minutes. Top with cheese; bake additional 5 minutes or until melted.

TIPS FROM ME TO YOU

• To keep your work area clean place your chicken breasts in a freezer resealable plastic bag. Then pound with a metal mallet, rolling pin or even a can of vegetables.
• I buy roasted red peppers in a jar, they last forever in the fridge. I use them in everything from sandwiches to salads and dishes such as this.
• This chicken rolls can be prepared 24 hours in advanced for quick and easy dinning. Roll them up, place seam side down in your baking dish, cover with plastic wrap and pop them in your fridge.

MAKE A DATE WITH YOUR SWEETIE FOR THIS WEEKEND...

...YOU'LL BE GLAD YA DID!

ENJOY!

~THE DOMESTIC CURATOR~

RONDA

Shrimp with White Beans and Spinach Ragout

Most of us are finding ourselves in full-on holiday mode. Each day we become just a bit more busy than the day before. Here at Porter Central, we have been keeping late hours trying to finish all of our shopping, decorating, letter writing, baking, cleaning and the work we do within our community.

Roasted Fillet of Sea Bass on a Bed of Spinach, Wild Mushrooms and Potatoes

Miss Elizabeth Morganne Porter

 So sorry it has been awhile since you have heard from me but in the words of Ms. Dolly Parton we have been busier than a one armed paper hanger here at Porter South! Our daughter, Elizabeth, is a Debutante this year. For the past year we have been busy with all things DEB related. We are just about DEB-bed OUT! It is finally all coming together at a huge Cotillion Ball. Next weekend. This comes after a year of parties, symphonies, etiquette lessons, self defense classes, volunteering in the community, buying many formals, having many fittings, mani-pedis, facials, hair appointments, portraits, MANY father-daughter dance lessons and lessons for the Texas "dip", our version of a curtsy which is insanely ALL the way to the floor! Bizarre as it sounds there are no other debs in the US that curtsy this low. I do believe I have lost a few brain cells along the way! You name it WE HAVE DONE IT! We are ready to get back to our normal "teenage daughter" routine...if that weren't enough!! Mr. P and I have two great kids. They do well in school, Jared is in college (last semester....YEA!) and he consistently makes the dean's list, active in church and for the most part they both have sunny dispositions. We are truly proud of our Jared and our Elizabeth. We, as a couple, have been blessed with these two little souls. We have been entrusted as care-takers for only a short while and they will be gone all too soon. So even if we are crazy busy, we don't mind, we are glad we have been allowed to go along for the ride.