A brightly colored stuffing of spinach, roasted peppers and goat cheese fills these chicken breasts for a beautiful presentation. Serve hot, at room temperature or chilled over a nest of fettuccine or quinoa, if you like. From The Whole Foods Market Cookbook

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 teaspoon finely chopped thyme
6 cups baby spinach
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup drained and chopped jarred roasted red peppers
3 tablespoons chopped pitted Kalamata olives
1 tablespoon capers, chopped
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
2 boneless, skinless whole chicken breasts, halved and pounded out
   to1/4-inch thickness
4 ounces mild goat cheese, at room temperature
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

Method

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic, shallots and thyme and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add spinach and cook, tossing often, until just wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then remove from the heat and set aside to let cool. Preheat oven to 375°F. In a small bowl, mix peppers, olives, capers, vinegar, salt and pepper; set aside. Arrange chicken on a clean surface in a single layer. Divide spinach mixture between the 4 pieces of chicken, then top evenly with the goat cheese and red pepper mixture. Roll up each piece of chicken tightly, folding the end pieces in before sealing each roll. Transfer chicken to a baking pan, cover with foil and bake until almost cooked through, about 25 minutes. Uncover, brush chicken with remaining 1 tablespoon oil and bake until golden brown and cooked through, about 10 minutes more. Set aside to let rest for 10 minutes, then slice chicken, transfer to a platter and serve garnished with parsley.

Chicken Toscana with White Beans

To prepare the marinade, in the bowl of a food processor or blender, place olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, leaves of oregano, tarragon, basil, parsley, rosemary, and pepper. Blend all ingredients well until a smooth bright green paste is formed. You may add a few spoonfuls of water to help this process if mixture looks too thick. You may also make marinade using an immersion blender. Marinate cubed chicken in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or overnight if possible. Heat olive oil in a large pan over moderate heat until hot, about 2 minutes. Add cubed chicken, and allow to brown lightly without stirring initially. Begin turning chicken after 3 minutes, and add onion. Sauté for 2 minutes, until onion begins to soften. Add beans and continue to cook for 2 minutes longer, until chicken is cooked through and a light sauce forms around chicken pieces. Season with the salt and pepper.

Nutrition

Per serving (about 9oz/255g-wt.):
Calories: 370 (160 from fat)
Fat: 18g (sat 2.5g)
Protein: 38g
Carbohydrate: 12g (Dietary Fiber 3g, 1g Sugar)
Cholesterol: 90mg
Sodium: 430mg

Claire's Enlightened Tub Noodles

Chef Steve's tip: Note the noodles here are spaghetti or fettuccine. You can add any vegetable to this dish as my mom did. She always completely overcooked her pasta and vegetables because that was her style. This dish would never be the same if my dad didn't complain that they were too soft with her saying, "I like it that way." You can cook them to the degree of doneness that pleases you, but I recommend al dente.
 

Ingredients

Salt, to taste
Water
1 pound fettuccine or spaghetti, cooked al dente and drained
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons butter
1/2 cup chopped onions
3 cloves minced garlic
1/2 cup small broccoli florets
1/2 cup sliced snow peas
1/2 cup chopped zucchini
1/2 cup chopped red bell peppers
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta according to pacakge directions until al dente; drain.

Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil and butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic and broccoli. Sauté 2 to 3 minutes. Add the snow peas, zucchini, peppers, mushrooms and Italian herbs. Sauté the vegetable about 5 minutes until crisp but tender. Add the cooked pasta and combine well with the vegetables.

Sprinkle with cheese and serve. Makes 6 servings (unless you are part of my family).

Per serving: 361 calories, 17 percent calories from fat, 7 grams total fat, 2 grams saturated fat, 7 milligrams cholesterol, 61 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams total fiber, 2 grams total sugars, 56 grams net carbs, 14 grams protein, 90 milligrams sodium.

Sesame Chicken Edamame Bowl

Becky Luigart-Stayner

Good, Solid Recipe

Frozen stir-fry mixes and frozen shelled edamame save prep time and don't require thawing. The slightly sweet and nutty stir-fried vegetables complement the delicately flavored chicken. You can serve this over udon noodles or rice stick noodles instead of rice.

Yield

6 servings (serving size: 2/3 cup chicken mixture and 1/3 cup rice)

Ingredients
 

·     2  teaspoons  canola oil

·     1  tablespoon  minced peeled fresh ginger

·     2  teaspoons  minced peeled fresh lemongrass

·     2  garlic cloves, minced

·     1  pound  skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces

·     2  cups  frozen shelled edamame (green soybeans)

·     2  cups  frozen bell pepper stir-fry mix

·     2  tablespoons  low-sodium soy sauce

·     1  tablespoon  mirin (sweet rice wine)

·     1  teaspoon  dark sesame oil

·     1/4  teaspoon  cornstarch

·     1/2  cup  (1/4-inch) diagonally cut green onions

·     2  teaspoons  dark sesame seeds

·     1/2  teaspoon  salt
2  cups  hot cooked brown rice

Preparation

Heat canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add ginger, lemongrass, and garlic; sauté 1 minute or just until mixture begins to brown. Add chicken; sauté 2 minutes. Add edamame and stir-fry mix; sauté 3 minutes. Combine soy sauce, mirin, sesame oil, and cornstarch, stirring with a whisk. Add to pan; cook 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in onions, sesame seeds, and salt. Serve over rice.

Nutritional Information

Calories:  277 (21% from fat)
Fat:  6.5g (sat 0.7g,mono 2.3g,poly 2.6g)
Protein:  25.5g
Carbohydrate:  27.1g
Fiber:  5.4g
Cholesterol:  44mg
Iron:  2.4mg
Sodium:  452mg
Calcium:  72mg

 Steve Petusevsky, Whole Foods Cookbook, Cooking Light, MARCH 2006
 

Shrimp Florentine with Caramelized Garlic

Becky Luigart-Stayner

Worthy of a Special Occasion

Make sure to buy frozen loose-leaf spinach for this recipe since you can measure just what you need. Purchase fresh, peeled garlic to save on prep time.

Yield

4 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)

Ingredients

·     
Garlic:

·     1/2  teaspoon  kosher salt

·     20  garlic cloves, peeled

·     Cooking spray

·        
Shrimp:

·     2  teaspoons  olive oil

·     1  pound  medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

·     1  teaspoon  butter

·     3/4  cup  half-and-half

·     1/2  cup  fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

·     1/3  cup  (about 1 1/2 ounces) grated Parmesan cheese

·     1/4  teaspoon  salt

·     1/4  teaspoon  crushed red pepper

·     1/8  teaspoon  black pepper

·     2  cups  frozen loose-leaf spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
4  cups  hot cooked linguine (about 8 ounces uncooked pasta)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare garlic, combine 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and garlic in a bowl. Place garlic mixture on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally.

To prepare shrimp,  heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp; sauté 3 minutes or until done. Remove shrimp from pan.

Melt butter in pan over medium heat. Stir in half-and-half, broth, cheese, 1/4 teaspoon salt, red pepper, and black pepper. Cook 1 minute or until cheese melts, stirring constantly. Stir in shrimp and spinach; cook 1 minute. Combine shrimp mixture, garlic mixture, and pasta in a large bowl; toss well. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 484 (24% from fat)
Fat: 13.1g (sat 5.8g,mono 4.4g,poly 1.6g)
Protein: 38.2g
Carbohydrate: 51.1g
Fiber: 5.2g
Cholesterol: 202mg
Iron: 6.6mg
Sodium: 811mg
Calcium: 362mg

 Steve Petusevsky, Whole Foods Cookbook, Cooking Light, MARCH 2006