Recipe of the Month
Hot Date with a Chicken
- 1/4 cup date, pitted and chopped
- 2 (6oz) boneless chicken breasts
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 small apple - peeled, cored, and chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped dried apricots
- 2 tablespoons raisins
- 1/4 teaspoon ground mace
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 tablespoon grated orange zest
- 1 tablespoon orange juice
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Directions
1. Preheat an over to 350 degrees F (175 degreesC)
2. Combine the date, apple, apricots, raisin, orange zest and orange juice in small bowl Season with caysenne pepper, cardamom and mace; mix well.
3. Place the chicken breats between two sheet of heavy plastic (resealable freezer bags work well) on a solid, level surface. Firmly pound the chicken with the smooth side of a meat mallet to a thickness of 1/4 inch. Mount the fruit filling on the flattened breasts and roll up, tucking in the end. Secure the chicken with toothpicks.
4. Heat the vegetable oil in an oven proof skillet over medium-heat. Add the chicken breasts, and cook until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Place in the preheated oven, and continue cooking the chicken breast until the filling is hot and the juices run clear, 20 to 25 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
If you don't have a meat mallet, make friends with a technician that does mamograms, to flatten and tenderize the chicken.