Make It For Your Date: The Valentine’s Day Edition

Stuffed Chicken Breast with Strawberry Salad for Two

We all know the saying “The quickest way to a man’s heart is through his stomach”. This can also be a fairly speedy route to the female heart as well. Staying in and making your date dinner (or making it together) rates high on the romance scale. You get to show off your creativity and appreciation for nuance & details, even if it’s a simple dish. No different from putting an outfit together. That’s what this series is about. She or he will be left impressed, and you won’t need the skills of Wolfgang Puck.  

• Familiar Ingredients: Dijon mustard, honey, balsamic vinegar, EVOO, mixed greens, strawberries, chicken, goat cheese
• Not So Familiar Ingredients: Roasted Garlic & Onion Jam, shallot
• Number of Pans/Pots you’ll need to make this dish: medium bowl for dressing the salad, toothpicks, baking dish large enough for 2 chicken breasts, and parchment paper

Well here we are, stuck in the doldrums of winter, with a Hallmark holiday staring us in the face. Don’t be glum… stuff your face with chocolate and make romance with your sweetie! Hey, there are worse things to do in the world. So let’s embrace it, cook something healthy and delicious for our paramour, and then perhaps work it off with a little aerobic exercise to end the evening (nudge nudge, wink wink). If you’re flying solo this Valentine’s Day, cut the recipe in half and make yourself a good meal.

Make strawberry hearts by notching out the top and slicing the berries height-wise.

I kept this one simple, so you don’t have to stress about ridiculous techniques or cooking times. Plus, I sourced the majority of ingredients from Trader Joe’s (no, they have no stake in this article), so you should be able to find everything on one shopping trip. I’ll give you a few quick tips on the ingredients and process, and then get to the recipe.

Salad – The dressing for this salad can get a little strong on the onion scale due to the shallot. If you would rather it be toned down, only use about half a teaspoon of minced shallot, or you can opt for a pinch of onion or garlic powder, or just omit the shallot altogether. As for the strawberries, create a v-shaped notch on top when you remove the green stem part, and then you can slice them height-wise to create hearts. Of course, you don’t have to do this, but come on.

Chicken – If you’ve never stuffed a chicken breast before, it’s pretty easy. Using a sharp pairing knife, just cut a pocket into the breast, starting at the thickest part and working your way across most of the breast. Take it slow, and make sure your knife is parallel to the cutting board you’re using (you don’t want to angle it and cut through the bottom of the meat). After the initial slice you can lift the top portion of the pocket, and run the knife along the back of the pocket to make it a little deeper if you want. The deeper it is, the more deliciousness you can stuff in. Also, you’ll have to use toothpicks to close the pockets up. And the final suggestion; have a meat thermometer on hand, so you can check the internal temp of the chicken and make sure it’s actually done when you serve it.

Stuffing Stuff – You can totally change up what you stuff with chicken with. Try a garlic herb goat cheese and fig butter (both available at TJ’s), manchego and thinly sliced apple, or blue cheese and bacon.

Dessert – Keep it simple, and just pick up something ready made, like a really good bar of dark chocolate, or the Chocolate Molten Lava Cakes they have in the freezer section at Trader Joe’s.

Final Note: A lighter bodied wine (either red or white) would compliment this meal perfectly, and a rich and fruity wine will compliment a chocolaty dessert. Or concoct a Love Potion Number 9 or two.

No, The Bachelor did not stop by for dinner.

Stuffed Chicken Breast and Strawberry Salad for Two

For The Salad Dressing

• 1 tsp minced shallot
• 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp honey
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 1.5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp water
• pinch of salt & black pepper

Put all ingredients in a small container with a lid. Shake until well combined.

For The Salad

• 5 cups mixed baby greens
• 4-5 strawberries, notched and sliced into hearts
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Put the greens and walnuts in a medium bowl, and top with salad dressing. Toss to combine. Once you plate the salad, top with the berry slices.

For The Chicken

• 2 large chicken breasts
• 2 tbsp Stonewall Kitchens (or other brand) Roasted Garlic & Onion Jam
• 2 tbsp goat cheese (I used black truffle goat cheese)
• salt/pepper
• 2 slices prosciutto (optional)

Pre-heat oven to 450º. Line a medium baking dish with parchment paper (or grease with some butter).

Using a pairing knife, create a deep pocket in each chicken breast. Stuff each breast with 1 tablespoon of goat cheese, and one tablespoon of jam. Close up the pockets with toothpicks, and place the breasts in the pan lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and if you’re a romantic, shape a piece of prosciutto into a heart and place on top of chicken breast.

Top meat with another sheet of parchment paper to help hold in moisture during baking. Bake in oven for 20-23 minutes. Once the internal temp of the chicken reaches 165º it’s time to eat! And then, who knows?

Sarah is a self proclaimed foodie and contributor to theprettyguineapig.com. Heart shaped or not, prosciutto and strawberries are always welcome in her fridge. Check out more Make It For Your Date Ideas here.