The South Arm Cooking Club for seniors had a celebratory meal on the last cooking session of 2009. As usual, the seniors made 4 dishes in the kitchen. For this kitchen, there are two desserts which I enjoyed most.

The main dish is a chicken dish called Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Goat Cheese and Basil.  This chicken dish is fit for a party.

Ingredients

• 4 boneless chicken breast halves, skinned
• 1/2 cup fresh goat cheese, about 100 grams
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 3 basil leaves, shredded or 1 teaspoon dried, crumbled
• salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Sun-Dried Tomato and Mushroom Sauce

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 6 sun-dried tomatoes
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken stock
• 

The Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Goat Cheese and Basil is adapted from Bon Appetit and it serves 4. Marcel, Helmut and Ken worked on this recipe.

Instructions

sauce preparation: before doing anything else, place broth and sun-dried tomatoes in a microwave-safe bowl and heat for 3 minutes, or until boiling. Let sit for 30 minutes for tomatoes to soften. Preheat the oven to 350F.

Pound chicken between sheets of waxed paper to thickness of 1/4 inch using meat mallet.  Pat chicken dry.

Combine cheese, green onions, and basil in a small bowl.

Spread cheese mixture lengthwise over top half of each chicken piece.

Tuck short ends in. Roll chicken up, starting at cheese-covered side, into tight cylinders. Secure with toothpicks if necessary.

Place chicken in 8-inch square baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil and lightly season with salt and pepper. Bake until cooked through, 20 to 30 minutes.

Remove sun-dried tomatoes from broth and chop. Reserve broth.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms, tomatoes, and garlic and saute until tender, about 8 minutes.

Sprinkle flour over, and cook for 1 minute.

Add broth and boil until thickened, about 4 minutes.

To serve, remove toothpicks from chicken if using. Cut rolls crosswise unto 1/2-inch-thick rounds. Arrange on serving platter. Serve immediately, passing sauce in a sauce bowl. Marcel, Helmut, Ken and Stella, thank you for making this dish.