Chicken Breast Stuffed with Mushrooms & Peppers

by Christine Leishman for DietWatch

Prep time: 10 minutes; additional time required to cool filling
Cooking Time: 45 minutes
Preheat Oven: 375 F

Ingredients

• 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, approximately 4 ounces each
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon roasted garlic paste*
• 2 shallots, roasted, peeled, and chopped
• 1 red pepper, roasted, peeled and julienned
• 3 cups sliced mushrooms
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped oregano (or 1 teaspoon dried)
• 1/2 cup liquid egg substitute
• 1/4 cup lowfat milk
• 3 cups bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

*Drizzle 1 teaspoon of olive oil over one whole head of garlic in a small pan. Place in a 350F oven for 35-40 minutes, cover with foil and remove from the oven. When the garlic is still warm but cool enough to handle, cut off the root end and squeeze the "melted" cloves into a small bowl. One head of garlic yields approximately 3 tablespoons of paste. It keeps for up to a week in the refrigerator. It is possible to roast the garlic without any oil but the garlic must be very fresh.

Method

Cut a pocket in the breast lengthwise making sure not to cut all the way through. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan and add the garlic paste, shallots and peppers. Cook over a low heat until the shallots are softened. Add the mushrooms and salt and cover the pan. Cook for 10 minutes until the juices are rendered. Turn the heat up and remove the lid. Cook until the pan is nearly dry. Turn off the heat and spread the filling onto a sheet pan to cool.

When cool enough to handle, fill the breasts with the mushroom mixture and secure with a toothpick. Whisk the egg and milk together until frothy and dip each breast into this mixture before rolling in the crumb mixture. Spray the breasts with oil from a mister and roast them in a 375F oven until the internal temperature of 160F is reached, approximately 35 minutes. It may be necessary to spray the breasts with a little more oil one time during the cooking process to insure even browning.

It is also possible to cook this dish stovetop by covering the breasts with a lid after flipping them halfway through the cooking process (approximately 15 minutes) to ensure they are cooked through by the time they are browned.

Yield: 6 servings
Per serving (8 oz): Calories 420; Fat 8.2 g; Saturated fat 1.9 g; Cholesterol 68 mg; Sodium 810 mg; Carbohydrate 47 g; Fiber 2.2 g; Sugars 3.8 g; Protein 39 g; Vitamin A 186 RE; Vitamin C 42 mg; Calcium 203 mg; Iron 5.3 mg. This recipe is 17% fat.

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Chris Leishman began her cooking career at Greens Restaurant, the renowned vegetarian restaurant in San Francisco. Her interest in health and nutrition eventually led her to UCSF Medical Center where she was the Recipe Development Coordinator for both the patient and retail foodservice. She led cooking classes for the Outpatient Weight Management group, the Heart Disease Reversal Program, and Millberry Student Program. Her work for Dr. Dean Ornish's Heart Disease Reversal Program led to the publication of her cookbook Recipes From the Heart.