Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Lydia E. DeGaris

We loved this recipe form cookinglight.com and made adjustments to the recipe to include artichokes in water.


Stuff everyday chicken breasts with goat cheese and artichokes for a sophisticated dinnertime favorite that's both easy and elegant.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 chicken breast half and 2 tablespoons sauce)
Ingredients

* 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
* 6.5 oz. jar artichoke hearts in water, drained and chopped
* 1/4 cup minced shallots (about 3)
* 1/4 cup (1 ounce) crumbled goat or feta cheese
* 1 teaspoon dried herbes de Provence or thyme, divided
* 1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
* 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
* 4 (4-ounce) skinned, boned chicken breast halves
* 1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
* 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
* 2 teaspoons cornstarch
* Chopped fresh parsley (optional)
* Lemon rind strips (optional)

Preparation

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add artichokes and shallots; sauté 4 minutes. Remove from pan; cool. Stir in cheese, 1/2 teaspoon herbes de Provence, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.

Cut a horizontal slit through thickest portion of each breast half to form a pocket. Stuff 2 tablespoons artichoke mixture into each pocket.

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add chicken, and sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper; sauté 6 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from pan; keep warm. Add 1/2 teaspoon herbes de Provence and broth to pan; bring to a boil. Combine juice and cornstarch; add to broth mixture, stirring with a whisk. Cook 1 minute or until thick. Return chicken to pan; cover and cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Garnish with parsley and lemon strips, if desired.
Nutritional Information

Calories: 194 (25% from fat)
Fat: 5.3g (sat 1.8g,mono 2.3g,poly 0.6g)
Protein: 29.2g
Carbohydrate: 6.2g
Fiber: 0.4g
Cholesterol: 72mg
Iron: 1.4mg
Sodium: 437mg
Calcium: 61mg

Jeanne Thiel Kelley, Cooking Light