stuffed chicken breasts: get her to the greek . . . cuisine.

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So my friend Naomi and I headed down West Broadway on Sunday to go an Indian restaurant (I know, this past weekend has been filled with a medley of international fare). Unfortunately, we were blocked off from our ultimate destination by a huge, random Greek festival. Honestly, I didn't even know that there were enough Greek people living in Vancouver to fill a phone booth - but filling an entire festival . . . well, lets just say all my assumptions were completely erased. 

Of course, like any good celebration of a culture, it appeared that the festival revolved around food. Souvlaki, tzatziki, mousaka, calamari, and baklava. The smell of warm honeyed pastry and smokey lamb enveloped the entire festival (and several blocks surrounding it - can you imagine living there?! My salivary glands would have been tired at the end of the day.)

This entire celebration reminded me about one of my favorite chicken dishes to make - to me, it encapsulates all the ingredients which make good Greek food. Since I was drawing most of Sunday night (photos of which I will share soon), I wasn't able to make the stuffed chicken (though I have photos of previous times I've made it).

However, you can. This is a tried and tested recipe, and just so yummy. You'll have neighbors peering in your windows as the smells waft out of your house. It's also a good recipe to persuade (coerce) friends to hang out with you. How can they resist? Opa!!

Stuffed Chicken Breast 
with Sun-dried Tomatoes, Artichoke Hearts, and Feta

2 chicken breasts (pounded between 2 sheets of plastic to about 1/4")
1/3 c. olive oil (some of it drained from the sun-dried tomatoes)
1 tsp. sea salt
3 tbs. fresh lemon juice
1/2 c. white wine
3 garlic cloves
2 tsp. oregano, dried
1/2 onion, minced
1 tbs. parsley, dried
1 tsp. thyme

1/2 c. crumbled feta cheese
1/4 c. sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
1/4 c. artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1/4 c. roasted red pepper (for sweetness!), drained and chopped
10 kalamata olives, chopped

1. Combine the first 10 ingredients - marinade the chicken at least 1 hour, preferably overnight.

2. Preheat oven to 375F. Meanwhile, stir together the rest of the ingredients in a small bowl; set aside.(These are very detailed instructions, I know.) Remove the chicken from the marinade. Place equal amounts of the stuffing mixture onto each piece of chicken. Fold the edges of the chicken over the filling, and secure with toothpicks (essentially, roll it into a log). Place onto a baking dish, seam-side down, and drizzle leftover marinade over top.

3. Cook until chicken is no longer pink - about 30 mins.

4. Pray. Eat. Enjoy.