This meal was specially prepared for my mother on her birthday. She had asked for pasta and this is what I came up with. The recipe below is for the crostinis, pasta and the chicken. As for the salad, just mix lettuce, kale, spinach, and your favourite vegetables and dressing. This meal also requires a little prep in advance for the roasted red peppers, I don't suggest you buy them since there are many ways to easily make them yourself as shown in the link.
Ingredients
Chicken
4 chicken breast, boneless, skinless
8 slices of brie, however thick you want them
cooking string (i.e. one that does not contain chemicals)
smoked paprika and black pepper
Crostinis
1 bread of your choice, thinly sliced
2-3 garlic cloves
shredded cheese
dried thyme
Pasta
enough pasta for 4 people, about 150g
2 cloves garlic, finely minced or crushed
1 medium onions, finely minced
black pepper
1 tbsp (15mL) butter or margarine
1 tbsp (15mL) flour
1 cup (240mL) milk
2-3 roasted red pepper, chopped
Method
1. Preheat oven at 375 F.
2. Cut the each chicken breast in the middle but not all the way through, just like a hot dog bun. Stuff each breast with 2 slices of brie. Use string to tie each breast so the brie stays inside and doesn't ooze out too much. Put the breasts on a baking dish/sheet, sprinkle each one with black pepper and smoked paprika. Cover with a foil and bake for 40 minutes on bottom rack, remove the foil for the last 10 minutes.
3. Preparing the pasta and the crostinis only takes about 20 minutes, so you can rest for a bit or prep everything else.
4. Bring water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente; drain leaving only a little bit of water so they don't dry up if your sauce isn't quite ready.
5. During that time prepare the crostinis, place the bread slices on a baking sheet. Rub some freshly cut garlic (don't throw it away after you are done, mince/crush it and use it for the pasta sauce) on the bread slices. Sprinkle the cheese evenly on each slice, and top with dried thyme. Bake for 5 minutes on the top rack when there is only about 15 minutes left for the chicken to cook. This way your guests can start enjoying their meal while you finish up.
6. As for the pasta sauce, heat oil in a medium pan on medium heat. Cook the onions and the garlic seasoned with black pepper for about 5 minutes, or until onions are translucent. Add butter, let it melt then add the flour. Whisk for about 3-4 minutes to ensure there are no lumps and that the flour cooks a bit. Add the milk and whisk for a couple of minutes. Mix in the roasted red peppers and keep mixing until the sauce is at desired consistency. Incorporate the cooked pasta without the remaining pasta water.
7. Your chicken should be ready by now. Take it out of the oven and let it sit covered with the foil for 5 minutes before you remove the strings, or you can let your guests remove their own.
8. Plate up and enjoy!
Serves 4.
