Boursin Chicken with Cauliflower Leek Risotto; Bruschetta App
I felt like making risotto tonight. I love making risotto and am always looking for new flavors to add. After browsing through recipes, I decided on Cauliflower and Leek Risotto. I didn't follow this recipe, but I did use it for inspiration. I served it with Boursin Chicken, a recipe I adapted several years ago. I need to do some research on where I found the original recipe so I can post it here. I also tried a new appetizer tonight - Arugula Bruschetta.
Arugula Bruschetta
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Ingredients (see original recipe for full recipe amounts)
- 6 ounces arugula, stems removed and coarsely chopped
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella; I also added a few pinches of shredded Parmesan
- Crusty bread
Directions
- Make toasts: slice bread, spread olive oil on one side, rub with garlic clove, heat in a 400 degree oven until crispy.
- Heat olive oil in a large pan. Saute garlic 1 min.
- Add arugula and saute until wilted, approximately 2 minutes. Drain off any excess water.
- Allow to cool to warm. Add cheeses, salt, and pepper.
- Top each toast with some of the arugula mixture.
This was good but I think it was missing something. Next time I may use a creamier cheese in the mixture. I also may add chopped roasted red peppers or chopped tomatoes.
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Cauliflower-Leek Risotto
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Ingredients (adapted from recipe in above link)
- 1 head cauliflower chopped into small pieces
- 1 leek chopped (white and light green pieces only)
- 28 oz chicken broth, warmed in a pot
- 2 cloves garlic, minced (not in original recipe)
- 1 1/4 cup arborio rice
- 1/2 cup dry white wine (not in original recipe)
- 3 tbsp butter
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (not in original recipe)
- 1/4 cup Parmesan and asiago cheeses (not in original recipe)
Directions
- Melt butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add cauliflower and leeks. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Add garlic.
- Add rice and toss until fully coated, approximately 1-2 minutes.
- Add white wine and stir until fully absorbed.
- Add warm chicken broth one ladle at a time, letting it absorb fully before adding more. Repeat until you have used all but one ladle of the broth and rice is tender.
- When you add the final ladle of the broth, also add the cheese. This is my trick for creamy risotto. Also add the spices at this time.
- Serve immediately
This risotto was so delicious! My additions of garlic, cheese, and red pepper flakes were perfect. I would definitely make this again!
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Boursin Chicken
Boursin Chicken
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Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts, trimmed and pounded flat
- 1/2 package Boursin herbed cheese
- 1-2 baby carrots, grated
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2-3 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup melted butter
Directions
- Mix the boursin cheese with the grated carrots. You want this mixture to be creamy, so slowly add olive oil and stir.
- Spread a thin layer of the boursin mixture on each chicken breast. Roll them up and close with a toothpick or twine.
- You can prepare the breasts up to this step and then refrigerate them.
- When you are ready to bread and bake the chicken, mix the breadcrumbs with the parsley.
- Dip each breast in the melted butter and then roll in the breadcrumb mixture.
- Bake on 400 for 25-40 minutes, until chicken is done.
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I absolutely love the flavor of this chicken! The cheese oozes out of the crispy chicken and makes a great sauce. I was pleasantly surprised that the chicken went perfectly with the risotto as well.
Wine
We enjoyed tonight's dinner with a 2002 Heitz Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon. Jon had this at the Capital Grille once and finally found it at a wine store in New Jersey for $49. It was very full but not too heavy or strong at all like some full wines can be. We loved it and will give it a great review in our wine journal.
