Chicken breasts stuffed with cheese and spinach

One easy weeknight dinner, when you just don't know what to do with those chicken breasts, here's a simple, yet delicious variation.

 Butterfly the chicken breasts so you have a pocket. Place slices of cheese...

and some steamed spinach or any other steamed green. You could even substitute for roasted red peppers.

 Place a 1/2 cup of bread crumbs in a small bowl. Add 1/2 tspn of red pepper flakes, 1/2 tspn of dried oregano, and 1/2 tspn of dried garlic. Mix well and drizzle enough olive oil to make a loose mixture, about two tablespoons.

 Fold the breast pieces over to make a pocket and fasten the breasts with toothpicks around the edges to keep the filling from spilling out.

Place in a foil lined pan and top with the bread crumb mixture. Drizzle some additional olive oil on top. Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 25 minutes.

 Add a nice salad...

 some tasty beets...

 Dinner is ready!!

Enjoy!

Maria

Avocado Toast

I had never heard of an avocado toast. I love avocado and I love toast but never thought about putting the two together.

Usually it's avocado with garlic, lime juice, onion and tomato, aka guacamole! More often,I'll dice half an avocado to add protein and heft to a lunch salad.

So, this avocado toast intrigued me so much that I decided to try it right that minute as I needed a quick fix, pre-workout lunch.

I cut a quarter of an avocado and diced the inside while still in it's shell. I then mashed it with a fork, added a drizzle of good extra virgin olive oil, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and mixed all together.

In the meantime, I toasted a slice of whole wheat bread, nice and brown, the way I like it.

I then topped the toast with the mashed avocado, piling it high and making sure every edge was covered.

I sprinkled a pinch of red pepper flakes over the top and...

devoured the delicious treat.

I was pretty impressed with how much flavor the simple lemon-olive oil, red pepper concoction imparted to the creamy but bland avocado.

I would definitely recommend you try this at home, and if you feel like a snack get up and do it right now!

Enjoy!

Maria

The Best Greek Chickpea Soup

While I was in Greece in the winter of 2014, I had a bowl of chickpea soup that knocked my socks off.

A simple dish, yet full of complex flavor and texture.

I've been thinking about that soup ever since. I scoured the internet for a Greek Chickpea soup recipe but nothing I found satisfied me. Until this week when I came upon this fabulous recipe that comes pretty close to the one I had in Greece.

 

Chickpea Soup From Sifnos (Ρεβιθάδα Σιφνέικη)

(serves 6)

2 cups of dry chick peas
1/2 cup of olive oil
2 large onions, diced
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced

1 carrot, finely diced
1 stalk of celery, finely diced

3 bay leaves

1 tsp. paprika

1/2 lemon, sliced

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
8 cups of chicken or vegetable stock
salt and pepper to taste
wedge of lemon and dried Greek oregano for garnish

1. The night before, place your dried chickpeas in a bowl with the baking soda and enough water to cover the chickpeas by about 2 inches. The next morning, strain and rinse your chickpeas and reserve.
2. Into a large pot, add your olive oil over medium heat and throw in your onions, celery, carrots, bay leaves, thyme and paprika and parsley and simmer on medium low for about 15 minutes for the vegetables to soften.
3. Now add your chickpeas, parsley, stock and slices of lemon bring to a boil and simmer medium-low heat with the lid slightly ajar for 2-3 hours or until thick the chickpeas are fork-tender.. By this time you should have a thick, chunky chick pea soup with some liquid still evident.

Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, serve in bowls. Add some dried Greek oregano and serve with a wedge of lemon.

Enjoy!

Maria

Jacqueline De Ribes - The Art of Style- Metropolitan Museum of Art

Last month I was lucky to be asked by a friend if I wanted to visit the new Costume exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Met is one of my all time favorite places to go and I jumped at the chance to see this unique exhibit.

I had never heard of Jacqueline De Ribes before, but this exhibit was a delight, especially when I discovered that she is still alive today and still glamorous in her late 80's.

 Flower arrangement at the Metropolitan Museum Great Hall Entrance.

Below I present photos from the exhibition. All of these dresses belong to Countess De Ribes and many are of her own creation.

Jacqueline had a very full and eventful life, traveled in high society circles and her outfits reflect that haute couture world.

She was a very creative woman and such a muse to designers that people like Lanvin, Galliano, Armani  put at her disposal their studios so she could customize their creations for herself.

 

 The exhibit showcases ensembles dating from 1962 to the present time.

 She ran her own studio from 1986 to 1995.

She is an aristocratic, elegant woman who impressed me with her daring creativity in fashion.

Enjoy!

Maria