Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Parmesan-Basil Filling

I bought another cookbook last weekend. 

I have about 4 now.

It may be just 2% of all the books I have which, for someone who cooks often, is quite a shame. 

But that is about to change real soon because I have plans to buy a cookbook in every trip to Booksale.

Something I do religiously.

In the past posts, I made up recipes. 

Now, I've decided to adapt and recreate recipes from really good cookbooks.

I just want to know if I can do it.

Inside: Frank Sinatra's favorite dishes

The home kitchen is turning into the diy-eats test kitchen. 

Test kitchen because it seems that things always don't go right the first time.

I've had my share of rock solid cupcakes, runny sauces, a few burnt meat here and there.

Also, garnishing is not my strongest suit.

The learning process never ends. 

The best part is when I open the oven to unravel something great.

Something picture perfect like in the books. Something that tastes absolutely good.

The bestest part is when my dishes get rave reviews from my family. 

Hard to achieve.

Challenge accepted.

The recipe below is from Cook's Illustrated Magazine, a publication I've come to love because of how good they break complex kitchen dillemas down into very simple instructions, even a newbie would find it easy.

I also love how they give a lot of time, careful planning, and two-page spreads to each recipe. A sign that they care about food and the people who tries to make 'em good.

Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Parmesan-Basil Filling

(Adapted from Cook's Illustrated June 2011)

Note: Buy chicken breasts with skin still attached and intact; otherwise the stuffing will leak out during cooking. 

What you need:

4 chicken breasts, skin-on, bone carefully taken out

salt and pepper

olive oil

For the cheese filling:

1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated 

1/4 cup cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, minced

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced finely like a paste

a dash of salt and pepper

How to:

Pre-heat oven to 230 degrees C (450 degrees F)

1. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper to taste. 

2. Using your fingers, gently loosen portion of the skin covering each breast, making a pocket big enough for filling.

3. In a bowl, mix all the ingredients for cheese filling and carefully fill each breast under the skin (about 1 1/2 teaspoons). 

4. Brush chicken with olive oil and place on foil-lined baking sheet. Bake chicken for 30-40 minutes. 

5. Serve with a side of salad or rice. 

For the record, this is the first time I've ever baked chicken. 

It turned out a little dry so add a little more olive oil. 

All in all, it was a totally delectable recipe.

I am a big fan of cheese (!!!) and sure enough the chicken skin together with the salty-tangy taste of cheese had a wild party in my mouth.

I made it this morning and it was meant to be for lunch but I think it's all gone before 10am AKA the fam bam loved it.

I live for small victories.

Till the next eats!

Open Sesame

Sometimes, aroma is everything. Everything to get your drool on, that is. It's an initiator of things, a bringer of memories, a heart-stopper. Get a bad cold and I bet you wouldn't even touch those fries no matter how scrumptious it looks (welp, some people still do!). The sense of smell is just as important as the sense of taste and sight when it comes to food. If you're a mother, you should know that the best people to taste test food are kids because they prove to have a higher sensitivity than adults. 

"Stack of pancakes, you have no idea what I can do to you."

This reminds me of yesterday when I went out to dine with my family at Sunburst Fried Chicken. It's a local chicken place from where I live (Cebu City) which I can safely say, is already an institution. They're around even before I was born. Their fried chicken has got this aroma so distinct that you can never go wrong when you get a whiff of it, you can always tell it's Sunburst. 

My plate of Classic 3-piece Sunburst.

So we had our dinner and I was giddy because I haven't eaten there for years and what do you know, it just wasn't the same. The chicken I so dearly remember doesn't taste the same. Sure it smells the same but I can tell there had been a slight change in the recipe and I went home kind of disappointed but nonetheless, full. 

Let me tell you, the place was packed and I went home thinking "Aroma is everything."

We can make or break your dish.

Not too long ago, I started being conscious about the oils and spices I use in cooking and I've discovered that  those things are very important in improving flavors. A dash of let's say, thyme or a tablespoon of oyster sauce does miracles to a dish. A lot of restaurant style food secrets depend on condiments.

Here's a recipe I've sort of made up. I know that classic buffalo wings are baked and sesame chicken wings are usually grilled so I made mine super easy fried then smothered in sauce. 

December doesn't have to give you a heart attack.

By now, you must have noticed that I’ve been using this Safoco brand multi-colored vegetable macaroni when I whip up regular day pasta dishes. For one, it’s really cheap.  The last time I checked, it costs 31 pesos (less than a dollar) per 200g. Also, it cooks real quick (about 5 minutes in boiling water) and the texture and taste is just great and goes well with any sauce base may it be tomato, cream, or oil. Lastly, it’s made of vegetables! 

I’m crazy about pasta. It’s one of those home staples I couldn’t do without. There are just so many possible ways to turn it into awesome dishes so it never gets boring and it can easily be made into a complete meal.

Y'all want it.

Y'all know how our African-American brothers and sisters want it. Smothered and deep fried. Every time I watch their movies and there are scenes of them dining and stuff, aaaaah! I want to stuff that chicken in my pie hole and drown in gravy. Oh yes, I've been wanting that a long time. I usually just bread my chicken but since I'm from the South, I want authentic "southern" experience even if it's actually from a million miles away.

As the saying goes, once you go black you can never go back!

Those Deep Fried Dreams

The most satiating and satisfying food is deep fried. No contest. I have tried the Ketogenic Diet in the not-so-distant past (and slowly coming back) and that was the time I experienced first-hand how sinfully good and beneficial artery-clogging food really is. Trust me, I checked my blood pressure everyday and it was systolic: 120 over diastolic: 70 and was told it was perfectly low for eating out. I lost 15 lbs in a month.

Now, I'm not urging everyone to go on a deep fried food binge but really, if you crave for it, I am living proof that it's totally fine. Just leave the sweets and the carbs out.

So here I am. It's a Monday that everybody despises but not me. I do despise the fact that it is the first Monday I'm not going to work at the restaurant anymore. . since I have completed my on-the-job training last Saturday. I woke up at 7am despite sleeping at around 3am. My body got used to it and I greatly miss work and everybody. So in the spirit of me firing up dishes at the saute station, I fired up a dish at home. Ransacked the fridge and voila!

Liver Lover

I eat liver. I eat pork liver, chicken liver and a few times, beef liver. I know a few people who wouldn't even touch it. I really think they're missing out a lot in life. Liver is one of the most appetizing and gratifying animal products I have ever tasted and there are so many ways to cook it. 


My mom does the grocery shopping for home and liver is not a staple really. It's a luxury! There are just occasions when she brings home a little package of that creamy rose-colored stuff and it delights me all the time. Aside from chicken skin, chicken liver is one of my most favorite kind of barbecue. 

The pork liver couldn't even match the chicken liver's savory goodness and its mouth-watering softness that melts in your mouth. 

The Chunk of Life

It's hot here in my side of the planet. I sometimes wonder if it's as hot anywhere else, but today I'm not giving you a recipe for a cool dessert. Last Monday was our final culinary function in school and it was quite a charming night. We got rave reviews from the guests which warmed our weary and sleepless hearts.

It does feel good when hard work pays off.

Yesterday, we get to clean up the kitchen and I get to bring all the leftover ingredients. I lugged home almost 2 kilos of white onions and thought up a good use for it since I love its sweet, juicy and biting taste. Found some chicken and coconut milk in the fridge and felt it's a perfect time to make a diy-eats comeback after being out of content for a month.


Here's my treat!

Pasta fight.

We didn't really throw pasta at each other but it was a good competition. Sad thing was, we never found out who won. I guess the people behind it decided to forfeit everyone after they found out we ate the entries. Haha!

So the game started out with us clueless of what to cook that day. We had 15 minutes to view the ingredients and 30 minutes to create the recipe. Another 15 minutes to go back and acquire kitchen utensils and the exact amount of ingredients and an hour to cook everything and serve it on tables that were set up at the lobby for everyone to drool over. We were feeling a little bit edgy but it turned out fine. The theme was pasta.

Lucky me, pasta had been a staple in our home since time immemorial and the ingredients on the table were not Iron Chef peculiar so my team partner, Seanette and I did not only share the same name but the same sentiments over the task at hand as well. 

We decided on a creamy yet flavorful dish.