Kalamata Olive & Feta Stuffed Chicken Breasts in White Wine Sauce over Couscous

a balancing act...

Continuing on with my goal to eat better in the new year, I'm coming to the realization that I need to have a more balanced diet. While I've been mostly a pescetarian for the past 10 years, I've decided that I need to eat a little bit more meat. That said, I still won't post recipes with pork or beef, but instead, lean white meats such as chicken and turkey will appear more regularly. In that vein, I'm starting with this dinner.

There are many parts to this meal, but each one is very easy to do, and creates a balanced dish. The kalamata olive and feta stuffing is rich and provides moisture to the chicken as it cooks. The chicken is a lean protein jazzed up with the stuffing. And, the white wine sauce finishes off the dish with a little bit of decadence and a pop of acidity. I round out the meal with a simple couscous. When you need a bit of balance in your life, make this dish. Here's how...

Ingredients - Serves 4
Stuffing:
4 oz. Light Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 C Kalamata Olives, pitted & roughly chopped
1/2 C Feta Cheese, crumbled
2 Oil-Packed Sun Dried Tomatoes, roughly chopped

Chicken:
1 T Olive Oil
4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, trimmed
Kosher Salt
Black Pepper

White Wine Sauce:
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
1/2 C White Wine
1/2 Lemon, juiced
2 T Butter
Kosher Salt
Black Pepper

Couscous:
1 T Olive Oil
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
2 C Chicken Broth
1 (10 oz.) Box Couscous

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Make the stuffing: In a small bowl combine the cream cheese, Kalamata olives, feta, and sun dried tomatoes. Stir until well combined. Set aside.

Prepare and stuff the chicken: Pat each chicken breast dry. Using a sharp knife, cut a slit along the side of the breast, from top to bottom and about 3/4 the way in. Be careful not to cut all the way through the breast (essentially, you are creating a pocket). Divide the stuffing mixture and evenly distribute between each "pocket". Stuff the mixture into the "pocket", moving it around to evenly fill the breast.

Cook the chicken: Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet over med-high. Add the oil and each breast. Cook on each side until browned, 6-8 minutes. Remove to a roasting pan and put in the preheated oven to finish cooking, about 20 minutes.

As the chicken cooks, make the sauce: In the skillet used to cook the chicken, add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Deglaze the pan with the wine and lemon juice. Reduce by half, add the butter, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm.

Make the couscous: In a medium pot add the oil and heat over med-high. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, cook for about 1 minute. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Stir in the couscous, remove from the heat, cover, and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and keep warm until ready to serve.

Serve the dish: Plate the couscous on the bottom, top with chicken, and drizzle with the sauce. Serve immediately with a small salad and a glass of your favorite red wine. Enjoy!