Chicken stuffed with prosciutto, provolone, and basil

Somebody I know doesn't care for the recent dose of tofu dishes on this site. So for that person, who shall remain nameless, here's a non-vegetarian, non-soy based recipe for you.

Many thanks to the model in this picture. She did a great job, don't you think?

Chicken stuffed with prosciutto, provolone, and basil
(sorry, no measurements for this one)

Skinless, boneless chicken breasts
Thinly sliced prosciutto
Thinly sliced provolone cheese
Fresh basil leaves
White wine
Olive oil
Salt, pepper, garlic powder

Trim and pound the chicken breasts until they are 1/2 inch thick. Season both sides with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Layer each piece of chicken with 2 slices of prosciutto, one slice of provolone cheese, and basil leaves. Fold chicken pieces over to create sealed pockets. Heat olive oil in an oven-proof skillet until hot. Add chicken to the pan and brown on all sides. Add ~1 cup white wine to deglaze the pan. Allow to cook ~2 minutes. Transfer pan to a 375-degree oven and bake uncovered until chicken is cooked all the way through (~20 minutes).

Honey sesame glazed tofu

I've been eating a lot of tofu lately. It's tasty, quick to cook, and filling. As much as I love tofu steaks, I need to change it up sometimes.

Instead of making steaks, I fried tofu triangles in a bit of grapeseed oil until they were golden brown. Then I added a sesame honey glaze to the pan and allowed it to cook down until it was mostly gone and the tofu triangles were full of flavor.

Served with leftover roasted brussels sprouts and shallots and a baked potato, I had a balanced meal in under 20 minutes.

Sesame honey glaze

2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp sherry vinegar
1.5 tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp honey

Whisk all ingredients together. Garnish tofu with toasted sesame seeds.

Chocolate mint cupcakes

To me, chocolate and mint is a perfect combination. These cupcakes were outstanding. If you also like minty-chocolaty-goodness, try 'em out. You won't be disappointed.

You can find the recipe here at Simply Recipes. I topped off my cupcakes with the buttercream frosting.

Baked cod and vegetables

I love fish, but it seems I'm always preparing it the same way -- pan fried or broiled. I found this recipe and immediately wanted to try it.

mise en place

It combines fish and loads of vegetables, and the method was very straightforward.

fish is rinsed, patted dry, and ready to go

The recipe did not disappoint. I added whatever vegetables I had on hand (I added half a head of shredded cabbage and used canned, peeled tomatoes) and it was very tasty.

cook the veggies first

I will definitely make this again. It's a good option for a dinner party -- you can do all the prep work before your guests arrive, then stick the whole thing in the oven!

Tofu steaks with mango salsa

I like tofu a lot but always end up making stir fry with it. Wanting to spice things up, I turned to Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian and discovered baked tofu. Fabulous! Baking the tofu changes its texture so that it becomes wonderfully chewy and meaty; delicious eaten hot or cold. You can vary the seasoning depending on the dish you are creating.

For this dish, I drained a block of extra firm tofu with some heavy books for 20 minutes. I sliced the block into thirds to create the "steaks." I seasoned the tofu with cumin, chili powder, a bit of cayenne pepper, salt and a squeeze of lime juice then baked the steaks in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour. I topped these off with some mango salsa I had made the previous day. I love the sweetness fruit salsas add to savory dishes.

draining the tofu

I've been on a baked tofu kick ever since I made this dish. The baked slabs also make great sandwich filling, can be cubed and added to salads (or stir frys, of course), or make a great snack on their own. I eat meatless meals a lot, mostly because I love the alternatives (vegetables, legumes, grains, pasta). What I don't care for are fake meat products that try to trick you into thinking you're eating meat. No thanks. I like to know what I'm eating and don't need a eat a long list of chemicals and manufactured proteins disguised as ground meat. Tofu steaks, however, are great; no trickery -- just a healthy, satisfying, hearty meal.