Greek Chicken Roulades; Creamy Orzo with feta and sun-dried tomatoes

I’ve been happily cooking my way though the recipes in CuisineLite , and the latest was the cover recipe, Greek Chicken Roulades.

This is a great special-occasion recipe, very impressive looking yet quite easy. I made the filling earlier in the day, and also pounded the chicken breasts, so this was very quick to assemble and cook in the evening. The combination of flavors in both this and the side dish, Creamy Orzo with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Feta, is awesome.

As for the orzo, it is cooked in broth (like risotto) instead of being boiled in water. This gives it a creamy texture and nicely compliments the chewy sun-dried tomatoes and soft feta.

I did increase the amount of cornstarch used to thicken the sauce because there was a lot of sauce, and I think that next time I will also decrease the amount of broth to 1-1/4 cups.

A note: although rum is our alcoholic beverage of choice, and we enjoy a glass of red wine (sometimes two!) with most of our dinners, white wine is not often in stock at our home. Because of this I will occasionally buy a bottle of white wine to use in a recipe and then freeze the remaining in ice cube trays, later transferred to a small freezer bag (and labeled!) for future use. The cubes never freeze totally, but otherwise it works quite well. :)

Greek Chicken Roulades with white-wine reduction.

Look for chicken breasts that are at least six ounces in weight - - they’ll be big enough to hold the filling when pounded thin and rolled.

Calories: 389
Makes 2 servings
Total time: 30 minutes

12 pitted kalamata olives, divided
3 Tbsp. fresh bread crumbs (about 1 slice, trimmed of crust, whirled in the food processor)
3 Tbsp minced oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
1 Tbsp. minced lemon zest
2 gloves garlic
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6 oz. each), trimmed of fat
2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup diced onion
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
1Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. cornstarch (I used 2 teaspoons)

Dice 6 olives; set aside. Process remaining 6 olives, bread crumbs, tomatoes, zest, garlic and oregano in a food processor until minced.

Using a mallet, pound the chicken between plastic wrap to a thickness of 1/4 inch. Spread olive-tomato filling on chicken and roll; secure with toothpicks.

Sauté roulades in oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until browned on all sides, 4-6 minutes. Remove chicken to a plate. Add onion to the skillet; sauté 2 minutes. Add wine; cook until liquid is reduced by half, 1-2 minutes. Add broth. Bring mixture to a boil; add diced olives and chicken rolls.

Cover skillet; reduce heat. Simmer chicken rolls 10 minutes; remove chicken to a plate. Whisk together lemon juice and cornstarch; stir into sauce in skillet. Simmer for 1 minute. Slice rolls; serve with sauce.

Per service with sauce : 389 cal; 10g total fat (2g sat, 6g mono, 2g poly); 102 mg chol; 770 mg sodium; 19g carb (2g fiber, 5g total sugars); 45g protein; 3 mg iron; 64 mg calcium.

Creamy Orzo with feta and sun-dried tomatoes
Start boiling the pasta before making the roulades, then finish the orzo dish while the chicken simmers.

Calories: 293
Makes 2 servings
Total time: 30 minutes

1 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
½ cup dry orzo pasta (4 oz.)
2 Tbsp. minced oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
2 Tbsp. crumbled feta cheese (1 oz.)
1/8 tsp. each kosher salt and ground black pepper

Bring broth to a boil in a small saucepan; stir in orzo. Return liquid to a boil. Cook orzo, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is absorbed, 9 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat.

Stir tomatoes and feta into orzo, mixing until feta melts slightly. Season orzo mixture with salt and pepper. Serve with Chicken Roulades.

Per serving : 293 calories; 5g total fat (3g sat, 2g mono, 0g poly); 16mg chol; 424mg sodium; 47g carb (3g fiber, 4g total sugars); 13g protein; 2mg iron; 87mg calcium .