Prosciutto-wrapped Stuffed Chicken Thighs

Some weeks ago, hubby and I tried out a "new" restaurant.  And I saw bacon-wrapped chicken breasts on the menu. I was intrigued by the picture.  But I was deterred by the humongous layer of fat on the bacon depicted in the picture.  But the idea of chicken wrapped in pork simmered in my mind.  So now I'm trying it out... with prosciutto instead bacon and thighs instead of breasts.  And to make things more interesting, I decided to stuff the thighs with cheese and basil (although the truth is, I just wanted to finish the leftover cheese sticks and fresh basil leaves in the fridge!)

Here's a peek inside...

I started with about 700 grams of bonesless, skinless chicken thighs.  The pack I bought contained about 10 medium-small pieces.  The first thing to do is to trim the thighs (remove excess fat); rinse then drain.  Then pat dry with paper towels.

Meanwhile, cut the cheese sticks into manageable pieces (depending on the size of the chicken thighs) and wrap in a basil leaf.  Use 2 or 3 leaves if the basil leaves are on the small size.  Make enough for all the thighs and set aside for a while.

Place the chicken in between 2 sheets of plastic wrap (or wax paper) and pound until flattened.  Sprinkle a small pinch of fine salt on the meat (but personally, I did not season the chicken anymore because the prosciutto is salty enough and the basil brings a lot of flavor already).  Wrap the mini basil-cheese rolls inside the thighs.

Then wrap the stuffed chicken thighs (carefully!) in prosciutto, making sure that the ends are covered and sealed (otherwise the cheese may "escape").

Shallow fry the chicken pieces about 3 to 5 minutes each side (longer time if the chicken thighs are on the big side).

Enjoy!!!

Yum!

Spaghetti with Tri-Color Peppers and Mantis Shrimp

Look at what I found in the market earlier.

MANTIS SHRIMP!

The "meat" of the mantis shrimp is like a cross between shrimp and lobster; it's quite delicious with an interesting texture - sweetish, with a bit of a crunchy bite.  What I don't like about this shrimp is that the shell is pretty hard (although not as hard as a lobster or crab that you'd need a "hammer") such that it's difficult to open the shells with your hands.  Hubby used kitchen shears.  It's all worth it, all the same.

So, for lunch, we had this -

about 300 grams pasta, cooked al dente
500 grams mantis shrimp
4 slices of ginger
1/2 large sweet onion, sliced
6 cloves garlic, smashed
1/2 yellow bell pepper, sliced into rough squares
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced into rough squares
1/2 orange bell pepper, sliced into rough squares
2 medium tomatoes, sliced thinly
pinch of crushed chili
salt and pepper, to taste
4 - 8 tablespoons cooking cream
1/2 to 3/4 cup reserved pasta cooking water
fresh basil

Marinate the mantis shrimp in a mixture of oil, chili flakes and sea salt.  Set aside for a while.

Saute ginger in half oil, half butter mix.  Add onions and garlic.  When onions and garlic become soft and fragrant, add the peppers.  Stir fry briefly then add the mantis shrimp.  Cook about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the sliced tomatoes and crushed chili.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste.  Throw in the pasta and mix well.  Add cooking cream and pasta cooking water and mix to coat the noodles thoroughly.  Add in the fresh basil last.  Serve immediately, garnished with a sprig of fresh basil.  Top with parmesan.

Regular shrimp may be used.

Light Mushroom and Basil Soup

Hubby and I first tasted this type of mushroom soup a long, long time ago... even before we were married.  Sadly the quaint, hole-in-a-wall cafe is no longer around and I sure miss that soup.

I found some fresh oyster mushrooms recently, and decided to try to recreate the soup.  This is what I used and what I did...

500g oyster mushrooms, cleaned
1 medium sweet onion, sliced thinly
50g butter
5 to 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1/3 to 1/2 cup low fat milk
Fresh basil
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 to 3 drops truffle oil, optional

Melt butter; saute onion slices until soft and fragrant.  Toss in the oyster mushrooms and cook until softened (and some mushroom liquid comes out).  Add in chicken stock.  Season lightly with salt.  When the stock simmers, add the milk and fresh basil leaves.  Simmer a couple of minutes and season with salt and pepper, to taste.  Turn off flame and add truffle oil, if using.  Serve hot!

Hubby says it's quite good.  I think so too.  Unfortunately, I can't make a comparison to that one a long time ago but hey, if it's good enough for hubby, then it's good.