I didn’t know if I would like a glazed date sauce but the picture looked so good, I’ve held on to this recipe for almost a year. One reason I didn’t try this yet was because I knew I couldn’t get it cooked for less than $10 (actually, for just the chicken it would have but I serve it with and priced this accordingly with greens and whole-wheat pasta.) Anyway, this year I decided to occasionally feature a meal that’s “company worthy” and more expensive than $10 but not too much. I have to admit that I read the recipe wrong when we cooked this. It suggested you serve the chicken on a bed of Napa cabbage, escarole, or chopped romaine and I THOUGHT it said steamed but it actually said wilted or crisp. There were three of us that tasted this with the steamed romaine and none of us liked it. But when I fixed it for my husband, I used fresh romaine and it was very good! The date sauce is rich with sweet and savory components, so you want to keep whatever sides you serve fairly neutral. This recipe came from the May 2012 Better Homes and Gardens magazine.
PROSCIUTTO-WRAPPED CHICKEN WITH GLAZED DATE SAUCE, WHOLE WHEAT PASTA & GREENS
Start To Finish: 30 minutes Serves: 4 for approx. 11.40 ($2.85 per person)
Ingredients:
- 2 8-oz chicken breast halves
- 1/2 5.2-oz. pkg. semi-sweet cheese with garlic and herbs
- 4 thin slices prosciutto* or pancetta (about 1 oz.)
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1/2 cup pitted whole dates, chopped
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/3 cup water
*My local Safeway now sells prosciutto in the deli so I can have them slice it super thin and I can easily buy only the amount of slices I need, and it’s a lot less expensive than the packaged brand I had been buying. I was told they will sell it in the deli for a couple of months to see how it sells.
Directions:
Cut chicken in half horizontally. top each with one-fourth the cheese. Wrap prosciutto around cheese; tuck ends under chicken. In large skillet heat oil over medium-high heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Turn; cook 4 to 5 minutes, until golden brown and no pink remains in chicken. Transfer to platter; cover to keep warm.
Remove skillet from heat.** Add dates, vinegar, and water to skillet. Return to heat. Cook, uncovered, 5 to 7 minutes, until sauce is thickened and dates are soft, stirring to scrape up browned bits. Spoon over chicken. Sprinkle with salt and pepper as desired.
Note-You want to make sure you remove the skillet from the heat before making your sauce because it will spit and sizzle at you, and can scorch the sauce.**
For pricing, I served this on a bed of chopped romaine with whole-wheat pasta.