Title: Seared Chicken with Squash Quesadilla
Categories: Martha stew, Menu, Poultry, Breadfasts
Yield: 4 Servings

2 tb Extra virgin olive oil
1/2 Butternut squash; peel and
-half, core and sliced
-crosswise into-1/4" slices,
-(about-3/4lb)
Salt and pepper; to taste
1 pn Red pepper flakes
4 Skinless boneless chicken
-breast halves, (3oz each)
2 tb Garlic; minced
1/4 ts Garlic; minced
1 Lime; cut into -8slices
1 ts Unsalted butter
1/4 ts Ground cumin
1 Lime; the juice
1 Jalapeno chile pepper;
-sliced into rounds
8 oz Goat cheese; (chevre)
6 Flour tortillas; (12-inch
-diam.)
2 Sprigs cilantro

Martha Stewart constructs a simple meal of seared chicken breasts
accompanied by quesadillas filled with butternut squash and goat cheese. To
give the chicken a Mexican edge, she stuffs it with lime slices and garlic,
and gives it a dusting of ground cumin. Luncheon.

1. Heat oven to 375F. Drizzle 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil in the bottom
of a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Place the squash pieces on top. Season with
salt and pepper to taste and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Roast in the
oven until fork tender, about 40 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

2. Meanwhile prepare the chicken; season each breast with salt and pepper.
Place 1/4 teaspoon garlic and 2 slices of lime under the tender of each
breast. (The tender is the natural pocket on the underside of the breast.)
In a large cast iron skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and 1
teaspoon of olive oil. Place the chicken breasts in the skillet,
tender-side up. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of minced garlic, cumin and
the juice from half a lime to the pan. Cook until firm and golden brown,
about 6 minutes per side; after the first 6 minutes squeeze the remaining
lime half over the chicken and turn.

3. In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, cook the jalapeño slices
for 4 minutes on each side. Remove and set aside. Prepare the 2
quesadillas; crumble 4 ounces of goat cheese on 2 flour tortillas. Place
about 10 leaves of cilantro, 8 pieces of the roasted squash and about 4
slices of jalapeño on each tortilla. Cover with another tortilla.

4. Reheat the skillet with the 1 teaspoon of olive oil over medium high
heat. Cook each quesadilla until golden in color, about 1 1/2 minutes per
side. Slide quesadilla onto a dinner plate; turn plate over and return
quesadilla to the pan, uncooked side down. Remove from heat and cut each
quesadilla into quarters with kitchen scissors or a knife.

5. Serve one breast, cut in half, with 2 quesadilla quarters. Garnish with
any leftover squash pieces and a few sprigs of cilantro. PER SERVING: 650
cals, 33.4 g fat, 45.8%

Recipe by: Martha Stewart Living, TV, Nov 5, 1997

Posted to MC-Recipe Digest V1 #907 by KitPATh on
Nov 13, 1997