Bleu Cheese

Asparagus and Bleu Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts


Asparagus and Bleu Cheese Stuffed Grilled Chicken Breast
Serves 4

4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless (approximately 6 ounces each)
1 cup asparagus, cut into 1 inch lengths
1 ounce bleu cheese
1 ounce cream cheese
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
Spices and herbs of your choice (I used Penzey’s Greek Seasoning)

  1. Preheat your grill on high.
  2. Carefully cut into the side of the chicken breast, making a pocket. Do not cut all the way through.
  3. Combine the cheeses and herbs.
  4. Spread 1/4 of the cheese mixture in each pocket. 
  5. Fill the pockets with the asparagus.
  6. Use a toothpick to keep the pocket closed.
  7. Rub the chicken with the olive oil.
  8. Clean the grill’s grates with your grill brush. With additional cooking oil, a paper towel and long tongs, rub oil on the grates.
  9. Lay the chicken on your prepared grill.
  10. Let cook for 4-5 minutes, then flip and grill another 4-5 minutes.
Nutritional data:
Calories:      290
Fat:             12g
Sat fat:       4.9g
Chol:      109mg
Sodium:  176mg
Carbs:        2.3g
Fiber:         0.7g
Protein:    41.9g

Walnut-Pear Bleu Cheese Salad

Walnut-Pear Bleu Cheese Salad with Maple-Mustard Vinaigrette
Serves 2

A double-handful of mixed greens
1/2 of a ripe pear, thinly sliced
1/2 of a cucumber, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon walnut pieces
1 tablespoon bleu cheese crumbles

  1. Place greens in a bowl.
  2. Add dressing, toss to coat.
  3. Divide lettuce and place on two plates
  4. Add equal amounts of pears, cucumbers, walnuts and bleu cheese to each.
  5. Note: You can make this vegan by either removing the bleu cheese completely, or replace it with something else savory. (Maybe wasabi-coated tofu crumbles? I haven’t tried it, but I think it would work.)

Nutritional data:
Calories:        131
Fat:                 9g
Sat fat:         1.9g
Chol:       12.5mg
Sodium: 154.1mg
Carbs:          8.4g
Fiber:           2.4g
Protein:        5.8g

Maple-Mustard Vinaigrette
Serves 2

2 tablespoons white balsamic
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Nutritional data:
Calories:        104
Fat:                 7g
Sat fat:            1g
Chol:            0mg
Sodium:   62.5mg
Carbs:        10.1g
Fiber:              0g
Protein:           0g

Crimini, Onion and Bleu Cheese Pizza

Crimini, Onion and Bleu Cheese Ultra-Thin Pizza
Serves 2

1.  Preheat oven as directed on the package.

2.  Slice one-half Vidalia onion into 1/8 inch thick slices, and then quarter those.
3.  Clean and slice 8 ounces crimini mushrooms.
4.  Heat a 10″ non-stick skillet over med-high heat. Spray with cooking spray, add onions.
5.  Saute onions until golden brown and caramelized (6-10 minutes.) In the last minute, add 2-4 cloves smashed and minced garlic.  Remove from heat, cover to keep warm.
6.  In the same pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add mushrooms. Toss frequently. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.  Saute until the mushrooms become soft and have released a lot of their water.
7.  While mushrooms cook, prepare the Golden Home Ultra Thin pizza crust. Evenly coat the surface with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sprinkle evenly with 1/8 cup shredded mozzarella cheese.
8.  Layer the onions evenly over the cheese. Top with mushrooms.
9.  Evenly sprinkle 1/4 cup bleu cheese over mushrooms. (I was able to use sliced BleuJack cheese, the amounts are the same.)
10. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the crust is brown.

Note: In my photo, I actually have two versions. The left half is made with mozzarella replacing the bleu for my wife. The right half is made according to the above recipe.

Nutritional Data (for the bleu cheese variety)–portion size is half the pizza:
Calories:     528
Fat:           28.6g
Sat fat:        9.9g
Chol:           41mg
Sodium:     339mg
Carbs:       51.9g
Fiber:         8.1g
Protein:    19.3g

Personal Pizzas, Two Ways

Personal Pizzas, Two Ways

We woke up this morning and decided that we wanted leftover pizza for breakfast. Unfortunately, we didn’t have any. But we had some ingredients on hand and I made these. They both start with a 6 inch La Tortilla Factory Wrap. I spread one teaspoon olive oil on each and then added the various toppings.

In the background is the Mushroom, Tomato and Spinach Pizza. I layered, in this order:
4 ounces sauteed crimini mushrooms
6 cherry tomatoes, halved
5 Kalamata olives, halved
1/2 cup baby spinach, chopped
2 tablespoons shredded cheese

In the foreground I have a Mushroom, Onion and Bleu Cheese Pizza. Again, in this order:
1 ounce bleu cheese
4 ounces sauteed crimini mushrooms
1 medium Vidalia onion, sauteed with 2 ounces port wine
1 ounce bleu cheese (I was fortunate to find a mild bleu jack cheese, cut into 1 ounce slices. that made making this pizza easy.)

Sauteing onions with port is also easy. Thinly slice the onion. Heat a non-stick pan and heat 1 teaspoon olive oil. Add onions and cook over medium-high heat until they are getting translucent. Pour port in the pan, cover and cook for another 5-6 minutes, or until very soft.

Bake these pizzas on a pizza stone or other pan, at 375 for about 10-12 minutes, or until the cheese melts.

Nutritional data:
Mushroom, Tomato and Spinach Pizza
Calories:    296
Fat:                21g
Sat Fat:         6.7g
Chol:             30mg
Sodium:      848mg
Carbs:           22g
Fiber:         10.5g
Protein:     14.1g

Nutritional data:
Mushroom, Onion and Bleu Cheese Pizza
Calories:    483
Fat:            29.6g
Sat Fat:      13.4g
Chol:            60mg
Sodium:     464mg
Carbs:       32.2g
Fiber:        10.2g
Protein:       21g