Title: Seared Chicken with Squash Quesadilla
Categories: Menu Poultry Breakfast
Yield: 4 Servings

2	tb	Extra virgin olive oil
1/2		Butternut squash; peel and half, core and sliced crosswise i
		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

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