Chicken with Tomato, Basil and Goat Cheese

Chicken can be really boring, but on the other hand it is one of my favorite ingredients to work with because it is a blank canvas. There are so many flavor combos and cooking techniques to be used with it. Tomato, basil and goat cheese is one of my favorite combos and goes great with chicken. This recipe came about as I was making the dish and I must say I am very proud of it. Please try it out!

• two chicken breasts
• two tablespoons tomato paste
• olive oil
• chicken stock
• salt and pepper
• 1 small log of goat cheese
• 1 large handful fresh basil leaves
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl mix the tomato paste with 1 tablespoon of both olive oil and chicken stock to thin it out. Stir in 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Take your chicken and rub both pieces on both sides with the tomato mixture. Heat one tablespoon of oil on medium-high heat in an oven proof pan, I like to use a cast iron skillet. Make sure the pan is hot so you can get a good sear on the chicken. When the skillet is hot enough sear the chicken for about 3-4 minutes per side, you want some nice color without burning. When this step is done kill the heat and make one slit in the middle of the chicken (or two if the piece is bigger). Take one basil leaf and one tablespoon of goat cheese and stuff it inside the slit of each piece of chicken. Put the pan in the oven and bake the chicken for about 15 min, making sure the temperature of the meat reads about 160 degrees, they will continue to cook after they come out of the oven. Make sure you use a pot holder to take the pan out, it's easy to forget that the handle is hot!

Take the chicken out of the skillet and place under alluminum foil to stay warm. Put the pan back on the stove and place under medium heat. pour in about 3-4 tablespoons of chicken stock, the garlic and one tablespoon of goat cheese. Stir this until all the ingredients become a beautiful sauce. Place the chicken back in the pan and spoon sauce onto them. Chop up the rest of the basil and sprinkle on top. You are ready to serve, enjoy!