Spicy Maple Gruyere Stuffed Chicken Breasts

The thing about Asian fusion is that as soon as lime juice and ginger comes into play it turns any dish into Asian fusion. I didn't set out to make this Spicy Maple Gruyere Stuffed Chicken Breast an Asian fusion dish, but I needed something to contrast the sweet chicken. An acidic slaw seemed like the obvious counterpart, and I happened to have lime and ginger. Next thing you know a delicious pear and ginger slaw appeared. Okay, it did take a little work, but every part seemed to work beautifully together just like a 90's boy band. I recommend making this dish if you like delicious food and want a little bit of a challenge. 

Spicy Maple Gruyere Stuffed Chicken Breasts

2 servings

• 2 Chicken Breasts
• 4 oz. Gruyere sliced thinly
• 1/2 cup Maple Syrup
• 1 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon Olive Oil
• Pinch of Sea Salt
• 6 Toothpicks

1. Preheat the oven to 375°.
2. Tear off about 3' of plastic wrap and lay it on a clean countertop.
3. Take your chicken breast and lay them out as flat as possible on the plastic wrap. Using the sharpest knife you have cut the breast so it becomes as flat as possible. To do this, make cuts vertically perpendicular to the connective tissue. Do not cut all the way through the breast! Be sure the skin is still in tact. 
4. Place the slices of gruyere in the chicken breast. Roll the chicken up like it's a sushi roll. Make sure the meat is nice and tight and stick three toothpicks in each breast. These will ensure the chicken stays in tact throughout the cooking process. 
5. After each breast is prepped. Place the breasts in a cooking vessel, most likely a small casserole pan. Drizzle the olive oil on top of each breast. Sprinkle the salt on. Then drench it in the maple syrup. Split the red pepper flakes between the two breasts.
6. Place in the oven for 25 minutes. Every 5 minutes scoop the excess syrup in the pan and drizzle over the breasts. Once the inside of the breasts have reached a temperature of 165° take out of the oven and serve with the Pear & Ginger Slaw. 
7. Enjoy!

Pear & Ginger Slaw

• 1 Pear diced
• 1 Carrot grated
• 1 tablespoon Fresh Ginger grated
• 1 tablespoon Lime Juice
• 5 Baby Rainbow Chard Leaves cheffinated
• 4 leaves of Mint cheffinated
• 6 leaves Cilantro cheffinated
• 1 1/2 tablespoon Rice Wine Vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Sesame Seeds
• 1 tablespoon Sugar

1. Toss everything together in a large mixing bowl and let sit for at least 30 minutes. 
2. Yup that's it.

Photos by Katy Weaver

Maple and Apple Crepe Cake

Oh, that's right internet, it's a crepe cake. Delicious maple crepes stacked between layers of cinnamon sugar apples and a pumpkin spiced cream cheese icing. May your box brownies walk away in shame in the presence of this king of desserts. It's seasonal, impressive looking once you've cut into it, and delicious. A word of warning before you Pinterest-loving-sugar addicts decide to make this, just remember it's so labour intensive you might need to get a building permit, so only make it if you're at like a Walter White level of cooking or greater.  

I don't have much to rant about this week. I always talk about myself on here, but I never ask, how are you? Oh, really? No, way. I can't believe that! Well just tell her next time she goes there to bring a moist towelette. Just remember no one is judging you as harshly as you judge yourself. Okay, back to me and this fantastic recipe that will result in a pile of sugar.

Maple Crepes 

Makes about 16 crepes

• 2 large Eggs
• 3/4 cup Milk
• 1/2 cup Water
• 1 cup Flour sifted
• 3 tablespoons melted Butter
• 2 tablespoons Maple Syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt

1. Put all ingredients into a bowl. Mix until there's no more clumps. 
2. I recommend using a crepe pan if you have one, or using a shallow skillet. 
3. Cook each side for about 40 seconds over medium heat.
4. Make as many crepes as possible with the matter.

Cinnamon Sugar Apples

• 4 Gala Apples sliced thinly (about 1 cm thick, a mandolin works nicely)
• 4 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
• 2 teaspoons Cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon Ginger
• 1 teaspoon Pumpkin Spice

1. Mix all the spices and sugar together in a bowl using a whisk. 
2. In a large skillet with a lid make a layer of apples, then spices, then apples, then spices, until you run out of ingredients.
3. Cover and heat over medium until the apples become soft. Occasionally agitate the apples and move them around to avoid burning.
4. Remove from heat to let them cool down. 

Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese Icing

• 8 oz. Cream Cheese whipped
• 1 cup Powdered Sugar
• 2 tablespoons Butter
• 1/2 teaspoon Pumpkin Spice
• 1 teaspoon Lime Zest
• 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1. Mix everything together in a bowl until it has an icing like consistency. 
2. Pretty easy huh?

Maple and Apple Crepe Cake

• Everything you just made from the previous recipes.

1. This is where things get labor intensive. Get a plate or whatever you plate cakes on. Maybe a frisbee? Start the cake by laying a crepe down, coating it with icing, then a layer of apples, and then top it off with another crepe. Continue layering until you run out of crepes. 
2. Be sure to space out the apples to ensure your cake looks, well cake-like. 

So that's it. The crepe cake. If you're up to the challenge make one yourself and tell me about it in the comment section! Enjoy! 

These crepey pictures by Katy Weaver

Fig Dessert Pizza and Maple Coffee

fig dessert pizza

Here at Cooking with B.S. Corp. we like to pride ourselves on knowing what recipes our followers want. You've spoken up and we've listened to your pleas for more fig recipes. I would also like to point out this is the No. 1 fig based blog outside of the Middle East and would like to use this title to help solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but first coffee.

maple whipped cream coffee

Autumn came ushering in this year like a car swerving off the highway due to the first autumn rains. Instead of going outside and enjoying the crisp fall air, why not stay in drinking a hot cup of coffee with some maple whipped cream to top it off? And while you're enjoying your ideal fall drink, read through some of your favorite Cooking with B.S. posts and click on an ad or three. 

maple coffee

I fully endorse coffee with dessert and from what I've seen it's only my grandparents and their friends that partake in this post-dinner ritual. I wish more people my age would join in, but wishful thinking never solved anything except turning Pinocchio into a real boy.

figs

Kona coffee

maple whipped cream

Maple Whipped Cream Coffee

• 1/2 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
• 1 tablespoon Maple Syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1. Add everything to a mixing bowl and whisk until it's all whippy. 
2. Add the delicious whipped cream to a cup of coffee.
3. Petition Starbucks to buy this recipe from me to replace the Pumpkin Spiced Latte as "The Fall Coffee Drink".

pizza dough

Fig and Goat Cheese Dessert Pizza

• 2 Figs quartered
• 3 oz. Goat Cheese crumbled
• 1 tablespoon Honey
• 1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon
• Pizza dough

1. Once again I used America's Test Kitchen's pizza dough recipe for this one. You can buy their new book, Cooking School Cookbook here!
2. Preheat the oven to 475°
3. Drizzle the honey over the stretched out pizza dough. Crumble on the goat cheese. Add the figs and sprinkle the cinnamon over the pizza.
4. Bake on a pizza baking stone for about 10 minutes or until the edges are crispy.
5. NOTE: the figs will make this pizza a little juicy so let the sugars cool and solidify before cutting into the dessert pizza.

dessert pizza

Things can change at a moment's notice; the weather, the season, the ripeness of figs, but instead of worrying about what's coming next, take time out of your busy schedule to enjoy something sweet and the post-dinner buzz of the world's favorite bean.  Enjoy!

All photos by THE

Katy Weaver

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This whipped cream looks like a grumpy old man.

maple whipped cream coffee