Southwestern Stuffed Chicken Breasts and Fresh Artichokes

Thursday November 8

Don't tell anybody, but the stuffing for this was mainly leftover cheese and roasted poblanos from our Halloween chiles rellenos. We often find ourselves making something just because it uses up leftovers from something else. That don't mean it ain't good, though.

So finely chopped up the poblanos (prob. 1/2 cup or so), a huge handful of cilantro (and Holt has huge hands—elegant, though), and the leftover swiss-goat-(Swiss goat?)-ground coriander-ground cumin mix, and stuffed it under the chicken bosom skin. Baked in the oven at 350º for 25 minutes. Needed some more salt next to the flesh, however.

As for the artichokes that were our second course, Holt prepared them in the ordinary way, but he rubs them with lots of lemon juice, and throws the juiced-out lemon halves into the water when he boils (actually, pressure-cooks) them. The pressure-cooking takes around 20 minutes.

You need a dip with fresh artichokes, and we made the very simplest one (possibly because we were herbed-out?): mayonnaise flavored with curry powder and just a drop or two of soy sauce, until it gets to be a light golden beige. You have to let it sit for a couple of minutes to let the curry flavor develop, but it is excellent with any type of vegetable crudités as well as with artichokes.