I have said it time and time again, and I’ll continue to say it until I’m blue in the face, but a gift from the heart that you make at home, will always mean much more than something you can buy in any store. On Valentine’s Day especially, you should get in the kitchen and make your special someone, or your friends or just yourself, a delicious meal at home. Going out to a restaurant on February 14th is completely overrated and adds too much pressure on everyone involved. And I’m saying this as a married man. Believe me, cooking at home, even making it a fun thing you both do together, even if you’re not that well-versed in the kitchen, is so entertaining. This Dinner for Two: Chicken Roulade is not only delicious but actually really fun to cook up. If you’re looking for more dinner for two ideas, this meatball and mashed potato situation is out-of-this-world. Don’t even get me started on this caprese ravioli that is as easy to make as ordering take-out. Whatever you end up doing this year, just make sure you enjoy the day with those you love. In the end, that’s all that matters.
Cut the chicken breast in half, lengthwise, as if you were opening a book. Working with one at a time, cover with a piece of parchment and then pound it out until it’s thin and even. Repeat with the second piece. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
**Tip: You can find actual chicken cutlets in the meat counter, but if for some reason you can’t, this is a good way to go about it. Although the chicken cutlets themselves, you might still have to pound them out slightly to thin them out even more.**
Divide the mustard between the two pieces of chicken (one side only) and spread out evenly. Then top each with 2 or 3 slices prosciutto, 2 slices of cheese, and baby spinach.
**Tip: You can use speck instead of prosciutto if you’d like, or even salami would be okay. And as far as cheeses, you can use fontina or sliced mozzarella if you’re not a fan of provolone!**
Roll up each into a tight log and secure with a few wooden toothpicks. Just make sure to keep a mental note of how many toothpicks you’ve used so that later on you remember to remove all of them from the cooked chicken.
Set a large skillet over medium-high heat with the oil. Once hot, carefully lay in the chicken and brown, making sure to turn on all sides to fully brown the chicken roulades. Transfer to a baking sheet and cook until no longer pink, and the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F with an instant read thermometer.
**Note: It’s important to note that we’re not looking to cook the chicken all the way, just adding color. We’ll continue to cook the chicken all the way later on.**
Return the same skillet to the heat and add in the shallot and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until translucent, about 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms and season with a bit of salt, pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, and thyme leaves. Cook until the mushrooms have browned, about 5 to 8 minutes.
Deglaze the pan by adding the white wine and cooking until it has reduced and almost evaporated, about 1 to 2 minutes.
**Tip: You want to use a dry white wine that isn’t too expensive but also not bottom shelf either. You want something you actually like to drink because the flavor will be imparted in the sauce…and you can drink up the rest with dinner. What’s a romantic Valentine’s Day dinner without wine?!**
Stir in the chicken stock and simmer over very low heat until thickened. Make sure to keep stirring it every now and then so that the sauce doesn’t burn or stick.
**Tip: If the sauce evaporated completely, add a bit chicken stock or hot water to loosen it up slightly.**
In the meantime, to make the couscous, bring a large pot of water to a boil and add in the couscous, cooking until softened, about 6 minutes. Drain and set aside. Set a saucepan over medium-high heat with the oil. Once hot, add the garlic and cook, stirring often, until slightly browned, about 1 minutes. Add the tomatoes and season with a bit of salt, pepper and crushed red pepper flakes.
Cover with a lid and cook until the tomatoes have softened and just begin to burst, about 5 to 8 minutes; it should begin to create a sauce as the tomatoes burst.
Uncover, turn off the heat and stir in the cooked couscous, parmesan, and basil. Give it a taste and adjust seasoning accordingly, adding more salt or pepper as needed. You can also drizzle in a bit more olive oil, if needed!
To finish the sauce, remove from the heat, and stir in the butter, parsley and tarragon. Stir rapidly until the sauce is glossy and thick and luscious.
Again, if the sauce has thickened too much or evaporated too much, you can loosen it up a bit with a splash or two of chicken stock.
Once the chicken is done, remove from the oven and set off to the side to rest for about 5 minutes before removing the toothpicks and slicing each chicken roulade.
Serve the sliced roulade with the mushroom sauce spooned over the top, and the Italian couscous on the side. You could also serve it along with a simple green salad or maybe some crusty Italian bread. Whatever you do, don’t forget about the wine.
If you want to simplify this dish even more, you can totally skip the mushroom pan sauce. The chicken is super delicious even without the sauce and so I wouldn’t be mad if you made it without! I just want to make sure this is easy and achievable for you and your special someone!
Since you spent all that time and energy on making this romantic meal at home, and you got the flowers (you did get the flowers, right?) and the wine, you must not forget about the dessert. Pick up something from the store! You don’t have to do it all yourself. It’s okay to get a little help from the store! Happy Valentine’s Day!
Dinner for Two: Chicken Roulade
Ingredients
Dinner:
- 1 large skinless boneless chicken breast
- salt and pepper
- 4 teaspoons grainy mustard
- 4 to 6 slices prosciutto
- 4 slices Provolone or Asiago cheese
- 4 ounces baby spinach
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small shallot minced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 lb crimini mushrooms sliced
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 2 teaspoons butter
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon
Italian Couscous:
- 1 cup Israeli couscous or pearled pasta
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- salt and pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan
- 1/4 cup fresh basil chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Cut the chicken breast in half, lengthwise, as if you were opening a book. Working with one at a time, cover with a piece of parchment and then pound it out until it's thin and even. Repeat with the second piece. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Divide the mustard between the two pieces of chicken (one side only) and spread out evenly. Then top each with 2 or 3 slices prosciutto, 2 slices of cheese, and baby spinach. Roll up each into a tight log and secure with a few wooden toothpicks.
- Set a large skillet over medium-high heat with the oil. Once hot, carefully lay in the chicken and brown on all sides. We're not looking to cook the chicken all the way, just adding color. Transfer to a baking sheet and cook until no longer pink, and the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F with an instant read thermometer.
- Return the same skillet to the heat and add in the shallot and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until translucent, about 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms and season with a bit of salt, pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, and thyme leaves. Cook until the mushrooms have browned, about 5 to 8 minutes. Deglaze the pan by adding the white wine and cooking until it has reduced and almost evaporated, about 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the chicken stock and simmer over very low heat until thickened.
- To make the couscous, bring a large pot of water to a boil and add in the couscous, cooking until softened, about 6 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- Set a saucepan over medium-high heat with the oil. Once hot, add the garlic and cook, stirring often, until slightly browned, about 1 minutes. Add the tomatoes and season with a bit of salt, pepper and crushed red pepper flakes. Cover with a lid and cook until the tomatoes have softened and just begin to burst, about 5 to 8 minutes; it should begin to create a sauce as the tomatoes burst. Uncover, turn off the heat and stir in the cooked couscous, parmesan, and basil.
- Once the chicken is done, remove from the oven and set off to the side to rest for about 5 minutes before removing the toothpicks and slicing each chicken roulade.
- To finish the sauce, remove from the heat, and stir in the butter, parsley and tarragon. Stir rapidly until the sauce is glossy and thick. Give it a taste and adjust seasoning accordingly, adding more salt or pepper as needed.
- Serve the sliced roulade with the mushroom sauce and the Italian couscous. Enjoy!
This looks fantastic and will be on this week’s to-make list for sure!
You are right. Cooking from the heart means so much more