MC2Charlotte

We have now been in New Zealand for 2 weeks.  Finally, after two week of running around for apartments, cars, schools, furniture, odds and ends, and food, we are feeling settled.  So to celebrate our accomplishments, we decided to do Sunday Dinner a bit differently.  First, we went to the Sunday Market right across the street.  Then after making some amazing purchases, I did a bit of cooking, and then we set off on a sunset hike.

Ingredients:

• 5 free range chicken breasts
• 1 cup Italian Panko bread crumbs, or 1 cup of home made bread crumbs + 1 Tbsp of Italian seasoning
• 2 Tbsp of organic butter – keep at room temperature
• 1 tsp of garlic salt
• 3 Tbsp Olive oil
• 10 bread slices
• Pre-made pesto or Home Made Pesto
• Fresh Spinach Leaves, washed/dried
• Shredded Mozzarella Cheese (in NZ you have to shred your own cheese, thus its less processed)
• 3 Red Peppers Sliced and placed in Tupperware container

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix home made bread crumbs with Italian seasoning, or place pre-made Panko bread crumbs in a bowl.
3. Dip chicken breast in bread crumbs, coating both sides
4. Mix butter with garlic salt
5. Slice chicken almost in half length wise and insert 1 tsp of garlic butter ( do not be afraid of organic butter – a recent study showed that it can decrease the risk of type 2 diabetes)
6. Heat up 3 Tbsp of olive oil
7. Brown Chicken breasts on one side for 3 min, then flip over for another 3 min
   

   
8. Place chicken breast in greased oven proof baking dish and bake uncovered for 23 min
9. Meanwhile arrange slices of bread on the counter
10. Spread Pesto on one slice
11. Top with fresh spinach leaves
12. Top with shredded mozzarella
13. Once chicken is cooked, slice it in half fully and place half a chicken breast on top of cheese and spinach, top with remaining slice  
14. Wrap them up – this melts the cheese
15. Pack your back pack with sandwiches, peppers, water.
16. Go to a near by park, or out in the back yard and have a picnic in the fresh air.

THE DESTINATION AS SEEN FROM MY KITCHEN WINDOW

The view from my kitchen window

Mt Victoria Peak

THE HIKE

THE SUNSET

SOME LIVE NATIVE MUSIC PLEASE!

Don’t be afraid to try something new.  You might turn the ordinary into extraordinary!!

In good health, Ana-Maria Temple, MD