Grilled Chicken Paillard with Tapenade

Now that I’m settling back into a Jenny Craig eating plan… I’m not sure how many new recipes I’m going to be making at the house.  I can foresee that I’m going to be spicing up my Jenny Cuisine as I always have, but I’m really going to try to stick to the program so that I can lose these last few lbs that have been hanging on.

It’s going to sound crazy, but when you’re a blogger and a foodie blogger at that… you take pics of everything you make.

I’ve literally got weeks of Weight Watchers and low-calorie recipes to share.  So, you’ll still have lots of good stuff coming your way.  I’m also planning to figure out this whole “halfway” concept at Jenny Craig once and for all.  What that means is that I’ll be able to do some “meals on my own” and still lose weight on program!  Halfway is there way of reintroducing you to regular home-cooked meals… and teaching you to eat right when your portions aren’t provided.

I’m guessing (and I honestly don’t know) that this meal would be ok on JC, just paired with lots of steamed/raw/and unbuttered veggies.  I’ll first tell you that I’m sort of obsessed with Chicken Paillard.  Not just any Chicken Paillard, but the way they make it at one of my favorite restaurants here in Denver Seven 30 South.  Seven 30 South is an adorable local place located at 730 S. University.  Colorado folks, think Cherry Creek and across the street from Bonnie Brae Ice Cream.

Try it… it’s amazing!

They have a fantastic menu and I’ve never had a meal that wasn’t delicious here.  Although, I will tell you… many a meal has been the chicken paillard or a highly modified cajun grilled chicken salad I have them make me.

They serve their chicken paillard topped with a greek olive tapenade.  Between us friends, it’s redonkulous.  So delish, in fact, that I’ve been certain I might be able to duplicate it at home and that’s exactly what I did this week!

It’s a two-part recipe.  You have to make the tapenade and the chicken… but it’s incredibly worth it.  I actually made the tapenade and took it to the dinner party I went to on Saturday night.  And, I used the tiny bit I had leftover for the paillard.

Grilled Chicken Paillard with Tapenade

Inspired by Seven 30 South

INGREDIENTS

1/2  cup Kalamata olives, pitted

1/2 cup black olives, pitted

1 roasted red pepper

1 1/2 tablespoons capers, drained

2-3 garlic cloves, finely minced

1/4 cup minced fresh parsley leaves

1/4 teaspoon salt (only add if needed after final tasting)

2 – 3 grinds of black pepper

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Chicken Breast

Penzey’s Ruth Ann’s Muskego Ave Chicken and Fish Seasoning

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Combine all ingredients except oil and salt in a food processor. Slowly add the oil and pulse, retaining some bits of olive and caper for texture. Taste to adjust the seasonings if necessary. Stored tightly covered in the refrigerator, this will keep well for a week or two.

2.  If using a food processor, be careful not to overprocess – the tapenade should retain some texture from the olives and capers. Experiment with different varieties of olives.  Note:  I’ve never added the salt…

Serve as a dip with Pita Chips

3.  Next, pound your chicken breast into a thin piece.  Note:  My chicken spread so far that one breast became two servings!

4.  Sprinkle chicken with Ruth Ann’s spice blend

This is a garlicky lemon-pepper blend. Delish!

5.  Saute the chicken in a pan sprayed with cooking spray.  Note:  The chicken will cook quickly, so keep your eye on it!

6.  Once the chicken is done, remove from the pan and place on a pretty Fiestaware plate (or plate of your choice).  Top each breast with about 1 Tbsp. tapenade.

7.  Ooooh and Ahhh, a little bit about how pretty it looks sitting next to your homemade WW Baked Creamed Spinach.

8.  Taste it and be amazed at how similar it tastes to the 730 South version.

Note:  I don’t have calories for this dish; however, I would estimate your calories based upon the size of your chicken breast.  I’d also use the stats for store-bought Tapenade to estimate your dish’s overall calories.

In the end, tapenade is RIDICULOUSLY flavorful.  If you are concerned about the calories of the dish, you can easily lessen the quantity of tapenade without sacrificing the flavor at all.