There are so many ways to cook chicken and its various parts... Have you ever thought about stuffing just the chicken breast?  It's not as hard as it sounds, in fact, its quite easy and turns out super tasty!  In this recipe its best to utilize your cast iron skillet which moves from stove-top to oven.  The chicken is seasoned with a wonderful sun-dried tomato and basil pesto, along with spinach and mozzarella.  There are so many stuffing options as well, another family favorite is the Chicken Popper Stuffed Breast - recipe soon to follow! In the meantime, enjoy my Caprese stuffed chicken. ~Diane 

Skillet Caprese Stuffed Chicken Breasts 

4 boneless skinless Chicken Breasts, trimmed of fat
One 10 oz. box of Frozen Spinach; thawed & well drained. 
1 Cup Sun-dried Tomato Pesto with basil & cheese. (I use "Simply Pesto" DeLallo brand) 
2 Cups shredded Mozzarella 
2-3 Tablespoons Italian Seasonings
Salt & Pepper to taste 
2-3 Tablespoons Olive Oil 

  Preheat oven to 400º.

  Take each chicken breast and fillet in half horizontally without cutting all the way through. Open up the chicken, flatten out on your work surface and pound to 1 1/2 inch thickness if needed (this will help the chicken cook evenly.) Sprinkle with Italian seasonings, salt & pepper. Spread 1/4 cup of the tomato pesto over the entire inside surface of each chicken breast. Place spinach, and mozzarella over half the coated surface (see photos below) Fold the chicken breast back over onto itself.  Secure with toothpicks. Sprinkle chicken (top & bottom) with more salt, pepper and Italian seasonings as preferred. 
  In a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat, heat olive oil. Sear chicken until golden,
​3 minutes per side, then transfer the skillet to the oven and cook, about 25-30 minutes until meat thermometer in thickest part of top piece of chicken reads above 165. 
​Remove toothpicks and serve. 

Recipe & Photos by: Diane Baker for Canning and Cooking at Home 

    I'm often asked for a 'No Sugar' option in jamming.  I have Three: Peach, Triple Berry and Strawberry that we like.  I use Splenda in all of them along with SureJell Premium Fruit Pectin for No or Low Sugar Recipes. I decided to wait until now to release any of the recipes as we wanted to test them out first.  While they do have a shelf/pantry life of up to one year, they will only last up to 3 weeks once opened and refrigerated - which is a shorter time-span then a full sugar jam. We do use no sugar jams to stir into fresh fruit dishes, we spoon it over cottage cheese and stir into oatmeal or morning smoothies...so, the 3 weeks hasn't been an issue but, it is something to be noted. I cannot advise you to use any other sugar substitutes with my recipes as I have only tested Splenda.  These No Sugar jams do have a softer set by nature and are made in smaller batches.  ~Enjoy! Diane  

Ingredients: 
3 Pounds Peaches (3 cups finely chopped) 
3/4 Cup  Water
1 Packet Sure Jell Premium Fruit Pectin for No Sugar recipes (pink box) 
1/2 Cup Splenda No Calorie Sweetener
1 tablespoon orange zest, optional 

• Peel and pit peaches. Finely chop or grind fruit. Measure exactly 3 cups prepared fruit into 6- or 8-quart saucepot. Add in zest if using.  
• Mix in Water with a packet of the Pectin.
• Bring to full rolling boil (one that cannot be stirred away) and boil exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly.
• Remove from heat. Stir in Splenda and skim off any foam with metal spoon.
• Ladle immediately into prepared jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with 2-piece lids. Screw bands tightly.  Process in a WaterBath Canner 10 minutes (adjusting for your altitude.) 
• Remove jars and place upright on towel to cool completely. After jars cool, check seals by pressing middle of lid with finger. (If lid springs back, lid is not sealed and refrigeration is necessary.)

makes about 3 half pints 

Recipe Note:
For a sweeter jam with a firmer set, You can substitute in either, one thawed from frozen can (12oz); apple juice concentrate or white grape juice concentrate in place of the 3/4 cup water. The substitution makes about 4 half pints and does add in sugars from those concentrates. 

Recipe Adapted from: Kraft
Photos by: Diane Baker for Canning and Cooking at Home 

     First off, I want to thank The Washington State Fruit Commission for sending me such fabulous fruits as part of my 2017 Canbassadorship!  I love trying to come up with new flavors, fresh ideas, and inventive concoctions!   Since I had just canned up Danish Cherry Sauce using my Sweet Cherries from Northwest Cherries, I wondered how that would 'pair' with peaches.  The pairing it great - such a wonderful outcome using the two fruits together and the cherries being spiced up already.  I have written out below how you can get the same 'effect' in this jam without having to first can up some Danish Cherry Sauce (although, its worth doing because that alone is out of the World - great!)  I hope you enjoy this jam as much as we are enjoying it!! I will be sharing a new no sugar peach jam here soon - its a softer set jam but, most all no sugar jams are - stay tuned!  Enjoy! ~Diane  

Diane's Peach & Cherry Jam 
*lower in sugar then traditional peach jams
Ingredients: 
4-1/2 cups chopped Peaches
1 cup sweet chopped Cherries 
2 cups Sugar + 2 Tbs; *divided
1-1/2 cups Honey 
2 Tbs + 1 tsp Sure jell Pectin (1/2 box, pink box low sugar pectin) 
1 Cinnamon Stick about 4" long
1/4 medium Navel Orange; the juice (1 Tbs) and zest
1 Lemon; the juice (2 Tbs) and zest 
2 Tbs Water 
1/8 tsp Butter, to prevent foaming 
1/2 tsp Almond Extract

Directions: 

Place chopped peaches and cherries in a large bowl, add one cup of sugar, toss to coat, cover and set in fridge overnight. This will macerate the fruit (this releases the juices and deepens the fruit flavor in finished product)
Take Macerated fruit, and all the juices in bowl and scrape into a large jam pot adding in the cinnamon stick. Cook down 15 minutes on medium (keep an eye on it and stir to prevent scorching) Add in sugar, honey, orange and lemon juice, zest and water (*reserve 2 Tbs of sugar for later.) Stir and cook down the entire mixture another 30-45 minutes (it should start to thicken as it cooks down)
Remove cinnamon stick. Add in butter, then use an immersion blender (or mash with a potato masher) and break up large chunks of fruit until you get the consistency of jam you prefer **do not liquefy the mixture. I prefer to leave some larger bits of peach and cherry in mine. Take your pectin and 2 Tbs of the reserved sugar and stir together in a small bowl. Raise the heat on your jam mixture to High. Add in the sugar/pectin mix and stir constantly until you are at a boil that cannot be stirred away - boil hard for one minute. I usually look for a craggy skin to start to form around the edges of the pot/mixture...indicating gel stage has been released. Remove pot from heat, stir in almond extract, do freezer plate test and prepare to jar jam for processing.
Waterbath Can at 1/4" head-space for 10 minutes, adjusting for your altitude. Remove to a draft free area and let sit undisturbed for 12-24 hours.  Wash & Label Jars. Store in Pantry up to One Year.  Once opened, this lower sugar jam can be refrigerated up to 3 weeks. 

Makes approx 7 half pints 

Pinterest Pin: www.pinterest.com/pin/530510031096585489/
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Recipe and Photos by: Diane Baker for Canning and Cooking at Home 

     
​So many people request my Colorado Peach Jam.  In the simple list of ingredients, it appears as a marmalade but, its quite the opposite.  You are using the zest and citrus juices to bring about the proper gel point of the peaches and the lemon juice also deepens the peach flavor.  In my original version of this jam, I use all sugar but, since I've been jamming with half sugar and half honey with better taste results - I thought I give my original recipe a "re-do"... It's wonderful!  ~Enjoy! Diane 

Peach Jam with Orange & Honey

Ingredients: 
4-5 Pounds Peaches (5 Cups chopped)
2 Cups of Sugar
2 Cups Honey
2 Tbs Fresh Lemon Juice; plus 1 teaspoon of lemon zest 
1 large Navel Orange, zested and then segmented *you do not want the white pith
1 packet of pink box, low sugar SureJell Pectin

Directions: 

1. Boil peaches in water for about one minute - then submerge in ice water, and skins slip right off.  
2. Place all peeled, pitted and sliced peaches, along with the orange segments, orange and lemon zest into large stock pot or jam pan.
3. Cook fruit on medium-high heat about 45 minutes, and then blend softened fruit mixture with immersion blender (do not liquefy) 
4. When the mixture has cooked down to an applesauce consistency (I like mine thick and chunky) Add in honey, lemon juice and 1-1/2 cup of the sugar. Cook, stirring frequently until sugar has cooked down. Bring mixture to a boil. 
5. Add in the remaining 1/2 cup sugar mixed with the pectin. Bring to a hard boil, one that cannot be stirred away. Boil for at least 1 full minute at 220 degrees (set point for gel) . Test for gel point/pectin release (freezer plate test)  Once jam is thick and at gel stage, lower heat and prepare for jarring. 
6. Fill hot jars with hot jam to 1/4" head-space. Apply a new lid and band.  
7. Process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes.​ ​

Yield: Approx 5-6 half-pints

Photo/Recipe by: Diane Baker for Canning and Cooking at Home