Summer means grilling and nothing boosts the flavor goodness on grilled meat, seafood and veggies like a fantastic marinade. They are simple to make and give an easy flavor jolt to your dinner dishes with only a few ingredients.

(Photo courtesy of Country Living)

Take inspiration for your marinade from different cultures. Chipotle, lime, and agave add instant cha-cha-cha to your chicken. Or try ginger, thai basil, sesame oil, and hot chili paste for a bit of zen for your dish.

My biggest marinade tip is: Make it strong! The bolder the flavor; the bigger the taste. If you make your marinade and it tastes good – then it’s not bold enough. Pump up the flavor even more with spices, garlic, herbs, etc. Get creative!

Citrus juices are common in marinades and add a big hit of brightness to smoky grilled flavors. Keep in mind that marinating with citrus juices for too long can begin to “cook” your protein, particularly fish, before it even hits the heat. I like to use orange juice concentrate to really get a citrus punch in my marinade.

Another quick tip: If your marinade contains sugar or honey, be sure to grill on medium-low heat to prevent burning. Honey or sugar can scorch on high heat.

I’ve included a great chart for making marinades with a basic recipe and then add-ins for you to customize. I also put together some marinating and grilling tips for your next patio party to be grilling-successful!

So this summer, jazz up your cooking with some mouth-watering marinades. –Kathy

Basic Marinade for Grilling
Marinates 4 to 6 portions of protein

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary or other fresh herb
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
1/3 cup olive oil or salad oil, depending upon which herbs you are using
1/2 teaspoon coarse-ground black pepper or 1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes
4 to 6 portions of protein, such as chicken breasts, steaks, pork loin chops, salmon, or large shrimp, or large portobello mushrooms for a vegetarian option

In a small bowl, whisk together all marinade ingredients.

Lay out protein in a shallow, non-aluminum baking pan. Spoon half the marinade on the top side of each portion and rub it around, then flip the protein and spoon on the remaining marinade, being sure that all surfaces are covered.

Cover pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight.

When ready to cook, heat grill to medium-high heat, then brush grill lightly with oil. Be sure grill is hot before placing protein on it. Sprinkle both sides of protein with kosher salt, and grill on the first side, being sure not to move it until there is a good charred grill mark. (The biggest mistake that home cooks make is to “touch” what they are grilling too much and move it around before it is ready; this causes sticking.)

Grill to desired doneness. No specific time can be given as it will depend upon your heat and what you are grilling. Typically, if there are nice grill marks on each side, the food is probably close to done. You can refer to internal cooking temperatures on the Internet, but I think that most government-determined temperatures are too high. So, until you are a seasoned griller, get a small paring knife and cut a tiny “peek “into the center of what you are cooking. For poultry you will want to see no pink; fish should be just cooked and not dry; shrimp should be just pink on the outside and barely opaque inside; and steaks should be the way you like them!

This marinade is a basic one, so get creative here, too, when you feel ready. Practice makes perfect. And grilling is “rustic,” so if you make a mistake, it is not the end of the world—just jump back in and try it again soon.

Recipe by Kathy Casey Food Studios®

Marinade Customization Chart

In a small mixing bowl, use a small wire whisk and combine together your acid component, Dijon mustard and salt. Then slowly whisk in the oil, adding it in a thin drizzle. This technique is to emulsify (make smooth and combined) your marinade. Then add your flavoring components.

You can keep the unused marinade refrigerated for up to 2 weeks. Experiment with different flavorings and combinations. Discard after using the marinade.

Marinating tips:

Created by Kathy Casey Food Studios®

Lemon & Caper Marinade for Seafood or Chicken
Makes about 1/3 cup

2 teaspoons finely minced fresh lemon zest
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh basil
2 teaspoons finely minced fresh thyme
1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh chives
2 tablespoons capers, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Whisk all ingredients together well.

Keep refrigerated for up to 2 days.

Marinate fish, shrimp, scallops or chicken breasts for at least 4 hours or up to 8 hours.

Recipe by Kathy Casey Food Studios®

Cider Marinade for Chicken or Pork
Makes 1 cup

1/4 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes
1 teaspoon rubbed dry sage or 1 Tbsp. fresh sage finely minced
1 teaspoon dry thyme leaves or 1 Tbsp. fresh thyme finely minced
3/4 teaspoon celery seed
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons finely minced lemon zest
1/2 cup apple cider
4 teaspoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/4 cup salad oil

Whisk all ingredients together well. Keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Marinate chicken breasts or pork chops for at least 4 hours or up to 8 hours before cooking.

Recipe by Kathy Casey Food Studios®

Citrus Mojo Chili Marinade for Poultry, Pork or Seafood
Makes 3/4 cup

2 teaspoons finely minced orange zest
1 orange
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 tablespoons finely minced garlic
2 tablespoons finely minced onion

Zest the orange and then cut off the peel and white pith from it. Cut orange into large chunks. Place in a food processor or blender with the remaining ingredients and process until as smooth as it will get.

Will keep refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Marinate fish, turkey breast slices, chicken, shrimp or pork for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.

Recipe by Kathy Casey Food Studios®

Chermoula Marinade for Prawns, Chicken, Veggies or Steak
Makes about 1/2 cup

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon chopped fresh ginger
2 tablespoons minced fresh lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup olive oil

Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender and process until almost smooth.

Keep refrigerated for up to 3 days. Marinate chicken breasts, shrimp, or beef steaks for at least 4 hours or up to overnight.

Recipe by Kathy Casey Food Studios®

Guest blogger and KCFS Intern Jenn Chong shares her recent travel stories while exploring India. Here’s Part 1 of her 3 part series.

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Hello all! I’m Jenn and I’m pleased to share some of my culinary experiences from my travels to India. The idea of Indian food probably conjures up images of super spicy food that can be too hot to handle. And while that may be true to a certain degree, India is a vast and varied country with regional cuisines appropriate for any palate.

Today, I bring you to Kolkata (formerly known as Calcutta) where the food tends to be sweeter, milder in spice, and with slight tinges of sour. Located in the northeastern part of India, food from this area is often referred to as Bengali cuisine.

Bengali cuisine is famous for its fresh fish and seafood, cooked as curries or steamed in banana leaves. Sweet flavors come from the use of unrefined cane sugar called ‘jaggery’, and the sour flavors come from heavier use of tamarind paste. My favorite dish by far was the jumbo prawn curry, which was absolutely delish (see below)!

Chingri Malai

Basanti Pulao (seasoned rice), naan, Echor-er Dalna (jackfruit curry)
Dak Bangla Chicken Curry, Hilsa Fish Mustard Curry, Chingri Malai

Sweets are an important part of Bengali cuisine and choices for desserts are limitless. From mishti doi (sweet yogurt) to kheer (rice pudding) to smaller confections like rasgulla, ladoo, and cham-chams, there is no such thing as a bad decision! The food in this region was so delicious it was hard to leave, but I knew there was still much more to explore and eat.

Small selection of sweet treats!

Mishti doi with fresh fruit

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Stay tuned for Part 2!

Anyone who knows me knows that I love deviled eggs. Whenever I show up to a party with a full party platter of them, they are the first thing to fly off the table!

How much do I love them? Well, I wrote a whole book about them – my new book D’Lish Deviled Eggs features more than 50 classic and creative variations!

Everyone has their favorite way of making them. I know that grandma’s classic recipe is always a go-to for most people, but these one-bite (maybe two-bite!) apps are the perfect platform to get inspired with!

From California Roll Deviled Eggs with a filling made with avocado and wasabi topped with crab and cucumber – to sassy Chipotle Eggs to Cheddar and Bacon—there are tons of different takes on the classic and some fun and kitschy variations too. What better way to use up all those hard-boiled eggs after Easter?

D’lish Deviled Eggs is available in books stores, online and digital. Just think, you’ll have over 50 new ideas for your next party appetizer!

Web: www.dlishdeviledeggs.com for more fun deviled egg tips and recipes.

Tweet Tweet: @chickytweets on Twitter!

So get crackin’ and enjoy some d’lish deviled eggs! –Kathy

Chipotle Deviled Eggs—yum!
(Photo © Kathy Casey Food Studios from D’Lish Deviled Eggs)

Chipotle Deviled Eggs

I’ve been making these for years and they have become a cocktail-party staple. The spicy tomato topping adds textural and visual pizzazz. Serve these with your favorite margarita for a perfect pairing.

Makes 24

1 dozen hard-cooked eggs (recipe follows)

Filling
3 Tbsps mayonnaise
3 Tbsps regular or low-fat sour cream
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 to 2 Tbsps chipotle chile purée (see tip)
1 tsp minced fresh garlic
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsps thinly sliced green onion

Topping
1/2 cup small-diced tomatoes
1 Tbsp minced white onion
2 Tbsps chopped fresh cilantro
1 to 2 tsps chipotle chile purée (see tip)

Halve the eggs lengthwise and transfer the yolks to a mixing bowl. Set the egg white halves on a platter, cover, and refrigerate.

With a fork, mash the yolks to a smooth consistency. Add the mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard, chipotle purée, garlic, and salt, and mix until smooth. (You can also do this in a mixing bowl with a whip attachment.) Stir in the green onion.

Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a plain or large star tip, then pipe the mixture evenly into the egg white halves. Or fill the eggs with a spoon, dividing the filling evenly.

To make the topping, in a small bowl, mix together the tomatoes, onion, cilantro, and chipotle purée. Top each egg half with about 1 tsp of the topping.

Tip: To make chipotle chile purée, place canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, with the sauce, in a food processor or blender and purée until smooth. Freeze any extra purée for another use.

Hard-Cooked Eggs

1 dozen large chicken eggs

Place the eggs in a large nonreactive saucepan and add cold water to 1 inch above the eggs. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Turn off the heat and let the eggs sit for 10 minutes. Remove from the stove and run cool water over the eggs in the pan until they are cooled. When cool, carefully peel them under running water.

Recipe from D’Lish Deviled Eggs by Kathy Casey, Andrews McMeel Publishing

Sunny winter citrus is just the perfect way to help brighten the season when it gets chilly and the skies turn grey. With cold weather, comes cold and flu season. What a wonderful coincidence, then, that clementines are in season at the same time!

Clementines happen to be an excellent source of vitamin C, which helps support your immune system. Did you also know that they act as an antihistamine? It’s true! Battle those stuffed-up sinuses with as many clementines as you can grab, peel and eat —which might be a lot, considering how small and easy to peel they are!

They make a perfect any-time snack, but can also be incorporated into a stuffing, blended into a breakfast smoothie, or for a quick and easy appetizer. Just combine diced clementines with tomatoes, kalamata olives, minced red onion and fresh basil to top my d’lish Cuties Bruschetta with Goat Cheese. Great for on-the-fly entertaining!

(Photo by Kathy Casey Food Studios®)

Or how about jazzing up that holiday stuffing? Flavorful clementies are tossed in my Overnight Wild-Rice & Sourdough Stuffing— made with cooked wild rice, sourdough bread, toasted almonds, drained cranberries, mushrooms and fresh herbs.  Yum!

(Photo by Kathy Casey Food Studios®)

So whether you’re whipping up a delicious snack or trying something new for the holiday table – pick up some clementines. They’re sure to brighten up any dish! -Kathy

Cuties Bruschetta with Goat Cheese
The flavors of mandarin, calamata olives and fresh basil and the creaminess of goat cheese all play off each other nicely in this easy entertaining appetizer.

Makes 20 pieces

1 artisanal baguette
extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling
kosher salt as needed
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4 Cuties clementinese
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 cup chopped vine-ripe tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
2 Tbsp. minced red onion
1 1/2 tsp. finely minced garlic
1/4 cup chopped pitted calamata olives
pinch of red pepper flakes
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4 oz. chèvre-style fresh goat cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut baguette into 1/4-inch slices—you want about 20 nice-sized pieces. Lay out on a baking sheet. Lightly brush or drizzle bread with olive oil then sprinkle lightly with kosher salt. Bake for about 5–7 minutes, or until toasty. Let crostini cool.

Meanwhile, peel Cuties and dice 1/4 to 1/3-inch. In a medium bowl, toss Cuties with 2 tablespoons olive oil, tomatoes, basil, onion, garlic, olives, and pepper flakes. Set aside.

To serve: Smear each piece of crostini with a heaping teaspoon of goat cheese. Place on a platter and immediately divide the Cuties mixture between the crostini (drain off any excess juice).

Note: Top crostini right before serving so they do not get soft.

Recipe by Kathy Casey Food Studios®

Overnight Wild-Rice & Sourdough Stuffing
With big flavors and textures, this stuffing is great with game hens, turkey, chicken, holiday ham or pork chops.

Makes about 8 servings

6 cups water
2 tsp. kosher salt
3/4 cup wild rice
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6 Cuties clementines
4 cups 1/2-inch-cubed rustic sourdough bread
1/2 cup toasted, coarsely chopped almonds
6 Tbsp. salted butter
1 cup 1/4-inch-diced onion
1 cup 1/4-inch-diced celery
2 cups sliced cremini mushrooms
1 tsp. kosher salt (or more to taste)
1/4 tsp. fresh-ground black pepper
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 tsp. finely chopped fresh thyme
1 1/2 tsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh sage
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
2 eggs, beaten

In a large pot, bring water and salt to a boil. Stir in wild rice and return to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer rice, stirring occasionally, for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until very tender. Drain and cool.

Meanwhile, peel the Cuties, cut in half crosswise, then break into half segments. Place in a large bowl with the bread and almonds, and set aside.

In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, melt butter, add the onion, celery, and mushrooms, and season with salt and pepper. Sauté for about 7–8 minutes, or until tender. Remove from heat and add cranberries, broth and herbs.

Add mushroom mixture and cooled rice to bread mixture. Toss to mix evenly, then add the beaten egg and toss until bread is thoroughly coated. Cover and refrigerate overnight to let flavors develop.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8-inch square baking pan with pan spray.

Re-toss stuffing, transfer to baking pan, and let sit for 30 minutes to come to room temperature while oven preheats. Bake in preheated oven for 35–45 minutes, or until cooked through.

Chef’s Note: When roasting a stuffed chicken or game hen, cook until internal temperature at the center of the stuffing is 165 degrees F.

Recipe by Kathy Casey Food Studios®

If you’re looking for other great tips, techniques and advice as well as recipes for a fantastic Thanksgiving Day feast, check out the annual Seattle Times’ holiday guide written by Nancy Leson. This guide along with the recipes features a lot of tips and tricks from Seattle chefs and restauranteurs (including myself!), with all sorts of appetizers, entrees, sides and even desserts! Check it out for a d’lish read and try out some of the recipes yourself; you’ll have your guests asking for more in no time!

Congratulations to Vancouver, Washington’s Rebecca Spence for winning the grand prize of the 2nd Annual Foster Farms Fresh Chicken Competition! In the spirit of contest’s focus on fresh, local ingredients, her Crispy Orange Chicken with Fennel, Avocado and Orange Salad beat out nearly 2000 recipes to help her win the grand prize of $10,000 and a year’s worth of Foster Farms fresh chicken!

Check out the Washington, Oregon and California Regional Finalists’ recipes in the Foster Farms’ Contest Recipe Box for some tasty ideas and keep your out for next year’s Cooking Competition.

As soon as the ratio of sun to cloud cover starts skewing in favor of crisp, overcast days and the wind is just a little more blustery, it instinctively feels like the right time to dust off the crock pot and start pondering some delicious, slow-cooked meals. Whether it’s a chilly weekend at home or a weekday where you leave for work and it’s dark out then you leave from work and it’s still dark out, slow-cooking offers the perfect way to enjoy a hearty, homey meal without too much fuss. The technique might be old-school, but the results will leave you feeling accomplished and your tummy warm and full! Not to mention how great your whole house will smell!

Slow cooking can be done a bunch of different ways – in an actual slow-cooker, crock pot, on the stove-top or even in place of traditional oven-braised recipes so there’s a method for everyone! It usually involves tougher, less expensive cuts of meat that are cooked at a lower temperature for longer periods of time so that they tenderize and mingle with the flavors of whatever you’re cooking with them!

Now, this isn’t a 2o minutes and you’re done kind of deal, but if you start your recipe in the morning, you can have a wonderful weeknight meal waiting for you when you get home! Or, do some extra on the weekend and you’ll have leftovers to warm up again later in the week; in fact, these types of dishes are often better reheated because the ingredients have had even more time to get to know each other. How d’lish does that sound!

Here are a few yummy slow-cook recipes to get you started, but the sky (and the season, of course) is the limit to what you can put on and let simmer away while you enjoy your autumn! – Kathy Casey

Fragrant Soy and Ginger Beef with Green Onions and Cabbage
Makes 6 servings

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2-½ pounds beef brisket roast
2 slices fresh ginger root
3 cloves garlic
1 star anise pod
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ cup brown sugar v ½ cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
¼ teaspoon red chili flakes
1 yellow onion, peeled and cut in 6 wedges
1 very small head green cabbage, cut in 6 wedges
1 bunch green onions, ends trimmed off, cut in 2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons cornstarch

1. Heat oil in a large sauté pan over high heat. Place beef in pan, fat side down, and brown the first side. Turn over and brown the other side. Transfer beef to a non-corrosive bowl or baking dish.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the ginger, garlic, star anise, cinnamon, brown sugar, soy, vinegar and chili flakes. Pour over the meat, turning to coat. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
3. The next day, remove the meat from the dish and place in the bottom of the slow cooker (reserve marinade). Next, layer in the onion wedges, then the cabbage and green onions. You may need to push down the cabbage a bit to make it fit.
4. Whisk the cornstarch into the reserved marinade until blended, then pour over the top. Cover tightly with the lid and set to cook on high. Cook undisturbed for about 8 to 9 hours.
5. To serve, remove the cabbage and onions to a platter and the meat to a cutting board. Slice the meat against the grain and place on the platter. Spoon the sauce over the meat and vegetables.

Editor’s note: For slow cookers, the USDA recommends cutting large pieces of meat into smaller pieces because it could take too long to reach a safe cooking temperature. Thinner briskets can be cut in half.

©2003, Kathy Casey Food Studios.

Curry Chicken Thighs with Apples and Yogurt
Makes about 6 servings

1 cup apple juice
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons curry powder
4 green cardamom seed pods, crushed
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
¼ teaspoon red chili flakes
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons sugar
2 cups plain yogurt
3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
½ cup chopped onion
½ cup chopped celery
¼ cup dried black currants or raisins
2 Granny Smith apples, unpeeled, cored and cut in 6 wedges each
1 large red bell pepper, cut in 1-inch dice
Fresh Italian parsley, cilantro and mint, very coarsely chopped or torn
Steamed rice or potatoes as an accompaniment

1. In a large bowl whisk together the apple juice, cornstarch and flour until smooth. Then whisk in the curry powder, cardamom pods, coriander seeds, chili flakes, salt, sugar and yogurt.
2. Add the chicken to the marinade and stir to combine. Place the mixture in the slow cooker and add in the following order: onion, celery, currants or raisins, apples and bell pepper. Cover, set cooker to high and cook for about 7 to 8 hours.
3. Garnish with the fresh herbs. Serve with rice or potatoes.

©2003, Kathy Casey Food Studios.

This week was the Foster Farms Washington Regional cooking contest finals. There were over 1,000 entries from Washington cooks and I am sure the job of narrowing it down to 5 was a tedious task!

After the tasty job of sampling the five Washington cooking contest finalists dishes,  judges Cynthia Nims, Jamie Peha and I turned in our ballots.

Jamie, myself, and Cynthia just about ready to start our taste testing!

My Food Studios crew cooked up all the dishes

After all the sampling, I want to congratulate both Marci Adelsman of Kent and Monica King of Vancouver! They each won $1,000!

They will now compete at the Finals in person on September 17, 2010, at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, in California’s Napa Valley. A $10,000 grand prize and one-year supply of fresh Foster Farms chicken will be awarded to the contest’s grand prize winner.

The two top dishes that are moving on to the finals are  Adelsman’s Brown Rice Chicken Salad

and King’s Balsamic Mushroom Chicken with Honey Goat Cheese. The recipes featured fresh Foster Farms chicken and were inspired by local ingredients.

For more than 70 years, Foster Farms has been working closely with more than 40 local, family-owned farms throughout Washington and Oregon to provide chicken to Washington families.
I hope you enjoy the finalist’s recipes as much as I did!

Brown Rice Chicken Salad
Recipe by Marci Adelsman, Kent, WA

Kathy’s Note: The colorful and tasty salad needs a snazzy name. Don’t let the plain name fool you – the salad is chock full of flavor and color!

This recipe makes about 8 – 10 cups and would serve 6 or more .

1 1/4 pounds Foster Farms chicken tenders
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
4 cups cooked brown rice
1 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup chopped green onion
1 cup diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup toasted almonds, chopped
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1/3 cup chopped Italian parsley

Dressing:
1/2 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbls apple cider vinegar
2 Tbls honey
2 Tbls Dijon Mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper

In medium size skillet over medium-high heat, warm olive oil.  Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper, add to pan and sauté 4 minutes per side, until cooked through.  Remove chicken from pan and set aside.  When chicken is cooled, dice into 3/4” cubes.

In large serving bowl, combine brown rice, celery, red onion, green onion, red bell pepper, almonds, Parmesan cheese, cranberries, basil and parsley.  Stir well to combine.  In small bowl, combine olive oil, garlic, apple cider vinegar, honey and mustard.  Stir well to blend.  Add chicken to rice mixture.  Slowly add dressing to cover, tossing to coat well.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper; toss again to combine.

Balsamic Mushroom Chicken with Honey Goat Cheese
Recipe by Monica King, Vancouver, WA

Kathy’s note: An easy but elegant recipe for entertaining. This would be lovely made with wild chanterelle mushrooms this fall when they are in season.

6 Foster Farms chicken breast halves, boneless and skinless
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 Tbls butter
1/2 cup goat cheese (4 oz package)
1 tsp honey

Mushroom topping:
2 Tbls canola oil
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme

In large skillet over medium-high heat, warm canola oil.  Add mushrooms, salt and pepper and sauté, stirring, until mushrooms have given up liquid, about 7 minutes.  Remove mushrooms from skillet and place in medium bowl.  Add thyme, stir and cover with foil to keep warm.

Prepare chicken by warming canola oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.  Sprinkle chicken on both sides with salt, pepper and fresh thyme.  Place in pan and cook, turning, about 7 minutes per side, or until done throughout.  Remove from pan and place on plate; cover with foil to keep warm.

Lower temperature on stove to medium-low.  Add balsamic vinegar to the same skillet; deglaze pan, scraping up all browned bits.  Reduce heat to low and cook until vinegar reduces, about 3 minutes.  Stir in butter.  Pour glaze through a strainer and into small bowl.  Break up goat cheese into small crumbles, add honey and stir to combine.

To serve, place chicken breasts on platter and top with mushrooms.  Drizzle balsamic glaze over chicken and add honey goat cheese crumbles on top of mushrooms.

Check out all the finalist recipes from Washington, Oregon and California at Foster Farms Cooking Contest.