Chicken Cordon Bleu + Tofu Cordon Bleu, 3/24/2013

“Cordon bleu” sounds all super fancy. I mean, it's French. So you may think these dishes are too difficult to tackle—but nothing could be further from the truth. Fyi, “cordon” means “ribbon,” and “bleu” means “blue”; the name refers to the fact that this was an award-winning, or blue-ribbon, dish. In other words, delicious!
(Note: minimum four hours of chilling required before cooking.)

Ingredients:
-- one large boneless skinless chicken breast
-- one block of extra-firm tofu
-- sliced ham (or Prosciutto, if you prefer)
-- sliced imitation ham (I HIGHLY recommend Veggie Deli Ham by Yves Veggie Cuisine.)
-- provolone or Swiss cheese (Sliced is fine for the chicken, but you will need shredded for the tofu.)
-- seasoned bread crumbs
-- salt
-- pepper
-- paprika

Instructions:
Slice the chicken breast in half lengthwise. Gently pound each half to flatten. Tear off two squares of plastic wrap. Place chicken on them, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and top with ham and cheese. Tip: leaving about an inch of bare chicken helps the rolls stay rolled. Starting with the covered end, roll the stuffed halves up like a jellyroll. Roll up inside the plastic wrap, pressing tightly to seal. (Click photos to enlarge.)

Crumble tofu, adding salt, pepper, and paprika to taste. Tear off three very large squares of plastic wrap. On each, place a mound of crumbled tofu. Flatten the mounds, pressing into a rectangular shape. Top with shredded cheese and a slice of imitation ham, chopped.

Using the plastic wrap, roll the stuffed tofu up like a jellyroll. Note: use the plastic wrap, as demonstrated; if you just grab it with your hands, it will fall apart. Roll up inside the plastic wrap, pressing tightly to seal. (If the ends won't stay closed, tape them!)

They won't all be exactly the same size; that's fine. Chill overnight or for at least four hours so the tofu will hold its shape. Remove plastic wrap; roll in breadcrumbs. Place coated rolls on a cookie sheet lined with two separate pieces of foil sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.

Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes.