Texas Wagon Wheels

Serves 4

4 Boneless/skinless Chicken Breasts
2 Slices of Provolone Cheese - round - cut in half
12 Stalks Asparagus - thin stalks, skinned & steamed
12 Slices Thin sliced Bacon - laid out on a cookie sheet, lightly sprinkled with dried Basil Leaf and black pepper
2 cored, seeded, & chopped jalapenos
1 Onion finely chopped
2 Jalpenos- seeded and finely chopped
1 cored Red Bell Pepper, finely chopped
2 Roma Tomatoes, cored, seeded & chopped well
1/2 Stick of Butter
1 Box round toothpicks

Baste
2 T honey
3 T Soy Sauce
1 T Dijon Mustard
2 t Sesame Seeds
1 t Dried Basil Leaf
3 T TXG Jalapeno Kiwi Jelly
3 Minced Cloves of Garlic
2 T Olive Oil
3 T Lemon Juice
1/2 t Black Pepper
1 Cup dry white wine

Place all basting ingredients in a sauce pot, bring to a light boil, stirring well, until ingredients and flavors are well mixed (approx. 4 - 5 minutes). Remove from heat.

Preparation:
Place chicken breast on a cutting board covered with saran wrap. Put a sheet of wax paper over the breast, then cover with another piece of saran wrap.

Pound lightly with lightly stipple faced mallet until breast spreads and flattens out slightly. Be sure not to break holes through the breasts.

After flattening each breast, place into bowl of icy cold water.

Place chopped onion, bell peppers, jalapeno, & roma tomatoes into skillet with a half stick of butter, saute until softened but not brown, remove from heat and reserve for recipe.

Place a breast flat on the cleaned cutting board. Put a half piece of provolone onto breast. Spread small amount of onion, tomato, & pepper mixture over cheese. (approx. half tablespoon) Place three asparagus on cheese, closest end towards you with heads not exposed past the ends.

Carefully roll mixture away from you into a roll. Carefully starting from one side, wrap the roll with a slice of bacon, you will need two pieces to finish. Use toothpicks to seal and hold roll together. Roll tightly. Cut any excess from edges of roll (asparagus or cheese, then stretch a final piece of bacon long ways around the wrap to cover and seal both ends and pick shut. (This will prevent the cheese from running out the sides.)

Cooking Instructions On a well heated grill at medium high to high setting either charcoal or gas, place rolls indirectly over the flames. Brush with the baste and then cover. Turn every five minutes and baste again. After about 20-25 minutes the bacon should be browning. Move closer to flame for the final few minutes but watch carefully and keep turning to keep from over browning.

Remove from fire. Allow to sit for four to five minutes. Be sure to remove all of the toothpicks used in cooking.

Slice into three quarter inch circles and then arrange on plate. Drizzle with any reserved baste. Serve while still warm with The Texas Gourmet’s recipe for Hunters Quick Dirty Rice.

Bon appetit,

Bryan F. Slaven
The Texas Gourmet