During the winter, traffic in the shop slows down significantly;y so we only cook once a month. Saturday Feb 18 was the night. I wanted to create something and as usual for me, I make a list of ingredients that I think will blend well for a great dish and mark down the amounts as I go. There are 3 recipes from that session. One was a chicken breast filled with ricotta and spinach, the second was a vegetarian crepe and the third a sweet mustard and wine sauce to pour over both. Hope you enjoy.
Rolled Chicken Breast with Cheese and Spinach Filling
6 chicken breasts pounded flat
1 15 oz container of ricotta cheese (I like the whole milk but you can use part skim if you choose)
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 egg
2T chopped garlic or 5 cloves smashed
3T fresh parsley
1/2 cup frozen spinach drained and pressed to remove all water
5T Basil Pesto (we sell Elki brand and it gives a great punch to the dish.)
EVVO
Mix the ricotta with Parmesan, garlic, spinach and pesto until blended well. Gently whip the egg and add to the mixture. Lay the breast on a flat surface and spread the cheese mixture, starting at the pointed end, on 2/3 of the meat. Add a touch of salt and pepper. Sprinkle some chopped parsley over the cheese and roll tucking the sides in and secure with a toothpick. Saute' in EVVO until outside is gently browned then place in a dish and bake for 20 minutes. Insure internal temperature is 160 degrees.
You can serve the chicken with any side as is or make the creamy wine sauce in my next posting and pour it over the chicken. Serves 6. cooking and prep time approx 45 minutes.
