Spinach and Goat Cheese Chicken Rolls in a Pan Sauce
- 4 6-ounce chicken breast halves
- 1 10-ounce box frozen chopped spinach, defrosted
- 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese or goat cheese with herbs, or crumbled Boursin (garlic and herb cows-milk cheese)
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Toothpicks
- 3 tablespoons sesame seeds
- All-purpose flour, for dredging, plus 1 tablespoon
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped (from 4 sprigs)
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 cups chicken stock or broth
- 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves (a generous handful), chopped
- 3 tablespoons diced roasted red peppers
- Preheat the oven to 325F.
- Sprinkle a little water in food storage bags.
- Place 1 chicken breast in each bag, and seal it up, pushing out excess air.
- Using a mallet or a small, heavy pot or pan, pound each breast until flat and just shy of busting out of the bag.
- Wring the spinach dry in a kitchen towel.
- Separate it and add it to a bowl.
- Add the goat cheese and the lemon zest, season with salt and pepper, and mix until combined.
- Lay the 4 pounded chicken breasts out on a cutting board.
- Season them with salt and pepper.
- Place one fourth of the spinachgoat cheese filling on each breast, along one long edge of the cutlet.
- Roll the chicken breast to enclose the filling, creating a cigar shape, and secure with toothpicks.
- Season the outside of the chicken with salt and pepper and then dredge in the sesame seeds and flour.
- Preheat a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons of the EVOO.
- Shake the excess flour from the chicken and then add to the hot skillet and saute on all sides for about 5 minutes, or until golden brown all over.
- Transfer to a rimmed cookie sheet and place in the oven to finish cooking through, another 5 to 7 minutes, until the juices run clear.
- Place the skillet back over medium-high heat, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of EVOO, and add the garlic, onions, thyme, red pepper flakes, and some salt.
- Cook for about 3 minutes, then sprinkle the mixture with 1 tablespoon flour and continue to cook for about 1 minute.
- Whisk in the chicken stock and thicken the sauce, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Finish the sauce with the lemon juice, the parsley, and the diced roasted peppers.
- Ladle some sauce onto each dinner plate.
- Slice the chicken rolls on an angle, and serve atop the sauce.
- Use this method of pounding chicken portions in plastic storage bags to store the meat as well.
- You can transfer the food bags to the freezer and have single-portion servings of chicken cutlets for quick defrosting, anytime.
- Its a great way to take full advantage of a terrific sale on chicken.
chicken, spinach, goat cheese, lemon, salt, toothpicks, sesame seeds, flour, extravirgin olive oil, garlic, yellow onion, thyme, red pepper, chicken, parsley, red peppers
Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/spinach-and-goat-cheese-chicken-rolls-in-a-pan-sauce-374500 (may not work)