Chicken Breast stuffed with Spinach and Cheese

My best friend and I were in an experimental mood and decided to try out a recipe from Skinnytaste.com.  We love the website, as it has a brilliant rolodex of healthy low fat recipes.  I’ve changed the recipe a bit to simplify the steps, and also because I just couldn’t be bothered to look for non-fat cheese in the limited aisles of a Hong Kong supermarket.

Here’s my simplified version:

What you’ll need (serves 2):

• 2 large chicken breasts (preferably free-range)
• 1 ball of soft buffalo mozzarella 
• 1/2 cup of grated parmesan
• 1 cup of defrosted frozen spinach
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs
• 1 can of chopped tomato sauce (you will have left overs)
• salt and pepper

First of all, whack the oven to 225 degrees celsius.  My suggestion is that if you have 5 minutes to spare, make your own breadcrumbs.  It’s so simple and tastes a lot better than the stale store bought stuff.  I always keep leftover bread in the freezer, so when I need breadcrumbs, I just bring the bread back to life with a little toasting.  

Tear up the toasted bread (this will help it crumble easily) and toss into a food processor with some Italian herbs (basil, oregano, marjoram, thyme, rosemary, savory, sage – or anything similar you may have), add a large pinch of salt and pepper.  Bingo!  You’ve got breadcrumbs!  You can add a bit of olive oil to make it bake more golden, totally optional.

Slice 2 pieces of mozzarella and reserve for later.  Chop the rest into small crumbs and put into a bowl with 1/4 cup of parmesan.  Defrost the spinach, squeeze out excess water, and place in the same bowl with the cheese.  

Crack an egg and beat well.  Pour half of the egg into the cheese / spinach combo.  Mix well.

Please chicken breasts in between 2 pieces of cling film.  Using a rolling pin, beat the chicken until the meat is at a consistent thickness (around 1 cm).  Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken breast generously, and then spoon the cheese / spinach mixture onto each piece.  Gently roll up.  Dip the chicken in the leftover egg, and cover with breadcrumbs and the rest of the parmesan.  Set in a baking dish and bake for 25 minutes.

Take the chicken out of the oven, spoon over some of the canned chopped tomato so that enough sauce covers each piece.  Place the previously cut slices of mozzarella on each piece of chicken.  Return to oven and bake for 5 more minutes or until cheese of slightly brown and bubbling.  

Bon Appetit!