RECIPE: Spinach Artichoke Stuffed Chicken

I'm a sucker for spinach artichoke dip.  You can use half of this recipe for the chicken and the other half topped with Parmesan and baked into the oven for a dip.  You can even spread it on top of salmon before popping it into the oven.   The purple stuff on the plate is the other half of the red cabbage used for the Purple Slaw fish taco recipe.  It was braised with some sautéed bacon and onion, about 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar, and a 1/2 cup of stock.  Delicious.

PHOTO BY VIRGINIA LEE

Spinach Artichoke Stuffed Chicken

Serves 2-3

2-3 chicken breasts (or breast halves I guess, technically)

1 package of frozen chopped spinach (it's just as good as the fresh stuff, but less hassle), drained well

1 can of artichoke hearts packed in water, drained, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1 package of softened reduced fat cream cheese

1/4 cup of shredded Parmesan

2 teaspoons of olive oil

1 lemon

Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a large oven proof skillet.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Sautee onion until soft. Add artichokes and spinach.  Cook for about 7 minutes...until most of the moisture from the mix is gone.  Season (crushed red pepper if you want, salt, pepper, white pepper works well too).  Set aside mixture to cool.  Add cheeses to the mixture and combine well.  Take about a cup of the mixture and refrigerate the rest for another recipe.

Take one breast, lay it flat on a cutting board.  With a sharp knife, slice parallel to the cutting board, opening the breast piece up like a book, but do not completely slice through.  Smear 1/3 of the mixture on inner sides, then close  the "book".  Repeat with remaining pieces of chicken.  Lightly sprinkle tops with salt.

Heat remaining olive in the same pan.  Carefully lower each stuffed chicken piece down in the pan.  After 5-6 minutes, carefully flip.  I find that tongs work best at keeping everything together.  If you are nervous about this all falling apart, keep it together with some sturdy toothpicks. After another 5-6 minutes, flip again and finish them off in the oven.  About 15 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165.  Remove from the oven, squeeze lemon on top and serve.