Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts

     I hadn't gone shopping so I didn't have many ingredients, I simply used what I had in my kitchen. I took my boneless skinless chicken breasts and cut a horizontal slit in each one being careful not to cut all the way thru.

     I opened my can of chopped spinach and added very little salt, some pepper, and some ranch dip I had made with sourcream and Hidden Valley ranch powder. Maybe just a tablespoon or so. I mixed it well and stuffed it inside the chicken breasts. I then took two toothpicks each and secured the breast closed. They were not completely sealed. Just enough so that I could carefully turn them over without too much spinach falling out. Very little if any did.

     I heated my frying pan after I sprayed some Pam into them and seared the breasts on both sides. Then I turned down the heat and added a little butter, olive oil, water, and worcestershire sauce and cooked them, turning them over a couple of times so they didn't burn. The liquid kept cooking down, so I had to add water a couple times, but only enough to keep the bottom of the pan wet and the chicken from burning.

     I served it with chopped cucumber pickles mixed with chopped tomatoes, and real mashed potatoes with salt, margarine, pepper, garlic, and milk.

     The end result was both my husband and my son loved it! I only made one piece for each of us but next time plan to make more. By the time I was serving myself they were already looking for seconds on the chicken. Hurray!

     Oh, I almost forgot that I had a packet of peppercorn seasoning to make sauce which I made and used as a gravy for the chicken and the potatoes. The flavors worked perfectly together.

Good Use For Spinach

     When I was a kid I hated spinach. My mother didn't make it often but when she did we had to eat it. I liked vegetables and the problem really didn't have anything to do with taste. It was because it was so long and stringy I would choke on it. It wasn't until I was an adult that I tried it again and loved it. I'll eat it cooked or raw.

     Now, understand that my husband and son like simple meals. In fact, my husband would be happy with just a bit of ground beef salted and cooked into a burger or with potatoes. He calls that hamburger stew. I on the other hand love to experiment and fancy things up.

     Anyway, I had this can of chopped spinach I didn't know what to do with so I took a chance that night and made spinach stuffed chicken breasts.

     I had two additional problems. The first is that my husband hates cheese so I can never make anything for him with cheese in it, for him anyway. The second problem is that my oven is broken at the moment, so whatever I make it has to be broiled or stovetop. I do have electric roasters, a microwave, and a couple of crock pots. See my next post to find out how things worked out.

Vegetables With Sesame

     If you've got leftover red cabbage or are just looking for a new way to make your vegetables, here's a recipe I found that will just hit the spot!

• 2 red bell peppers
• 2 green bell peppers
• 2 medium zucchini
• 4 small carrots
• 1 tbls. olive oil
• 1/2 small head red cabbage, thinly sliced
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 4 tsps. white wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tbls. sesame seeds

     1. Julienne cut the bell peppers, zucchini, and carrots. Add oil to a medium hot pan them stir fry the peppers, carrots, and zucchini for about 5 minutes.

     2. Add cabbage, salt, and pepper and stir fry for another minute.

     3. Mix together vinegar and water and add to pan, stir fry for about another 3 to 4 minutes.

    4. Put sesame seeds into the pan and stir fry for one more minute. Serves about 6.

Photo by Alykat