Delicious Dinner, Dirty Husband

Last nights dinner was scrumptious and pleasing to the eye. While Jeremy slaved away power washing our stone walls, I whipped up a Fig & Cranberry Stuffed Chicken Breast recipe I cut out of Clean Eating Magazine. Let's just say it was fine dining with not so fine looking folks :) Jeremy was head to toe covered in mud when I brought out the colorful plate of stuffed chicken, sweet potatoes, and spinach salad. We dined in lawn chairs in the driveway...yes, we really know how to "do it up." The atmosphere was actually quite nice though...a cool summer evening with the sunsetting in front of us.

Fig & Cranberry Stuffed Chicken

serves 4

2 tsp olive oil, divided

4 medium shallots, minced

1/3 cup unsweetened dried cranberries

1/3 dried figs (although I left these out...didn't know how J would handle them)

4 cups baby spinach, packed

4 T toasted pine nuts

2 tsp fresh sage, chopped

sea salt, to taste

1/4 t ground pepper, divided

4 4oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts

juice 1/2 lemon

preheat oven to 400F

heat 1 t oil in a saute pan over medium high heat. add shallots and saute until softened, stirring frequently for about 2 minutes. Add cranberries and figs and continue to cook for one minute, stirring frequently. Add spinach to pan, stir well and cook until wilted, about 1 min. stir in pine nuts and sage, season with salt and pepper, and pour stuffing into a mixing bowl lined with a paper towel to drain excess liquid. set aside and allow to cool at room temperature.

Lay 1 chicken breast horizontally on a cutting board. starting at the thickest side of the breast, hold a sharp knife parallel to the work surface and slice breast horizontally about 3/4 of the way through, then open up breast like a book.

Place sliced breast opened-faced and flat between 2 pieces of plastic wrap and gently pound to 1/2 inch thickness with flat side of meat mallet or rolling pin. remove plastic wrap and repeat process with remaining 3 breasts. Divide stuffing evenly among 4 breasts, placing stuffing lengthwise along bottom edge of each breast. Carefully roll up the chicken breast tightly (like making a sandwich wrap) May need to secure with toothpicks.

Place stuffed chicken, seam side down, onto parchment lined or greased pan. In small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, remaining olive oil and salt and pepper. Brush over chicken.

place pan in oven and roast for about 12 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked and stuffing is heated throughout.

Enjoy!

Until next time...

look good, feel good, do good