Greek Stuffed Chicken with Lemon Orzo
Recipe adapted from Fitness Magazine
Makes 4 Servings
5 oz. fresh spinach
2 tsp minced garlic, jarred
Pinch nutmeg
4 4-oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
¾ cup fat-free feta cheese
1 tsp fresh basil
1 tbsp olive oil
8 oz. orzo
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tbsp lemon juice
¼ cup parmesan cheese (Kraft)
¼ cup fresh parsley
Preheat oven to 350. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Warm a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add spinach and cook, tossing, 3 minutes until wilted. Add garlic and nutmeg and cook, tossing, 2 minutes. Transfer to a colander. Once cooled off, squeeze liquid from spinach and then add to a bowl with feta and basil. Use a knife to cut feta and spinach into smaller, easier to stuff, pieces. Butterfly chicken and open like a book. Cover with wax paper and pound to an even ¼-inch thickness. Place a quarter of the mixture along the center of the breast; roll and secure with toothpicks. In the skillet, heat 1 tsp oil over medium-high heat. Add stuffed chicken and cook 4 to 5 minutes or until the bottoms are golden. Turn and cook another 5 minutes. Transfer chicken to baking sheet and cook for 15 minutes. Bring pot of water to a boil; add orzo and cook according to package instructions. Drain, reserving 2 tbsp of liquid, and toss with lemon zest, lemon juice, parmesan, parsley and remaining 2 tsp olive oil. Use liquid if needed.
Nutritional Information: 421 calories, 45 carbs, 8 fat grams and 43 protein grams.
Review: Whoa! It was a great recipe. The chicken was super tender and juicy, and the stuffing was flavorful. The garlic gave the spinach a nice flavor. The pasta paired perfect with it - the parmesan thickened up the orzo, and the parsley, olive oil and lemon zest (more so than the juice) gave it a lot of punch. It was a nice, light meal with lots of color that was very filling!
