Spinach and Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken

One of the few ways you can get me to eat a chicken breast. I love sauteed spinach and I love goat cheese and spinach salads so this is how this little gem came about one night. I wanted a piece of chicken that I would enjoy, whilst adding extra greens to the plate, and I wanted a richness that the goat cheese lends well.

Filling

• Shallots, sliced - one or two large
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3-4 heaping handfuls of spinach 
• Small handfuls of dehydrated cranberries 
• 1 ounce goat cheese, crumbled
• Salt and Pepper, 
• White wine - just a splash
• Proscuitto or Pancetta thinly sliced (optional - only use if you have or want a touch of saltiness)

Chicken

• 2 Chicken breasts
• Salt
• Pepper
• Cayenne
• Thyme

**If you would like to bread these go right ahead - if I have the time or enough calorie wiggle room I usually do Panko -Parmesan - basil crust, regular bread crumbs with grated Parmesan or Pecorino. You can also smother with Fontina 10 minutes into baking if you really want to splurge.

Heat olive oil in a skillet, once hot add the shallots and garlic with a pinch of salt (if using cured pork add in at this point as well). Once glassy, splash a bit of white wine in the pan and allow to cook off. Add spinach and allow to wilt slightly. Remove to a bowl, add salt as necessary and pepper as desired. Crumble goat cheese and add cranberries and mix well.

On a clean surface prepare the chicken in one of two way:
           1) Pound chicken thin, apply filling over entire surcface and make a roulade
           2) slice breast down middle and make a pocket (do not cut all the way through both sides), stuff filling into pocket and sealing with a toothpick

After chicken is stuffed - or rolled - season with salt, pepper, cayenne and thyme to taste and bake on 350 (I think for about 20 minutes - not sure I always just take it out when it is done).

Remove from oven and top with any remaining spinach. I like to make a small bit of Shallot - White Wine Sauce to go over the chicken but it is not mandatory. Squeeze with a bit of lemon for a nice kick and serve with steamed veggies and cous cous or long grain wile rice (tonight it will be stuffed baked tomatoes with arugula pesto).