Prosciutto, Fontina, Spinach and Chicken Roll-ups

I came up with the yummy dinner the other day and had to share it. It is delicious and will leave whoever is at your dinner table, begging for more. The key is to make sure that you let the chicken cook all the way through. These chicken roll-ups reminded some people of Chicken Cordon Bleu, but they are healthier, I assure you. I had fontina cheese in the fridge and thought the spinach added a nice bit of color. I spiced up some Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs for the coating by adding garlic powder and fresh minced rosemary. The outside of the rolls are lightly browned and then chicken stock is added to the pan, to help keep the chicken moist and to keep the bottoms from burning. These chicken roll-ups look fancy, but will be ready in a jiffy. Just remember to take out the toothpicks before you eat them!

Prosciutto, Fontina, Spinach, and Chicken Roll-ups by Mary Ann

1 1/2 oz prosciutto, cut into 10 pieces

1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary

1 tsp garlic powder

10 small slices fontina cheese

15-20 fresh spinach leaves

10 chicken breast halves, pounded thin

1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup All Whites ( liquid egg whites)

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups chicken stock

1. Place flour in a shallow dish. Combine bread crumbs, minced rosemary, and garlic powder, in another shallow dish. Pour egg whites into a third shallow dish.

2. Lay a thin chicken breast half on a cutting board and at the top of the breast, layer a small piece of prosciutto. Cover the proscuitto with fontina cheese and lay a 1-2 spinach leaves on top of the cheese. Very carefully, roll the chicken up, as tightly as you can and secure it with a toothpick.

3. Dip the chicken roll in the flour, then the egg white and finally the bread crumbs, rolling it around, to make sure that it is completely covered. Place the completed roll on a plate and repeat process with remaining chicken breast halves and other ingredients.

4. When all your chicken pieces are rolled, heat 1 Tbls olive oil in an electric skillet, heated to medium-high heat. Place 5 of the rolls in the oil and let brown, turning quickly, so all sides are evenly brown. When all sides, top and bottom are brown, add 1 cup of chicken stock to the pan and cover.

5. Let cook, until chicken is cooked through, adding more chicken stock, if necessary, 10-15 minutes. To check for doneness, cut one of the rolls in half to make sure the thicker part of the chicken rolls are cooked through.

6. Remove chicken rolls from the dish and serve.


Coming Tomorrow- Jicama and Orange Salad

Gnocchi with Asparagus, Prosciutto, and Mushrooms

This was a quick, delicious meal. I love asparagus. Not so much when I was younger, but now I think it is really great and beautiful. It adds such lovely color to any dish. I adapted this a little bit from Cooking Light, first, because there isn't a store here that has pancetta, so I used prosciutto. Also I added the mushrooms because you can never have too many vegetables. We had salad on the side and everyone was satisfied!

Gnocchi with Asparagus, Prosciutto and Mushrooms
1 (16-ounce) package vacuum-packed gnocchi (such as Vigo)

2 ounces prosciutto, cut into thin strips (about 1/2 cup)

1/4 cup thinly sliced shallots

1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

4 oz. sliced mushrooms

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup (1 ounce) shaved Parmesan cheese

1. Cook gnocchi according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid. Keep warm.
2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add prosciutto; sauté 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate.
3. Add shallots, asparagus, and mushrooms to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add gnocchi, pancetta, reserved cooking liquid, juice, salt, and pepper to pan; cook 1 minute. Serve with cheese.