The thing I love about discovering new recipes is the imagination can quickly take over and you can make it your own. For instance, this week’s yummy page from Maggie’s collection includes some amazing ingredients. What would I do to make it my own? I love feta cheese; so instead of the cheese mentioned here, I would squeeze in some of my favourite to try!
Enjoy this amazing healthy dinner/lunch option and if you have any tried and true recipes you want to share, drop me a line! adina [at] tipsofthescale [dot] com
Roasted Tomato, Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast
Vegetables and Laughing Cow cheese make this classic, decadent stuffed chicken breast amazingly healthy! Chicken is a staple in my kitchen. Not only is it less expensive, it is a great source of lean, low calorie protein. When you jazz it up with a savory, melting stuffing and bake it in the oven, nothing can compare!
You will need:
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Rub:
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp Italian herb and garlic blend
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
salt and pepper to taste
Stuffing:
3 wedges of Laughing Cow Mozzarella, Basil and Tomato Cheese
1 mini sweet pepper, diced
2 cups of baby spinach, chopped
6 roasted tomato sections – dry packed – diced
1/4 cup Italian herb and garlic blend
dash of crushed red pepper
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, and spray a large, oven-safe saute pan with no-calorie, gluten free spray. Put it on medium-high heat about five minutes before you are ready to pop your chicken breasts in the pan, to get it searingly hot.
Put all the ingredients for the rub into a gallon-sized Ziplock bag, and add the chicken breasts. Mix the chicken together in the bag to evenly coat them with the rub and olive oil. This way, your chicken is evenly covered in olive oil, but you use a lot less! Let the chicken marinate while you put the stuffing together.
For the stuffing, put the laughing cow cheese in a medium sized bowl, and warm in the microwave for 30 seconds so they are soft. Then, with a fork, mash all the other stuffing ingredients into the cheese. Super simple!
Take your chicken breasts, and slice a pocket – almost like a pita – from one edge into the middle, almost to the other side. Spoon the filling into the pocket you have created, and then ‘pin’ the pocket together with toothpicks or small skewers.
Once your pan is good and hot, pop the chicken breasts in the pan – preferably with a little space in between them. Let them get a good golden sear – just a few moments – and then flip the chicken breasts over. To finish the chicken, stick the whole pan in the oven for about 25 minutes. Check at 20 minutes with a meat thermometer. The recommended temperature for chicken as 165 degrees Fahrenheit; in order to keep the chicken moist, don’t let it get much hotter.
Now for the breakdown: A 4-ounce portion of chicken and stuffing is 210 calories – so healthy! 4 ounces, for reference, is about the size of a deck of cards. Most chicken breasts sold in stores are between six and eight ounces. For a very large chicken breast, it would be 420 calories of nutritious protein and vegetables. Serve with a delicious salad to get even more lovely veggies! Enjoy!
My name is Maggie Jasmin, and starting in January 2013, I dedicated myself to a new fitness journey, and have since lost 115 pounds. I move more, pick up heavy things, think intelligently about my food, and try to be the healthiest I can every day. This doesn't mean I gave up the foods I love – I just make them healthy! I blog and post recipes about my comfort food turned health food at 
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