I made the spinach stuffed chicken!

So let me set the scene for this...I was in a terrible mood, it was such a long day at work. Then I call Eric and he says he is fishing and will be home in an hour and a half and that we could order a pizza if I wanted (he could obviously tell I was having a mood) which I thought was just a great idea, until I realized I had no money. So I go up to the kitchen and it was almost like autopilot that I made this dish! It came together so quickly and easily and was actually really fun to make! (Sorry my picture is blurry)

I made all of the changes that I thought I would in the original spinach stuffed chicken recipe, so I guess I do know myself well!




What you'll need:
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, filleted so you have 4 thin pieces of chicken
1 cup thawed spinach or wilted fresh spinach
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tbsp Parmesan cheese
1 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
1 egg, beaten







1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and prepare a baking dish lined with tin foil and sprayed with cooking spray.
2. In a bowl mix together the spinach, Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese and a sprinkle of each salt, pepper, garlic salt, and Italian seasoning (I used Mrs.Dash). Give it a good mix. Also prepare your breading station. All you need is one bowl with the beaten egg and one shallow bowl with the breadcrumbs.
3. Heat a skillet on med-high heat with about 1 tbsp olive oil. Place a heaping spoonful of the spinach mixture onto the chicken breast and spread to cover in a thin layer. Then roll the chicken from end to end so the mixture is wrapped inside. Take the rolled chicken and dip it into the egg and then roll through the breadcrumbs to coat. Set the roll into the hot skillet
seam side down, allow it to sear shut then flip to get a crust on the other side, about 5 minutes per side. Once you flip the rolls over you may need to use a toothpick to ensure the roll stays secured.
4. Place the chicken rolls into the prepared baking dish and put into the oven for about 20-25 minutes until the chicken is crispy on the outside and the inside is reading at least 170 degrees. Top with a sprinkle of shredded cheese about 15 minutes into the baking process if desired.

I served this up with some instant mashed potatoes, because lets be honest, I had already outdone myself for the day.

Crispy fried tofu bites recipe

Now keep an open mind all of you non-believers. Tofu CAN be delicious, I promise. If I can get Eric to eat it and LOVE it...then it is possible. This recipe came from my all time FAVORITE restaurant in the whole world. It is a Japanese restaurant owned by my ex-boss at my first job. He is the person that inspired me to go into Dietetics in the first place and when he left our old place of work and opened his new restaurant there was just no question that he is an absolute GENIUS. I am telling you, whatever great sushi you think you have had, this will blow it out of the water. I mean look at that artwork!

Sorry, I could talk about that place all day. Back to the recipe. If you have never had tofu this is a great way to give it a try without and chance of ending up with jiggly tasteless blobs, because that can happen if you are experimenting with tofu for the first time. This is guaranteed to be crispy and flavorful, I mean its fried so how can you go wrong right?

What you'll need:
1 block extra firm tofu
1/2 cup corn starch
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1 egg
1 cup vegetable oil

1. First step should be to set up your breading station. You will need to put the cornstarch in a large bag, the egg in a shallow bowl and whisk it, the panko in another shallow bowl.
2. After your stations are set up you should start heating the oil over med-high heat. Use enough oil so that it is about 1/4 inch deep in your skillet. Do not leave the oil unattended. If it starts smoking it is getting too hot. It is perfect when you see a slight ripple on the surface of the oil.
3. Now cube your tofu into about 1/2 inch cubes. I like small cubes because they are nice crunchy little nuggets. But you can cut them to whatever size you see fit. Put your cubes into the bag with the cornstarch and give it a shake to coat them all. Then a few at a time dip them into the egg and then coat them in panko.
4. Now they are ready to be fried. put about half of your cubes into the oil and let them brown for about 3 minutes on one side and then flip them over so they can get crispy on the other. When they are nice and brown take them out and put them onto a paper towel.

Ok, now I am going to give you my secret recipe for Hanna sauce(creative name I know). This is the perfect combination of all the asian condiments that you most likely already have in your pantry(at least I know I do, because we put this stuff on EVERYTHING).
What you'll need:
1/4 cup kikkoman's terriyaki sauce(or whatever your favorite stir fry/terriyaki sauce is)
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sriracha

1. Stir ingredients up and eat it with everything!!

So pleaseeeee if you are ever curious about tofu but don't know where to start TRY THIS RECIPE. You will not be sorry. Eat it as a side dish or just a little snack. Enjoy : )