Prosciutto Chicken

One of the problems that people face when they are trying to eat healthy is that the chicken breast, one of the greatest sources of lean protein, can get awfully boring and bland if you don't mix it up once in a while.  Give this recipe a try.  I made it up on the fly last night for the family.  It has all the right mix for making it part of your regular menu:  simple, only a few ingredients, and takes less than 15 minutes of actual work time to prepare dinner for 4.

Supplies:

Boning knife (that's the one that's a little longer than a steak knife)

Tongs

Large frying pan

9 x 12 baking pan, layered with aluminum foil

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons of olive oil

Salt

4 large chicken breasts

4 slices of proscuitto ham (You can get this at the deli counter.  It's expensive, but you only need 4 slices.  DO NOT BUY A WHOLE POUND UNLESS YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO DO WITH THE OTHER 90 OR SO SLICES!)

4 ounces fresh parmesan cheese, shredded

Fresh salsa  (This is nothing more than a mixture of fresh chopped onions, tomatoes and peppers.  You can find it in your local grocery store.  Stop & Shop keeps theirs at the back of the produce section near the hummus.)

Methods:

Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees.

Pre-heat pan on stove top, over medium heat, with 2 TBS of olive oil and a pinch of salt.

Using a boning knife, cut a pocket in the chicken breasts along the long slide, leaving 3 sides closed.

Stuff the pocket with 1 slice of ham, 1 ounce of cheese and round out with salsa.

Place breasts 2 at a time in pan on stove.  Turn after 3 minutes.  This will give the chicken a nice crispy, golden look.

Remove from pan after 3 more minutes and place in baking dish.

Repeat process with the other 2 breasts.

Bake in oven for 20 minutes.

Remove from oven, pour remaining salsa over the top of chicken and return to oven for 15 more minutes.

Serve this up on a bed of spinach for a complete meal.

Including one serving of raw baby spinach, here's the macronutrient breakdown on this meal, according to Fitday:

Calories:  398

Fat:  20 grams (44% of total cal.)

Carbohydrates:  8 grams (8%)

Protein:  46 (48%)

Train Smart, Eat Right

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