My boyfriend came up with the cute and clever name for a date night in dinner we had a few weeks back. I think he enjoyed himself so much that he has begged me to make it every day off I have had since that night. My boyfriend and I try to keep things fun and romantic by treating ourself to a "out on the town" date night once a week, and then a "date night in" once a week. It has become kind of a tradition over the past year, where he usually treats on our date out and in return I make a delicious meal full of flavor and love at home. This dinner was simple to pull together but tasted like it came from a restaurant. We paired it with a Caesar Salad and delicious garlic bread a la Brian (my boyfriends contribution)
Love Chicken Recipe:
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts that have been butterflied out and pounded thinly
- Seasoned Flour (salt and pepper) and one egg in a separate bowl -- this will be the breading station
- 1 Cup of Ricotta - this is seasoned with garlic powder, crushed red pepper flakes: adjusted to your preferred heat level, lemon zest, salt and pepper, and just a tablespoon or two of Parmesan cheese
- One box of chopped frozen spinach that has been defrosted and then dried thoroughly
- Two Pieces of Prosciutto per chicken breast
The best way to create this dish is by making an assembly line. I find it goes much quicker and when I am hungry I want things to move along quickly. I start by combining the Ricotta mixture with the spinach. I should let you know that you want to use the zest of the lemon rather than the juice because the oil from the zest really permeates the mix and gives a lot of flavor with out thinning out the mixture. Set this aside.
Now on to breading the chicken. Dip the chicken in the seasoned flour and into the egg wash (beat one egg with a little bit of water) and then back into the flour. This double dip will create a nice brown crust. Pan fry the chicken breasts in olive oil just until you create a golden brown exterior. You are going to want to only cook part way because you will finish this dish in the oven (set at 350)Once chicken breasts have been browned and cooled we are going to start assembling the components of LOVE CHICKEN. Spread a generous amount of the ricotta mix on the chicken breast. Then overlap two pieces of the prosciutto so it will cover all of the chicken when it is wrapped. Put the chicken ricotta side down on the prosciutto and roll it up. Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes, this will allow the ricotta to get melty and the prosciutto to crisp up.
I served this with a delightful pan gravy I made: deglaze the frying pan with some chicken stock, butter and lemon juice, let it thicken and drizzle over the chicken.
Until next time, enjoy this with a loved one. Eat Laugh Love and Enjoy
Love Chicken Recipe:
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts that have been butterflied out and pounded thinly
- Seasoned Flour (salt and pepper) and one egg in a separate bowl -- this will be the breading station
- 1 Cup of Ricotta - this is seasoned with garlic powder, crushed red pepper flakes: adjusted to your preferred heat level, lemon zest, salt and pepper, and just a tablespoon or two of Parmesan cheese
- One box of chopped frozen spinach that has been defrosted and then dried thoroughly
- Two Pieces of Prosciutto per chicken breast
The best way to create this dish is by making an assembly line. I find it goes much quicker and when I am hungry I want things to move along quickly. I start by combining the Ricotta mixture with the spinach. I should let you know that you want to use the zest of the lemon rather than the juice because the oil from the zest really permeates the mix and gives a lot of flavor with out thinning out the mixture. Set this aside.
Now on to breading the chicken. Dip the chicken in the seasoned flour and into the egg wash (beat one egg with a little bit of water) and then back into the flour. This double dip will create a nice brown crust. Pan fry the chicken breasts in olive oil just until you create a golden brown exterior. You are going to want to only cook part way because you will finish this dish in the oven (set at 350)Once chicken breasts have been browned and cooled we are going to start assembling the components of LOVE CHICKEN. Spread a generous amount of the ricotta mix on the chicken breast. Then overlap two pieces of the prosciutto so it will cover all of the chicken when it is wrapped. Put the chicken ricotta side down on the prosciutto and roll it up. Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes, this will allow the ricotta to get melty and the prosciutto to crisp up.
I served this with a delightful pan gravy I made: deglaze the frying pan with some chicken stock, butter and lemon juice, let it thicken and drizzle over the chicken.
Until next time, enjoy this with a loved one. Eat Laugh Love and Enjoy
