Rolled Chicken and Zucchini
Yield: 3 servings (2 pieces of chicken each)
- This recipe needs a good bit of time, so don't make it on a day where you don't have the time. I also used my mandolin and my mallet.
- However, you could make them ahead of time and put them in the fridge. I don't recommend freezing this one. The chicken maybe, but definitely not the zucchini.
- I wanted to do the zucchini portion of this, but couldn't find it at the grocery store. The zucchini were nice little bites, but the eggplant would have been larger.
- These zucchini rolls could definitely be an appetizer or something for a snack. I plan on making some of these and the eggplant today and putting them in my fridge for me to snack on throughout the week.
- For the chicken, you can use whatever kind of cheese you would like. If you're lactose intolerant, then cut a stick of margarine into smaller pieces and use them to stuff it. Also, if you're lactose intolerant, the goat cheese should be okay for you (or at least not as bad).
Ingrediants:
6 chicken breasts (and again, these are the portioned chicken breasts I spoke about earlier, not the monstrous ones you buy at the store)
6 zucchini
Marinara Sauce (recipe listed under Introduction)
Italian Cheese Blend (I use the blend from Aldi with Part Skim Mozzarella, Provolone, Romano, Asiago and Parmesan Cheeses)
4 oz Goat Cheese (Again, I get this at Aldi. For this recipe I prefer the already seasoned Garlic and Herb)
Seasoning:
Italian Herbs - blend 1/2 tbsp of each: oregano, basil, marjoram, thyme & rosemary
Garlic Powder
Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
Salt
Directions:
1) Turn oven up to 350 degrees.
2) Fill a small pot about halfway full with water, salt and put lid on. Turn heat up to high. Make sure to salt the water. This will not only season your zucchini, but it will also make it bright green! I also recommend using a small bowl because the water bowls quicker (small area to heat and less water!)
3) Cut the end off your zucchini. Use your mandolin to cut the zucchini into super thin slices. Hint: Unless you have an industrial slicer, or a huge mandolin, your zucchini will not fit all the way in your mandolin, but you need one long solid slice from it. I found that holding the mandolin vertically with one hand and slicing with the other worked beautifully. Laying it down just didn't work.
4) The water should be boiling by this point. Layer a couple paper towels on a plate. About 4 slices at a time, put the zucchini slices in the boiling water. They only need to be in there for about 1 minute, if that. Use tongs to pull them out and place them on the paper towels. Repeat the process, including putting more paper towels between layers, until all the zucchini has been blanched.
5) Put the plate of zucchini in the fridge to cool off while you prep the chicken.
6) Place two pieces of chicken between 2 pieces of plastic wrap on a cutting board. Use the mallet (flat side) and pound chicken about 1/8 of an inch thick. Repeat this process until all the chicken is pounded.
7) Season the inside of the breasts with the Italian Seasoning, Garlic Powder, Salt & Pepper. Sprinkle the inside of the chicken with the Italian Cheeses. Roll each breast up. Season the outside of the rolled breast with the seasonings.
8) In a saute pan, add oil and turn the heat about medium-high. Sear all the sides of each chicken roll, starting with the bottom first. If you don't do this, the roll will fall apart. Also, make sure you have enough oil or it will stick and fall apart.
9) Once you've seared the chicken, put them in a oven-safe dish, top with more cheese, and put into the oven. Let cook for 15 minutes.
10) During the 15 minutes, remove the zucchini from the fridge. Place 6 pieces or so on a cutting board. Use a paper towel and pat the pieces dry. Using a butter knife, spread the goat cheese on each zucchini. Roll them up and voila! Repeat until all the zucchini is done.
11) Mine timed perfectly. As soon as I finished my zucchini, the chicken was done. When I plated the dinner, I put marinara on top of the chicken. I also dipped the zucchini in some of the marinara too!
Next time I make this:
- I wouldn't change too much about this dish. I might experiment and try it with different types of cheese. I think I might try it with fresh mozzarella next time.
- I do however want to make eggplant rolls instead of zucchini sometime soon.
I hope you like this recipe. If you have you own ideas and improvements to them, just comment so I can try them myself! :)
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