Seared chicken breast stuffed with spinach and basil

A long time ago, when my sister and I first started trying to eat healthier, we tried all sorts of products when they were new, but not necessarily in the stores. We had to order things by the case online like Kashi cereals, Krusteaz high fiber pancake mix, and one thing I want to talk about today, grape-seed oil.  If you haven’t tried grape-seed oil, its worth it to add to your pantry.  I know sometimes people who are dieting are scared of eating fat, but the benefits of grape-seed oil outweigh the calories and fat. For each tablespoon, it is only 120 calories, and 14 grams of fat.  BUT, 10 g. of fat is polyunsaturated, and 3 grams are monounsaturated or in other words, the good fat that will help raise your good cholesterol and lower the bad.  The other great feature is that it is a very neutral oil. It doesn’t overtake the flavor of the food you are cooking.  The other advantage of cooking with grape-seed oil is the high smoke point. It’s great for pan frying foods because you can get this oil up to 428 degrees and it won’t burn or smoke.   I found this recipe on www.spectrumorganics.com.  

• SEARED BONELESS BREAST OF CHICKEN STUFFED WITH SPINACH AND BASIL
• 4 ea. boneless chicken breasts
• 4 tablespoon Spectrum Spread
• 24 spinach leaves, very coarsely chopped.
• 16 large basil leaves
• 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 2-3 tablespoons Spectrum brand Grapeseed Oil. 
• Salt and ground pepper 

Lay the chicken breasts flat on your work surface. With a very sharp knife, create a pocket by cutting an incision horizontally through the middle of each breast, leaving it completely attached at one side. Heat a non-stick pan over low heat and add 1 tablespoon of Grapeseed Oil. Add the garlic, and simmer for one minute, add the spinach and basil until just wilted, about 45 seconds. Season with salt and pepper and allow to cool. Combine the Spread and the cooled spinach mixture. Stuff the chicken breasts with equal parts of this mixture. Wipe clean and re-heat the non-stick pan and place over moderate heat. Add the remaining Grapeseed oil. Cook the breasts over medium heat for approximately 4-5 minutes on each side or until the chicken is cooked and the spinach has heated through. Remove from the pan and allow to rest for 3-5 minutes. Serve.  I have served this with my roasted green beans.

Enjoy! 

Serving size:Serves 4