Chicken Saltimbocca

Have I mentioned before how much I adore Giada De Laurentiis? Because it's definitely worth mentioning again. She is one of my all time favorite chefs on the Food Network. Everything she makes is fairly easy but still somewhat challenging. You won't go completely out of your comfort zone cooking her recipes but she'll challenge and inspire you to try something new. At least that's what she does for me. I printed this recipe out ages ago and finally decided to try it. Really, it's not that complicated, just something fun and new to try.

What you'll need:
6 chicken cutlets, pounded flat
salt and pepper
6 thin slices of prosciutto
1 box frozen chopped spinach, thawed
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 can low-salt chicken broth (14 oz).*
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

* One thing I learned from watching Giada on TV is to always use low-salt/low-sodium chicken broth, that way you can control the amount of salt that is in your dish. You can always add a little bit more salt, but you can't take it away.

Pound your chicken cutlets flat and once that's done, sprinkle each with salt and pepper on both sides and lay flat. Place one slice of prosciutto on top of each piece of chicken.
Squeeze your spinach dry (or as dry as you can get it, it will still be moist either way). Place the spinach in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper then toss with 1 Tablespoon of olive oil until well coated.
Spread the spinach in an even layer over the prosciutto. Once that's done, sprinkle each chicken cutlet with Parmesan. Next, you'll need to roll up the chicken cutlets into jelly-roll looking rolls. This is why it's important to have the chicken as thin as possible. Roll up the chicken cutlets and secure with toothpicks. Don't be afraid to use three or four toothpicks in each. I had to use several toothpicks in each as no chicken cutlet will roll up perfectly.
While you are rolling up the chicken, heat the remaining 2 Tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet (make sure to use one that has a matching lid).

See what I mean about using a lot of toothpicks? Yeah, don't be shy.
Carefully cook each chicken bundle until golden brown, about 2 minutes on each side. You don't want to cook the chicken all the way through just yet. Once the chicken has a nice golden brown colour on each side, add the chicken broth and lemon juice and carefully scrape the browned bits off of the bottom of the pan. Bring the liquid to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium. Cover the pan and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 8 to 10 mins. Once the chicken is cooked through, transfer to a plate and drizzle some of the liquid over top.

Obviously I don't need to tell you this, but make sure you take the toothpicks out before you eat them! No one wants a toothpick stabbed in the roof of their mouth.

Eat it like this. Toothpick free and a little bit more Parmesan sprinkled on top. This dish would be one that is sure to impress company! Good luck, my friends.

Until next time,

xoxo
_A