Chicken Spinach Ricotta And Hazelnut Balls Food

SPINACH RICOTTA CHICKEN BAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Coat a 8-by-8 baking dish with olive oil spray.
• Cook chicken in a skillet until just starting to brown.
• Place the spinach in the middle of a clean dishtowel. Fold up the towel over the spinach and wring out as much moisture as possible.
• Place the spinach in a large mixing bowl.
• Add the ricotta, Parmesan, egg whites, garlic powder and nutmeg. Stir well.
• Move spinach mixture to the prepared dish over top of the chicken. With the back of a spoon, spread it out to uniformly fill the dish.
• Bake for 20 minutes, or until is hot throughout and the top begins to brown.
• Let stand for five minutes to slightly cool.
• Place the sauce in sauce pan. Heat until warm.
• Spoon sauce over chicken-spinach-ricotta bake.
• Serve immediately.

CHICKEN SPINACH RICOTTA AND HAZELNUT BALLS

Steps:

• Steam the chicken breast for 30 minutes.
• Remove the middle stem of the spinach, wash and drain.
• Reserve 20 nice looking spinach leaves ( or more if you have small leaves, better than having to go back to the shop like me!) Cook them 30 seconds, 3 or 4 at the time (to avoid them getting damaged) and dress them flat on a plate.
• Cook the rest of spinach in a little water with a lid for 4/5 minutes or until cooked.
• Drain the spinach and chop with a knife.
• Separate the chicken with your hands as much as you can and finish by cutting with a knife.
• Crush the hazelnut in a pestle and mortar.
• Tear the tarragon leaves in pieces.
• Mix all the ingredients above with the ricotta and form balls in any size you like! Small for snacks or starter or bigger for a meal.
• Envelop each ball delicately in a spinach leaf.
• This dish can be prepared in advance as you just need to steam the chicken balls for 3 minutes. Finish with a few sesame seeds on the top.
• I serve this dish with rice.
• The possibilities are endless, you can even use blue cheese mixed with a little ricotta, if you like.
• Bon Appetit!

SPINACH RICOTTA-STUFFED CHICKEN BREASTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375ºF (190ºC).
• Stuffing: In large skillet, heat butter over medium heat; cook onion and garlic stirring often, for 3 to 5 minutes or until softened.
• Add spinach, parsley and basil; cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes or until spinach wilts and moisture evaporates.
• Let cool completely.
• In bowl, mix spinach mixture, ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses, egg yolk, salt, nutmeg and pepper.
• Using sharp knife, bone chicken, leaving skin attached.
• Gently loosen skin from 1 long side of each breast, leaving skin attached at curved side.
• Stuff about 1/4 cup (50 mL) stuffing under skin, pressing to spread evenly.
• Tuck ends of skin and meat underneath.
• Place on greased rack in foil-lined pan.
• Brush with butter.
• Bake in oven, basting occasionally, for about 35 minutes or until golden and chicken is no longer pink inside.

SPINACH AND RICOTTA ROLLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 200C (390F) fan forced or 220C (435/430F) convectional, please note that there can be slight variations between ovens.
• Heat oil in a fry pan, add onion and fry gently for 2 minutes, add spinach and pinenuts and season with salt and pepper to taste and cook for 5 minutes.
• Let cool.
• Add ricotta and mix thoroughly and then add the lightly beaten egg and mix well together.
• Place pastry sheets on a flat surface and cut in half.
• Spoon or pipe spinach mixture along the length of each half of the pastry and brush water down the length of the other side and roll up like a sausage roll, repeat with other sheets of pastry and mix.
• Cut to preferred size (I like to cut into 4 to make mini rolls about 6cm long).
• Put a couple of slits in each roll (to allow steam to escape).
• Place on baking tray/sheet seam side down.
• Put in oven and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.