Skinny Stuffed Chicken with Zucchini Pappardelle “Pasta”

Skinny Stuffed Chicken with Zucchini Pappardelle “Pasta”: Submitted by: Kimmo Vallema | Date Added: 18 Dec 2020 Ingredients:

Chicken

Olive oil cooking spray

4 chicken breast halves (5 ounces, or 140 g each)

1/2 teaspoon each salt and fresh-ground black pepper

3/4 cup (175 g) plain low-fat Greek yogurt, divided

1/3 cup (40 g) crumbled feta cheese

3 cloves garlic, minced (or 2 teaspoons, or 6 g, prepared minced garlic)

1 1/4 teaspoons oregano, divided

1 cup (130 g) chopped frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed against a double-mesh sieve to remove excess moisture

1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh-squeezed lemon juice

2 tablespoons (6 g) whole-wheat panko bread crumbs

1 tablespoon (9 g) almond meal, optional (we like Bob’s Red Mill)

Zucchini Noodles

4 medium zucchini, ends trimmed

1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil

1/4 teaspoon each salt and fresh-ground black pepper

Cooking Instructions:

To make the chicken: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C, or gas mark 4). Spray an 11 × 7-inch (28 × 18-cm) baking dish lightly with olive oil and set aside.

Place the chicken breasts between two sheets of waxed paper and pound with a mallet until they are about 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick. Sprinkle evenly with salt and pepper.

In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup (115 g) of the yogurt, feta, garlic, 3/4 teaspoon of the oregano, spinach, and lemon juice. Spread one-fourth of the spinach filling down the center of each piece of chicken. Roll the chicken up, tucking in the ends, and pin them together with toothpicks that have been soaked in water. Place them seam-side down in the prepared baking dish. In a small bowl, toss together the remaining 1/2 teaspoon oregano, panko crumbs, and almond meal. Spread 1 tablespoon (15 g) of the remaining yogurt onto each piece of chicken, and sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over all four pieces. Bake, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the toothpicks before serving.

To make the zucchini noodles: While the chicken is baking, using a mandolin, slice the zucchini lengthwise into long, thin ribbons (for “stronger” noodles, do this on three or four sides and discard the central core of seeds). Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Lay the zucchini slices gently in the pan and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Cover and cook, turning gently a few times for even cooking (tongs work best for this), for about 9 minutes, or until very tender but not falling apart. Serve one stuffed chicken breast over one-fourth of the zucchini noodles.