Chicken and Spinach Roulades

Fresh spinach, roasted red pepper, ricotta and a touch of Parmesan together make a fantastic filling for tender chicken roulades. Braised in stock and vermouth and served with asparagus, chicken and spinach roulades make an elegant, attractive dish.

Source: Cook Smart for a Healthy Heart, Reader’s Digest Canada

 

Servings Prep Time Cook Time
4servings 30minutes 35minutes
Servings Prep Time
4servings 30minutes
Cook Time
35minutes
Ingredients
Servings: servings
Units:
Ingredients
Servings: servings
Units:
Instructions
  1. Roll out the chicken with a rolling pin into rough squares about 5 mm thick. Set aside.
  2. Place the spinach in a large pan, with just the water remaining from washing. Cover and cook for 2 minutes or until wilted. Drain well, squeezing out all the excess liquid, then chop the spinach finely and place in a large bowl.
  3. Preheat the broiler. Broil the red pepper quarters, skin side up, until the skin is charred. Transfer to a plastic bag and seal. When cool enough to handle, peel and dice.
  4. Add the red pepper to the spinach together with the ricotta, egg, Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, basil and nutmeg. Season with pepper. Mix well. Divide the filling among the chicken slices, spreading it over them evenly. Roll up each one, folding in the sides to enclose the filling, and secure with wooden cocktail sticks or skewers. Place the roulades in a frying pan and pour over the vermouth and stock. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
  5. Remove the chicken and spinach roulades from the pan and keep hot. Bring the liquid back to a boil and boil until reduced. Stir in the sour cream and boil for a further 1–2 minutes or until thickened.
  6. While the liquid is reducing, cook the asparagus spears in boiling water for 2–3 minutes or until just tender. Drain, refresh with cold water and keep warm.
  7. Remove and discard the cocktail sticks from the chicken and spinach roulades, then cut into neat slices. Serve garnished with the asparagus spears and with the sauce drizzled around.
Recipe Notes

Per serving: 426 calories, 42 g protein, 21 g total fat, 10 g saturated fat, 191 mg cholesterol, 7 g total carbohydrate, 5 g sugars, 3 g fibre, 345 mg sodium

Asparagus is a rich source of many of the B vitamins, especially folate. New research suggests that folate may have a role in helping to protect against heart disease.