Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast

If you like Spanakopita (Greek spinach pie) you will love this chicken! Spinach pie filling stuffed inside a chicken breast, baked to perfection, oh my!


2 small size chicken breasts, skinless, boneless
Salt
Pepper

Filling:
1 tbsp butter
1 small onion, finely sliced
1 garlic clove, chopped
3 large mushroom, sliced
1/2 cup chopped spinach, frozen-thawed and squeezed
3/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled(or mozzerella cheese)
1 pinch red pepper, crushed
Salt
Pepper

Coating:
1 tbsp butter, melted
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1 pinch red pepper


Prepare the Filling:

Saute the onion with butter and salt for about few minutes in a pan. Add the garlic and saute until the smell of garlic comes out. Add the mushrooms saute for about 5 more minutes. Add the spinach, red pepper, salt and black pepper and turn the heat off. When it is cool down add feta cheese(or Parmesan cheese), toss.

Cut a pocket in side of each chicken breast, taking care not to cut through top or bottom of chicken. Stuff cheese mixture into chicken, pressing edges together to enclose stuffing. Place chicken on a foil-lined baking sheet. Brush the breasts with olive oil and season with the Italian seasoning, pinch salt and pepper.

                                         small piece of spinach stuffed chicken+ salad :-)

Health Benefits of Spinach

We all know that Popeye made himself super strong by eating spinach, but you may be surprised to learn that he may also have been helping to protect himself against inflammatory problems, oxidative stress-related problems, cardiovascular problems, bone problems, and cancers at the same time.

 

Diet
One cup of spinach has nearly 20% of the RDA of dietary fiber, which aids in digestion, prevents constipation, maintains low blood sugar, and curbs overeating.

Cancer
Flavonoids -- a phytonutrient with anti-cancer properties abundant in spinach -- have been shown to slow down cell division in human stomach and skin cancer cells. Furthermore, spinach has shown significant protection against the occurrence of aggressive prostate cancer.

Anti-Inflammatory
Neoxanthin and violaxanthin are two anti-inflammatory epoxyxanthophylls that play an important role in regulation of inflammation and are present in unusual amounts in spinach.

Antioxidants
The vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, manganese, zinc and selenium present in spinach all serve as powerful antioxidants that combat the onset of osteoporosis, atherosclerosis and high blood pressure.
Blood Pressure
By inhibiting the angiotensin I-converting enzyme, peptides within spinach have been shown to effectively lower blood pressure.

Vision
Both antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin are especially plentiful in spinach and protect the eye from cataracts and age-related macular degeneration.

Immunity
One cup of spinach contains over 337% of the RDA of vitamin A that not only protects and strengthens "entry points" into the human body, such as mucous membranes, respiratory, urinary and intestinal tracts, but is also a key component of lymphocytes (or white blood cells) that fight infection.

Skin
The high amount of vitamin A in spinach also promotes healthy skin by allowing for proper moisture retention in the epidermis, thus fighting psoriasis, keratinization, acne and even wrinkles.

Bones
One cup of boiled spinach provides over 1000% of the RDA of vitamin K that can prevent excess activation of osteoclasts (the cells that break down bones), as well as promote the synthesis of osteocalcin, the protein that is essential for maintaining the strength and density of our bones.

Calcification
Vitamin K is a crucial component of the process called carboxylation, which produces the matrix Gla protein that directly prevents calcium from forming in tissue. Eating one cup of spinach contributes to this process that fights atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease and stroke.

Brain and Nervous Function
The abundance of vitamin K in spinach contributes greatly to a healthy nervous system and brain function by providing an essential part for the synthesis of sphingolipids, the crucial fat that makes up the Myelin sheath around our nerves.