Pollo Con Ricotta Di Basil

 

 

    

 

      

 

Ughhhhhhhh…I feel gross!! Between Thanksgiving and a High School reunion I have been pigging out all weekend. This week I have something very special for you ; Pollo con Ricotta di Basil( chicken stuffed with a basil ricotta). It’s a very simple ,fragrant, light Italian dish that will cost you all of $10.00 to make and serves 4!! These cheese stuffed pockets of love are baked in the oven and then served over some lightly fried eggplant and topped with a tangy tomato balsamic salad .( If you are not feeling the eggplant go with a fresh salad and use the tomato salad as your dressing… or if you need a meal with a bit more of a substance you can always serve with some simple bow tie pasta tossed with some olive oil and left over basil..)

This is a dish I have served many times when I have my friends over for dinner…the prep time is nothing!!!Also, they can be made a day in advance!! So you can have them ready to cook the night before and ready to throw in the oven just as the guests arrive! I would recommend going to market basket for this dish… The basil , which can run you 2-3 dollars for a bunch can be bought for a mere 99cents as well as the ricotta and eggplant both for 1-2 bucks! That can cut your costs down significantly. I would pretty much recommend market basket for any ethnic recipe that requires ingredients you may not have on hand. You can go into the Goya section and buy spice packets for under a dollar and that’s better than 4-5 dollars for some spices you may use once or twice this year!!

Ingredients:

4 chicken cutlets

1 egg plant (sliced into 8-12 slices)

1 small container part-skim ricotta cheese

1 bunch basil

4 eggs (one for ricotta/3 for eggplant)

1 tsp garlic

2 cups dried bread crumbs Italian style

¼ cup canola oil

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

1 tsp olive oil

PREP(can be done the night before)

1-In a food processor mix together egg, basil, garlic and ricotta cheese. Spoon about 1-1/2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture on each chicken piece. Fold in long sides of chicken piece, then roll up from short end. Place chicken rolls, seam side down into a baking dish. Cover with foil and refrigerate for 2 to 24 hours.

2-Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Dip eggplant slices in egg, then in crumbs, and place in hot oil. Fry 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Place on plate and wrap tightly until needed)

3-Dice 1 large tomato place in bowl with sea salt and ground pepper to taste, and ¼ cup balsamic vinegar and 1 tsp olive oil. Cover and chill overnight.

 

Before serving, bake, covered, in a 375 degree F oven for 30 minutes or until no longer pink… Plate 2-3 egg plant slices on each plate then top with hot chicken rolls and top with tomato salad.