Stuffed chicken

Thank you so much for your sweet comments about the Fitness Magazine win and to those of you who entered the cookbook giveaway! I was cracking up reading your kitchen disaster stories. It made me feel better because I have them fairly often 😉

Congratulations to the lucky winner:

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Please send me your info (fitnessista at gmail dot com) and I’ll forward it to the lovely author 🙂

Stay tuned for more fun giveaways in the near future! (Hint: the blogiversary is coming up….)

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Last night, I was so excited to take a baby meal over to a friend from work. She had her baby last Wednesday, so I texted her to see if it would be ok if I stopped by with dinner.

baby meal6

Stuffed chicken, Greek lentil and quinoa salad, oaties

The chicken is super easy, and one of my favorites for baby meals or last-minute dinner company. It looks elegant, is quick to put together and tastes amazing.

chicken2 (See Bella’s chicken tenders on the right side? Haha)

 

Stuffed chicken

Serves 4

-4 chicken breasts

-2 oz goat cheese

-4 T sundried tomatoes in olive oil

-fresh spinach

-seasonings: garlic, olive oil, sea salt, pepper, dried thyme and oregano

-lemon slices

1. Pre-heat the oven to 375*. Grease a baking dish or roasting pan with olive oil

2. Using a sharp knife, cut a horizontal pocket in each chicken breast, . I like to press down on the top and cut at the same time.

3. Stuff each one with a palmful of spinach, 1 heaping tablespoon of goat cheese and 1 heaping tablespoon of sundried tomatoes.

4. Press down to seal, and coat the top with olive oil, minced garlic, 1/4 t each of dried thyme and oregano (for each chicken breast), and season well with salt and pepper.

5. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until done. (I like to check with a meat thermometer – don’t have to slice it open to check and the chicken doesn’t get dried out from overcooking)

6. Top with lemon slices and serve.

To go with the chicken, I made some Greek-style quinoa salad and added a pack of steamed lentils from Trader Joe’s (instead of chickpeas) to beef it up a little. I packed everything up, headed to their house and it was so much fun stopping by to chat with my friend and her hubby. Their baby is absolutely perfect. It’s hard to believe that Liv was that tiny 4 months ago!

greek lentils and quinoa

I took a giant container over to my friends’ house and we also have a huge container in the fridge for snacks and lunches this week.

An added bonus about making a baby meal was that we had to exact same thing for dinner, so dinner was served when the Pilot got home.

This morning, I’m taking care of some things around the house while Liv naps, and then we’re off to the pediatrician for her 4 month shots :/ It will probably be a snoozy and snuggly day- her 4 month update will publish on the Family page this afternoon.

Have a great day, friends! <3

xoxo

Gina

Something to talk about: Impromptu dinner party! What do you make?

Something to do: Don’t forget to enjoy a #smoothieaday today! I’m excited to make a Green-a-colada later 🙂

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39 Comments

  1. Laura @ She Eats Well on May 8, 2012 at 12:54 pm

    That greek quinoa salad looks so good! I love the added lentils for extra protein! I think the gesture of baby meals is so nice and thoughtful. Good karma all around.

  2. Kristen on May 8, 2012 at 12:57 pm

    That dinner looks great. My quick last minute party food is either chips and a dip of some sort or a colorful pasta salad- sometimes I add chicken.

    My baby had his 2 month shots yesterday. My hubby was supposed to go with us and ended up having all day in-service at the firehall. I told him he did that on purpose so that I have to be the bad guy! It was definitely a snugly rest of the day…fine by me! Love me some baby snuggles!

  3. jodie on May 8, 2012 at 1:00 pm

    Congrats to the winner. That entire meal looks awesome. Definitely going to try both recipes. We will be getting a Trader Joes soon, so I will be able to try the steamed lentils. Also, I am going for my Zumba Cert.:)

    Have a great rest of the day.

  4. Brittany on May 8, 2012 at 1:12 pm

    I am definitely making this chicken for dinner! And I really look forward to your cookbook someday!!
    What are your thoughts on publishing that soon?! LOL
    Costco now sells prepared quinoa salad and it’s really good!!! It’s near the prepared foods by the rotisserie chickens. I would rather make my own but this is a nice go-to when I don’t prep on the weekend.
    Good luck with the shots today! 🙂

  5. Megan - NewlyWife on May 8, 2012 at 1:12 pm

    That looks amazing! Thanks for sharing the recipe!

  6. Melissa on May 8, 2012 at 1:12 pm

    That chicken looks delish!

    I love to make buffalo chicken dip (which I use mostly lower fat ingredients) or a goey yummy dessert. I’m a much better baker than cook!

  7. Patti @ This Starts Tonight on May 8, 2012 at 1:15 pm

    Impromptu dinner party! Depending on who’s coming, I either make BBQ/mozzarella/spinach/chicken quesadillas (boys, the picky) or gorgonzola/walnut/spinach strudel (for the “adventurous”). Both are super easy, ultra delicious and use cooking spray instead of butter and baking to take down the calorie count. And everyone could use more spinach in their life. :p

  8. Julie on May 8, 2012 at 1:16 pm

    That looks amazing! For the chicken, how much olive oil and minced garlic do you use to coat each chicken breast? Thanks!

    • Fitnessista on May 8, 2012 at 1:18 pm

      about 1/2 T oil and 1/2 t or so of garlic (i LOVE garlic, though) 😉

  9. Rachel on May 8, 2012 at 1:31 pm

    One thing I’ve tried to find information about lately, has been the shelf-life (or fridge-life, actually) of foods that could be made ahead of time for lunches. Fitness experts say they prepare chicken and quinoa for the upcoming week, but does it really last that long in the fridge? I would love if you could write something about foods that are good to make ahead and store in the fridge, and how long they last.

    On another note, your “baby meals” always look so good! I love that you make them healthy foods….

    • Stella on May 8, 2012 at 4:00 pm

      I agree with Rachel, I am also recently thinking about the lifetime of food in the fridge, especially since I read your post two? days ago about the chopped veggies for the week in your fridge. I am always so insecure wih such things.. I know I could just try it.. but it would be lovely if you share some of your experiences about long lasting healthy food!

      • Julie on May 8, 2012 at 5:18 pm

        I grill chicken breasts to use for salads later in the week, & I wrap them in foil & then seal in a ziploc bag in the fridge & they literally last up to 3 weeks!

  10. Jenn @ Run It My Way on May 8, 2012 at 1:32 pm

    YUMMMM!!! That chicken and quinoa dish looks AMAZING, I’m bookmarking this to make soon! Thanks so much for sharing 🙂

  11. Angela @ Eat Spin Run Repeat on May 8, 2012 at 1:36 pm

    Snap on the stuffed chicken – I’m having that tonight! For impromptu dinner parties.. hmm… I’d go with something like that Greek quinoa you’ve got there! Good for vegetarians and vegans (well, if there’s no feta in it that is). Another one I like to bring to potlucks is a spinach salad with strawberries, pecans, and a fruit or maple infused balsamic. So delicious!

  12. Averie @ Averie Cooks on May 8, 2012 at 1:37 pm

    Good luck at the pedi’s. Those checkups can be a little draining sometimes, for both baby and mama. So many questions I always felt like I was forgetting something “really important” I wanted to ask, but couldn’t remember on command what it was…ha!

    Great dinner!

  13. Lena @Fit on the Rocks on May 8, 2012 at 1:56 pm

    The stuffed chicken looks SOOOOO good! It doesn’t help that it’s about lunchtime over here. Luckily, I rarely have impromptu dinner parties, but I usually see what I have lying around and come up with something. A good salad always does the trick if it’s REALLY short notice.

  14. Catalina @ Cake with Love on May 8, 2012 at 2:02 pm

    I love stuffed chicken and this recipe sounds really good, I hope the next giveaway will consist of MACAROONS!! 🙂

  15. Bee @ thebusybeewrites on May 8, 2012 at 2:06 pm

    That looks amazing!! I’m about to check my fridge for goat cheese and sun dried toms!

  16. Amber @ Busy, Bold, Blessed on May 8, 2012 at 2:12 pm

    That chicken sounds amazing! I love simple no-fail recipes 🙂 Perhaps I’ll whip this up to take over to my friend who’s a new mama!

  17. Yaara on May 8, 2012 at 2:40 pm

    Hey Gina! I posted this youtube on your FB page–but I wanted to make sure you saw it. It’s so moving–it had me bawling like a baby! I thought you’d enjoy it as it portrays the power and determination of a man who had lost hope but then found it again! It is truly beautiful.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qX9FSZJu448&feature=youtube_gdata_player

  18. Kelly @ Laughter, Strength, and Food on May 8, 2012 at 3:11 pm

    Loving the dinner! I make a version of a Greek quinoa salad and it’s one of my favorites! 🙂

  19. Catherine on May 8, 2012 at 3:17 pm

    Impromptu dinner party: Roast any vegetable (brussels sprouts are my fave for this) for 20 minutes at 425 (turning once) and serve on top of a bed of marinara and polenta – I make the polenta creamy with almond milk, vegan mayo, and italian herbs. Delicious vegan italian in 20 minutes!

  20. Stephanie @ Legally Blinde on May 8, 2012 at 3:20 pm

    That baby meal looks SO delicious! Yum!! And I’m sure they really appreciated having a homemade meal to enjoy. Hope the shots go okay :/

  21. Lisa on May 8, 2012 at 3:31 pm

    That stuffed chicken looks so good! I have never stuffed chicken on my own before. And this looks simple enough, so I’m sure I couldn’t screw it up that bad! Good luck with Liv’s 4 month shot! I can imagine it will be super tough to watch, but hopefully it will go just fine! Have a great day!

  22. Kim @ HealthyNest on May 8, 2012 at 3:32 pm

    That chicken looks amazing! To be honest, the thought of an impromptu dinner party scares the bazooka out of me! I need at least a week to obsess over the menu and triple guess my choices. 🙂 In the end, I’d suggest we grill out, which makes the whole thing instantly casual and easy!

  23. Brett Marie on May 8, 2012 at 4:07 pm

    Impromptu dinner party= a risotto. I always have arborio rice, veggie stock, almond milk, & frozen peas on hand, and it’s wayyyy easier than most people think. With that, you’re half-way home. I add in whatever other veggies are in the fridge and some shrimp from the freezer if we have it ( Shrimp & asparagus risotto w peas is always a winner).

  24. Whitney @ Whit Likes Fit on May 8, 2012 at 4:23 pm

    That quinoa salad looks delicious. Gonna have to try that. My impromptu dinner would definitely involve shrimp. It’s super easy to thaw quickly (as opposed to chicken). I’d probably go with shrimp tacos with my favorite black bean & corn salsa (we buy beans and corn in bulk from costco) or a shrimp, goat cheese, broccoli & penne pasta. Which is actually what I’m making for dinner tonight 🙂

  25. [New Balance] Nicole on May 8, 2012 at 5:32 pm

    Stuffed chicken is so good! sounds like the perfect dinner 🙂

  26. Maura @ My Healthy 'Ohana on May 8, 2012 at 6:38 pm

    You are so sweet to bring dinner for your friend…I remember that making a huge difference to me when we first had our baby 🙂 That looks so delicious and healthy! For an impromptu dinner party, I love to make Cooking Light’s quick chicken corn chowder with some crusty bread and a salad.

  27. kari on May 8, 2012 at 7:36 pm

    i love quinoa too and will be making this recipe later this week.

  28. Chelsea @ One Healthy Munchkin on May 8, 2012 at 9:03 pm

    Mmm I’ve made a similar stuffed chicken recipe before and it’s so good! I love the looks of that salad too.

    I’ve never had an impromptu dinner party before… I think that would stress me out! Haha. But I’d probably run out to the store and buy some salmon, then grill it alongside some veggies with a loaf of fresh bakery bread!

  29. Kate on May 8, 2012 at 9:42 pm

    My standbys are grilled burgers when it’s warm and homemade pizza in the cold months!

  30. mi-an d. on May 9, 2012 at 7:32 am

    mmm that salad looks good!! i just got back from my 530 (Am!) boot camp and having a smoothie now! almond milk, banana, frozen mango, sunwarrior, chia seeds and amazing green grass.. so good!

  31. Chelsa on May 9, 2012 at 9:28 am

    wow that chicken looks so good. I think I’ll make it for dinner tonight. Thanks for the recipe 🙂

  32. Kelli on May 9, 2012 at 12:18 pm

    That looks like the perfect baby meal. Coincidentally, quinoa tabbouleh is what we are having for dinner tonight! Lots of fresh veggies w/shrimp & feta tossed in make it an easy 1 dish healthy meal, & it’s oneof my favorites.
    My standby last minute dinner guest meals are grilling out something & making a big salad & roast veggies, or when it is cold homemade pasta or homemade pizza. I love last minute company!

  33. Marisol on May 24, 2012 at 8:59 pm

    Decided to try out the yummy chicken recipe but since im not a big fan of tomatoes, i switched em out with roasted bell pepper and added some marinated artichokes…..talk about heaven! Thanks Gina for the wonderful dinner ideas! Keep em coming!!!

    • Fitnessista on May 24, 2012 at 9:08 pm

      i’m so glad you liked it!

  34. Bonnie on October 31, 2012 at 9:53 am

    Planning on making this for a friend soon– do you tell them to eat the chicken cold, or heated up?

  35. I never thought I’d be able to say this on October 20, 2014 at 8:43 pm

    […] basil quinoa cups, energy bites, and fruit—plus Fitnessista’s goat cheese/spinach/sundried tomato stuffed chicken, which is unpictured because I’d already packed […]

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