Home ยป Tantalizing Trio: Spinach, Feta, and Pine Nuts

Tantalizing Trio: Spinach, Feta, and Pine Nuts

I knew it all along, but my co-workers confirmed it: Mr. Prevention is spoiled. Rotten!

As I tore out must-make recipes from the latest issue of Cooking Light at the lunch table yesterday, people inquired. “Do you make these recipes?” Yes. “You cook every night?” Most nights.

Your husband is spoiled…

True story! 😉

Chicken Stuffed with Spinach, Feta, and Pine Nuts from Cooking Light

5 ounces fresh spinach, chopped
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
4  (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 teaspoon  salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°.

Heat a large nonstick ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add spinach to pan; cook 1 minute or until spinach wilts, tossing constantly. Place spinach in a colander; press until barely moist. Wipe pan clean.

Combine spinach, cheese, nuts, thyme, juice, and garlic. Cut a horizontal slit through the thickest portion of each chicken breast half to form a pocket. Stuff 3 tablespoons filling into each pocket. Seal with wooden picks. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.

Heat oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 3 minutes on each side or until brown. Add broth, and cover pan. Place pan in oven. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until done. Serves 4.

Nutrition Information (per serving): 297 calories; 11.6 g. fat (3.4 saturated; 4.4 monounsaturated; 2.4 polyunsaturated); 111 mg. cholesterol; 493 mg. sodium; 3.4 g. carbohydrate; 1.2 g. fiber; 43.3 g. protein

Result: Mr. Prevention was a big fan of this dish — he said it was a great mixture of flavors, and I concur. The spinach, feta, and pine nuts go beautifully together. I think next time I will just simmer the chicken stove-top instead of putting them in the oven. If the chicken breasts aren’t too big, I imagine the cooking time would be the same and it would save a step.

I served the chicken with fingerling and Peruvian purple potatoes. To me, purple potatoes are sweet and taste a little like a beet. I love them! Pigmented potatoes offer a variety of antioxidants based on their shade, so don’t hesitate to try different colored potatoes!

The carbohydrates in potatoes are also “complex” meaning they are a healthier form of carbohydrate because of their fiber content. Potatoes for so long have received a bad rep, and there’s just not much truth to potato rumors — they’re a nutrition power house and American staple! 😀

“Bath time for meeeee!?!?”

Question: What’s your favorite way to eat spuds? Butter? Sour cream? Roasted with garlic? Olive oil? Fried?

Happy day,

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33 Comments

  1. August 31, 2010 / 6:07 am

    i LOVE stuffed chicken!! its so so amazing and so flavorful! love this dish ๐Ÿ™‚

    fav way to eat potatoes is roasted with a little salt pepper and EVOO!

  2. August 31, 2010 / 6:19 am

    OMG, can I come be in your family? Hehe. Your husband is spoiled, but that’s great. I love that chicken dish… I have to make that. It’s all my favorite yummy things!

    I like potatoes and eat them a lot. I don’t think I have a favorite way to eat them because there are so many good ways!

  3. August 31, 2010 / 6:46 am

    Everyone always says my husband is spoiled too – especially the people he works with since I make his lunch too! I don’t care… I love it. ๐Ÿ™‚

  4. August 31, 2010 / 7:16 am

    It’s true, he IS spoiled!! I mean I make dinner for Nick every night, but it’s definitely not a new recipe each night, and in fact it tends to be one of three things; a burrito, eggs and toast (with some type of veggie), or a baked potato with stuff on top. He doesn’t seem to mind the monotony!

    This recipe sounds so delicious. Thanks for sharing it. I may just have to make it one day, but perhaps with blue cheese instead of feta. Nick and I are addicted to that stuff.

  5. August 31, 2010 / 8:12 am

    Totally saw this recipe in the Cooking Light magazine! It’s the best magazine ever! It looks really really good! I love baked sweet potato fries. That is the best way for me to eat potatoes.

  6. August 31, 2010 / 8:13 am

    That’s great that you make so many recipes so many days a week! I’d say your hubby is definitely a lucky man!

    I just experimented with microwaving a potato for the first time last night. Not my favorite, but it turned out to my surprise alright.

  7. August 31, 2010 / 8:13 am

    That chicken sounds sooo good! The tastiest potatoes are au gratin, though I never eat them that way since they’re like eating a stick of butter. I love roasted potato slices with rosemary, too.

  8. August 31, 2010 / 8:56 am

    I’m waiting for the day my boyfriend realizes that he is spoiled ๐Ÿ™‚

  9. August 31, 2010 / 8:59 am

    I made roasted potatoes last night too, with a little olive oil, sea salt and rosemary.

  10. August 31, 2010 / 9:00 am

    I love them roasted with simple seasoning. But a close second would be baked with a little sour cream… I love that stuff.

  11. August 31, 2010 / 9:04 am

    This recipe sounds delicious, and I have a personal goal of learning how to stuff chicken breasts. But I admit that I don’t like to buy pine nuts – as much as I love them – b/c they are so darn expensive!

  12. August 31, 2010 / 9:13 am

    Haha…my husband is spoiled too– but I don’t cook to spoil him! I just love cooking dinner every night!

  13. August 31, 2010 / 9:24 am

    I love to cut potatoes into wedges, cover in olive or coconut oil, salt, and pepper, and bake them into oven fries. So delicious! And you’re right: they’re very nutritious. They’re a great source of potassium.

  14. August 31, 2010 / 10:33 am

    While I do make a mean deep fried potato skin, my go to is just twice baked potatoes – usually whipped with a bit of fat free half and half, cheddar cheese and a tablespoon of bacon bits! ๐Ÿ˜€

    I think my husband is spoiled too! ๐Ÿ˜€

  15. August 31, 2010 / 11:22 am

    Oh my goodness that chicken looks AMAZING!!

    I’ve thought many times how lucky your husband is. I hope he realizes it! ๐Ÿ™‚

  16. August 31, 2010 / 12:48 pm

    I’ve had purple potatoes once and they were so cute! I love my potatoes roasted with rosemary. That’s probably my favorite way.

  17. August 31, 2010 / 12:51 pm

    stuffed chicken looks really tempting, very delicious ….

  18. August 31, 2010 / 2:58 pm

    I DEFinitely think Mr. Prevention is spoiled! I would LOVE for someone to make me dinner every night. ๐Ÿ˜‰

    Favorite way to eat spuds….on the grill (in foil) with EVOO and garlic salt! mmmmm.

  19. August 31, 2010 / 5:20 pm

    I think you’re pretty fabulous to cook dinner every night! The chicken dish looks delicious and you’re right, that is an amazing trio of flavor! My favorite way to eat potatoes is roasted with olive oil, fresh minced rosemary, and salt and pepper.

  20. August 31, 2010 / 8:29 pm

    You do a great job cooking all the time!

    I love roasted potatoes but I must admit, there is nothing better then a french fry or tater tot!

    I also love a baked potato with salsa, black beans, cheddar cheese and a little sour cream – it was one of my staple meals in grad school!

  21. August 31, 2010 / 9:53 pm

    what a great recipe today! my pup needs a bath too haha

  22. August 31, 2010 / 10:01 pm

    Lately, I’ve been digging baked potatoes with peach salsa. Yum. I like oven fries too with chili powder, cumin and a little garlic salt. Yum again.

  23. August 31, 2010 / 10:26 pm

    My favorite way to eat potatoes is exactly how you prepared them for your dinner! Sooo good ๐Ÿ™‚

    Oh, and your pup’s adorable!

  24. August 31, 2010 / 10:37 pm

    That looks so good! your lucky your husband will experiment with dishes. It’s frustrating my husbands taste buds are so tainted by all the crap he ate growing up he thinks everything is “weird” and “gross” ::sigh:: at least my kids will try new and exciting things!

  25. August 31, 2010 / 10:45 pm

    I love potatoes in all forms!! potato chips, baked potatoes and roasted sweet potatoes are my favorites.

  26. September 3, 2010 / 8:10 am

    Ooo I actually ripped this recipe out of Cooking Light–glad to see it turned out so well!

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