Italian Stuffed Chicken

I created this one evening when I wanted to make a romantic meal. It's not very difficult to make but the stuffed chicken is beautiful. Serve on a bed of spinach or with a lovely green salad on the side.

• Ready In: 1 hr 5 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 4  boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 200  g fresh spinach, washed
• 200  g mozzarella cheese, grated
• 1  onion, finely chopped
• 1  jalapeno pepper, finely chopped (optional)
• 2 (400 g) cans chopped tomatoes
• 1⁄2 cup water
• 1  chicken stock cube
• 2  teaspoons dried oregano
• 2  tablespoons tomato paste
•  olive oil
•  salt and pepper

Directions

1. Heat a little olive oil in a frying pan and sauté half of the chopped onion until soft.
2. Add the spinach and continue cooking over a medium heat, adding a touch of water if needed, until the spinach is wilted.
3. Take off the heat and let cool for a moment, before stirring in just over half of the mozzarella cheese.
4. Cool until you can comfortably handle the mixture.
5. Meanwhile, cut a slit lengthways along each chicken breast but be careful not to cut them in half.
6. You want to end up with a little pouch in each one.
7. When the spinach mixture is cool, stuff each breast with as much of the mixture as you can.
8. You may not use it all.
9. Cover the chicken with some cling film and set in the fridge while you make the sauce.
10. Heat some more olive oil in a saucepan and sauté the remaining onion and jalapeno pepper until soft.
11. Add the chopped tomatoes, water, stock cube and oregano.
12. Simmer for about 10 minutes until the flavours blend and the mixture starts to thicken.
13. Stir in the tomato paste, season with salt and pepper and let simmer a few minutes more until you have a fairly thick sauce.
14. Preheat the oven to 180 C or 350 degrees F.
15. Put enough sauce in a casserole dish to cover the bottom.
16. Lay in the chicken breasts and then cover with the remaining sauce.
17. Bake for 40-45 minutes, then pull out of the oven briefly to scatter the remaining mozarella cheese on top.
18. Turn on the grill and cook just until the cheese is bubbling and browned.